I started off my day to an email that uplifted my spirits--

I'll understand.
I feel like these are the words that I have needed to hear so much lately, and this email touched me at a place in my heart only God knows of. I feel so understood. And not only by my friend, but--to think!--by the God of the universe who promises me that and tells me over and over again in His Word that He knows me, loves me, understands me. God has been showing me this about Him so much in the past few days at a time that I need to hear it the most. Can you even fathom it?

I was sitting, feeling so alone a couple of nights ago and thought to myself how funny it was that people really want others to know they are sad without having to tell them. How much we want others to discover our sadness themselves, point it out and be there for us without us asking. As I was sitting on the floor thinking that to myself I thought about how I might call a friend up and make sure I still sounded like I was crying so she'd know just how sad I was feeling since she couldn't see me face-to-face. Then I thought about those dramatic scenes in movies when a character is crying by himself/herself and how because we are the audience we are able to see into the private cries of the character and we can feel for the character, without the character ever having to tell us that he/she is sad. I started to get a little jealous. So I thought about how I wish there was a camera that was, at aerial view, somehow letting someone know how I was feeling. Then I realized how silly that was because it dawned on me that I never have to yearn to feel understood because there is Someone that, at all times, in all situations, who always sees me. Someone who feels me, who knows me, who fully understands me at all times. Someone who I can never hide from.

It's wonderful to feel understood. The thought made me sing. So I sang, and as I did, the tears went away.

After a 3-day grad-engage-tism (cousin graduated, other cousin's engagement party, uncle's baptism) family weekend of fun I finally settled down into my LA summer apartment on Tuesday night. With a week before the start of my internship, I've been really enjoying the down time with friends and having the cozy apartment all to myself. and, oh yeah- Daddy surprised me with a new camera! So here is some visual overload to make up for lost time :P Here's what I've been up to...

Cinnamon Mocha-Vanilla Cookies

http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/05/28/marketing-ups-asian-american-lead-character/

What do you guys think? Did you know that Russell was an Asian-American character? More importantly, does the way Pixar is marketing his character have any implications for minority characters in film?