I'm outta here

Dear blogging friends,

If you'd like to keep up with me this next year, please revert your bloggie selves to:

http://corismith.theworldrace.org.

Sincerely,
me. :-)

Yay Layne!

I'd like to dedicate this post to my friend Layne who's graduating this weekend!!!!!! Woot!! Congrats friend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-)





(Do you realize what this means? This means that I graduated a YEAR ago!!!!! what?!?!)

who thinks of this stuff?!

Someone barbecue-sauced part of my car last night...

who did it?!

the soloist.

the.best.movie.I.have.seen.all.year.

this is a very powerful movie. the love in this movie, I believe, is more powerful than that of latika and what's his face on slumdog millionaire.

I'd write more about it if I didn't have to work in a few hours. but I have many, many thoughts...

one of the most powerful quotes:

"You can't cure Nathaniel. Just be his friend and show up."

one of the most powerful scenes: (pictured below)

I don't want to ruin the movie for anyone, but you really should see it. basically the man in the right in the above photo writes for the LA times and decides to write a column on Nathaniel, on the left. Nathaniel went to Julliard years back and is a very skilled musician, but now is homeless and basically a schizophrenic... they meet when Steve Lopez (columnist) finds him on the street playing only a 2-stringed violin.

it's a story about their friendship which develops because of his column and interest in helping Nathaniel... he has to figure out what does helping him mean/look like? how does he help him? it's a story about grace and loving when it doesn't make sense, and when it's hard.

it's a story about...... ok just go see it already.

Weird.

So now that I have 2 blogs, I am a blogging fool... only I mostly only post on my World Race one. I suppose it's good practice since that's what I'll be using for a year.

Plus, lots more people comment on that one. :-)

Anything the few of you who read this would like for me to blog about before I leave??

Life is just crazy right now. I was getting my car fixed the other day and I sat there, right in the repair shop, and wrote the beginnings of my to-do-before-I-leave list. I think I came up with 17 things. One of which is selling my car... it'd be really nice if I could do that.

My Next Adventure!

Beginning in February I noticed certain themes in my life that I couldn’t ignore. I am 24, single, and don’t have a career-type job. Although I moved to Colorado 9 months ago, this still isn’t truly “home” nor is Arizona since I haven’t been there in nearly a year. During many conversations with different people these themes would come up, and I would mention how I loved to travel. Each person seemed to agree and say something like, “Yeah – why NOT travel right now?”

Before Christmas break I had stumbled upon my friend Dan Strosky’s blog about being on a trip called The World Race. I would read his blog every so often and just think, “Wow, that’s freakin’ cool!” On this trip, he and a team of people travel to 11 different countries in 11 months.

Once the themes above started emerging, I then began to read Dan’s blog thinking, “I might actually consider doing this trip or something like it.” It was a scary thought. I felt a little crazy for considering leaving the country for 11 months, as well as doubt as to my reasons for thinking of doing such a thing. Was I just considering it to lay off “real life” for another period of time? Am I trying to run away from committing to a place and a job? Or was this really where I was being led?

With all these fears and questions, I told my family about my thinking and eventually applied. The rest has all been a complete whirlwind. I applied and then had my phone interview in late February. Only a few days after that I found out I was accepted and was told of the 87 things I now had to do. Hesitation struck. I kindly explained to the office that although I didn’t have a reason not to do the trip, I wasn’t 100% committed yet. So I would work on the 87 things, but that could change.

I had a week of feeling really sad about deciding to go on the trip. I knew what the implications were. I am going to leave my family and friends for a year! I am not going to coach at Palmer Ridge next year. This trip is going to be hard.

This sadness became interpreted as a, “maybe this isn’t the right decision.” I wanted to have peace and to feel excited about my decision, but really I felt mostly the opposite. I truly don’t remember what happened after a week, but then my feelings changed. Perhaps I just needed that week to grieve the losses that I was committing to, which is quite healthy. But after a week I truly was EXCITED.

I am going on an insane adventure. I can’t even begin to imagine all that will happen – the relationships I’ll build, the crazy stories I will be a part of, the countries I will visit, the things I will see and hear, the frustration I will feel at injustices, the prayers I will pray, and how my heart and the hearts of the people on my team will change us forever.

On June 1^st, less than 2 months from now, I am embarking on The World Race. I am both stoked and afraid, at peace and nervous, excited and anxious. I do know that after being at training camp these past ten days that there is NO ONE else I would like to go on this journey with. I mean wow. There are so many themes within our community/family that there is no doubt in my mind that each and every one of us are going now, on this trip at this time, for a reason. That reason is to advance the Kingdom in a powerful way. I have no doubt that we will be blown away by what God does.

Here’s to being blown away…

to follow my adventure and to be blown away yourself, please visit here (and sign up for updates!). Also if you’d like a letter about how to more specifically pray and financially support me, let me know – but you can also support me by going to my blog and clicking toward the left where it says “Support Me!” :-) Thanks!!!

A Test.

So for this "thing" I am doing I had to go online and fill out a "Leading from your Strengths" test.

All I did was, from a list of four words/phrases, pick which words I felt both most and least described me. There were 20 or 22 groups of words, and from that I got a 27 page report!! Dang gina.

Here is what it says for my "general characteristics"... I actually think it is pretty accurate. Minus the whole not being competitive thing - where did they get that??

Cori likes to succeed through persistence. She uses her strong, steady tendencies to
accomplish her goals. She is often seen as practical and objective. She requires many
good reasons, as well as the benefits involved, before agreeing to making changes.
Others see her as a good neighbor, since she is always willing to help those she considers
to be her friends. When people are involved, she may not always be precise about the use
of her time. She likes harmony and cooperation. Most of the time she appears as cool,
calm and controlled. She does not always like being placed in competitive situations. She
tends to lose the "team feeling" when she is involved in direct competition. She can be
discreet and sociable as called for by the situation. When the time is right, Cori can stand
up aggressively for what she believes. She dislikes volunteering her opinion until she has
collected sufficient information to warrant an opinion.
Cori prefers to plan her work and work her plan. Others may find it refreshing to have
her on their team. She may tend to fight for her beliefs or those things she feels
passionate about. She may want to think over major decisions before acting. She must be
convinced that actions will produce the desired result. She can be sensitive to the feelings
of others and is able to display real empathy for those who are experiencing difficulties.

Occasionally she will underplay bad news, if telling it as it is will offend someone. She may
fear it would disturb the relationship. Once she has arrived at a decision, she can be
tough-minded and unbending. She has made her decision after gathering much data, and
she probably won't want to repeat the process. She tries to use balanced judgment. She
is the person who brings stability to the entire team. She is good at analyzing situations
that can be felt, touched, seen, heard, personally observed or experienced. Her motto is,
"facts are facts."
Cori is quick to pick up on group dynamics and skilled in fitting in with a group. She
brings both speaking and listening skills to the group. She is not easily triggered or
explosive, but she may hold on to some grievances because she doesn't always state her
feelings. She likes a friendly, open style of communication. She does not enjoy
confrontation for confrontation's sake. She feels she can succeed through patience and
resolve. Cori usually is considerate, compassionate and accepting of others; however, on
some occasions can become stubborn. Stubbornness surfaces when her ideals and
beliefs are confronted. She likes to know what is expected of her in a working relationship
and have the duties and responsibilities of others who will be involved explained.
Communication is accomplished best by well-defined avenues. She will be open with
those she trusts; however, reaching the required trust level may take time.

So, friends, what do you think? Pretty accurate?

P.S. I eat my words about AZ not winning in the tournament - sweet 16 baby!!! YEAH!