I couldn't resist...

Ok, read my post below and this will make more sense. I quite often feel that I have the most common name in America. So I googled my name (below), but then I went on to google the most common name. I found NameStatistics.com. It's cool. You should do it. Anyways, I first tried Jessica. Here are the results:

• Jessica is a very rare male name.
  Very few men in the US are named Jessica.
  Be proud of your unique name!

Whew, I was worried there for a minute...

• Jessica is the #26 most common female name.
  0.49% of females in the US are named Jessica.
  Around 624750 US females are named Jessica!

Oh my goodness!! 624,750!! Wow, that's a lot of Jessicas! But still only .5%, interesting. For some reason I thought it would be more than that. It was afterall, the most common name for girls in the 80's.

• Jessica is the #83290 most common last name.
  0.0005% of last names in the US are Jessica.
  Around 1250 US last names are Jessica!

Huh? What amazes me is that people actually have the last name Jessica...Who are these people? Haha, I find this very amusing. There are around 1250 last names Jessica? I never saw that coming.
Ok, now for the last name. Anderson. We'll see how this goes...

• Anderson is the #11 most common last name.
  0.311% of last names in the US are Anderson.
  Around 777500 US last names are Anderson!

#11 most common...Impressive. Higher than I thought it would be. I guess my name isn't as common as I thought. #49 for first name and #11 for last name doesn't seem like it would be the most common. In fact, according to lifesmith.com Mary Smith is the most common girl's name. Weird, I actually know a Mary Smith! But I guess that shouldn't be surprising should it. It is afterall, the most common.

Google

Have you ever googled yourself? Well, I was curious as to what lay out there in cyberspace with my name on it. Of course, Jessica Anderson isn't exactly uncommon (sometimes I'm convinced it's the most common name in America) so I was interested to see what I would find.

#1 Australian Authors - Jessica Anderson:
The site reads: "Jessica Anderson was born in Brisbane in 1925 and has lived most of her life in Sydney, other than a few years in London. She started her career as a novelist rather later in life than most, although she has previously written short stories for newspapers and novel dramatisations for radio." Interesting...it seems I have also won a number of awards. Wow, I'm old! 1925?! (That's way before Jessica became the most popular girls name in America during the 80's)
#2 Goalie Pages - About Me, Jessica Anderson:
The site reads: "My name is Jessica Anderson, I'm 23 years old, born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. I am currently living in Cincinnati and attending Cincinnati State Technical College, majoring in Computer Graphics (graduating summer 2005). I graduated from John Abbott College in 2001, with a degree in Office System Technology. I then attended Concordia University for two years, majoring in History. I played for The John Abbott College Lady Islanders for four years (97 - 01). I played for The Concordia Stingers for two years (01/02 - 02/03). I'm a goalie of course." Hmmm...I'm a goalie of course. Of course I am! What else would I be? I even compare myself to Mike Richter. Assertive, perhaps?
#3 Jessica Anderson Online Portfolio
I think this site is the portfolio of the previously mentioned goalie. Wow, what a find! It's actually pretty cool. So in theory could I use her, I mean my, pictures on this blog? I am technically Jessica Anderson (although biologically a different Jessica Anderson). As I browse her portfolio, it's actually quite impressive...maybe I could have her design my blog? Hmmm...I mean, have me design my blog. Interesting thought. I should look into that.
Here's an interesting one:
#5 Jessica Anderson (II)
Apparently I'm also an actress who has starred in Passions where I was a gang girl, Big Momma's House 2 in which I was the bikini girl, and in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang where I played an upscale woman. Hmmm...all those roles seem to point to extra more than star, but hey, I'll take what I can get. I also don't understand the II. Oh wait, I play the piano. That's cool.

In Google you never know what you'll get. This has been fun. I think you should all Google yourselves and let me know what you find. Of course, not everyone can be a writer/goalie/computer graphics artist/budding actress but hey, nobody's perfect (or so commonly named).

The Love Bug

Lately I've been involved in numerous relationship talks. None about me, mind you...We're just not there yet. Anyways, a number of friends have been having "drama" of sorts in the relationship department. It's interesting, before Thailand I wasn't thinking about much in that area. In fact, Thailand was the first time I really talked about relationships, past included, in a long time. Since then there has only been more to digest as so many people apparently had their "Stint goggles" on. Interesting... It's funny how when you start asking questions people talk. But until that initial question into their love life is posed, they are silent. Then, it explodes and within an hour you've learned more about them and their year/month/week/whatever of relationship drama than you ever thought possible. Maybe that's how we work. We have all these ideas, feelings and hopes about relationships but because the Christian dating world can be confusing and messed up at times, we never talk about them openly. Then, when it comes up in conversation and we're in a setting that's safe, we have so much on our minds it all comes out. All cards are on the table. You are so grateful for someone to listen that you tell all. I was surprised by brutal honesty at times, but then I appreciated it. There are not many times when I'm in a conversation that is completely honest. So even though I've talked about relationships and thought about relationships more in the past four weeks than I have all year, it's not all that bad. Kind of weird, a little High Schoolish at times, but really not all that bad. In fact, it's refreshing to have an honest conversation about a topic so seldom touched on lately. All this talk of relationships (and it being so soon after Valentine's Day) reminds me of a book I used to read my sisters when they were younger: Love Bugs by David A. Carter. From which I'll take my application point: "About one thing I have no doubt... The Love Bug will bite you if you don't watch out."

Rainy day reading...

I just started reading Black by Ted Dekker. It's an unbelievable novel with incredible imagination. I have been more places in Black than I thought possible. I'm a little over halfway through it and I really can't put it down. It follows a young man named Thomas Hunter who is convinced that he is living in two realities. Whenever he falls asleep in one, he wakes up in the other. One reality is Denver, Colorado 2010, the other is a colored forest where Elyon lives with His people set come 200 years in the future. How Dekker came up with this is beyond me. I've always been a Randy Alcorn fan, but Ted Dekker plays on a whole other level. While Alcorn gives incredible plot and amazing visions of Heaven, Dekker comes up with an adrenaline-laced storyline and an incredible post-Earth Narnia of sorts that is beyond my comprehension. Both weave in spiritual truth without making it seem forced. I've fallen in love with Elyon, Jesus, all over again because of these books. I seriously recommend you read Dekker. And Alcorn. While you're at it read Perretti too. We are so blessed to have such amazing men of God writing fiction novels with incredible Truth and conviction! I'm also glad it's raining out today. Bring on the chai tea and good reads.

Wishing I was there again...

Fellowship

Fellowship. That's my key word of the day, maybe the year. I didn't realize how much I was missing out on relationships until Thailand. I think because I get along with everyone on my team so well I don't notice the lack of variety in my life. At the conference I got to hang out with all sorts of amazing people and I loved every minute of it! Sometimes I forget how isolated I am. Being over here in ministry is hard. We don't have community like it is in the States. There aren't relationships outside of "work" here. Back at WSU, I had friends in different groups. I floated between groups hanging out here and there. I can't do that in East Asia. Until Thailand, I didn't realize how much I missed those relationships and the fellowship that comes with it. Part of that makes me excited to go back to WSU, which is good. Through all this I've seen a bigger picture of what God has for us in heaven. I can't wait for the day when all these relationships continue on. When it doesn't end because you have to get on an airplane and travel from place to place. I honestly can't wait for eternity when we have all the time we could ever want to build into relationships that never end. There won't be good byes, or "see you next time." It will just be us and God in constant fellowship. Praise God for His beautiful plan and eternal love! Praise God for fellowship!

It's good to be back

Well, if you haven't heard by now, I'm back in East Asia. One word: cold! Our apartment is freezing, and of course, the heat isn't working like it used to. At least I have my electric blanket to keep me warm at night. Anyways, our apartment was as we left it. I really missed East Asia. Yesterday, Michelle and I went shopping and as we were in the taxi driving to our destination (the first stop was actually Starbucks, go figure...) I felt comfortable. I realized how much I missed people on bikes and horns going crazy. How much I missed the statue of the boy and dog that has never made sense to me. I even missed not being able to fully communicate with the taxi driver.
The people at Starbucks didn't recognize us. But then, when they realized their most valuable customers had returned (based on sales), they were excited to see us and hear of our travels (ok, really all they wanted to know is why we didn't tell them we were going to Thailand because then we could have bought them things). We even saw our Aussie friend who works upstairs. He looked excited to see us, at least I think so...Auchan was exciting. It actually wasn't as busy as usual. We got back home and then had a team dinner. We had dumplings delivered. It was good. I really did miss East Asia more than I thought I did. It's good to be home.

Superbowl Monday

Yes, even though I'm half-way around the world I will watching the Superbowl live Monday morning at 6:15am. I only have one comment:
GO SEAHAWKS!!!

Lost Luggage...

I have so much I want to say, but I'm running out of internet minutes. One thing I want to let you know is traveling in big groups is never efficient. For example so far we have lost three pieces of luggage since coming to Thailand. The first one was David's suitcase (lost by the airline) and it was recovered. The second was my laptop that got lost in a taxi (the whole story I'm sure will come later) and is still MIA...although the Bangkok police are looking for it. And the third was our dear friend's viola she trusted us with and we left in Samui. So, word of advice: when traveling in large group keep count of pieces of luggage and assign people to certain things. Don't assume somebody else has it. (Or never trust your six friends traveling on vacation in vacation mode with something that is valued at more than $4,000 (the viola). )