Ike Update for our Friends and Family

Everyone is safe. We are safe and suffered very little damage. We were extremely blessed. We just got power about an hour ago. It went out about midnight last night. That is incredibly lucky considering about 2.6 million people in Houston are without power. They say they have restored power to 112,000 so far. That means that we are among the lucky 4.3% who have power again! How blessed are we!? I think we are the only one's in the family with power right now, though, so come on over everybody! Hurricane Party, Part 2!

Family Status:
-Sam and Lorig are safe, but there is severe flooding in their area. Their house is good so far, but there is still danger of rising waters. There were lots of fallen trees that barely missed their house. We can definitely see God's protection over them. I think they got it the worst though.
-Medzmama and Medzbaba evacuated to Dallas to stay with David and Lucie. They are safe. Baba checked on their house today and everything was great.
-Elize and her family are safe and staying at our house tonight because they have no power.
-Jackie and Dennis stayed with in-laws. Baba checked on their house and all is well. They are all safe.
-Jack and Lucine are safe, but have no power.
-Varouj, Georgik, and Edo are all safe as well.

We had so much fun last night hearing the intense, howling wind and seeing the trees tossed around like twigs. The front door and windows were shaking all night. It is an experience I will never forget. We were all huddled around the T.V. last night until the power went out and then we went all old-school and listened to the battery powered radio with flashlights. Raki is a pansy...he was scared and sat on me the whole time. It was pretty funny. The rest fell asleep, but I was up all night...I was too excited to sleep!!! I mean, how do you sleep during a hurricane!? It's too much fun! It was such a weird thing this morning to walk around the neighborhood and see it looking all crazy and stuff. Like I said, we were really blessed with little damage. Just mostly tree and roof damage. My favorite thing is how people are all automatically best friends in situations like these. After spending all day cleaning debris, we actually had a Hurricane BBQ with our neighbors using the food in the freezer so it wouldn't go bad, since we had no power at that point. Thanks for the memories, Hurricane Ike.

Hurricane or the Second Coming of Christ. Only time will tell...

This armageddon storm aka Hurricane Ike is heading right towards Houston in a couple of hours. Many have fled, but we Armenians are a strong people and we have decided to brave the weather.

All joking aside, we are taking this Hurricane seriously. All the preparations have been made: food, water, batteries, radio, medicine, pet care, vodka, etc. The house and cars are hurricane-ready. It is good to be prepared.

I think it's really interesting how your priorities come to light in a time of danger. A situation like this can easily become a life and death one, as we all learned from Hurricane Katrina. I know from experience that when your life is on the line, you let go of all the futile things in life and only the things you truly value come through. I love how throughout the entire city of Houston, businesses shut down and schools closed. What matters are the essentials: food, water, shelter, safety, and most importantly, family.

I watched my family band together as we always have. Everyone calls each other to offer help. The elderly are taken care of. I can't help but to feel joy as I see proof of the love we all profess for each other. I can't help but feel proud of my dad as he offers to help people board up their windows and get houses ready. My mom, in true Armenian-mother fashion, is cleaning the entire house. I tried to remind her that Hurricane Ike is not coming as a house guest, but she insists on having a clean house for the hurricane. This is one of my favorite quirks about my mommy!

I have to tell you though, I am soooo excited. I LOVE bad weather! I am so looking forward to hearing the wind howl and seeing the storm. It's not that I want a hurricane to come, but the fact is that it is coming and nothing can be done about it. Why not just enjoy it? So, we decided to have a Hurricane party, not to celebrate the hurricane, but to make the best of a situation that has the potential to be scary. Instead of being scared, we like to look at the bright side. Take the time to enjoy the power and wonder of God manifested in something like a hurricane. It's just another testament of the power of God, and how insignificant we all really are!


May everyone stay safe and sound.

First Week of Class

This looks to be a promising semester. Things are going well for me, in almost every aspect of life. My medical school applications are submitted and I have already been offered an interview! Yay! Now I just continue waiting. People tell you that the waiting game is the hardest part of the process. Well, I can say with confidence that they are dumb. I am loving this waiting stuff. Taking the MCAT was the hardest part. Passing Organic Chemistry II was up there. Now, I get to relax...finally...ummm, well, sort of.

The gem of my semester is going to be Physical Chemistry...notoriously evil. According to the syllabus: Upon completion of this course, students should be able to understand the principles of classical and quantum mechanics as they apply to biophysical experiment and theory.

Oh, should we now? Well, maybe you should speak for yourself, dumb syllabus. What does that even mean? Well, at least I got the prof to notice me in a class of 130 people. It's always important to stand out. How, you may ask? By laughing out loud when she said, as serious as could be, "failure is common."

Babies and other such Nonsense

I went to a baby shower today for a family friend. It was definitely the stereotypical, let's all goo and gush and make unnaturally high pitched squealing sounds over baby stuff, ultrasounds, and all that crap. Don't get me wrong...I love babies. I really do. I love big families, having come from one myself, and I want lots of kids someday. Maybe 17...I haven't decided yet. All I'm saying is that I am not fond of estrogen-powered "lady" parties. I was proud to have the role of the token young, free-spirited single girl at this particular event.

The women would smile at me and sigh, as if they knew some great secret that I don't know yet. She can't possibly understand us, we remember what it was like to be young and free. They kept making "Mommy" jokes that only women who have had the sense of humor sucked out of them by one of those little bundles of joy could possibly find funny. I mean, when the day comes that I am found gushing over embroidered giraffes and paisley lettering, someone, PLEASE kick me in the pants. Alas, it's inevitable, isn't it? You don't have to tell me, I know I will eat these words someday. Aren't you just glad that it's all documented on the internet, to rub in my face later?

"Oh, but nothing can compare to the joy of a child," says a woman as her baby throws up all over her. By the way, this kid hasn't stopped screaming since she arrived...wait, is that a little glimmer of envy of my carefree, come-and-go-as-I-please life, I see in her eyes? Oh no, it's just some throw up.

Ode to Kali

Oh, dear friend.
When I convinced us to go rollerblading at 3 am
It seemed like such a good idea at the time.
And it was for Lauryn and I.
Alas, for your poor bum, it was not.
Who knew I would have 2 pairs of rollerblades in the trunk of my car?
Yes, I stood there and laughed
And laughed and laughed and laughed
As you lay sprawled out on the pavement.
That speed bump was unkind.
Yes, I continued to laugh as we iced your bum down with a chilled bottle of wine.
YES, I laughed as you would call me with your woes,
You would describe the pain involved in the transition between sitting and standing,
The trials of living with a broken ass.
But then, Karma, came around.
I pulled my lower back muscle.
And now it's not so funny.


Except that it is! I still laugh, even at myself, but now I feel even more sorry for you than before. Actually, I am almost all the way better, and I know that mine was nothing compared to yours. But last Sunday sitting and standing in church was brutal!

I just want to take this opportunity in front of everyone to say:
I am sorry for convincing you to go roller blading with me.
I am sorry that you did not heed my advice to avoid the mountain you tried to rollerblade down. I am sorry that you hit two speed bumps.
I am sorry you jammed your ass.
But for the sake of having a hilarious story that still makes me laugh when I think about it,
I am not that sorry.

What have you been? - Part Deaux

Lately, I've been doing a lot of reflecting. Reflecting on who I am, who I have been and who I've wanted to grow into. It involved some introspection. I had to look inside myself to see if I'm living up to the woman that I was hoping to be at this point. In some ways, yes, in some ways, no. I believe that God is steering me down the right paths right now and that His grace is enough to get me through the rough patches. And, boy, have there been some ROUGH patches. I felt his presence with me strongly as I was taking my monster test and was reminded that the only thing keeping me from that assurance all the time is myself. I allow myself to focus on what the world focuses on: relationships, dating, grades, career, money, health…take your pick. In the end none of this matters.

I am reminded of Luke 6:31-34 from the SPV Bible (Sevahn’s Personal Version):

“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ [or Who shall I date? or Will I get into medical school? or Can I afford gas? or Did I choose the right career? or Is my GPA good enough? or Do people like me?] For the pagans run after these things and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

That’s His promise to me, so I had better hold up my end of the deal. So I'm ready to enter the world of a medical school applicant full of confidence in the God who has brought me this far. He has been faithful and kept His promises and I LOVE Him for it.

FAQ

FAQ 1: How did you do on the MCAT, Sev?
I did well on the MCAT! Yahoooooo! For those of you who don't believe in miracles, well, let's just say this is a prime example. You should have seen how nervous I was to check my scores online. My hands were literally shaking. Once the numbers popped up on the screen, I just jumped and ran around the house for about 15 minutes yelling, with intermittent bouts of singing. Then, I ran to Soneeg, and made her check, just to make sure I hadn't gone dyslexic...I could hardly believe my eyes. It was a good day. I proceeded to celebrate my scores for the next few weekends, surely killing many of the braincells that assisted in said score.

FAQ 2: Well, Sev, what are you doing now?
Let's be honest, I am still celebrating...a lot. After the last semester I had, I feel I deserve it. You could sum up the pre-MCAT days with a Nada Surf song:

I had the blankest year,
I saw life turn into a T.V. show.
It was totally weird.
The person I knew, I didn't really know.

I used this summer as a sort of sabbatical, and feel much better as a result. Don't get me wrong, though. I also worked very hard this summer. I am working two part-time jobs in the medical center in research. I am also preparing for my last year at UH. Lastly, and most importantly, I am applying to medical school. Let me tell you, that has been quite a pleasure. [Insert sarcastic scoff here.] The funny thing is, when you tell people that you are applying to medical school, almost everyone likes to tell you how much they HATE doctors. They continue with personal little anecdotes about how horrible doctors are and how they were almost killed by one. I'm not sure how to take that. What's the polite response? "Umm...I'll try not to kill anyone" or maybe "Hey! You're right! Doctors suck. I think I'll be an artist instead." Well, if med school doesn't pan out, my back up plan has been and always will be to become a European vagrant.

Where have you been?

Praise God. I truly have felt reborn since my last post. That's how I know it was real. Throughout all this time, I still feel rejuvenated. I feel like the happy-go-lucky person I used to be. That burden was lifted. The pain and the fear of the unknown was lifted. I let God in control and whatever it was that was holding me back, is gone. I feel close to God. I feel happy. I feel whole again! YES!

Having been in that dark place of loneliness, emptiness, and fear; hating who you have become, wishing you could go back to who you used to be, I can sense when others are there. Could this be a calling? I see my friends go through these valleys and I want to help them. If nothing else, just to say, "I was there, it sucks. There is only one way out. Jesus." It just helps to know you are not alone. Well, you're not.

2 Year Anniversary

WHAT!?! 2 years? Feels more like 20, and yet the memories are as vivid as if it was yesterday. My two year anniversary for heart surgery was a few days ago (March 1). I missed the post because I was a sponsor on a youth retreat (Soul Link 2008) with my church...and also because I forgot that I had a blog. Ha.

Soul Link was amazing. I have just discovered an awesome band with an amazing ministry. Everybody check out Seventh Day Slumber. If you have ever felt pain, despair, or felt like an empty shell of a person...if you have ever thought that you were better off dead, dealt with addiction, or abandonment, you can understand the message these guys bring.

Your Spirit cannot help but be aware of
the truth that resonates from hearing the testimony of someone who has experienced these things firsthand.

God spoke to me this weekend.
Even two years later, I was still holding on to pain and fear from my past. I never truly surrendered it to God. I thought I had, but I had too many walls around my heart...so many to the point that I didn't even know what I was thinking. I was so busy convincing everyone else that I was fine, until I accidentally convinced myself too. It just festered deep within me, until one day it consumed me. Only God knew the truth, and He patiently, lovingly just waited 2 years for me to realize. It was during a Seventh Day Slumber song (Oceans from the Rain) that I heard God speak to me.

You can't be completely Mine, until You surrender every fear, every pain.
Jesus will wash your pain away.
And He's the only one.

I asked Him to...and He did.

The MCAT

I just registered to take the MCAT this May!!! Aaaahhh! Last semester went well. OChem was difficult, but not impossible. It basically takes over your life. Now it's time for OChem 2, Calculus 3, Biochemistry, Evolutionary Biology, and a MCAT prep class. Time to be a big girl now...