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!

Snellville. Yep we made the three and a half hour drive from Columbia, SC to Snellville, GA. We passed three old timey cars and had a whole lot of conversation. I wanted to look around at all the beautiful country side but as I was driving and mom didn't want us to become part of that country side, I was told to watch the road, but God got us here, so no worries! After going to our hotel before house hunting tomorrow we went to the Discover Mall. Let me tell ya we now know why it's called Discover....it reminded me of a cultural experience as there were so many unique stores and activities! Airsoft Battlefield, Skate Park, Spider Jump, Glow-in-the-Dark Putt Putt, Medieval Times Dinner Theater, Hurricane wind simulator, Coca-Cola polar bear, Massage parlor, and more! They even had one of those TV commercial stores and a lot of kiosks. The kiosks had nail designs, jewlery, phones, computers, sheets, proactive, and again more! There was a lot of restaurants too! We walked it twice and then ended up at Chilis. Now time for desert and a movie back at the hotel, girls' night out with momma! So good to be with family!

So Excited!

I'm so excited about so many things! First I'm so glad that God made us with the capability of being excited. We watched Loui Giglio's new Video "Fearfully and Wonderfully Made." We only watched the first part but it is utterly amazing to look at Psalm 139 in light of learning about the complexity of the human body. To think that God made each one of us literally, uniquely hand crafted. There has never and will never be another you. The fact the God, who has the capability of such complexity not only in a human but in a universe loves us is beyond exciting! If you haven't seen this video, I highly recommend it!
I also only have one more class of PE and the test shouldn't be that hard.
I'm going home. The longer I am away the more I want to go home. There's just no place like it!
One of my friends is getting married Saturday! Though I won't be able to go to the wedding I am so excited for the happy couple and what God is doing in their lives!
Oh and I got a late bday present: Relevant Magazine. This is exciting for two reasons. One, I have wanted a subscription for a really long time and two, I now have reading material and a magazine no less. For the past week I have been in the mood to get a magazine but have kept thinking, I'll just wait 'till home. God is just so cool how He cares even about little things!
And I get to see my roommate tonight!
Do you have anything you are excited about because if you don't you should find something and get on the train!

I'm a big fan of tag...

Who knew there could be so many versions of tag?
Tag
Freeze tag or Virus (which Tanya and I came up with, well mostly Tanya its pretty fun!)
Chinese Freeze tag
TV tag
Line tag
Amoeba tag (probably the hardest version I've ever played!)
Hospital Tag
Toilet Tag (it's not really bad, I promise!)
Dark Tag (kind of a mix of hind and go seek and tag, I'm not sure if this is a real game of tag but it's really fun!)
And of course laser tag but that requires equipment

As of today, I have officially played all of the above versions and my new personal favorite is line tag.

Here's some more I found online:
Zombie Tag
Sitting Tag (you can tag people once your tagged from your sitting position)

Pancakes and Tom and Jerry at noon, good way to start a Saturday don't ya think?

A week in May in Jackson, MS

It has been quite the week. Made it half way through my two week crash PE course and ended it with bowling. Now that was quite the experience. We played along side senior citizens who were competing in their very own Olympics! I was taught a few techniques:

1. the dots on the floor boards and the arrows on the pins are helpful hints.
2. Count the floor boards if you want to adjust your throw.
3. To put a spin on the ball, follow through like you're shaking someone's hand.

Let me just say I'm not the world's best bowler. These tips didn't help so much. I'm going to vouch for myself and say I may have needed a lighter ball. I managed to get one strike that was really a spare and maybe two spares? We discovered that slow and steady was my most beneficial method. I still got smoked. 54 and 64 for bowling scores, oi vey, I think I could use some practice but it's still tons of fun!




When we came back, the Bowl was full of kid activities! It was First Pres's Field Day! Complete with pizza, music, and games, it looked like a blast! I think Allison and I wanted to be kids again. I remember field days at BL and we always enjoyed it. No school and you get to play all day, now that's a kids' finest dream come true!




Well Allison (my temporary roommate and wonderful friend) and I managed to make two halfway decent meals (spaghetti and honey mustard chicken). I also learned that its a whole lot faster and easier to make food if the chicken is thoroughly thawed. There's a tongue twister for ya, try saying it three times fast!


I have come up with oh maybe 150 oh i don't even know how many, but about five months worth of activities for students to do outside of school (promoting a healthful lifestyle which includes spiritual and relational aspects, physically fit activities, and healthy eating habits). I thought I was half way but, not quite, I've got to have 365. I also made up a one year PE curriculum for fifth graders and we're still working on the catching, fleeing, an dodging lesson. Welcome to the world of Education!


It hasn't been all work though, we managed to fit in some play (movies and games!) Saw Princess and the Frog and enjoyed some cookie dough! MD made us delicious tacos and we caught up with some of the girls still around in Jackson. It was neat to watch the Disney movie because I've been to New Orleans and they did a great job of depicting it. I knew some of the names and cultural aspects so that's always exciting! I have to say there's still nothing like the original Disney movies.


In other news, I am becoming more and more like my mom, not a bad thing mind you. I just can't make it through a movie without falling asleep, no matter what time of day. KimJo, I did it with poor Allison too, we stopped half way through. Guess I'm getting to be an old lady. After you hit 20, man things change!


One week until I'll be back in my hometown, good ol' South Carolina. Oh how I've missed your smiling faces and beautiful places! A friend asked if SC is really pretty and I don't always think of it in that light, though I've had a few people ask that question. I suppose we don't have a whole lot we are famous for but our area is beautiful in its own way. It's just home to me!

Tears

Today has been an unintentional day of tears. Tears do not always have to be bad or tears that are shed because of pain or sorrow. These tears were because of powerful stories. In our PE class we watched a video about

Dick and Rick Hoyt. The story of a father and son (who has special needs) and how they compete in races together. Their dedication and joy was incredible. We also wrote letters to people who have greatly impacted and made an investment in our lives. We started with a student who wrote it to his mom, who is battling a life threatening disease and still raises 3 kids with a smile on her face. Another wrote a letter to her two year old daughter who is teaching her more than she ever expected.

Then I watched Extreme Makeover Home Edition for the first time in a long time and was reminded perhaps why I haven't watched it in so long. I just can't keep it together. This story was about a family who adopted many kids from China, some who have special needs. Their father was diagnosed with some form of brain cancer if I remember correctly. Having seen my grandfathers fight the battle and knowing the hardship of losing a loved one, is so difficult. The dad took a turn for the worst and couldn't come to the final showing. It ended with the mom bringing in a display of the house and the words came up that three days after they moved in, he passed away.



Again, my grandfather's death is fresh on my mind, though I know he is alive and well with Jesus. Just watching that family go through the time period where every day is a gift that you praise the Lord for, it's so hard but God is good. I will always remember going to my grandma's house after my grandfather passed away and hearing her say 'God is good all the time, all the time God is good.'

It was also really neat to see one of their daughters, who is blind, get so excited over having the whole Bible in brail! That was quite convicting as well. We even played a game today where you have to close your eyes and find your partner by matching sounds. I remember thinking, its scary to not be able to see and just be led. There's so much to learn from this image. One to not take things for granted and also to know that to have complete faith in Christ, by letting go of everything and giving complete control to Him, though it may be very scary, you are in the best hands!

I like to type.

I like to type. Both of my college degrees are in yahoo's list of the worst paying: Elementary Education and Fine Arts (minor) but that's ok because I'm doing it for the love of it/i want to make a difference/God's given me a gift...not for the money.

This PE class is really interesting. The prof is Coach White, one of our Football coaches. He's got some great stories and teaches like a coach which is always fun. Today we played two icebreakers. The first was climb through the hula hoop as you pass it around the circle with linked hands. Then instead of clockwise, go counterclockwise and beat your time. We were a few seconds off :). The next was between two teams the 'Celtics' and the 'Caveliers'. The first two people call heads or tails and when you see tails, squeeze the hand of the next person, then the last person grabs the eraser. Again, my team lost but it was still fun.

We also observed a gymnastics class and learned how to do a little bit of spotting. I highly respect the knowledge, strength, and patience of those coaches. It's a whole other world that is very exciting, challenging and rewarding. Ya gotta love the sport, the kids and the job, just like teaching and it also needs to be a calling.

There are still a lot of difficult things that my friends are going through and it leaves one with a heavy heart, just got to keep bringing it before and giving it up to the Lord.

Mother

Happy Mother's Day Momma!
Love you!

Just Think

It is quiet. Too quiet. Summer is here but it doesn't really feel like summer just yet. It will in two weeks! Today was bittersweet. I watched one of my best friends graduate. I helped people pack and watched them drive away (well not really but the parking lot is empty).
I also went to a Belhaven Baseball game, my first one! I know, I've been here for two years and should've been to a few more but this was interesting. The umpire quit in the middle of the game after a fan made a comment and the coach talked to him. One of the strangest things, but you never know what a person is going through and words can be powerful. I still think it's weird that he would just leave in the middle of it. It's the line between compassion for whatever he's going through and completing a job to the best of your ability. Sticky situation. And it affected a whole lot of people (fans, players, coaches, himself, his family). Just some food for thought.
I also have a heavy heart for some friends who are going through difficult times, but I'm learning to trust God with them. And prayer is powerful.
My friend started a blog: Hello Sunshine, she says I'll be for rainy days and she'll take the sunshiny ones :). I like it! Speaking of rain, boy did we have some thunder last night that brought in a beautiful, breezy, sunshiny day! I like how God works those together, the powerful and scary brought beautiful joy!

Thoughts of the day

-I need to pack
-everyone is leaving :(
-summer is here :)
-why did I want to do summer school? because it starts Monday (at least its health and pe, oh the irony of me being in health and pe)
-no matter how hard you try to sleep in at a college dorm, something inevitably happens (and that's ok)
-did I mention I love books?
-Little Caesar's best invention was $5 pizza
-it is quite hot in MS...sweating is not an option it just happens, conversations about sweat also happen (warning it can be gross)
-being 20 I still feel the same, but it's amazing what can happen in a year
-some decisions are hard to make
-God is good all the time

It's Thursday!

Two years

It's been two years in Caldwell Room 112.

Everyone is moving out and we all wanted to mark the end of an era with a photo shoot.

Next year many changes are happening, friends are moving off campus, others are becoming RA's, and still others are switching buildings.

Hard to believe how much we've grown up in those two years; no longer shy little freshmen.

Love you girls,

we'll always have the memories....

Twent years old...that's a little weird

I am 20! I can't believe it! Along with all the bday wishes and songs, I loved eating watermelon (the first of the summer!), seeing a baby birdie, witnessing a beautiful whole rainbow, phone calls, texts, and eating cake, ice cream, and frozen yogurt. Finishing up Anne of Green Gables marathon was also quite memorable. Bethany's expressions, guesses, and excitement for seeing it for the first time were priceless! It's the little things in life!

Summer breaks are wonderful. I know it will soon be busy but right now God blessed us with some relaxation time and of course hot sunshiny MS weather! It's been so great to just hang out with friends. Today we enjoyed some coca-colas and movies!

The day started with an open dance class and a good reminder that I need to keep dancing this summer. It's amazing how much a week off can show. It was also quite humbling as the guest teacher was very gifted. God was having a conversation with me this morning!
Dearest Emily: work hard for me and enjoy it, don't worry about what others think, just try it!

Twenty years old and I have a whole lot to learn, excited to see where God will take me!

Sleepy Time Musings

Instead of a lock-in, our Youth group decided to do their annual lock-out at Insomnia V, cowboy up! Some friends from Belhaven and I got to help out but because a lot of us had exams on Saturday, we only stayed 'til about 1:00. We still managed to fit in a few line dances, a relay race (that involved barrel racing, pie eating, moonpie eating, banana eating-through pantyhose I might add, seed spitting, and chugging coke), some karate games, and mechanical bull riding (I enjoyed watching that one). Sometimes you wonder why those relays are actually fun but the bonding is priceless. The moon pie eating was enough for me, I remember why I used to not like them. We came back 'round 1:00 a.m. and even though I thought I could pull an all-nighter and take an exam, I'm glad I got some sleep. It was so hard to wake up. In between sleeping I had three fun encounters. The first was my roommate who actually pulled the all-nighter because she was done with exams. The plan was to end Insomnia with a boat ride but because of weather they came to Belhaven for dodge ball. My roommate was getting tired and decided to stop in for some coke and chips. I woke up to crunching and a light. I was like, "I"m so confused." She explained and then shut the door just like that. Then Katie, who is leaving, came in to say goodbye and see if she should wake up SG to check her out of her room. The third visit was from Kimber. She came in and flicked the light on/off, squealed, and ran away. She forgot I was there, had studied in our room the night before, and was looking for her ID. It was quite the hour in room 112.

Well I am officially done with my Sophomore year! Grades are still coming in but all the tests have been taken! My last exam was at our profs house and some of the girls made pancakes for us! Mmm, chocolate chip with whipped creme, a great way to end the semester! After two years at Belhaven, I think I have my worldview pretty secure. There's no getting around it, Capstone and worldview will haunt us the rest of our lives! It's a blessing though; makes you think.

Strange feelings on my last day of being a teenager! I feel so old. Can you believe I've been around for just about 20 years?

People are moving out of the dorms and once again Mississippi brought in the rain just for our special occasion. Seems like every time we move in or out, it rains. Thankfully I just get to enjoy this sleepy and steamy (bleck humidity!) weather with movies and a good book. Yep, even get some thunder today! I am sticking around for a short two week Maymester so I'm even waiting to pack.

When studying for my last final I ran over a poem that our teacher shared with us. Though we aren't going to be tested on it, there's one section that really hits home. I may have written about it before but was reminded again about how whatever you do, you should do it all for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).
"unless, of course, your motive secure; not therapy but joy..."-Tangier by Stephen Dunn When dancing, playing sports, taking tests, by the grace of God you are only required to do your best and enjoy it! It's the weekend!

Two down, two to go! I can't believe this semester is almost over, yet the timing is perfect. Lots of exciting summer plans and of course lots of summer school but hey it's summer, there's just something that makes it so much better. The sunshine and cookouts are calling my name! How's everyone's week going?

I Should probably start studying...

After a great start to the morning in Yazoo City, spending too much time on facebook, I now need to go get a mountain dew and actually start studying! By the way, you should really try slippin' an' slidin'...

Blessed to Serve

Today I was blessed to be able to help a family in Yazoo City. We helped move boxes and furniture out of their house after the tornado hit this past weekend. They lost their whole second floor and are living in a mobile home. The street we drove down was bad. Trees were shredded, lots of debris and many roofs and homes damaged. A lot of people didn't have home and/or car insurance. It was a blessing to be able to help and bring a smile. We fixed them lunch and one of the ladies was so cute and very right that they needed a lunch break, "she was going to make those men stop working if she had to take their ladder away!" We were able to pray with and for the family and though there were some tears shed, God is taking care of them!

I love getting mail and since there is almost a birthday, I have been getting lots of mail! Yesterday I got 6 packages and even had the mail room people talking!

Can I just say that I love study day? It was a great invention. Sleeping late, eating breakfast in my room, Regis and Kelly, slip n' slide! Yes I will do some studying and I'm sure I'll appreciate it even more next year when I actually have to use every minute of it but until then, don't forget College can be fun...

Faithfulness

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful."-Hebrews 10:23

The Doxa Spring Concert was this weekend and I was able to be in a piece called "Faithful to Me" choreographed by Rachel Kurtz and music by Jennifer Knapp. In light of the beginning of the school year, it is amazing to see how God has been faithful. I think of this song as well as "Be Thou My Vision" and know that God has been so good! As people shared in our dance departmental about God's faithfulness I began to think of his faithfulness in my life and thought that the piece couldn't have been more fitting. There really is nothing like God's perfect faithfulness.

"All the chistles I've dulled carving idols of stone
That have crumbled like sand 'neath the waves.
I've recklessly built all my dreams in the sand just to watch, them all wash away.

Through another day, another trial, another chance to reconcile
To one who sees past all I see.
And reaching out my weary hand I pray that you'd understand
You're the only one who's faithful to me.

All the pennies I've wasted in my wishing well
I have thrown like stones to the sea.
I have cast my lots, dropped my guard, searched aimlessly for a faith
To be faithful to me.

Through another day, another trial, another chance to reconcile
To one who sees past all I see.
And reaching out my weary hand I pray that you'd understand
You're the only one who's faithful to me.
You're the only one who's faithful to me." Faithful to Me, by Jeniffer Knapp

"Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all." Be Thou My Vision attributed to Dallan Forgaill, translated by Mary E. Byrne, versed by Eleanor H. Hull

It's amazing to me how God is always at work. The dance piece before ours, which we got to watch backstage, was called Intercessors to the song "Your Love is Strong" by Jon Foreman. It really brought things into perspective and calmed any little butterflies, "So why do I worry?/Why do I freak out?/God knows what I need/You know what I need." Check out the whole song!

There's a whole in the roof, dear Liza

Our roof is leaking and I have a cold. Somehow I managed to get a pretty mean cold for the past few days. Complete with not sleeping through the night, it was kind of good that I woke up at 5:30 to the sound of someone clipping their nails. Nobody was clipping their nails, our roof was leaking. I got up, stepped in a small puddle and got dripped on. Seeing as how we are on first floor, I think their might be a problem upstairs. We did have heavy rains here in Mississippi so maybe that was the cause. I emptied our overflowing trash can to try and catch the water. Ah the joys of living in a dorm!

This is really cool....wait for it....

Kownacki leaps over the catcher @ Yahoo! Video

Teachers are people too

Let me just say teachers are people too. It was so funny when all the professors gave out awards during the final chapel. Each one has a unique personality and tone of voice. It makes you realize they are just as human as you, fumble with words, and laugh. Sometimes my school just cracks me up. That chapel along with the workmen at our school, I just sometimes have to shake my head and smile. I don't know how many times I've heard 'man in the hall' when a. I'm standing right there b. its the early morning c. you are taking a nap or d. for the fiftieth time as they make their way down the hall in the fiftieth high or deep man voice they can come up with. As they sing along to their country radio songs I just know I'm in Mississippi and that is perhaps the only explanation.

To the anonymous Santa who gave me a mountain dew and snickers bar in my mailbox yesterday, I can't thank you enough! I was so surprised and it did make my day :)

So God is teaching me a lot this week
-be flexible (i had my dance evaluation schedule all mixed up and an exam postponed until the following week)
-He knows exactly what we need
-If you give your best, that is all He expects
-If you think you fail, it is not the end of the world
-What happened to smiling, trusting, and praising? It really does do wonders
-I have much to be thankful for so perk up!

Whew! A lot has happened since i last posted and it's only been about 24 hours! Lots of dance, a rehearsal, working backstage for concert, spring formal, and bonfire! We had combined classes and it was really fun and challenging to learn some new modern phrases. Today was full as well, slept late considering I went to bed around 4 and then watched Kimber and Katie play soccer! The afternoon continued with a trip to Berry Berry Good for some great frozen yogurt, fun in the sun, and tacobell for dinner! Coffee, Tea, and Thee rounded up the night with the Faculty Talent show. It's been very fun and I only have about two more weeks of this semester. This week will be tough with dance finals but tough does not mean bad.

Just thinking about a few things. One of the faculty sung a song called Standing Ovation about Stephen from the Bible. As it depicted the courage and faith he had in the face of death, it speaks volumes and makes me want to look into his story even more.



Along with that Martin McBride's song I Just Call you Mine, talks about how everyone who knows you loves you, thinks your amazing, has a smile, etc. and I was just thinking about how that can be a testimony.



I also watched the end of Remember the Titans and that movie just gets me every time. I realized again how difficult it is to say goodbye, the memories and reminders will always be hard, but praise the Lord he offers hope! I love the picture of relationships at the end...



I'm also learning to trust God and enjoy the wonderful life He's given, John 10:10

Some amazing pictures!

Good Day

Today was unexpected but such a blessing! We had a health fair on campus and if we went to five booths we got free smoothie king! I don't know about you but just that, made my day! Ended up working crew for a matinee for APAC elementary students tomorrow and I think those kids are just going to love the show, especially the bird piece. Just fyi, costumes can make or break pieces. The dancers rehearsed the bird piece today without costumes and it was so different. When it first started I was like what is that girl doing, but then I remembered she's a bird! Then I had a KimJo date! We went to Walmart and I stocked up, hadn't had a Walmart run in a while. Thanks to our Easter Eggstravaganza, Kim got almost free dinner at Chick-fil-a. I was so full, what a blessing! Good night!

The little guy just wanted to play! Hope this brightens your day!

May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion. May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings. May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the Lord grant all your requests. Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed; he answers him from his holy heaven with the saving power of his right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm. O Lord, save the king! Answer us when we call!
-Psalm 20

P.S. Annie, I posted in 3's! :)

I know the Hannah Montanan movie is slightly cheesy but I like it; here's a shout out to all the daddies, we love you!

Praise the Lord! The first show for crew B went well. It's amazing how much an audience can change a dance. From dress to performance, the energy and dynamics were so much better! It was neat to see little nuances that I appreciated but maybe the audience didn't quite see. In the piece 'Rodeo', the boys are trying to win over the hearts of the ladies and at one point one of the dancers did a little breath test and smile, it was awesome! I was thinking the other day, especially for this show (there's ballerinas, modern dancers, Indian dancers, birds, and classical/modern), it's so fun because you get to be somebody else for just a moment. I love how God looks at each person and sees the amazing talent He's given them. Before time He decided the dancers, musicians, artists, teachers, businessman, athletes, and more!

After the show, we went to Wendy's. I don't know what it wa, but that chicken wrap and chocolate frosty just made my day, it was delicious! Sometimes its just the simple things in life!

Good way to start a Saturday and another busy week...3 to go!

Today I was looking at an article and on the side popped up a red velvet cupcake bouncing around. The caption red, 'tempted-roll over or click here'. I didn't click but found out it was a commercial for yogurt. They got me :)
P.S. I skipped my 8am-it was tough, I had quite the mental debate and then decided to live a little, by sleeping in!

Catch up

So I really shouldn't be posting with all this other stuff i'm doing, but I just wanted to put a little word in about Easter Break! I was blessed to catch a ride home and again spent about 16 hours in a car. Got to see the bear and Mom and Dad. Mom and I took a trip to the beach as dad had to take care of the golf boys. The tide goes so far out, you can practically walk in the ocean! It's incredible! You can also see all the live snails and creatures, there's a bit of mucking involved and you have to watch out for clams and make sure the water isn't too deep.




Mom and were a funny crew as I didn't want to go then we get half way across the ocean and mom doesn't want to finish. We got across, so that must mean we make a good team. It was so funny to see people setting up camp half way into the ocean, even looked like you could make it to the other side but that was a bit far away and deep. We walked to see some beautiful mansion homes and made it home for dinner and a movie!


On Easter we went to a service and heard Vicky Beeching. I had never heard of her but was so blessed by here songs: The Wonder of the cross and Breath of God. From what I heard, 10 people were saved in that service alone, and there were five total at that church-Hallelujah praise the Lord! It was powerful image to realize that if you are choosing to wait to decide about God, you are choosing to deny God. Also realizing His power and the extant of his love to put up with the crucifixion and all involved. I wonder how many people He touched in His last few days. Everyone He encountered He had an affect on, quite a challenge. You never know what affect you may have on people!




After church we had lunch with dad at the golf course because he had to take care of the golf boys and then mom and I went to Savannah. We drove 40 minutes just for some pralines, I just love them! If you can get a sample when they're warm..mmm! Nothing like it! The river walk was beautiful too!
I almost forgot...at the beach we played with the crabs. When you are really quiet they pop out and dig their holes but if you stand, move, or make a sound, they all disappear! It's so fun!

The Belhaven Dance Department has currently taken over my life. Actually, only Jesus has that spot, but I am doing running crew for the next two weeks for the faculty dance concert. It's neat to see things from backstage but things can get a little crazy. We have some very gifted dancers! Because I was backstage for about 4 hours after ballet, I really need a shower. My life suddenly got super busy but that's ok. I'm learning to trust God and that praising Him, singing his praises goes an awful long way. Still need to post about Easter and the visit with the fam but I don't know when that will happen. Until then, happy spring and summer!

Because I just did my paper on single gender classrooms, which included the differences between boys and girls, and I forgot how awesome this movie was, I figured it was a wonderful way to start Easter Break. Enjoy!

Modern Class: Always an Experience

I discovered that doing various forms of shoulder roles, or trying to figure out how to do them gives you various forms of bruising and reddening. I would say don't try this at home, except that I have to so that I can figure it out. Modern class, always an experience. Quote of the day from Mrs. Bower: Grow, don't pose! I say that's good advice for dance and life! One more day 'til break and SC trip, so thankful and blessed!

Scavenger Hunt

So I just found out I have a big quiz I am way behind in studying for. The teacher said it was canceled and then decided to give it to us. So now I have an incredible amount of homework. At least I like the atmosphere of studying at the moment: mellow music, soft night lights, sweats and a t-shirt. I also get to go on a scavenger hunt looking up definitions for a class that, sadly, I feel as if I have not learned much in. It will be one of those tests were the test teaches you. Anyway, off to finding more historical treasures...we'll see how much I can get done. Oh yes, I realize I ended many of those sentences with prepositions. To all my English major friends, I do apologize.

Adventure

What happens when five girls decide to take a 30 minutes trip to an Indian Powwow? We'll leave about 3:45, get back in time for dinner. No. It was an adventure instead :), something I'll never forget!
Our 30 minute trip down the Natchez trace ended up being about 4 hours. It is a lovely drive and police officers do want you to enjoy that drive, and not speed through it. They are also good about giving directions. We soon realized that Natchez Park is actually two hours from Jackson. Coming this far, we might as well continue. After oh maybe three wrong turns, hunger was taking over. The fruit snacks and cookies that we managed to find and split five ways didn't last long.
Our 3:45 leaving time and arrival of about 6:45 led us to a Shoney's. Lynjorae's friend, Little John, was supposed to dance around 7, I figured we might make it for that one ;). Shoney's was out of some food, but we managed to polish off some lasagna.

After arriving, we walked around to all the little booths and saw some beautiful jewelry! Pink, blue and white opal along with many other stones-just gorgeous craftsmanship! We also got to see some authentic Indian dress and dances at the 22 Annual Natchez Indian Powwow.


On the way home, Elizabeth was singing Christmas songs, Phantom of the Opera, and more. Her voice is beautiful but was stopped suddenly when we ran over a deer. A big deer. It was not a pretty site. Then the car started making a sound. It might just be that little flap on the front scraping, but we made it home.
I now know that Natchez is quite the little town and has some beautiful wild life. If you ever take the Natchez Trace, don't plan on getting off, because you are kinda stuck on it. The cardinal, deer, fox, and flowers are fun! There are some VERY old run down southern places too, that I'm sure have stories behind them.
Ya gotta love college!

Unexpected Night

So KimJo came to tell me her Gotcha story and we ended up hanging out the rest of the night-woo hoo! Surprise trip to Wok-to-Go, which was so needed because I didn't eat a whole lot for dinner. I got a strawberry Fanta and it was so good, brought me back to childhood! (unexpected rhymes are fun too!) Then we ate our Chinese and watched the Office. Ginny then accompanied me on a Gotcha attempt. For those who are unaware, my school plays a game called Gotcha in the Spring. Everyone has a name and has to 'get' the person with water. Someone has your name and unless you find out, and even after you find out, you still keep checking your shoulder to avoid getting got! So Ginny and I waited outside for my person only to find that she wasn't where we thought she was, but the spying was fun. To the neighbor who I said hi and waved too, I wanted to explain but didn't know if you wanted me too, so I figured a friendly wave might be better. Thanks for your help! The Welbertson Film Fest was also lots of fun, our boys did great!

The Word, contentment, music and some dance

I was reading something my Grandpa wrote: read the Word, it'll show you His likes and dislikes. I was amazed and so grateful for verses I read in James 1 (the whole chapter had great stuff but these were the two verses that stuck out)...
"But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind."-James 1:6
"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."-James 1:17
I finally had an evening to breathe after feeling like a non-stop rush for the past few weeks and realized how grateful I am for contentment. Sure there are things going on that I don't have control over, may not like, may wish were different but God has given peace as I trust His good and perfect plan. Praise the Lord!


Today we had a band from the Netherlands accompany our modern dance class and were combined with threes! It was a bit intimidating for us, level ones, to work with threes but it ended up being a lot of fun. The band had members from Chile, Israel, America, and Germany. It is truly amazing to see the technology, they play instruments and make beats and use macs and it's so neat! They get to play, put sounds together, make music for a living! God's creativity is so cool!

My feet are very torn up-blistery and I'm not entirely sure why but it is the life of a dancer i suppose. All I keep thinking about is the story of the missionary who had beautiful feet because she walked all over China spreading the Word-"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, 'Your God reigns!' "

It's also neat to see how music is so powerful. I love the songs'To Aslans Camp' and 'Concerning Hobbits'. Just the weight of what they encompass, the struggle, victory, tears, and joy!

For another amazing story listen to 'I Did not Catch her Name'