Hunger Games

Um, kinda addicted to this trilogy… thanks a lot, Lola! ;)


Best part: they’re making movies! Worst part: have to wait until March
This is the trailer.

March 23rd can’t come soon enough.

What Else Do You Do on Christmas Break???

So since it’s Christmas break, I’ve been reading. A lot. And crocheting a lot (my BFF’s scarf actually looks like a scarf! Pictures coming soon!) but more reading.

Completed books:
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (book 2 will be started today, book 3 done before I go back to school)
- Secrets, Unforgotten, and Echoes by Kristen Heizmann, one of my favorite authors

- The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Doyle… I’ve been reading this on my phone for quite some time, but I finished it last night

Started and yet to be completed:
- A Tale of Two Cities – it’s my Christmas break tradition, but I may have to postpone this one till summer
- Surprised by Oxford, recommended by my dear BFF who’s been there
- Clued In, a business book my dad recommended. My goal is to read approximately 20 pages every day (about a chapter) so that I can have it done before I leave

Books to hopefully read:
- Passion and Purity and another one by Elisabeth Elliot. I’m really excited about these, but since they are pretty standard library books, I may just have to read them over the course of my final semester.
Kind of random, but my dear BFF (I know, I've mentioned her like 5 times already. But she really is amazing, and I love her dearly, and I’m SO excited that I get to spend time with her this break.) is taking me to see “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” today. The cast is really strong, and it seems like it will be really mentally stimulating. The trailer I've been watching is here. I’ll post my thoughts on it soon. Hope your day is beautiful!

New Goals

Alright, readers, I must apologize. You have been sorely neglected this month (and this semester) and I’m sorry. So my goals for 2012 are as follows:

1. Blog at least once a week. I owe you that much, and it’s not like I can’t get off some social media site for 20 minutes and keep you posted.
2. Blog with pictures once a month. Come on. I follow all these amazing blogs who post multiple pictures per post, and I can at least do that once a month. I believe in myself! :)

That’s it! I know that 2 is a bit pathetic, and I know that I am a bit early, but hey, at least I’m blogging. Hope you had a merry Christmas!

Hello, November!

Hi, readers! SO sorry about this long break I've been taking… we’ll just say that there are only so many words a week this blogger can produce, and that word capacity has been maxed out recently! But tonight I’m avoiding my research paper, so I have plenty of words to spare! haha! But unfortunately, my brain has no substance to give you! So sad.

Well, I will update you on some fun items: I re-learned how to crochet, and from Saturday to today, I have finished two pieces and have started a third. And, as I type this, my BFF has requested a scarf for Christmas! Woohoo!

Anyway, I’m going to have a date night with George Winston, my bed, and a novel. :) Happy evenings, folks!

Depending on your perspective…

There are only 5 weeks left of classes! Praise Jesus! This means that it’s really crunch time, and I’m working all the time on project after project. Sorry, blog world, that means that you get a bit neglected. So sad. But I promise that Christmas break will more than make up for it!

I met with my academic adviser for the last time today. Sad! I will be registering for my last college courses next Monday. Holy nut-lugs, Batman! I graduate in like 6 months. Augh!

My adviser is great, though, and she kindly offered to write me a letter of recommendation for either grad school or a job. I thought that was very sweet of her. And she told me she thought I was gutsy, because I moved across the country to attend a school I was unfamiliar with, and here I am graduating in 2 years! God is so good. :)

Anyway, that’s the brief update on life. Pray for me, please, dear readers, that I do the crunching during crunch time and that I don’t get crunched!

Photo Journal of Bek’s Boring Life in College

Ha! I promised I would, and look! I did! :)

My slippers! First thing I see every morning :)


I took a shower this morning- aren't you proud!? Here is my towel & my cover-up


Picked out my clothes for the day…


My deodorant choices!!!!! Woot! I love deodorant!
P.S. This blog is not promoting, advertising, or supporting these brands in any way, shape, or form. The choices of these companies do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of this blogger. But I do totally support the wearing of deodorant! :)


Spent time with Jesus- this is the equipment ;)

Close up of my gorgeous journal!


Met with my professor before class- we discussed our plans for the week


Walking through campus

On my way to lunch… isn't this a beautiful campus???


Headed to my dorm to get more books- this is the jack-o-lantern on the porch


Checked my CPO box… nothing :( hint hint :)


Here is my sack lunch- wrap, chips, fruit and veggies, and granola bar- yummo!

This is when things get crazy- if I had really been on my game, I would have stopped to take pictures of all my class rooms, or of the textbooks, but from 1pm until 6pm I’m literally running from class to class. So, sorry, readers. As a consolation note, the classes are boring! :)

This is dinner at 6- see lunch for more details. Yep, I have the same lunch and dinner every Monday and Wednesday, and boy am I grateful for food on the go!


There, I took a picture of one book. This is for Industrial/Organizational Psychology… oh yeah


And lastly, to end on an up note, these are the meds I take so I can breathe! Haha, I know, boring. Perhaps I’ll do a photo journal on a weekend, because they are much more exciting.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this, readers! What do your days look like?

Coming Soon!

Today I’m going to try to do a sort of photo journal of my day. I've done well so far… granted, I've only been out of bed for about an hour, so that’s not saying too much :-p but we’ll see how it goes. Come back later tonight or tomorrow for a photo journal of Bek’s Life In College… dun dun dun! :)

To prove that I’m really doing it, here is a sneak peak for your viewing pleasure.


These are the first things I see every morning, and they make me happy. Thank you, sister who gave these to me after I stole yours! :D

Why Remember the Old, Bad Memories?

For my capstone course, my group is researching the Balkan war(s) that took place in the 1990s. There is so much history here! Part of me loves how old the country is, and how rich a history these people have. Part of me resents them for being that old, because it’s a lot to learn about and write a paper about in a month! And part of me is saddened by all the painful memories these people have. “Issues” surfaced during WWI & II that dated back to the 1100s and 1300s, etc. That’s more than 600 years of bitterness held in the memories of these people! I’m blown away by that, first of all because our lovely nation isn't that old AT ALL, and secondly because why would you want to hold onto the bitterness and pain?

I have friends from Germany, and I had the privilege of visiting the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. with one such German friend. I asked him what history class in Germany was like, and he told me that the Nazi regime and the Holocaust are taught in schools to remember the mistakes that the country had made, but would not make again. I've heard that it is illegal in Germany to deny that the Holocaust actually occurred.

My question/thought/contemplation today is, why couldn't the Balkans teach their history lessons without adding bitterness and revenge to the mix? Isn't it possible, as Germany is demonstrating, to remember wrongs done by us and to us, and then forgive and ask for forgiveness and move on, vowing to not let history repeat itself?

My next thought is, will the United States be like Germany or like the Balkans in regards to our own mistakes? I’m thinking particularly of slavery, the Civil War, and racial equality. Will it be something that we teach our children, this is how we used to think, and then we learned this, and now we do things this way? Can it be like that? Or do we have to keep pointing racist fingers at each other, repaying the crimes of the past, and never moving forward in our future?

I’m reminded of the message my pastor gave to my MC class during one of our first weeks. He spoke about Potential, and how our expectations determine how much potential comes into existence. Can we expect that people can change and that we just need to forgive and live our lives? Thoughts, readers?

Um, sorry I’ve been a slacker…

So my one and only excuse is that it’s midterms… haha, not like I’ve stopped doing anything fun! My weekend was AMAZINGLY LONG AND RELAXING, and it continues today and tomorrow, because of dear old Reading Period. Sigh of contentment.

My friend’s dad picked me up after work on Thursday, so I really had a 3 day weekend and I did NO homework. Ah, praise Jesus. It was delightful.

So this weekend I participated in the following activities {including but not limited to}:

• watching Disney princess movies
• working on a puzzle
• baking cookies while playing cards with dear friends
• attending a 4-H meeting {my first!}
• being my friend’s assistant during a photoshoot
• eating AUTHENTIC Southern chicken and dumplings
• introducing myself 93102938102984392483 times to my friend’s grandma- she has Alzheimer's
• quoting Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
• finishing a great new book by Kristen Heitzmann
• hanging out with lots of lovely friends
• ladies’ brunch while the men were camping

It was a truly lovely weekend. How was yours?

I know this is random…

… but I totally woke up thinking about this, and I wonder what all my dear readers think.

So. You’re a Christian gal. He’s a Christian guy. You like each other. You’re not married yet. But you get pregnant. Oops.

How many young Christians who sin and conceive automatically think about getting married to “redeem” the situation? I’m honestly curious, and first of all may I say I’m glad that abortion is not chosen! But I’m not sure that a quick marriage is the best solution all the time.

I’ll be honest, I have friends who have done this. I’m not sure what the long-term results are going to be, but I’m definitely glad that the child is alive! I’m glad that the families of the parents are still involved with the couple, and I’m glad that so far things are working out for them.

But is marrying the person you slept with always the best decision? I’m not convinced that it is. I think that marriage is something that should be considered long and hard, and that definitely more than 9 months should be spend praying about it and preparing for it.

I’m not a fan of the automatic marriage that can follow a Christian out-of-wedlock conception. The emphasis is on the word automatic, because if this really is the person God has for you, then prepare to be joined to him or her for the rest of your life! But my hesitation is that he or she is not the person God has for you, but the wedding happens anyway. Do you see what I’m getting at, readers? I don’t believe that something can be redeemed by marriage… I think that God can redeem situations and people, and that if marriage is in His plans, that’s great, but I hope someone doesn't get married just because they’re pregnant. Does that make any sense? Comments please?

Update & Alphabet :)

Thanks again for praying about yesterday’s convocation. It was a frustrating lecture, because he would say something, quoting another author or scholar, then leave the implication there, but quickly end with “I didn’t say that!” or “Of course this isn't what I mean, but…” and of course the implications are just left there in the minds of the audience. Grr. Frustrating! But there were friends of mine handing out tracts that asked “Do you know the real Jesus?” so it was good.

Oh. Did I forget to mention that the gentleman spoke about “the real Jesus”? Oops. That’s what he spoke about, and that’s why there were a few of us who were concerned, because he obviously does not know the real Jesus; he knows an academic, explainable, only-human, non-redemptive Jesus. But I pray that he will come to know the real, all-powerful, life-changing, sin-forgiving, Cross-dying, resurrected Jesus!

On a lighter note, I’m following Kelli’s idea and am having a “Get to Know the Alphabet of Bek!” :) To see Kelli’s alphabet, follow the link here.

A. Age: 22
B. Bed size: twin. Dorm-room twin. Sigh.
C. Chore that I hate: cleaning the bathroom…I’ll do laundry or dishes till the cows come home, but please don’t put me in the bathroom!
D. Dream house: something that has a kitchen to fit my quirks, a big laundry room, and a wrap-around porch with a swing {the Southern porch swings are getting to me!}
E. Essential start to my day: time with Jesus!!!!!!!
F. Favorite Color: hot freaking pink. oh yeah
G. Gold or Silver: depends on the outfit :)
H. Height: 5’5'” on my driver’s license… really like 5’4".5”
I. Instruments I play: I used to play classical piano… now I play homework
J. Job Title: Peer Leader/Teacher’s Assistant {yes, there are bunches of people at school who walk around with that job title} and my other job is Student Records Aide
K. Kids: well, eventually!
L. Live: in my dorm :)
M. Mother’s Name: um, Mom? Well, sometimes I call her Ma
N. Nickname: whoa there, that’s personal… well, some of them are. The main ones are Bek and Beks and Bekah… pretty typical
O. Overnight hospital stays: if you count my mom’s C-section with me; other than that, no, praise God
P. Pet peeves: drivers who use their turn signal but obviously aren't turning… don’t they hear the little blinky sound????
Q. Quote from a movie: “Hairy legs are your only link to reality.”
R. Right or left handed: Right… I can deal cards with my left hand, and that is all.
S. Siblings: 3 awesome and amazing sisters! Woot!
T. Trick: um, I don’t really do tricks, but I can tell jokes!
U. Underwear: yes, please! On rather than off!
V. Vegetable I hate: hmm… I like veggies… Can I do fruit? I’m not a fan of cantaloupe
W. What makes me run late: oversleeping! Or talking…
X. X-rays: when I broke my wrist in 4th grade, when I was hit by a car last year, and when I had braces
Y. Yummy food that I make: I got really excited when I saw “yummy food” and I thought, how am I ever going to choose? And then I read “that I make” and I thought, darn! Does popcorn count?
Z. Zoo animal: elephants… and when I’m with young children, the screaming monkeys so the kids can scream to make the monkeys scream and then people look at us like we’re crazy but they’re kids and they don’t care :)

There ya have it, folks! Probably more information than you wanted to know, but hey, it’s Friday! Have a great weekend!

Thank you for praying!!!

This week has gone so smoothly, and I know it’s only because of God’s grace and your prayers! Thank you, readers!

Now I come to you with another prayer request, but this one is more serious {not that my plea for help earlier wasn’t serious; this one just has more far-reaching implications}. My school has “convocations” almost every Thursday {I might have mentioned these last year… forgive me if I repeat myself} and this week, the speaker is a “Christian” who has it all figured out. My friend heard him speak earlier this week, and came away with the conviction that we need to pray that the ears of my fellow, unbelieving students are stopped, that the words of this man are so dangerous, and that if we could somehow stop the convocation from taking place, we would. Sigh. Sometimes the anti-God agenda on this campus is so discouraging, and I think of the Daniel Fast where my church is crying out for God’s heart for the lost, and I wonder is it doing anything? Is it worth it?

And then I think, isn't my God big enough to let someone tell lies about Him? Of course He is! He’s been big enough since the Garden of Eden when satan told the first lie about His goodness! And I am encouraged again, because I know that whatever comes out of this man’s mouth will eventually be revealed as a lie. And I know that the students who hear him and believe him and accept his half-truth, I know that they are not too far gone for my God! Ahh!!! Isn't that marvelous!!?!?!? No matter how far gone we think someone is, God can still reach them. That boggles my mind, for real!

Please join me in praying, friends, praying for my fellow students, praying for my believing friends who are preparing to hand out tracts afterwards, praying for this speaker, that he might come to know the true Jesus Christ. Thank you, and remember to pray victoriously- God has already won!

4 weeks done, 12 more to go…

Oy. That is all I can say.

School is starting to ramp up into craziness. Woot. I’m trying to stay on top of it all, and still have a life, and still fellowship with my Bible study friends, and make sure my little freshmen are thriving and adjusting, and calling home once in a while {sorry Mom} and oh yeah maybe get some sleep???? Huh!?!?!?

If you think of it, please pray for my health- as in, that it continues! I’d love to NOT get sick this semester… that would be amazing. Also, please pray that I can keep track of my life… things are crazzzzzy!!!! Prayer would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Other than crazy, life is awesome. I love being a senior, and I love being busy (which I guess means I also am crazy!), and I love thinking about graduation!!!! Woot! Anyway, I need to get going- off to Bible study and then homework and then BED!!!! :D

God, You are totally cool

This morning, God told me that I need to reach out to people more, meaning more often, more deep, and to more people. He told me that I need to be way outside my comfort zone, and I need to be out there so often that what used to be my comfort zone is no longer comfortable! Whoa, God!

So at 10am, I went to meet with the professor I TA for. We discussed the class and our plans for the day, and then as I was packing up to leave, I heard God whisper Ask her how her partner is doing. Readers, you must understand. I love this professor as a professor, but I disagree with her fundamental views. She’s the instructor for whom I tried to read President Obama’s book this past summer. Great teacher, bad worldview. Anyway. I take a deep breath and ask, “How is your partner doing?”

She seems surprised that I asked, but then thanks me for asking. We talk about her partner’s health for a just a minute or two, and then I leave and head for class. I was surprised at how much grace was there, that the question didn't seem unnatural or forced or awkward, and how pleasant the response was. Thank You Jesus for being with me, just like You said you would be!

Daniel Fast Day One

For 40 days, my church at home is joining together in a corporate Daniel Fast. This means that we will be following the food guidelines set forth in the book of Daniel, when he and his companions did not eat from the king’s table but instead ate only fruits, vegetables, and other foods that were grown from a seed. As a body, my church is seeking specific breakthrough in regards to finding Father’s heart for the lost.

When my pastor announced this to our body last month, I was thrilled…and slightly apprehensive. I am here at school during these 40 days, so the element of fasting together with the church is lacking. However, I am still a member of my church, and I want to see God break through to us in this area, and so I am joining in this fast from across the country. It will be a modified version, since I am at the whim of Food Service, not my own cooking abilities (which would probably still limit me!).

God, break through! Break through and reveal and impart Your heart for Your children! Let us never be the same after these 40 days of pursuing You.

They Notice!

For my marketing major, I’m taking a class called Consumer Behavior. It’s a fun class so far, and I've had the teacher a few times before, so I’m comfortable, and there are friends also in the class. And it’s for marketing! It’s fun!

This weekend, the class was assigned to read Chapter 3. The previous chapter was about culture in general; this chapter is about specifically the values of a culture. The first value the book discusses? Religious/Secular values. Here’s the part that just kinda hit me with, whoa, you noticed?

“Their [conservatives] consumption patterns include both positive consumption {purchasing religious objects and books} and negative consumption {avoiding or boycotting products and companies}. And when it comes to key policy issues such as abortion, gay rights, the death penalty, and welfare, devoutly religious consumers are becoming less tolerant of compromise by elected officials.”

YES! I love hearing that conservatives are noticed! Now, the book may not mean that in a flattering or complimentary way, but I sure am going to take it as a compliment! I’m glad, proud even, that as a whole, conservatives are holding our elected officials to account. Thank you, McGraw-Hill Publishing! What an encouragement this evening! :)

Uhhh…. it’s been a while…

Crazy recap time! Let’s see, the past two weeks in a nutshell.

Two Sundays ago, some friends and I went to see Les Miserables. GAH!!!! So incredible. It was a wonderful time with my girlfriends, and we even had crepes for dinner- how french! Here is a pic of the sign outside the theater, courtesy of Char.


Then I started packing… and packing. I was packing for 1) heading back to school and 2) Family Camp with my church. So there was a lot of packing!

Wednesday, my sisters and a friend drove up to Family Camp- it’s about an hour north of our home. It was fun to ride with my friend, because we have that great kind of relationship that if neither one of us is talking, we’re still comfortable. But since her sister just became engaged, there wasn't a whole lot of silence. ;)

Camp was WONDERFUL! I missed it last year due to Orientation for school, and I honestly had forgotten how marvelous it is to be literally surrounded by people you know and love. And our guest speaker was amazing as well. All around, a grand time. Sadly, I don’t think I took any pictures the entire time… you can see from this blog how usually I’m never separated from my camera… oh, wait.

Saturday evening, my parents and two sisters and I drove home. Then I finished packing {mainly putting dirty clothes into a separate bag} and realized I had left my wallet {meaning my driver’s license, my debit card, and, most importantly, my student I.D.} in my sister’s car at camp. Oi. Mom dug out my passport and Dad promised to mail my wallet as soon as it got back to the house. Phew. Crisis averted.

Bright and early… actually, it wasn't yet bright. It was just early. Early on Sunday morning, my parents drove me to the airport, waited through the LOOOONG line to check my bag, and then said goodbye. Sigh.
I had two carry-on bags, and as I was trying to open my new headphones, I heard the flight attendant say that if people wanted to gate-check their bags, they could pick them up at their final destination. Score! I went over to the desk immediately and got the sticker on my bag, and then I got to board early. Sweet! So it was very nice for me not to have 2 bags to worry about, especially since they both rolled = awkward! Praise Jesus for free gate-check!

Anyway, flights were pretty uneventful… I dozed most of the way and read for a bit. I landed 5 minutes early, and my ride was already waiting for me! She took me to my stuff, which was being stored at a church friend’s house. They were having small group at another family’s house, and so there were TONS of kids on the sidewalk riding bikes and scooters and skateboards all over, and my friends were there! Ahh… it was so great to see all these people!

Monday was Group Advising Sessions, which basically meant an hour of hanging out with the freshmen in my group. The instructor and I met before the meeting, and I’m really excited about this semester. The students look like a good group, maybe a little overloaded on information at the time {who isn't after 3 days of orientation!?} but overall a fun group.

Tuesday was TA Training, and I have several friends who are doing the same job as me, so it was great to go to different training sessions and entertain each other. Lunch was catered by the local Italian restaurant- ohmylanta, it was amazing. I had fettuccine Alfredo with chicken, plus they gave us a “bread stick” which was really like 3 rolls baked together… and the famous pop out here- in a glass bottle- can it get better???

Yes- they had ice cream for dessert. Heck yeah I love being a TA! :)

Wednesday was the first day of classes! Augh! LAST first day of school!!! Woot!
It went very well… I know at least one person in every class, which is so nice.

Thursday, I just had one class {GSTR 410-meh}, and I checked the schedule; the class is in Presser Hall, which is the Music building. I thought, weird, and there’s no room number, so I thought maybe it was in the concert hall. I head over there with time to spare, and there’s no other classmates that I recognize. I ask the lady in the office, and she doesn't have my class listed as being in the building. Uh oh. So she lets me check my schedule according to my class list, and I find out the class is in the Science building. Across campus. And it’s 5 til. Blast.

I was only a few minutes late, and the two guys that I knew in the class were giving me weird looks, because they know I’m usually on top of it. The instructor finishes taking roll, and then says, I don’t like this classroom. Let’s meet in the Art building, Room xxx in say, 15 minutes? And I’m like, great, let’s hike all over the place! Haha. So as soon as we’re out of the classroom, one of the guys is like, what’s the story? Cuz I knew as soon as you weren't here that there would be a story. Haha, thank you, I’ll be here all semester. :-p Anyway, the class was fine, and those two guys and I are gonna try and be a group for our big project. It should be fine.

Today is free!!!! That’s right- I have Fridays off. Score! It pays to be a senior. :D
Well, you pay in homework, which is what I should do. Thanks for reading my ramblings! Peace out, yo!

There are some weird things to think about while getting a massage….just saying

It’s totally true. Ok, for me it’s true. My mind just wanders along during a massage, unless she’s working on my sides- then my mind is pretty much on my sides! But anyway. I was lying there, letting Miss D. work her magic, and I recalled a conversation I had with a new friend. We were talking about life and convictions and men, and alcohol came up. My friend, Miss N, has decided to not drink alcohol, because, as she puts it, “alcoholism runs in my family.” Her sister had pointed out to me earlier that it is one person in her family, but N’s conviction stands strong.

N is pursuing a career in nursing, so she definitely knows way more medical things than I do, but her comment made me pause and think. Now, as a further disclaimer, I am neither scientist nor theologian; I am simply a girl contemplating these ideas.

Personally, I do not think that there is any such thing as the disease of alcoholism. I think that people choose to drink alcohol and then alcohol becomes their god, or alcohol takes control. I think that there are spiritual and willpower issues at work, but I don’t believe that there is a disease.

Now, one might argue that there are researchers who have found evidence of the alcohol gene or something in DNA that inclines or disinclines certain people to become alcoholics. There are two thoughts that come to mind in response to these claims: first of all, these researchers are probably working from a humanist worldview, which means that the researchers believe that mankind is basically good.  This is a false presupposition, but if you base your research on it, of course you’re going to “find” evidence to support that belief. Secondly, hellooooo generational transfer! If you grew up in an abusive home, statistics say that you will be in an abusive relationship later in life. If you grew up with an alcoholic or drug addict, chances are you will be a user.

Anyway, I know that this is a random post, but I just had to get these thoughts out of my head and onto “paper.” Thanks for letting me clear my head. :)

Well, let’s be deep for a sec

Last night I had an intense journaling session. There weren't any tears or screams, or big black marks on the page (btw, my journal is GORGEOUS!!!!!) but I just let it all out, and probably wrote for 15-20 minutes straight. I was just kind of sick of myself, honestly, and I had been antsy for several hours. I finally was like, God, what should I do? {I should have asked Him first, of course, but you know me- I like the hard way}

And He was like, chill, Bek! And I realized I had been stressing over ALL the things on my seemingly never-ending to-do list, and so I wrote out my plan for today, and went to bed. I was literally asleep before my sister came to bed, and her movie had like less than 20 minutes left. Wowza.

So I got up this morning and grabbed my Bible and journal and Blood papers and headed to the kitchen. Right as I poured my cereal, the phone rang. Mom had accidentally taken my sister’s car keys. The only keys to her vehicle. So that meant that Sister-Dearest and I had to take a road trip to the office to pick up the keys. Well, so much for the plan! Actually, I was like, God???? And He said, seek Me and you’ll find Me. Listen for Me.

And so I decided that today was going to be a great day, even if we had to leave way earlier than planned and even if we were both late for work (not really a big deal for either of us) and even if Grandpa got stuck in several “loops” today. Today is going to be a great day even when I missed one turn and then took the next too soon. Today is going to be a great day even if I don’t get the other half of my paycheck until the end of this month… thanks, Bek. You have to hit “submit” if you want to get paid. heehee. Anyway, I am on the second-to-last item of the to-do list, and today IS a great day. Sigh of happiness here.

Here’s to great days, readers! :)

I’ve been meaning to write about this…

New music: Josh Garrels! His album is really eclectic, with some tracks reminding me of the good ol’ South, and some making me choreograph in my head. My BFF introduced me to him, and his album Love and War and the Sea in Between is on noisetrade if you want to take a listen.

Book review: Return With Honor by Captain Scott O’Grady. It’s the story of an Air Force captain who was shot down while enforcing a no-fly zone over Bosnia in the 1990’s. Captain O’Grady tells his story with great details. There is an excellent balance of main story and background/biographical information. He is vulnerable and lets the readers in on his inner thoughts, yet we know he makes it out alive since he wrote the book. :) And this was an easy read, which is saying a lot, because military stories aren't that high up on my reading list. :)

Countdown: I go back to school in 11 days! Classes start in just 2 weeks, which is amazing. Sadly, I found 2 more textbooks that I need. I ordered one for a mere $0.01 (+$3.99 shipping), which is fine; the title was alarming, though: When Religion Becomes Evil by Charles Kimball. Um, ok. I thought that this was the teacher who was nice and easy. We’ll see.

The other textbook is about $90, which is more than I really wanted to spend on ALL my books, total. But because of faculty changes, I don’t know who’s teaching the class, so I can’t email anyone and ask about an older edition. Yet. I will. Patience is a virtue. Good things come to those who wait. And the third edition can’t be that much different from the fourth, except in price. :)

Congratulations: I would like to congratulate Dahlia on passing one-half of her teacher’s exam! Read all about it on her blog. Way to go, Dahls!

What I’m Currently Reading: The Shack by William P. Young. Again. Gosh I love how God uses that book to totally throw down all my previous ways of thinking. If you haven’t read it, I HIGHLY recommend it. For real. And I think that’s how I’m going to spend the rest of my evening. Happy reading!

Ok, this is random, but I’ve been haunted by this all week…

And it’s not really one thing that’s been haunting me, but there is kinda an overall theme…

I've been pondering, wondering, contemplating, brooding over a few things recently, and certain pieces of information, fictional and real-life, keep bringing these ideas into my head.

Like the fact that 31 SEALS died this weekend. I have two friends in the military. My family rented jet skis from a place RIGHT next door to an Air Force base. As we came off the freeway, I noticed that the overpass was covered with yellow ribbons, and right as we pulled up level to the street, I saw a soldier in uniform walking across the overpass. The scene literally made me catch my breath: a soldier walking next to a row of yellow ribbons. Wow.

And then there’s this whole thing with this guy…. God told me that he’s not the man for me, and I’m great with that, but I still think back to the 2-hour conversation he and I had about God and living life for His purposes or our own, and I wonder, how could I keep on living if I didn’t know Jesus? Seriously, life is depressing without the love of Jesus!

I guess that’s what’s been haunting me, the rumor of life outside of Christ. I think of the families mourning all the soldiers killed, and all the children around the world who have been sold into some kind of slavery, and all the people around the world simply existing because they know no other way of life. How do ordinary people keep putting one foot in front of the other without Jesus???

To the chagrin of my parents, I've been thinking about getting a tattoo. And although I’m not absolutely sure of how serious I am, I know what I would get. I want the word grateful on my left wrist, because I want to always be reminded of all the things I have to be grateful for, and because I know that there will be circumstances in life where I will have a choice, and I want to choose gratefulness. {Just so you know, Mom and Dad, the tattoo would be small enough to be covered by one of those Italian bracelets we have… and it was our lovely senior-most pastor’s wife who inspired the design.}

Change of subject: I miss my friends!!!!! My BFF is in England {!!!!!!!!!!!}, two of my friends are both in the military and, while thankfully still in the States, are far away, my adventure buddy is in the National Guard and had training for 2 weeks, leaving me one good friend here at home… and then my family went on vacation and I haven’t seen her for at least a week. Sigh. I guess this is the sucky side of becoming an adult. But I am choosing gratefulness, because my BFF will return in just a few short days, and I got to see my military friends this summer, and my adventure buddy is back and we’re hanging out on Thursday. Yipee!

Thanks for listening to my ramblings. Soon I’ll be back in school and the most dramatic thing I’ll write about will be the ginormous papers that I’ll have to write (knock on wood!). Anyway. Goodnight, dear readers! I’m grateful for you!

Family Vacation so far

Ohmygosh that was amazing! I did not think that getting soaked by a 48* river would ever qualify as “fun” but it totally was! The guide had one of my sisters sit in the front of the raft, to weigh it down, and so whenever we went into a really big rapid, the front of the raft would go way down and we would get soaked and the back of the raft would go up and then they would come down and be not so soaked. So fun. So wet.

We got the jet skis for tomorrow! Super excited… I guess I don’t come across as a speed demon usually, but sometimes it just comes out and we’re going 90. Ask my dad where I get it… or you can ask Mom… neither of them know. ;)

Well, we had an amazing pizza for dinner tonight, and now my sisters and I are going to walk it off before we watch a movie. The sun is setting and the temperature is still nice, and the dog is excited. It’s gonna be epic. Toodles.

Microsoft, I like you, but not that much

I’M FREE!!!!!

Microsoft, it’s a great thing that you pay so well; otherwise, I may have just walked off show site. Bleh. Glad that’s over.

God and I had some AMAZING times during this last show. I mean, seriously, incredible. He is so good! And I learned a lot about Him and about myself, and I think that even though I’m not proud of every single decision I made, He is still good and He is able to use my mess-ups for His glory, and that just trumps any and all shame that tries to creep in. So yeah. Eat that, shame.

I got to work with my sister during these shows, which was fabulous. My sister is great! And her friend, who happens to also be my friend, got to have a sleepover with me in my gigantuous hotel room, which was so, so fun.

My family is officially on vacation right now! It started around 1pm today, after church and a meeting my parents had to attend. We came home and had leftover fajitas {and when I say leftover, I mean what survived our feast last night, not some nasty oh-we-should-either-eat-these-or-throw-them-away leftovers} and we watched a movie and my mom and 2 sisters and I went shopping and I got 4 CUTE tops that were all on sale and tomorrow we’re going river-rafting! Score! It’s going to be so much fun; my family is amazing. We all like hanging out with each other, and we all love to laugh and we’re all big smart alecks and so it’s great. We just crack each other up.

I fly back to school in exactly 3 weeks. My friends there are counting down with excitement, my family here is counting down with sadness, and I’m counting down with an ever-changing ratio of both. Sigh. At least it’s not all one or the other, right? This means I’m well balanced and stuff, right? Big sigh.

Well, friends, we have a 2 hour drive to get to our river tomorrow, so I’m going to say goodnight for now. Peace out!

New Songs

I hope that everyone enjoys new worship songs as much as I do, and I hope you don’t mind me sharing two that I’m basically in love with and can’t get out of my head the past few hours.

The above is by this new artist that tobyMac discovered and helped produce. My dear friend kept singing this song one weekend, and last night I had it on repeat. Enjoy!

The below is one that my church has done for worship a few times, but this is the live version by Jesus Culture. Enjoy this one too! {Sorry, this one just has the lyrics. I’m sure You.Tube has other live versions with better visual.}

I <3 Home

I LOVE MY CITY! Ahhh…. I’m in the middle of downtown right now, and until just a few minutes ago, there was a guy playing the keyboard and singing on the corner nearby. The sunset is beautiful, the street lights are glowing, and the water is just a few blocks away…what else do you need?

So remember the movie Confessions of a Shopaholic? Great movie… really cute. Well, I totally feel like Beks (and not JUST because of the name!) because I’m working with this cute British guy named Luke (“Fluke” ;) ) and his uncle owns the company yet he just works as a grunt, and this is definitely not the career choice I have in mind, but it’s kinda turning out to be fun. Anyway. Just thought I’d let you in on the funny thoughts floating around my head. Don’t worry. He has a girlfriend back in England, so no worries there. But if I find out she has super long legs, I might just die of laughter.

P.S. His accent is so nice to listen to, even if it’s just about computer stuff!

Oodles of nothingness…

So as much as I would love to write one succinct post on one clean topic, nothing is coming. There are starts of posts in my head, like what is up with our culture obsessing over looking young? and I think I’m going to get glasses tomorrow- fun! and ohmygosh I go back to school in less than 5 weeks! and gee, if I were to make a list of all the things I “should” do in the mornings, I would never get on with the rest of my life! Oh, and then there’s an updated list of books I’m attempting to read in those short 5 weeks…

Well, that pretty much gives you an update about the thoughts rolling around in my head. I’m off to the doctor’s right now… my back hurt so badly last night I could barely walk. Please pray for me and for my doctor, that we know what to do and that my muscles heal fully and completely. I appreciate your prayers, and I’ll hopefully post again soon!

June!

Hello, friends!

There are several things on my mind, things that have been ruminating as a post or two, but as I sit here at work, scanning til my eyes fall out, I think I'm just going to post them all together. So please forgive the randomness and chaos of this post, but I really need to both get these ideas out of my head and distract myself from the retarded scanner behind me.

So the other day I drove my grandparents to the cemetery. (Told you this was random!) They wanted to see their future "spot," and since we were out and about, they asked me to drive them there. It was very strange at first... I can't imagine wanting to go visit, as they put it, my future spot. But as Grandpa and I sat in the car and looked down the path that divided one section from another, I felt a strange sense of peace and wonder. It wasn't overwhelmingly the Presence of God or the peace of God, but it was a calm that was both honored and at rest, much like the persons in the ground. It's hard to describe, but it was comparable to visiting Arlington National Cemetery, only the awe and reverence was to a lesser degree. I think there's something about knowing that life is finite that inspires awe for those who have gone before us.

Ok, next thought. It's way lighter than the first. My sister teaches swim lessons, and one of her students is autistic. He's always complaining about swimming, although he honestly loves the water and has improved greatly under my sister's instruction. One day she told him they were going to swim across the pool and back. After they had done this several times, the little boy exclaimed, "Dude!!! I'm NOT a mermaid!!!" Hysterical, I know.

Third thought- MY SISTER GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL!!!!!! That's about as far as I've thought.

That's all I can think of for now. I'm going to throw the scanner out the window at this time. Please be advised.

Try Again

Alright, I do have an excuse. I know, lame, but blame my OCD. My dad has been using my computer, so it is downstairs. Now I know there is no reason for me NOT to trot my little self down and blog, but I haven’t. Sorry, readers.

I think I’ll just do an update, and not so much the 4 things I was going to attempt. My sister graduates in less than 2 weeks! Augh!!!! Things are a little crazy, getting her poster board done and accumulating pictures to put on a slideshow, picking out a dress to wear under her gown, etc.

Mom and Dad and I did yard work on Friday evening in order to prepare for the family gathering we’re having after graduation. I pulled out basically everything from one flower bed {we tease my mom about having a black thumb instead of a green thumb}. The yard looks much improved, and I’m glad we don’t have to worry about it too much more.

I finished Sarah Palin’s book and am now onto President George W. Bush’s Decision Points. It’s very well written so far, and it’s amazing to see how much influence parents have on children, how every decision one makes is linked to every other decision, and how God uses seemingly-insignificant circumstances to bring about His will. I love that about our God! He is just too cool.

My friends from my other church family and I are training for a 5k. The training calls for running just 3 times a week, and honestly, I need to run more. As in, not more than 3, but more in order to get up to 3. However, on a positive note, my running friends here ran 2 miles in under 30 minutes. I told my dad of this accomplishment, and he said, so what’s your goal? 3 miles in under 30 minutes? And I thought, hmm, that is a good thing to think about. First, I want to decrease this time for 2 miles… like under 26 minutes. So approximately 3 miles in under 36 minutes? That’s running a 10-minute mile, which is pretty good. I think I can get back into high-school timings, don’t you think? :)

My mom and I got pedicures last week, and amazingly enough, mine still looks good. Woo!

Well, readers, I did something yesterday with a friend that was on her bucket list. It was great. We took kayaks out into the ocean, and it was awesome. She had never done it before, but I had, and it was great to just paddle out into the vastness of the water and to enjoy each other’s company.

Speaking of bucket lists, my sis and I were watching The Black Stallion and The Black Stallion Returns and we decided that riding a camel is on our bucket lists.

Well, that’s all I have for now. Hopefully next time I’ll be posting pictures of the beautiful sunset from a couple weeks ago…hopefully. :)

What a Weekend!

Ok, catch up. Friday night, my sister and friend and I went to see the new Pirates movie, which I would rate at 2-3 stars. I thought it was fine, and there was humor and action and love, and sword fights, and let’s not forget the dazzling Johnny Depp ;). We went to the movie while our younger sisters were at their high school dance. Saturday was pretty chill. My family went to church that evening (which is pretty awesome, I think!) and then my BFF and I went to her house and watched Sherlock, a modern-day take on Sherlock Holmes. I personally really like the show, and what’s not to love about British accents!? Sunday was a pretty lazy day for me. I slept in! Woohoo! And then pretty much did nothing else.

However, I’m sure you've heard about the tornado that hit in Joplin, MO. My roomie lives 45 minutes away, and thankfully she is alright! I just got off the phone with her, and she and her family are all safe. Her sister does not yet have power, but everyone is safe and well, and all the towns are stepping up and donating aid. It is so encouraging to hear that neighbors are able to help those around. I so appreciate learning about aid that isn't initiated by the government. I am so in favor of the local community stepping up and providing aid; thank you, Small Town, USA!

Ok, I think that can count as a semi-deep thought, but here’s the update from the Pro-Life blog I mentioned earlier. There is a website that lists all the charity organizations that businesses donate to, and which of those are pro-abortion and which are pro-life. Basically, I am not going to be giving any money to Starbucks or The Home Depot or Chevron anymore. You can read the professional blogger’s explanation here.

Random: my sister graduates from high school in like 3 weeks. Oh. Em. Gee.

Also random  and pretty: my friends and I were running through a blueberry field {there’s a trail, don’t worry} and we saw a lady with a camera, and lady in a white dress, and a guy in a suit walking into the field. Awww! Wedding pictures! Kinda random for a Monday night, but hey, it made our run a little bit more bearable!

Funny: You know, I can’t think of anything specific that happened that was really hysterical, but my family is pretty funny. I hope that you, dear reader, someday have the opportunity to sit down and have dinner with my family, or that you can transform into a fly for a day and you can spy on us, because we crack ourselves up!

Prayer focus: my dad. I mentioned just a few posts ago praying for my grandparents. They are my dad’s parents, and I can’t imagine what he’s going through, watching his dad deteriorate and his mom become so stressed because of his care. Please, pray for my family in this trying time.

Alright, readers, after my awesome run, I should definitely go take a shower. Peace to the out!

So Much for Every Day

Well, that sucked. So much for announcing that I will be blogging every day... too bad that there are some days that I simply don't sit down at a computer! Well. Maybe we'll go with 3 times a week. That might be the safest and most honest way to do this. Sorry, friend-who-wanted-blogging-companionship. Until I get into the groove of work, trading cars, avoiding traffic, and sharing a bathroom, blogging will be relegated to a 3 times a week activity.

Deep thought: I won't become perfect. I think I knew this, but I hadn't been living like it's true. My thoughts had been "I need to mature before I could do X, Y, or Z." That may be true for somethings, but the more truthful item to note is that I will never stop maturing {I hope!}. Life is a process of continual growth; it's not like trees bloom and then quit. They live in their blooms, they lose their leaves, they look dead, and then more blossoms come. It's a cycle. I pray my life is an ever-progressing movement towards Christ-likeness.

Prayer focus: my grandparents. Some of you may remember a post a year or so ago about my grandpa's Alzheimer's. Well, I go and play cards with him three times a week so that my grandma can get a break. There's more stuff going on, but right now my prayers are with both of them so that they can find peace.

Funny story: It's not really funny, but it made me smile, and I hope you smile too. The other day Mom was driving me home from work, and I was listening to my voice mails. To my utter delight, my friend from my other church had called, and her kids were the ones to proclaim their love for me on the phone. As the 2 year old put it gleefully, "we wuv you!" My heart cockles were indeed warmed.

I can't remember the other thing, but I'll check and post it tomorrow. Now I must drive my father to the airport. He's off to the state next door for approximately 15 hours... woot.

Oh boy George

My friend from school has to keep a daily blog about her work/internship this summer, and I told her that I would keep a daily blog along with her {so we have something to look forward to, and to make her requirement more pleasant}. She also has to take pictures and post them on the blog, and I told her that I would too, to the best of my abilities. My goal is for a picture 3 times a week. So here goes.

I was thinking about how I would organize it {because my middle name is Organization :D } and I thought, what if I had a deep thought, a prayer focus, a funny story, and something random, for each day? And I’ll try to have pictures to go along with one of them… we’ll see about that.

Deep thought: I’m following a pro-life organization, and one of their bloggers is starting a series about practical ways we can not support abortion in our culture. I’m really looking forward to this series, because I really want some better ways to speak out about this issue. I’ll be sharing a link to her blog as it comes out.

Prayer focus: my friends in the military. One is in the Marine Corps in a base on the West Coast; he’ll come home for a bit in August {hopefully I can see him- it will have been a year!} and then heads to Afghanistan in September. My prayers for him will definitely increase as he’s deployed!

My other friendis in boot camp for the Army. He’s down south in the humidity and heat, and I pray for safety, health, protection, and strength.

Funny story: For my job next year, I’ll be a TA. The teacher is a GREAT teacher, but we disagree on the fundamentals…she’s a lesbian… enough said. She’s framing the class around President Obama’s memoir Dreams from my Father. It sounds like a really cool idea, but I figured I should probably read the book. Bleh. So I’ll be reading that, and President George W. Bush’s book Decision Points and Sarah Palin’s America by Heart… I need 2 conservative books to cancel out the 1 liberal. I know, it’s bad. But it made me chuckle to myself, especially as I thought this while nodding my head and saying “Oh, this should be a great class!” Ironic, I know. Hopefully you find this sad-funny, instead of sad-pitiful.

Random: my sister embroidered a pillow for me! It is my belated birthday present she gave me when I got home. It’s really cool- it’s zebra striped and has my initial in pink… the best color combo ever!

Well, I hope that these posts improve… at least the funny part will. See ya tomorrow!

Contemplations…

God is so wonderful. Think about it. He created us, loves us, died for us, and now wants to intertwine our lives with His plans, even when we reject Him.

As storms move across the nation, as Osama bin Laden is killed, as our economy shakily regains its footing, as culture moves farther and farther away from God’s perfect plan, all I can do is trust Him. I thank Him that He loves me and that no matter how many times I fail or am failed, He loves me still.

There are no wise words here, my friends, but I think that as we contemplate all that goes on in our world, we must remember that God is faithful and God is sovereign. We do not have all the answers, but He does. I am reminded of William P. Young’s novel The Shack. When life doesn't make sense, God is there.

Personally, I think that trials in life are beginning to push me more into God. Not that they haven’t before now, but I think that running to God is becoming my first reaction instead of my second or third or whatever. I’m beginning to see His Hand more and more in my life, and not just in the “grand scheme of things” but in the daily, minute by minute things.

God is so wonderful!!!

God is SO Cool!

I love it when God tells you something and then it gets confirmed over and over again, in the smallest ways, and the people bringing the confirmation don’t even know that they’re doing it. I love it!

God recently told me that my idea {of a future spouse} was incorrect. Later that week, this person inadvertently confirmed this. Then he confirmed it again. And then again! All I can do is sit and think, God, You are so cool! Thank You for telling me and then having this very person, unbeknownst to him, confirm it THREE times!!!! You love me, don’t You? And He always says YES!

On another note, I go home one week from tomorrow! And all my significant classes have been completed. I just have to study for 3, really 2, finals. One of them is SUPER easy, and if I go over the study guide maybe once, I’ll be set. It’s for World Dance; is it even possible for this class to be hard?

On yet another note, I have a confession to make. I like to walk past classrooms where my friends are seated, studiously taking notes or listening to the poor professor, and I make faces at my friends. It’s SO fun! And they can’t laugh because then the professor will get curious, and that makes it even funnier! One time I made a face, and the teacher walked into the classroom right behind me! Oops! And then I was making faces, and I think I made 3 or 4 people laugh, and right after I turned around to leave, the teacher shut the classroom door. Side note: it was the same teacher both times… and he’s leaving this college…oops. But it’s so much fun! I introduced my friend to it, and so together we went to this one classroom and made faces, and our friend who was in the class started to make faces back! In class! Aha! I love it. And so today, this friend who is now also addicted to making faces, got out of her class early and came and made a face at me! Oh, joy!!!! It made me so happy!

I know, I know… that’s SO childish. But I think that if it brings a smile to a friend’s face, and if the teacher doesn't mind {or doesn't find out!}, and the friend can still pay attention in class, and in fact gleans more from the class because she is more awake after laughing at me, then it is a good thing and should be continued. Which means that I’m not stopping, basically. Good thing tomorrow is the last day of classes!!!!!!

Well, I should study for finals. All 2.5 of them. Yep.

Quick Update

I go home in 10 days. That’s the most important update. :)

Classes are pretty much over… just a few more puny assignments and I’ll be done. I only have 3 finals, and NONE are cumulative. Score!

My roomie and I have begun packing up our room. Our walls are pretty bare, and there are 2-3 tubs lying around the room half-full of our belongings. Thank God for amazing families in our respective churches who are graciously allowing us to store stuff over the summer!

One of my very good friends is leaving for the Army tomorrow. Technically, he is with them right now, but he hasn't gone anywhere yet. Yesterday was his last day with “civilization,” and he flies to Fort Bragg tomorrow. I talked with him last weekend… he’s ready, and we all know that this is where God has him for this season, but it doesn't make the goodbyes any easier.

I’m praying for him and for my friends back home who literally were with him as long as the military allowed. I wish I could have been there, but at the same time, I’m kinda glad I wasn't… being away has sheltered me a bit from the pain of people leaving. Of course, 8 months ago, this was me causing pain by my leaving. The main difference is, I know when I’ll be done and when I can go home. My friends in the military do not have that luxury. But they are in the place that God has for them, and so I thank them for serving and I pray God’s protection around them.

THREE WEEKS, BABY!!!!!

I go home in 3 weeks! Thank You, Jesus for getting me this far… now just help me survive until the end!
It’s not really the end… I still have another 2 semesters. But I am completely ok with that. I love it here at school, and I love home, and although I hate saying goodbye to the place I’m leaving, I love saying hello to place at which I arrive. Augh! How will I say goodbye to my now second-home? I can’t imagine life in one year, when my family comes to see me graduate, and then I have to say goodbye to my families here. I’m dreading it, I think maybe worse than I was dreading the Sunday last August when my parents left to go back home.

I don’t know how I’m going to say goodbye to all these amazing families… thank God for Facebook and free long-distance phone calls! I can’t imagine being in Bible times… the Philippians sent Paul gifts, and it would be months before he received them, and that was their only form of communication, other than taking a year or so to go visit in person. Gosh. Now I have to go to an airport, sit on a plane for a few hours, and then I’m home. Thank You, Jesus, for technology!

Well, life update, eh? I have a test in every subject in the next two weeks = 5.

I have 2 presentations where I am a key presenter and another one where I am in charge of the report beforehand.

I have 3 papers due in the next 2 weeks; thankfully, one is basically done and one is 500 words from being done. And, amazing coordination here, the last one is due last! Haha, who would've thought.

Oh yeah, add another test. My school requires business majors to take a computer competency test for the major. We are tested in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access. The first 3 I totally get; the last one = huh? But basically, I have to cram my head full of computer knowledge for a week, take the test, pass it, thereby fulfilling the requirement, and then move on and not think about it again because WE DON’T USE IT IN ANY CLASS. I know. Stupid, right? Well, cest la vi’.

My roomie and I are keeping the same room next year, and we have grand plans. right now we have our beds not bunked but as high as they will go with one half of the height…sorry, that’s confusing. Basically it’s really high. For being a non-top bunk. Yeah. Well, next year, we want to raise our beds as if they were both top bunks, and then we can have more storage space underneath our beds and more room overall. I know, I know, it’s the same room so there won’t be more room, but it will feel like it, anyway. And since we’re both going to be seniors (well, I already am, sorta), it’s not like we’ll be here too often anyway. Wink.

Well, speaking of the roomie, she is almost done working, and we will be off to dinner right after! So toodles for now! Enjoy the beginning of spring!!!!

Hello, it’s April!

Wow… I go home in one month. Praise the Lord!

I don’t think I mentioned this before, but I’m not going to London this summer. After much stress and deliberation, my parents and I believe that God is telling me to wait, and that perhaps my sis and I will go next summer. I’m totally at peace, and I’m really excited to travel with my sister. Yay!

So this past weekend, I read almost the whole book of Unplanned by Abby Johnson. I have approximately 50 pages left, and I’d love to give you my thoughts right now.

Abby joined Planned Parenthood because she believed that her work was actually reducing the number of abortions. She believed that her work was protecting women by preventing unwanted pregnancies, and that in the end we wouldn't need abortion. She and other women like her genuinely believed that they were doing the best thing they could for women facing crisis pregnancies.

Her introduction informs readers that there is compassion on both sides of the fence, and that both sides should look at the other and realize that we’re on the side we’re on because we believe we’re doing what it takes to reduce the number of abortions. She warned us that we would not find hateful people on either side of the fence, but that there are caring people on both sides.

At first, I was hesitant. Does she mean that we’re both right? If so, I’m not going to like this book. But it wasn't like that at all. Because she’s writing from the perspective of looking back, she can say what she was thinking at the time, and what she wishes she knew then.

This is an amazing story. Please look her up, and if you want, buy her book. You can borrow it from me if you know how to get a hold of me, and since I come home in one month, it might not be that hard. ;)
Enjoy April! Happy springtime!

“Unplanned”

A few days ago, my friend posted a link on Facebook. It was a You.Tube clip about Abby Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood director in Texas, and now a member of Coalition for Life. The clip featured Abby telling her story. You can watch the approximately 5 minutes long clip here.

You’ll notice that she wrote a book detailing her story. It’s called Unplanned. I went on Amazon and ordered the book right away {not too expensive, either}. It got here yesterday. Smiley face. But I’m not reading it until my research paper is ready to turn in. Sad face. But that shouldn't take too long, so I may start this book tonight or tomorrow. Smiley face.

I’ll be posting my thoughts about the book as I read it.

**Sept. 26, 2013 Update: Abby Johnson now runs an organization helping abortion-clinic employees safely leave their jobs. You can check out her work here.**

Gonna Get Political Here…

My school has weekly guest speakers or performers come to campus, and these events are called convocations {convo for short}. Students are required to attend 7 convocations each semester, and today my Understandings of Christianity class was required to attend this convocation.

The speaker was a Jesuit priest, Father John Dear, and his topic was “A Persistent Peace.” His brief bio in the pamphlet said that he has devoted his life to following the peaceful Jesus, and that he lived his life from the Beatitudes.

His whole mantra was “non-violent peace.” He believed that any act of violence against anyone or anything was wrong.

I was trying not to throw up the whole time. He quoted Gandhi more than he quoted Jesus, and he continually referenced “the god of peace.” It was both infuriating and deeply saddening to me.

Several times, when he said we should stop every form of violence against people, I wanted to shout out, what about abortion? I wanted to ask him what he thought about all those millions of lives ended, because as sad as wars are, and as horrific as 60,000 lives lost in 3 months {in the 80s when Israel bombed Lebanon}, 60,000 is nothing compared to the millions of babies killed without a second thought.

My class will be discussing this convo on Tuesday, and I’ll definitely let you know how it goes. I’ll probably need to yell and scream into my pillow, and then I’ll come spill my guts to blog-world. Thanks for being here.

Spring Break recap

So, wanna hear about Spring Break? I bet you do!

Friday, I went to my friend’s house and stayed with her fam. I love that family! The 3 kids are pretty much the most amazing things ever, and A and D are pretty cool themselves! On Saturday, A took me, her mom, her sis, and a family friend to “The Mad Potter,” this little place where you pick out a piece of pottery and then paint it yourself, and then they glaze and fire it and you pick it up in a week or so. It’s the second time that the 5 of us have been, and we LOVE it. I did a cute bowl with circles and stripes, and a surprise inside! I’ll post pictures as soon as I get it back {that IS assuming that I’m happy with it… painting is not my forte!}

Sunday was church. It was difficult in some ways, but it was really, really good. One of our gals is having some emotional trouble and she was away getting help, and her parents were at church and her dad led worship, and it was a really emotional, raw time. There wasn't a message, but I totally think we all gained something crucial and key during that time. It was really cool to see how God answers prayers, even in the midst of pain and confusion.

P.S. The gal is attending a 15-month long program a couple hours north, and her parents and our pastor believe that this is God, and so even though we’ll miss her, we know she’s where she’s supposed to be. We covet your prayers!

Sunday night, I got on an airplane and arrived at my grandparents’ house! Well, it wasn't quite that simple, but that’s the gist of it! And my mom was there, which was SO awesome. I think part of how I cope with being so far away from my family is NOT thinking about how far away I am, and so I had almost not realized how much I miss them, until I saw my mom! Then I realized how much I missed (and still miss) her, and I was SOOOOOOO glad to be with her!

Monday was shopping day, and it was fun. I got a SUPER cute dress for Easter…I’m really excited, and it was on sale!!!! I love shopping with Mom and Grammie!

Tuesday I woke up and felt sick…and I was!  Sad face… but it was kinda nice to just lie on the couch and doze… except that I wished I was out being with my family, but it was ok; it was just a one day thing.

Wednesday was more fun; Grammie and I went to see The King’s Speech. Oh. My. Word. It is amazing. Go see it. It’s the story of King George IV {known as “Bertie” to the family} and how he overcomes his speech impediment in order to deliver a war time speech when England declared war on Germany at the beginning of World War II. Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush are INCREDIBLE.
Note: the film is rated R because the only times Bertie doesn't stammer is when he’s yelling of cussing, and there’s one intense scene where he marches around the room using all sorts of “colorful” language. But the film is incredible. Go. See. It.

Thursday, Mom and Grammie and I went to this big bridge and walked across it in the wind. It was fun.
Friday, I came back to school. My friends and I were going to go contra-dancing, which is something that’s really hard to explain, but if you know what it is, you know it’s fun. The problem was, most people weren't back from break yet, so the only males there were either over 50 or under 18. Sad face. So my friends and I danced one dance in an hour, and then we left and came back to the dorm and watched a movie. It was fun.

Saturday was Homework-Be-Destroyed Day. It was successful. Smiley face. And it was Conquer-the-Laundry-Basket Day, which was also a success.

On Sunday, I went to church with some friends. It was a house-church, and it was the first one I ever attended. It was very fun. Everyone was very warm and welcoming, and I felt so at home. Afterwards, my friends and I went to Little Caesar’s and got a $5 pizza and went to a park and enjoyed pizza and sunshine. It was especially fun because two of these friends just got engaged to each other on Friday, so it was really fun to see them together and watch them admire the “sparkley!” Hehe!

Today, back to class. Bleh. BUT the good news is, there are 5 more Mondays, 6 more Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and FOUR more Fridays of classes… PRAISE JESUS!!!! Almost done…..

Well, that was break. Now I've got a handout to make and work to go to, and an Ale-8 to drink! Big grin!
Peace to the out!

Update!

Here’s what’s new:

• Back from break; classes start again tomorrow… for 6 more weeks! Woot!
• My laundry basket is empty! SO glad to have it done!
• I’m watching A Midsummer Night’s Dream with some friends right now, and it’s hysterical. I can’t recommend it, because there is some nudity and almost-nudity, but past that it’s humorous, mainly because the play within the movie is SUCH bad acting…
• My masseuse told me last Friday that she’s going to ask my doctor for another month’s prescription of massages… HOLLA!!!!!
• Two of my friends just got engaged… yay for springtime love!
• I GET TO GO HOME IN 6.5 WEEKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hope you've enjoyed this quick update… I’ll definitely share more later!

Addicted? Probably!

Soooooooo I think I’m addicted to this new band Kye Kye. My BFF introduced me to them over Christmas break, and then a couple weeks ago she sent me two of their songs. I think I’m addicted, because I seriously can’t go more than like a day without listening to their songs multiple times. They have a Facebook page that you can access just by searching “Kye Kye.” {I wish I could include the link, but I think it’s different when you “like” it or not. But go “like” them!}

On another note, I get to see my mom in 4 days! It’s almost Spring Break here at school, and I am so grateful for a break! Honestly, I could probably plug away at stuff and get it done and be alive at the end of the semester, but it’s soooo nice to have a week to just sleep and see my mom and grandparents and catch up on stuff… actually, not that much needs catching up on. I need to work on my presentation about Jewish dancing {haven’t found many resources- any suggestions?}, and I’ll probably have my mom help me revise my research paper, but other than that, I don’t think I’ll have that much to do {knock on wood- it’s only Wednesday!}.

Anyway, I need to work on a project for my Marketing Research class. Oh, speaking of that class, my teacher gave me money to give to my mom after she buys and brings me some San Juan Island sea salt chocolate!!! Take a look here! I have the coolest teacher ever, and my sister has amazing taste in chocolate! Try some… it’s amazing. Thanks, sis!

London Summer 2011!!!!!

Folks, I’m going to London… augh! I’m sooooo excited… I don’t remember if I already told you about it, but I think you should hear it again… I’M GOING TO LONDON!!!! And Scotland!!!! Sigh. Of. Happiness!

So I've already begun emailing a girl who’s going with the program, and we’ll meet in New York when we join the group flight to Heathrow {which, by the way, has many pleasant memories for me already}, and I’m excited to meet her.

The cool thing about the group flight is that you can indicate a different return date, and they’ll take care of it. So my friends and I {or I can go by myself!} can go gallivanting across the Island and know that we will have a flight home! Ah. I cannot wait!

Last night I got to talk to my youngest sister. She cracks me up! And we realized that I will be home for her Ambassadors’ Ball at school, which is awesome, because my sisters will be all dressed up and fancy, and I’ll get to help with at least one sister’s hair {she already asked me, oh sister-who-reads-blogs} and make-up and zip up spiffy dresses and take pictures. What’s really fun is now that my first sister is out of high school, we could go do something really fun by ourselves, which we haven’t done in a while since we haven’t lived together for almost 2 years. So I’m excited.

School will be done in less than 2 months! Augh! I’m actually feeling ok about it… two of the big projects will be done at the end of this month, which will be really nice to cross of my list. Actually, I just turned in the rough draft to my research paper today, and I’m going to work on the other project as soon as I’m done with this post.

This project isn't actually that big; it’s a short PowerPoint presentation, which I've already started, and then a 5 page paper about it. I plan on writing the paper first and then doing the PowerPoint, even though I've already started the PowerPoint. It’s more just a mental thing, you know, to have started something, even just a little bit, before you dive into the bulk of the work. It makes it seem like a little bit less work, which is nice.

The class is World Dance, and I’m researching and presenting on Jewish dance. It’s going to be really awesome, and I’m hoping to interview one of my Messianic Jewish friends about dances at weddings, since she got married last summer. Well, writing about this project makes me excited to work on it {hey, I should try this more often!} so off I go!

So, so grateful

I just finished re-reading Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge, and I love it. I love how God speaks to me through this couple. They are amazing writers and God followers, and I so value the revelation that they have. God was totally speaking to me from this book, and I think I've gained the most out of it this time around, although hopefully each time I read it, I’ll learn more… but you get the idea.

Anyway, Stasi’s testimony is truly amazing, and reading it has made me SO grateful for my parents and grandparents who have loved me and prayed me into a relationship with Jesus. I’m so grateful that my mom and I have a wonderful relationship, and I’m so grateful that my dad protects and holds my heart. I’m grateful that my sisters and I have amazing relationships, and that because of them, I know that relationships require work but they are WORTH IT! Thanks, sisses!

Well, it is time for bed here in this dorm room. Good night, world!

Some Contemplations

Lately I've been wondering if I’m missing something. Is college all about classes and work and getting to meals before they close and turning in assignments so your teachers know that you learned something? Is there anything beyond the hustle and bustle, the stress and the lack of sleep?

I hope that relationships, true friendships, come out of enduring these seemingly-endless times together. Back home, I realized during my 5th quarter why my parents still send Christmas cards to the people they “went to college with.” It’s because there is a relationship forged in college that isn't really found anywhere else. I know that “the real world” is full of pressures, and I definitely am not undermining those stressors. But in college, you’re really learning what it means to be an adult, and for some of us {hello, firstborns!} it’s also learning with your parents how to be treated as an adult while still respecting and obeying “house rules.”

Personally, my parents have done and are doing an AMAZING job in encouraging me to grow up and to press into God, while still making sure I've thought of all possible outcomes and/or consequences of my decisions. I love you, Mom and Dad!

This hasn't gone where I thought it would go… I was going to share how grateful I am for the friends I've made here, and how I wish all friendships were still intact. But gratefulness for my parents is even better, because even though friends stay for a very long time, my parents have loved me even longer. God, thank You for my amazing parents. Thanks that I get to give my heart to them on this lovely, chilly Valentine’s Day.

Just Something…

Lately I've been feeling that I’m lacking something, whether it’s an internal something or an external something, I don’t know. I think it’s because Jesus and I had a good, refreshing, challenging, and painful conversation the other day, but I didn't follow up with it, and I’m kinda hanging.

Also, I miss my family and friends, and I wish I could get to know more people, or people more, but I don’t want to look like a stalker or a tag-along or a boy-chaser. {I’m referring to both male and female friends, but obviously the boy-chaser thing is only applicable to guys.}

Blogs that I’m following have been updated a lot this weekend, and I figured I should do the same. So here’s what’s on my mind:

“The important thing is not so much that every child should be taught, as that every child should be given the wish to learn.” – John Lubbock

Reading The New Testament: A Very Short Introduction is annoying, because author Luke Timothy Johnson is so obnoxiously anti-Christian. You would think that a) someone with THAT biblical of a name would be more polite, b) if you were going to hire someone to write a book about a religion, you would hire someone who practices it and BELIEVES in it, and c) a very short introduction would actually have short chapters. Unfortunately, these statements are not true.

We are supposed to get a couple inches of snow today… apparently this region actually has a winter season, and it actually lasts the 3 months that seasons are supposed to last. Who would have thought!?

I’m going to be working on a little surprise for my friends and family back home. It’s exciting, and I am looking forward to it not just because they’re going to be happy, but because working on it will be a break from school. Ahh!

Well, readers, I would appreciate your prayers today, and I will pray for you. Be blessed today!

Little Bit of Figuring

I've been thinking a lot lately about God’s plan for me at this point in my life, and I think that I have a couple things sorta figured out, and lotta things not figured out, but here goes.

1. I am here to learn several things during my college season, and not just academically.
2. One of those things that I’m going to master is gratefulness.
3. Another thing is recognizing how blessed I am, period.
4. One more thing I’ll learn is how to not judge things based on appearances, because appearances are definitely not the only thing that matter, and first impressions definitely can be deceiving.
5. I know that I am here to solidify my relationship with Jesus.
6. I am here because I have something to bring to this community, and because this community has something for me.
7. I am far away from my family, friends, and general comfort zone, and I appreciate them more each day.
8. I am making friends here that will be my friends for life, and if any of these new friends ever head to my part of the country, I will do my best to give my best.
9. I can think that I have a plan and a “what’s going to happen after graduation” scheme, but God’s is what I really want to go by, and mine will be tossed to the side if and when He says so.
10. My room-mate and I are room-mates because God orchestrated it.

That’s all for now, but basically, this is an amazing time that the Lord has me in, and I wouldn't trade it for anything!

Whoa! Hello, two year anniversary!

This morning I logged into Blogger and read my BFF’s blog post from yesterday: it was her second anniversary of blogging! I thought, gee, I wonder when I started blogging, and lo and behold, it’s today! January 29th, 2009 saw my first post. Thanks, BFF, for inspiring me to start this!

I was cleaning my desk off a couple weeks ago, and I realized I have a ton of cards that people have sent me {I love mail, btw!} and all I was doing was keeping them in my drawer. I thought, that’s not how it should be!

So I took out my sticky tack {I love sticky tack, too!} and created a collage of sorts on my wall above my desk. It’s artsy and a bit chaotic, and I add to it whenever I get something in the mail. {author’s note: if you would like your letter on the wall, please send a letter to the author. If you do not know the author’s mailing address, please email her and she will remedy that situation. Thank you.}

I think it’s a better use for them, because I look at my beautiful collage thing and I know that I am loved and missed and making new friends.

I love lazy weekends! My roomie and I are catching up on Criminal Minds {I love Reid!} and doing homework in between… and we’re painting our nails during. Yup, it’s safe to say that this day is revolving around Criminal Minds. Woot!

So BibleGateway allows you to search different passages in the Bible, in basically any version, and I just connected some dots and realized that it will READ the passage to you if you so desire. I thought, well, listening to Scripture would allow me to (a) hear God’s Word, (b) accomplish the “read your Bible homework,” and (c) accomplish other mindless homework assignments {list-making really is mindless, Dad!}. So yesterday and today I have listened to Luke in chapter-size chunks. This nice gentleman reads the chapters; sometimes he sounds a bit robotic, and sometimes he gets really into it and sounds like he has a pretend British/American accent… it’s soothing, really!

Well, that’s my day in a nutshell. I’m about ready for one more episode of Criminal Minds!

More Musings

Hello, friends! It seems like it’s been a while since I wrote, but I guess it hasn't been all that long. Maybe I've just been busy in between posts! Probably…

This semester has been so much fun! I’m taking 5 credits, which is an overload {hey, I've never been called an under achiever!} and I’m really loving it. My three business classes are Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and my required courses that aren't in my major are Tuesday and Thursday. This schedule is really nice, because my biz classes are one after the other, and two of them are with a really great friend. Then there’s lunch, which is nice because by the time I get there, most people have already left. Then I have a break, which is my homework and laundry time, and then I work for two hours and am done. It’s very nice.

Tuesdays and Thursdays are even nicer, because I work two hours in the morning, go to class {with my roomie!} for two hours, lunch, then another class for two hours, and then my roomie and I go to the gym for 30-45 minutes, and then we’re both pretty much done for the day. It’s really nice.

My classes are so amazing. Well, one is challenging {déjà vu of accounting-bleh!} and one is half-way boring, half-way interesting, but it’s with a couple friends and the teacher is chill and easy is a good break from challenging! Then there’s Market Research… omg it’s going to be lots of fun but lots of work! I’m really excited to get into it and really get going. The teacher is also my adviser, and I really like her. This class is different than others, because it’s almost entirely student-led, and it’s more like “let’s get in there and do what we’re learning” instead of talking about stuff we will eventually do. It’s really cool, and I’m really, really excited.

This semester seems to be closer to the end then the first one did. I guess it’s because last time I kept saying “Three more semesters! Three more semesters!” and now I get to say “13 weeks and 2 more semesters!” So it seems closer… and part of it I’m sure has to do with the fact that I’m an official senior this semester… I’ll be a senior for the rest of my college career; even though this is my third year of college, my credits {haha, overachiever again} have qualified me to be a senior. I think it really rocks, even though I’m saying I’m still in my junior year.

As of right now, I’m going to London this July. Augh!!!!!!!!! My roomie will be there the same dates; my hall chaplain will be there the same dates; and my BFF will be at Oxford for those same dates. Can you say PARTY IN ENGLAND!!!!!!! So yeah. Nuff said.

I hope you are all having a fabulous 2011!

So Blessed…

As I've been away from home, I've come to recognize to a greater degree how blessed I am. If you recall, I wrote about this earlier, but I cannot stop praising my God for His amazing blessings in my life. Check out this list!

I have several families who drive 40 minutes to pick me up from college on Friday evening or Saturday morning, and then drive me 40 minutes back to their home, and then drive me 40 minutes back to college on Sunday afternoon, and then return home themselves. What sacrificial love is that!

As just mentioned, I have families to stay with on the weekends! Not one, not two, but many families who love me, a total stranger, and welcome me into their home on a regular basis. I cannot describe how grateful I am to have a week-end family and a church family. They are praying for me, and I can tell, and I am full of gratitude for these amazing new family members.

My family {natural and church} at home MISS me! And they tell me! It is so nice to know that I am thought of and remembered… today, I got 2 birthday presents in the mail, one from my BFF and one from my parents. I am so loved- how does anything else compete?!

My God is so amazing, and I love His Word!!!!! The present from my parents is a Message translation of the Bible- I randomly {or not!} flipped to Psalm 51…ahhh, Jesus! Here it is:

“Generous in love- God, give grace! Huge in mercy- wipe out my bad record. Scrub away my guilt, soak out my sins in your laundry. I know how bad I've been, my sins are staring me down.

You’re the One I've violated, and you've seen it all, seen the full extent of my evil. You have all the facts before you; whatever you decide about me is fair. I've been out of step with you for a long time, in the wrong since before I was born. What you’re after is truth from the inside out. Enter me, then; conceive a new, true life.

Soak me in your laundry and I’ll come out clean; scrub me and I’ll have a snow-white life. Tune me in to foot-tapping songs, set these once-broken bones to dancing. Don’t look too close for blemishes, give me a clean bill of health. God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life. Don’t throw me out with the trash, or fail to breathe holiness in me. Bring me back from gray exile, put a fresh wind in my sails! Give me a job teaching rebels your ways so the lost can find their way home. Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God, and I’ll sing anthems to your life-giving ways. Unbutton my lips, dear God; I’ll let loose with your praise.

Going through the motions doesn’t please you, a flawless performance is nothing to you. I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered. Heart-shattered lives ready for love don’t for a moment escape God’s notice.

Make Zion the place you delight in, repair Jerusalem’s broken-down walls. Then you’ll get real worship from us, acts of worship small and large, including all the bulls they can heave onto your alter!”

Don’t you LOVE that!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!? I love it, and I love my God- He is full of abundant blessings!

The underlined sentence is my emphasis- Year of Overflow, anyone?
Be blessed!