Necessary Dreams

"Dreams are necessary for living at times."-A Measure of Mercy by Lauraine Snelling

that's a lot

I've watched a lot of tv growing up so I thought I'd post a list of really great shows (with the help of my family and friends)

Everwood
Reba
Joan of Arcadia
Sue Thomas F.B.Eye (favorite intro song)
Early Edition (getting the paper a day ahead of time to save the world-nice)
Robin Hood BBC version (oh I love it, except for the twist you pulled with Lady Marion)
Pushing Daisies (nothing like it-so quirky and great)
Eli Stone
Psych (oh its funny!)
Burn Notice (they tell you how to make cool things)
Leverage
White Collar
House (got me through Capstone World View)
Royal Pains
Ugly Betty
Remington Steele (thank you Pax)
Magnum PI (nothin' like it)
Human Target
Lost (oh it was good)
Alias (our first summer series-we watched it for three days straight with our friends from up North)
Kings (only two seasons, it was the best but if you watch it you'll be so frustrated it was canceled)
Eureka
Star Wars Enterprise
Monarch of the Glen (if you've never seen it-you are missing out!)
Nero Wolfe
The Mentalist
The Number One Ladies Detective Agency
Monk
The Tenth Kingdom (love the wolf!)
Jag
NCIS (thanks KimJo-all those Chinese takeout nights, good memories)
Jake 2.0
Castle

Gilmore Girls (I only watch it at college and always seem to be lost)
Friends
Seinfeld



Classics
Family Matters
Full House
Who's the Boss
Step by Step
The Nanny
Boy Meets World
Saved by the Bell
Brady Bunch
Happy Days
Two of a Kind (Olsen twins! thanks grandpa mumpower)


Reality
The Mole
American Idol
So You Think You can Dance
Amazing Race

Food
Cake Boss
Ace of Cakes
Rachel Ray-30 minute meals

Home
What Not to Wear
Trading Spaces
Extreme Makeover Home Edition

The Today Show

Im sure there's more so feel free to add on!

Update

Houston we have birds!!!!!!!

Picture Time

P.S. Annie-4 posts in one day-woa! Happy adventuring in Egypt! and KimJo-how did your Christmas cookies turnout? Alli and Josh-happy wedding flower preparation! Mom and Dad-Pop goes my heart, you'll appreciate that post! Beates fam-yeah for big family Christmases, hope ya'll enjoyed it! Kim-we get to watch movies on the big screen now! Kimber-I miss you and love you! And Darren if you are by some chance reading this because you sometimes say you don't-I hope you have a wonderful day :)! McKinney boys-hows FBC and downtown Church? Sarah-I'm glad you finally got snow on Christmas! Rick-How's VA?

The Birds

So since we've moved to GA, my mom really wants to see some birds. Ok, my mom loves watching birds at breadfast, so this is not really a new concept. In SC, we had brick pattio with trees and bird feeder and the birds just loved it!
Anyway, she decided to put out a bird feeder, but the birds just won't come.
We tried a different seed and everything. Mom even made a trail of bird seed all around the deck railing.
We've seen two birds.
They flew away.
I had a leftover pancake that I didn't know what to do with, to which my parents replied-give it to the birds!
So i left a trail of pancake and bird seed for the birds....

A coffee table, rug, and Emily

Today, well yesterday, I was trying to help my mom fix the placement of a rug. There's a coffee table on this rug. So I decided to stand on the rug and lift up the coffee table while mom adjusts the rug. Instead of moving the rug, which wasn't possible, we all died laughing as someone said, "Ya Emily, like you weigh less than the coffee table."

Music and Lyrics is just a really funny movie (minus some language and odd scenes). So here's a highlight of some of the best songs of the movie, enjoy!

Merry Christmas!

“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has come to his people and redeemed them."
Luke 1:68

Promises

So it's been a while since I've posted of our favorite bear dog! Here she is:



At home again, in my new home in Georgia. It will be our first Christmas here. It's amazing how much can change in such a short time. Change is always hard for some reason but it can also be very good.

Change is part of life: friends change, friendships change, jobs change, people move, rules change, administration changes, life changes.

I tell my friends, I promise it's going to be ok. And it will, the only reason I can say that is because they are in the care of Jesus Christ and He promises that.

Now it's time to start believing the promise! It all started with a baby born in a manger; it was the fulfillment of a promise that would change the world forever!

"You doubt your value. Don't run from who you are."-Aslan in The Voyage of The Dawn Treader

Great Song

Today is the day I give you every glory,
Today is the day I let you write my story
I know the past is something I can't undo
To know the good and bad are made to serve You

For all that's happened here before
For all the sorrows at my door
In every circumstance
I know I'm in Your hands

When my heart is weak
You're the strength in me
You are good to me all the time

-Excerpts from You are Good to Me by Billy and Cassie Lord and Melodee and Juan Devevo

Heard this song at Eagle's Landing Church in Georgia and really appreciated it.
We also sang Chris Tomlin's "My Soul Magnifies the Lord" and " 'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus". Do you see a theme? It's all about trust and the work God is doing!

Let go and let God

Sometimes you just have to let go, and let God. (One of the many lessons I've learned in the past three weeks.) For some reason, I tend to get thrown into life, real quick and all at once but that's ok.

Friends

In the midst

In the midst of it all (which somehow became a lot) I can't thank the Lord enough for letting me know that He is at work in my life and in control. I have had once again, another week that I will never forget. Yesterday, specifically was probably one of the longest days I've had, but for everything that 'went wrong' something else 'went right'. The irony, which is also the hand of God, was just blowing me away. I think I am learning to open my hands and let go of everything; more and more I am realizing that I have no control and that's right where I should be-giving up. I know this, and said at the end of the day-God is good all the time. I think of some verses: Ephesians 3:16-21 and Philippains 4:12-13
My roomate told me once if you are moving or things around the house are crazy, just get some roses and put them on the table in the middle of the house/living room. It'll help keep ya sane!
God sent me pretty pink roses from precious ladies on third floor street side last night...
-Trusting Him

Apple Pie

We love our pies around the Holidays....


Congrats on the complete apple peal!

Give Thanks

"Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks to the Holy One
Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His son

And now, let the weak say I'm strong
Let the poor say I am rich
Because of what the Lord has done, for us
Give thanks"

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I'm thankful for so many blessings (here are just a few)....

hot chocolate made fresh and warm with whipped cream by my daddy

playing wii with my parents until odd hours of the night

so many wonderful friends at Belhaven University-sharing great conversations, playing Polish pool

hall girls on 3rd floor street side who challenge me and help me grow every day

Military service men and women serving and fighting for freedom

Salvation

Wishing you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving-Emily

I love my family

In the words of my brother (and I agree) "I love my family!!"
Staying up until 1:30 trying to beat a world in Super Mario...now that's a good time! Switching controllers back and forth because we only have two and squealing because I somehow managed to kill myself right before we killed Bowser, just another normal night in the Schreck house.

Another Trip Home

Trip Home-November 2010
The trip started well….only a little late. We left at 3:00/4:00 ET. Stopped at a gas station and the pump was crazy high/tall! But its ok because I paid with cash. I was laughing to myself because I grew up today by putting more than just ham and cheese on my subway sandwich AND then I fell short because I just don't think I could reach that gas pump!

The drive was smooth until we tried to find a waffle house on chamberlee and trumbley street or something like that. Two of my friends from BU drove down with me because we all live "about an hour from Atlanta". With the fog, the empty roads, and a lot of Waffle Houses, the night was just beginning at 11:00....

It turns out we went to the complete opposite end of the road. So we ended up waiting at a very foggy and empty Walmart gas station somewhere outside of Atlanta. After a lot of texting, phone calls, and gps entries, the couple finally arrived and we dropped off our friend. Then Ellen and I found her dad at the Wendy’s (after we found the waffle house and shell station we were supposed to find)

At about 12:10, I headed home (made one wrong turn but its ok).

I thought I had driven through everything, rain, blinding sunshine last time and now fog like I’ve never seen before-visability was bad! But then I saw a deer, waiting in a church parking lot area and I turned to three different radio stations all of which were playing three different taylor swift songs. The nice thing about driving late is there is nobody on the road: crank up the music, dance a little, take a sip of that coka cola and stay awake on a peaceful evening.

I made it home and scared poor dad who had fallen asleep on the couch waiting for me. Isabear looked pretty disturbed and sleepy too.

It’s so funny though because every time I come home, something new has been done to the house. I walked up the steps and was like-oh no pillars. Then, oh you added the curtain things by the tv. Then in the bathroom-ooo there’s blinds! So fun, I really do love this house. So blessed on the drive home; God was gracious and kept me safe.

It started with rain....

I really do love rain. I'm not quite sure why. Maybe it is because of the freshness and that it washes away things. Then again, it could be the calming factor of the grey's and the beautiful sound of rain. Don't get me wrong, some of it can be scary and I have some friends who really don't like it. Rain has an opposite affect: it makes them sad, lethargic or depressed and others have pain from body reactions to weather change.
Tonight though, I saw rain as a blessing.
I was up late doing homework and all of a sudden I heard a pretty significant thunder clap. I was so shocked and surprised because I had been keeping up with weather on morning news and just didn't expect it. Needless to say I was quite happy with the little surprise. It didn't last long but I opened me window and listened to the pouring rain. There was even a cool breeze and a flash of lightening. Thank you Lord for little things.
In other news....
Our water fountain mysteriously overflowed. It was fixed. Then it happened again and our residence hall became a construction sight. I had a feeling it would be more than appeared to the eye and quite the chore. We had the whole crew of maintenance men working late into the night! It is getting fixed, just taking time.
This was the week for projects: grammar poster, math board game, and math article review presentation.
I am so very excited about Thanksgiving and Christmas! We had an Operation Christmas Child event tonight where students bring items and boxes and pack them together. If you've heard of the Advent Conspiracy, this is a good idea for participating in that as well. We had a great turnout and I was so excited because before Tuesday, I didn't know if we would be able to help out but God is good and things worked out! Praise the Lord!
Heard a good comment about how Christians often do not prepare for the battles of the day because we don't see a need or value it. So often we get caught up in silly little games that keep us 'on our guard' and yet when it comes to being 'on our guard' as a follower of Christ, I fail. I am too quick to say oh I'll do my devotions tomorrow, when I needed them today! (thanks Allison for the thoughts)

Just Because

Oh the irony

I looked up a yahoo news article on Thanksgiving but the computer graphics on the side were Christmas decorations. Seems like people break out Christmas earlier and earlier but that's ok because I love Christmas!

In other news I ate four pieces of bubble gum in about 5 minutes for my Bubble Gum Math Game board. (no I did not combine all them) Some of the flavors were interesting-there was a mystery fruity flavor and a flavor changing gum that went from berry to spear mint? I'm not even sure, it was a bit odd but fun to try!

Languages at 12:30am

You know its been a long day when its 12:30 am and you are studying dance vocab and somehow manage to mix French and Spanish. I read the English: '3 crossings' and came up with entrechat tres um no that should be trois not tres. Oi vey. It was a good day though, full of coffee, tea, and thee! Hopefully pictures will come :) bed is calling my name, now to finish reviewing those vocab words in English and French, not Spanish...

Thoughts on prayer....
I am reading a book called Too Busy Not to Pray, Slowing down to be with God by Bill Hybles. I found it when we were packing up books to move and thought I'd try it.
Found a neat quote that makes you think about your motivations behind praying, our role praying, and God's role answering:

"A little boy took his geography test and then prayed, 'Dear God, please make Barcelona the capital of Spain.' " (p. 45)

How often do I do that? How often do I make a mistake and say Lord please fix it, or don't make the wisest decision and say ok God help, change what I did. Yes, God hears, and yes God will answer my prayer but if I eat junk food, it may not be 'blessed' to my body and I may be sick the next day. (p. 45)

What do you think about these illustrations?

Hall Party!

3rd Floor Field Side and Street Side unite! We had a combined hall party full of pizza and tie-dye!














The Lord blessed us with a gorgeous MS day!














I wasn't quite sure how to tie-dye and what to expect but it turned out so well! At least I think so, you never know with tie-dye and I haven't washed my socks yet so we'll see.














I didn't get a whole lot of pictures but if we have a tie-dye day and fashion show, I'll try to take more of us sporting our creativity!

How did I miss that?

Today is National Chocolate Day?! How did I miss that? Well, I did have a chocolate chip cookie-does that count? I think I celebrate this just about every day, so maybe that makes up for it?

Discoveries

I have discovered that...

walking up three flights of stairs to do laundry after getting over a cold really can wear you out, be a workout!

coughing can also be an unknown workout...i mean you have to cough when you're sick! I discovered abs I didn't know existed

you know you're an elementary education major when you are at the doctor's office writing a lesson plan rough draft (and no, this doc visit wasn't for me)

I am not the best person to do homework past 9pm unless it is due the next day and I haven't finished it and/or I'm studying with a friend

scientists discovered a new species: poisonous dart frog among other things

My life as I know it

In other news here's a short update of my life....



-Many friends are getting engaged: congrats to my roomate's brother, good friend Em Fray, Danny Bond, and the rest of the lovely couples who just tied the knot.

-If i was able to sleep a whole day...I think I just might be able to do it. After taking a nap in the sunshine it was very hard to wake up and it does not feel like fall just yet with this MS weather.

-Fall Break was quite the adventure as I got to see my Russian friend Liza. Home was full of HGTV and DIY projects. We painted the garage in five hours and enjoyed delicious meals of steak and stuffed shells, some of my favorites! After about two months we are finally planning to move all of our belongings to GA. Mom and I kept getting distracted when we would move boxes taking sneak peaks at all our fun items in storage.





-School decided to get busy. Somehow on Friday I realized I have a lot of projects to do and of course lesson plans to write.

-We watched a hs homecoming parade outside my friend's apartment and had a delicious international potluck supper with SMF. My coffee cake turned out ok.

-I really like pistachios and mountain dew.

-I miss friends and family.

Handwriting on a Sunday Afternoon

Quotes from Ms. Quinn's language arts class....

"If you want to tell someone you love them write them a note or carve it on a tree but don't write it on our desk."

"Once kids learn to write, they become a menace."

"A little learning is a dangerous thing."-Alexander Poe

If you write real small you are probably not a very open person and want to hide things but if your handwriting is big and open you may want to be an actor or movie star. Think of John Hancock he was so proud, he wanted his signature big enough for the Kind to see on the Declaration of Independence.

Your ability to write is not based on your size. There was a five year-old boy who was five feet tall but that didn't mean he was a better writer; he's still five and has to learn how to do it.

Manuscript Handwriting Evaluation: 1. neatness/smoothness 2. shape 3. size 4. legibility

Cursive Handwriting Evaluation 1. proper formation of the letter 2. uniform slant and spacing 3. width and height 4. line (to thick or thin) 5. alignment 6. connecting strokes 7. beginning and ending strokes 8. size

Zaner-Bloser-typical manuscript with four strokes of circles and sticks: - | \ o
D'Nealian- combination of cursive and manuscript, has 12 strokes very curvilinear

This is what I'm studying this Sunday afternoon. What are you studying?

When life throws you lemons....you make lemonade

This band had their instruments stolen but found a way around that....very innovative guys!



see the story

Special Prayers

In chapel today we sang this song and it really made me think. We are praising the Lord for the work He's doing on Earth in and through us. The President followed this song with a prayer that was so powerful and appreciated. He lifted up those who are stressed, hurting, dealing with relationships, about to go home to difficult family situations, sick, and other issues that are so prevalent on campus at the moment. I praise the Lord and am so blessed to go to a school where the President knows the needs of his students and covers them in prayer.

Hosanna by Hillsong

I see the king of glory
Coming on the clouds with fire
The whole earth shakes
The whole earth shakes

I see his love and mercy
Washing over all our sin
The people sing
The people sing

Hosanna
Hosanna
Hosanna in the highest

I see a generation
Rising up to take their place
With selfless faith
With selfless faith

I see a near revival
Stirring as we pray and seek
We're on our knees
We're on our knees

Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like you have loved me

Break my heart from what breaks yours
Everything I am for your kingdoms cause
As I go from nothing to
Eternity

Hosanna in the highest

Homecoming

My family came up for the weekend and brought Bear. There were lots of Belhaven activities and delicious food. It was a quick trip but so worth it!


Junior Class of 2012 (well I might be here a little longer but that's ok)



Headed down the steps towards the field-our escorts were wonderful, thanks guys!



Pretty Ladies



We even got a picture with the President, and yes we are the first Homecoming Court for Belhaven University



Happy Birthday Ricky Howard-21!

Lesson Plans, Fall and Christmas

After working on creative writing lesson plans/activities I got really excited and wanted to do three of them!

1. (I liked the idea of a church bulletin board I saw) Write the things you love on a colorful paper heart...then hang them from the ceiling to remind kids to practice love.
-Kindergarten or First Grade

2. Write three to five sentences describing what you would be like as a scarecrow and draw a picture.
-Third Grade
*I would love to teach a fall lesson on the history of scarecrows

3. Create an acrostic with the letters of your name.
-Fourth or Fifth Grade

Here's mine (some of it is me dreaming what my life will look like in the future...)

Excited-to teach
Moon-i love to look at the sky and the moon at night
International Traveler
Laughter
Yap-I love my puppy who yaps

Fall break is only two weeks away-I can already imagine the goodies and fall treats
Also here's a very early preview for Christmas....

Lead Me by Sanctus Real is a big song in a lot of girls lives at the moment. So many are longing for a man who will be the leader in the family. I think Sanctus Real has a very good point that for the man to be the leader He has to have Christ lead him....

The Story Behind "Lead Me" - Sanctus Real from BrightBulb Entertainment on Vimeo.

Age 8-10

From an Article by Bill Adler entitled "You don't have to do homework in heaven!" Some little ones shared their views about death and dying.....

"You have to be old before you can die because God seems to love old people best."-Maggie W. age 9

"When I die, I want my dog, Fluff, to come with me. He can go to the dog heaven and I can go to the other place."-Karen M. age 9

"Only the good people go to heaven. The other people go where it's hot all the time like in Florida."-Judy P. age 9

"The hospital is the place where people go on their way to heaven."-Aaron F. age 8

"When you die, you don't have to do homework in heaven unless your teacher is there too."-Marsha W. age 9

"I'm not afraid to die because I'm a Boy Scout."-Kevin G. age 10

"Everyone cries when somebody dies because they don't want to be left behind."-Susan W. age 8

The Journey Home

Went to SMF or student mission fellowship last night and the speaker talked about Heaven. When you begin to think about Heaven you may have a lot of thoughts but the thoughts that struck me were that we should be living for Heaven and that Heaven is our home. Now that could mean a lot of things but I have just been thinking about how our life on Earth is only a pit stop. It's like the verse that says, "Since, then you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God."-Colossians 3:1 If we think of 'things above' how would that trickle down to daily living? I think it would motivate us, all the more, to share the love of Christ to others in hopes that they would experience Christ to the fullest. The speaker shared with us how he spoke with an elderly lady in her 80's who is very ill and has been longing to go home (Heaven). I even remember my grandfather being so prepared and just waiting for that glorious day. They miss their home, yet they are thankful for the continued opportunities God gave them to be used and share the Gospel with the breath they have/had left.
How often do I forget that this is temporary. Are we making each day count?
Again, I was just reminded about how life is short and believers are called to live it out for Christ. To combine some of the speakers thoughts....life is a journey following Christ. How simple it seems and yet how complicated we make it. Follow me. It's the same call He gave to the disciples and boy did they have a life!!
If we simply gave it all to Christ and followed him each day what would that look like? Knowing you are not in charge and trusting your leader takes the pressure off of a lot of things. To be a follower of Christ is challenging, exciting, and nothing is sweeter than the love that we can not even begin to fathom, deserve, or repay.
All that to say, life is a journey, this is a pit stop, there is work still to be done, and this is only the beginning....
I will never forget the image/thought I had with my grandfathers passing in March as he fought the good fight and finished the race-He's now having the time of his life!

Mississippi

our friend in Language Arts Class

9th grade small group

Beautiful Sunsets

Psalm 62:5-8
Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him for God is our refuge

"I like most people..."

I was reading a church bulletin board about Love. They had John 3:16 in the middle and hearts with things the kids love or like all around. My favorite was: "I like most people." Gotta give them credit for being honest!

Did you know
-that ears grow your whole life?
-when writing the letter 'K', it is a stick with a broken stick
-the big teeth and eyes that kids have are due to the fact that they are all full grown when their head is still trying to catch up...eyes are fully developed at age 7
-to check your hearing-listen for the highest note of a violin and the lowest note on an organ
-26 year old drummers have 80 year old ears because part of their ear drum hardens
-there are 12 sounds with the same lip movements,like 'b' and 'p' or 's' and 'z'

We had our first hall party-Bake and Take (Potlock Style) Breakfast for Dinner!
Complete with delicious food (my first attempt at making our traditional Christmas egg casserole wasn't too bad! Thanks mom), apples to apples, pictures, and of course wonderful ladies!

Love this!

This is not my god daughter but I do believe we may be sisters in Christ!



I also love the sunshine that comes in my room on my bed in rays through the pine trees....I do live in the South! I think it was one of the best feelings and sights! The moon and sky were amazing this past week as well. Praise the Lord! From yellow full moons, to puffy theater background skies, is has been a joy and delight to witness! Also makes for some good breaks...just take a step outside and see what's out there

Something called Training Week

RA training was full of surprises....the training was a blessing and the competition well let's just say....bring it on! Our green team was victorious! even if I didn't understand the rules for the water game and may have given ourselves a slight advantage (sorry about that!) The scavenger hunt was another story-a whataburger napkin off the side of the road? yes we grabbed it only to realize it was not from whataburger but mcdonald's and thus would not suffice for this competitive race! I think we would've had a chance if we had a few less wrong turns but the memories were priceless! Full of pizza, crazy games, and wonderful instruction, we had a big week prior to move-in day!

Flip Flops and Language

It has been quite the start to the school year. I should be doing some homework but tonight...I did some and am now done for the night. Elementary Ed majors seem to have a lot of projects...the Braves might become my good friends in the next few days (they just tied it up against the Rookies by the way). Well I am taking math, even though I thought I was done-you can never get away from it, although it is kind of encouraging that I can do most of the problems we are assigned (to ensure mastery of the skill...I did pay attention in 5th grade so that's good...kids stay in school!). Anyway I have another Ms. Quinn class and I am very excited. She just cracks me up; she has a wealth of knowledge and stories after forty some years teaching I believe. This interesting class is Language Arts and Skills. A favorite quote from the first day: "Teachers are the guardians of language." (Quite the responsibility).
Some thoughts:
-language is culturally based so whatever is important to a culture has a lot of words. For example: there are 100 plus words for the sweet potato in one language/in Alaska, Eskimos have 12 words for snow/Arabic has 5,000 words related to the camel (for which Ms. Quinn proceeded to say that she thinks a majority of those are curse words because camels are just a pain)/Greeks have four words for love
As for America, we have a lot of names for cars.
It is interesting to note that though language changes overtime because certain words are simply not used...the two words that remained the same over the translation of Beowulf are 'father' and 'forgive'...as the Brits say, "Stick that one in your pipe and smoke it!" Translation: think about that one for a bit!
One's speech also says a lot about a person. Depending on whether or not someone says, 'icebox', 'refrigerator', or 'fridge' can place them in a decade but if you are good, like Ms. Quinn and you speak to college kids for years...you can fool people over the phone by relating like a college student.

Went to the soccer game and got burnt but made up for it when I discovered I had obtained a flip-flop tan. Balance was quite off in dance class which makes dancing quite hard but we are still getting back into the swing of things. I will have to make a math gameboard and write a short story/children's story this semester. Oh and tutor. And of course there are the wonderful 3rd floor street side girls!! Learning to trust God as He cares for His children in only ways that He can.

Life as an Education Major.

Discovering the joys of Sharpie pen...they don't really bleed through to the other side of the page!
Oh and the story of Robin Hood never gets old. Watched some of Robin Hood Men in Tights which...I'm a bit biased and my favorite are the BBC versions, but it had the basic story line and some funny sections.

Fall Semester begins

Good day!
Three of my favorite things in one day, last summer! Well school is in full swing after quite the week of training. Belhaven University has a very big new crop this year and as I start the courses in my major (first time I can take only my major and minor which is super exciting!) I'm realizing it is going to be a little busier than I expected...

Oh the questions of Inception

I just saw the movie Inception and I agree that it is probably one of the most talked about summer movies. There were SO many issues, topics, worldviews, and life questions that come from this movie.

First I must comment on how dreams are an incredible creation. That humans can have an experience in the day and twist it around to something in their head while they aren't conscious is incredible. It was neat to see (and a little scary) Fischer being fed all these lies and situations in the simulations/dreams that were from his real life/reality that he could relate to i.e. the hospital that housed his dying dad, kidnapping an important friend, a family photo etc. One of their famous quotes about knowing whether or not a dream is really a dream is "try to remember how you got where you are"....if you can't then its a dream. Along the lines of how you always remember the end of the dream most vividly. Also the writers commented on how we use only a portion of the capability of our brain and I think the complexity of actually having a dream is proof. We are a fallen people, whose bodies were affected by the consequences of sin.

I thought it was interesting, too, how certain events seemed unbelievable in the movie which reminded me it was a dream...much like dreamers often find themselves, in the middle of a dream, saying this can't be happening because it's only a dream.

The question of faith and what is reality was huge. Also do people choose reality of truth or do they choose to live happily in fantasy? Characters are constantly asking what if I'm right, what if this is reality, etc. and they are left to make an active choice based on what they believe is the outcome (Hebrews 11). Some are correct and others are not. This so parallels scripture and life as some believe and are saved while others don't. John 20:29 praises those who believe and yet don't see. The movie definitely makes characters make a choice....they can't be lukewarm.

Suicide is also a heavy issue presented. I appreciated how Cob pleads with his wife to believe in the worth of the present true reality. However, she thought that an alternate reality was better than this life. I think of how God offers abundant life...John 10:10. God desires for his children to have life and not just any life but a good life (Jeremiah 29:11).

Cob also has to deal with guilt, grief, and death. He couldn't let go of the death of his wife and blamed himself. Again I look to scripture and know that guilt is something that can be forgiven and forgotten (Psalm 103:12, 2 Cor. 5:17, Romans 3:23,26) I think back to a sermon I heard recently based on the disciples who were in the boat when Jesus calmed the storm. The pastor mentioned how often times, we can't control the circumstances or storms in life, that there was nothing we did to cause it (much like Job) but Jesus is in the boat to help us through the storm (Mark 4:35-41)

I also had the thought about how one person's actions affect so many. Yes the main character seems to have gotten what he wanted but at what cost....a change of leadership, whether or not its good or bad viewers don't know but a whole people will be affected. Interesting to think about well yes the guy got what he wanted, a happy ending but others may not have gotten a happy ending.

The biggest question is did he choose reality or the dream? Was it all just a dream? I think that he finally ended it and was back in reality reunited with family. This is mostly because the top spinner looked like it was about to fall, the grandpa was never in any of the projections, and he was finally able to see the face of his kids.

This was a very well done combination movie-you have Lost (they all exit the plane to their separate lives), the Matrix (all the floating), some Kongfu (fight scene in the floating) a bit of the Bourne syndrom and probably a James Bond feel, The Day After tomorrow (with the crashing of the third dream demension) and Ground Hog's Day (the repetitive scenes) and Oceans movies (the different character roles to complete the mission). If you notice any other repeats let me know :).

Oh and as for the "men" that were trained to protect Fischer's subconscious....I was reminded of how important it is to guard your mind. It is so easy to put stuff in there that just shouldn't be there, also easy access for spiritual battles and thus the Bible calls man to ready himself for battle (Acts 17:11). I remember my dad telling me how important it is to be careful what you are exposed to as once it gets in your mind, it is there forever, whether or not it has a prominent spot it will always be there. And for those who may have been quite affected by the movie and think there is a need to watch a cheery movie to kinda clear your head, I think you should know that, "the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."-Phil. 4:7

I am sure this will be discussed much more with many but if you have any thoughts feel free to share! And if you have a differing view on the ending, let me know!

rain.

rain. a lot of rain. and a lot of smiles and actually it was quite the day: ya know-two vw's, a few speed traps, four truckers who wanted to say hi, thunderstorm warnings, being pretty sure that a.) people in Alabama only listen to country as that is about the only station you can pick up and b.) that Jackson loves to have fresh rain on a move-in day, and lots of friends!....what else would you expect? :)
Oh and a lot of boxes and cars and rain and soreness-but hey that's college...

Boats, Life, and Jesus

I finished Spanish! It has been quite the summer and as I wrap things up at home and look forward to a new semester, there are always thoughts. Mostly about how God is always there-in the mountains and the valleys. What we think is wrong, unfair, or uncomfortable may instead be just what we need. Also, from Mark and the story of the storm...you know, the one where the disciples are freaking out because there's a storm and Jesus is sleeping. One point that really hit me is that they forgot that Jesus was in the boat and what that meant-they had the solution, the source, the help but they couldn't see through the storm enough to access it, if you will. Sounds kinda like how when Peter walked on water and started to sink when he took his eyes off the Lord. Quite the challenge: Don't forget Jesus is in the boat with you!

So I messed up my blog background and I am running out of meter time on my car so I have to fix it another time, check back later!

Think About the Possibilities

I love this music video, the song and the dancing. Look close, there is some really well done partnering. That would've been a fun video to be an extra in!

Thoughts

Better Than a Hallelujah-Amy Grant’s new song. This song really makes you think. Maybe our struggles, how we handle them, can bring praise to the Lord, just as much as if we spoke praises (Hallelujah’s). It gives Him praise when we cry for help or submit to Him, a testimony is a form of praise…the depth of His love is incredible and the fullness of it, I would venture to say, unfathomable here on this earth. If anyone deserves anything-God deserves the praise in both word and deed!
“Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.”-Psalm 57:1

Recently

New plant for my residence hall room otherwise known as dorm room

The fireplace surround ie tile and hearth in the process of being built-yes my role was being the handy dandy green tape girl

Quite the little guy we found at The River Walk....yes it is a real bug with bug eyes!

Story Time and Bugs

Bugs are a part of life and I suppose killing them is also a part of life. Here in SC, we have a lot of bugs and as we’ve been fixing up the house, there have been flies galore. As for fly-swatting, I do believe it is an art. If I’m good, I can get them but sometimes I whack them and they kind of play dead. This one was down and then got up and flew away! I mean, it is kinda gross and I don’t intend to be so mean to them but when you hear buzzing because a fly is trapped between your window and the blinds, I think they tend to bring the worst out of you.
Roaches are also interesting. I’m pretty good at disposing of them at college but here in SC, well sometimes I let them go, except that lately it has been rediscovered that they are big AND they fly. My parents tore down a shed and apparently it was good that I didn’t help because there were so many of them! Prior to this, however, there is an even more hilarious story! I was with my family on the sofa watching a movie, when suddenly we saw this big bug fly across the room. We just kind of sat there and though-hmm, that’s interesting. So one of us decided to go kill it with the fly swatter. The important thing to note is that it was on a high door ledge, so the brave one decided to get it off the ledge and then kill it. Great idea, if it didn’t fly onto his back and bright yellow shirt! The other two innocents who were watching this happen on the couch were shocked and merely pointed with their mouths open-“its on your back!” they yelled. (I’m telling you this could’ve won America’s Funniest Home Videos) I suppose they were too stunned to try and help, so the brave one started dancing in an effort to get it off….and yes, I’m afraid the roach was a gonner, probably scared to death. A good thirty minutes of laughter and a story the three will never forget!

Radio

So if you haven’t figured it out yet, I listen to the radio a lot. My new favorite station is B106.7, which is pretty funny because my mom told me that is what she listened to when she was my age. Anyway, they have some really neat programs. On Sunday mornings, if I get up early enough, they have Direct Connection where they play the latest Christian hits for two hours! They have the BackPage, which is silly crime stories and entertainment news, that comes on at about 8:30 during the week and usually on the weekends they have a special theme for song choices like they’ll have an all 80’s weekend or something. Anyway they have news and up-to-date weather like most radio stations. SC has had some pretty nasty storms rolling through due to such hot temperatures and the other day I heard that there was like 7,000 lightening bolts recorded across the state in an hour! That’s incredible! Makes for some really pretty skies though sometimes…

I Wonder

I wonder if it’s a sign….today I woke up and did some Spanish homework, trying to be a good little student and keep up with it so I wouldn’t have so much to do the night before. I was listening to the radio, like I normally do. and the song by Hall & Oates came on-Kiss on My List.

I hadn’t heard the song much before, but thought it was cute and moved on. Well THEN I ended up doing Spanish homework again that night, all that good- student-motivation (the morning hw was actually catching up), and the exact same song came on again. Coincidence? I think not! Actually, I just thought it was funny. And no, I am not in the situation that the song is applicable just yet but perhaps soon…all in God’s timing.

Reminders

Today I was reminded of a few things
1. count my blessings
2. silly little things that drive you mad, aren't that bad
3. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever-He never changes
4. God is faithful.
5. summer in SC will give you a tan, a burn, and/or a whole lot of heat
6. I like posting in three's because of Annie

Some things never change....

We went to visit our old house today. It's funny how the saying is so true that a house is just a building but a home is made up of the people (thank you miss madeline, I will always remember that "home is where the heart is"). A home often takes on the characteristics of its owners and each one is quite different. As we drove around the area to the library we passed the building that has the lake with the sand and the rocks and I thought to myself some things change but others seem to always stay the same. I'll always remember that building as the story of the parable of the house on the rocks and the sand, and of course, who could forget the kids song, "the wise man built his house upon the rocks, the foolish man built his house upon the sands...the rains came down and the floods came up, the house on the rocks stood strong but the house upon the sand went splat/flat!"
Here's a pic of my tree. It grew up just like me! It is now twenty years old and seems to have aged....

Chapstick and Showers

Whew it seems like its been a while! My Spanish class has begun and it just seems to be getting hotter and hotter here in SC, I heard it is supposed to be 102 today and I believe it! Our showers were re-done by the tub ladies and they look wonderful in the flip house...we were quite glad they are finished though as we were out of shower possibilities for a little while and boy can I tell you there's nothing like a nice shower....I was reminded of both the physical and spiritual benefits of being washed by actual water and the blood of Christ. I concluded that there's nothing like the feeling of being clean!!
We also put up quarter round along the baseboards so all the boxes were moved around and everything was pushed to the middle, I had to squeeze by but alas the much needed chapstick was obtained!! I slept on the sofa again last night as everything was all moved around. This is the summer of sofas. I really don't mind sofas contrary to some people's beliefs. Ours is quite comfortable and I have even slept on it on more than one occasion, by choice no less. Funny how they seem to get more comfy with use. You know, furniture is one of those things you kind of have to break in.
Again I felt rather short yesterday for three occasions don't mind it, just find it funny. The first occasion occurred as I was walking to school and passed three basketball players, at least I assumed they played basketball because they were like two of me put together! Then when I was in my desk I dropped my pen cap, of course i dropped it on the side that has the desk bars that hinder reaching over it. Its not the side where you slide into but the other one. If you have ever sat in a college classroom I think you would understand my frustrations. And of course my little arms are not long enough to reach the pen cap without looking extremely strange. But then again, I am glad I do not have ridiculously long arms but am put together quite proportionately. Finally, I was helping measure something and was a bit strained as the height was about six feet and I am far from that. But hey this time my arms were long enough, just barely ;).
I have also had the joys of getting together with some new friends. Have had some great conversations about Jesus resurrecting Lazarus, went to Moe's last night with a friend, and have enjoyed watching Leverage and eating M&M's with another friend.
Well that is a small summary of about the past week I suppose. And don't forget the World Cup this weekend....this is it until 2014!!!!

I am short.

I am short. I don't mind being short, I actually like to be short, although I still think I am a little bit taller than my mom but she claims we are the same size. I lovingly and quite loudly disagree. Anyway I love people's responses to my smallness. My two new favorites are: "Do people tell you that you're smaller than you'd expect?" and to my saying when I was really small-"you still are", actually I get that one alot. And also my brother told me that I'm really short, I guess he forgot :). I love my family.
I may possibly be the light plate switch installer-expert I'm not quite sure but there's a possibility.
My poor dog got her foot caught in her hair, it was quite pitiful and sad but we helped her out.
Now I am at my dear friend's house who has so graciously aloud me to use her technology. Her kitten is like a dog, but smaller....she plays and licks and paws, i love sweet pets!

Inspirational Eating and other news

Special treat! Got a special surprise from the grocery store when I came home....we call it inspirational eating....my dad's contribution to third floor Caldwell!
In other news, I had my last college algebra math class!! After taking math five years in hs, and college algebra, I think it finally sunk in!
I am NOT the queen of Caulk. We thought I was but alas it is not true.

A new favorite song....

The Magic of McDonald's

Sitting at McDonalds trying to do math, yes I suppose I've done math in just about every possible place, not quite but it seems like it. Anyway, I sat next to the play place and I came to a few conclusions.
1. Mcdonald's still has that magical feel for a kid...I mean who wouldn't want to eat and play on a giant playground?!
2. Little boys running out of bathrooms without clothes on makes their mommies very upset. and innocent bystanders shocked and slightly ammused.
3. You know you've been at the play place too long when mom is using her stern voice and little one is in tears.
4. No matter how the times change (tv news/internet/nice decor) at McD's, it will always be the same. and always have that magic.

Sometimes I think we could all use a little pep talk....saw this cip on a yahoo news story one day and haven't forgot it.

Little Blessings

I'm not quite sure what I want to say but as I sit hear in the library computer lab, yes my wireless wasn't working but that's ok. All I can remember to write of are not my words but Gods:
Zephaniah 3:17
The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing."
Well, each day is a new day and as always I am learning to take one day at a time, one step at a time, and remember that God sees and God hears.
Last night was a beautiful night, you could just hear the crickets chirping and the sky was a perfect summer sky, there's something different about the ones in the summer and I love them! This morning it was cool too, the sun was shining and I saw a few cardinals. I was almost late to class and one of my friends thought I wasn't going to show but I was greated by a very nice test grade. As the class is almost up, the later I leave the house (well I did have a little bear to take care of too). Now I'm off to feed the little Bear; mom and dad might be back from House Hunting today.
What little blessings have you found?
Oh and one more thing, I played the guessing game with spices for a one pot pork meal, and it turned out pretty good!
Almost Wednesday!

so this is way down on the list of important things but I couldn't figure out how to turn off the windshield wipers...so i drove for half of my 30 minute drive hoping they turned off. I guess the windows are super clean. It was like waiting for the hiccups to go away a little bit miserable. But it's a beautiful day in SC and not too hot yet!

A Question About Smiling...

I have a question? Does it seem to you like people tend to keep to themselves? I've been realizing that my simple smiles, waves, or eye contacts seem rare compared to those who walk by with eyes down or minding their own business. I mean sure, there are days when I'd rather keep to myself or be invisible (in fact I was quite surprised when about three people came over to me while I was in the library in a span of 2 days....one man just talked up a storm which was cool, one was an old friend-also very cool, and one was a little girl and her tutor who had no place to sit but next to me and I have to say it was good to see her excited about learning) but not all the time. When walking to class every day, its amazing how many people are caught up in their own world. Granted I am often that way too but I like to smile. Maybe it's like mom said, if you have Jesus in ya, your naturally a happy person. So there's my challenge: spread the joy/love/happiness as those sayings go! After all you never know who you'll meet or what they're going through. There was even a yahoo news article on the affects that smiling has on people...if yahoo is talking about it well then you know what that means.

What are the odds?

Recently I have been struggling with contentment for a number of reasons. It is something I may always struggle with but maybe that's right where we should be...waiting to see what will happen next. Sometimes I'm not very patient and I want to know what class I'll take, where I'll live, where I'll work, etc. But if you think about it, where's the fun in that? And what do I have to worry about? The Bible, time and time again, shows how God is for us (Romans 8:31)! I am learning that much of that has to do with my perspective; I'm so caught up in what I wish was happening that I forget about all the opportunities right in front of me.

Oh and what are the odds? For some reason I keep hearing stories, and have even had personal experience, where things happen that seem so far fetched, or wrong, that you almost have to use reverse psychology and know that it's God at work. For example, there's no reason for them to let you go from your job but you find yourself without one or they should've accepted the higher offer for the house but they didn't even take a second look. That's when you have to see, God can beat the odds! And who knows who's watching....maybe how you handle the situation, how you wait and trust His provision, is the testimony someone is waiting to see...

Blogs, jelly, movies, and frogs

I have been meaning to blog for a while but somehow forget to or forget what I was going to blog about so I suppose here are just a few thoughts...
It is definitely the summer of the library. Because we don't have internet and I'm a part of the 'wifi pirate' family and I have math homework four nights a week, that means a majority of my afternoons are spent in the wonderful world of books. Libraries are funny too because people like their personal space, the hunt for the perfect book, and a great escape from the terrible sc heat! 99-100 degrees with heat indexes reaching above one hundred-it's a free and lovely oasis! There is also a lot of tutoring going on.

I opened a jar of jelly with a rubber band, it was very cool! That was one odd yahoo news story that worked!

Moving is funny....much of my life is in boxes at the moment and I am living out of a suit case but then again that's what happens when you are in college. But the irony of it all is that the one item you really need, the one that you tried to get away without needing, you just have to have...is in the bottom box....you know the one. The one that is in the bottom of the stack of the boxes in the back of the room. That's what happened last night when we needed a pot to cook dinner. It took three of us, but we got it!

Movies! I finally get to catch up on some movies thanks to netflix, redbox, and the dollar theater. I watched Post Grad last night and really enjoyed it, mostly because the family was quite quirky like mine...myself included in that. Saw Prince of Persia and Shrek this past weekend. Prince of Persia was well done, great story, and kind of a combination of Indiana Jones and Aladdin. Shrek was also good, seemed to have more of a story line than humor but there was still some great quotes. It was a little weird to hear 'Mr. Shrek' but I do love my last name!

My book count is also going up, hope to finish reading my latest book Breach of Trust by Diann Mills (suspense chick-lit). Mom and I read Lost in Rooville and its one of those books that you remember and laugh about....that's where I learned about water holding frogs (they do exist!)

Oh I almost forgot, we are putting up a kitchen-from bare walls!

Annie! three posts in honor of you!

There's just something about home. As we begin to say goodbye to our home of 19plus years, its hard but we know God has other great plans for us and that one has been an incredible blessing filled with memories. To put everything in the proper perspective, the things of this world are just temporary....


Matthew 6:19

I think that the squirrel that chose to run across the traffic light wires was very smart. Unless of course it was raining and there was an electrical storm, in that case not so much. I am happy to say it was not raining. Tried to use the USC computer lab and couldn't log in so mcdonalds parking lot and sunshine are quite beneficial, I do have to do some hw on the Internet.

Libraries and a little bit more...

I love the library. It has internet which is a plus and books galore. There's just something about a book. I'm supposed to get books for mom, dad, and myself. I came today in hopes to figure out my math program and it was slow, but I finally got logged in. However, it didn't give me the help I as looking for, guess I'm on my own. Today was also really fun because I ran into my old friend Rick and got to chat for a bit. Before that though an older gentleman with a wealth of knowledge had quite the conversation with me. It all started because I was on my computer and he says he'll never have one but his kids have five in the house! From there we talked about when the world went wrong (when mothers stopped staying at home with their kids), how to have a good retirement (have lots of money and a 529 account, I can't forget that one!), and a recommendation for a movie on autism. I got to see pics of his beautiful daughter and granddaughters. Talked about colleges and how most of them used to be church schools and also about the one room school house and how it's quite different from today. His wife worked at one for about eleven years. Older kids tutor the younger ones, work in the farm, and go to bed! Boy is it a different world we live in, salary back then was 700 dollars and a paper was 3 cents! I sure do hope that printed words/documents don't go completely out of style/non-existence.
Anyway to the gentleman whom I met at the library, it was a pleasure talking with you and though you may never read this, I pray that God will continue to bless you as you continue on 25plus years of retirement! Maybe I'll see you again!
And Rick....safe travels back to VA, we'll miss you in Columbia!
P.S. Annie, I thought about posting in three's because it's been so long but I'm out of posts :(

M&M and a little bit more...

Well it seems like it has been a very long time since my last post and a lot has happened.
I took that two week pe semester class and I'm pretty sure I passed :). Got some good ideas for teaching kids pe. Flew into South Carolina and drove to GA to look at houses. Then went to see mom and dad in Hilton Head and help them move out of IJGA, it was a great year for them but God is now calling them elsewhere. We packed Bear and the cars up and headed back to Columbia and Darion Drive. We're currently fixing up this place and once we get the kitchen installed I think we might see a light at the end of the tunnel! It has been a little crazy but we now have running water and most of the doors up, that alone makes a person smile, especially me!
I also started my summer school at USC-math! It's a little different than Belhaven, but they each have their benefits.
Yesterday was a big day in my life as I received a very big blessing but since many will see it at school, for now it will remain a surprise! I just hope I can use it for God's glory and to bless others!
Today my graphing calculator failed me. It's ancient. Our prof looked at it and said I don't know. Thankfully, all the tests are able to be completed without a calculator. I think it would be really amazing technology if it did work though!
In other news, I am excited about being an RA next year and am working on decorations for our hall. My theme is M&M's candy and after doing some research last night I came up with some very interesting information and saw some wonderful chocolate/candy posters!
Did you know
-that M&M's were a big hit in World War II because Forest Mars noticed in the 1930's soldiers eating chocolate pellets with a hard shell to keep it from melting?
-that the 'm' was originally black and later changed to white?
-there are 17 candy colors sold online
-for a while there was no red m&m, sorry
How many types of m&m's do you know of? Can you name them all?
Oh and if you would like a link to some great chocolate posters here it is:
be prepared it may make ya hungry!

Flying

So I meant to give a post about flying. Though I do get nervous flying by myself for some odd reason, I really do love to fly. Ever since third grade and our trip to Ukraine, I've been flying many places which is a blessing! Friday I was able to fly home to Columbia. It was quite the experience as flying always is. I love seeing so many people and talking to complete strangers and yet you all seem to have a little bit in common. It's like a free chance to meet new people and share the love of Christ, I mean what else are you going to do for a few hours.
While I waited to board, I sat near a gentleman who sang to his ipod for a good while, he was a cheery man. There were two little ones who were full of energy, the little boy was trying to learn to count with his fingers and I think he was trying to figure out how to be spider man. His little sister just liked to jump around. Then there were the two young college girls who didn't know they were on the same flight but were able to catch up on anything and everything before take off.
On my first flight I met a gentleman who worked with cement. He was there taking a class but wished he could've been at the class in Hawaii or some other fun exotic place. Plus he was getting over a cold so what little MS had to offer, he didn't get to experience it.
Then I walked around the Houston airport for a while. It's quite big if you've never been. Thankfully we came in to gate B 20something but I had to go to gate B5. I kept trusting the signs and finally found it. Some mountain dew and a slice of pizza later, and I sat and watched a guy clean out an airplane and restock. Oh and on that flight, we saw two other planes flying about the same height. I'm so thankful for air traffic control because they help keep everyone in line :).
On my final flight home, I met a gentleman who actually knew some of the people we knew by way of church and school. It was sort of a 6 degree meeting, very small world. He worked with forestry and rivers I think and was coming from business meetings. Again, you talked about everything and anything and we introduced ourselves at the end.
Thankfully I got my luggage and yes my suitcase was more than half my size and I'm positive I looked really funny trying to get it off the conveyor belt especially since I kind of had to chase it. To the young guy who offered to give me a hand, I should've accepted your help, I'll take ya up on it next time! And to the soldier who was going to training I wish you all the best and thank you for your service!
During my last flight, the sunset on one side of the plane and the lightening storm on the other, only God can create such masterpieces! There's nothin' like flying!