Guess Who....

We went to the Bethlehem Christian Center to share some memorable and favorite book characters! Sometimes its fun being an El Ed major :)




Thing 1 and 2, The Big Bad Wolf and the pig (3 in 1), Tinker Bell, Fancy Nancy, Eloise, Junie B. Jones, Lion, The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, and Little Red Riding Hood came to visit.

People are so creative, I'm sure Ms. Quinn has fun seeing everyone over the years!

Gave my presentation for Kingdom Life so I am finally done with the class otherwise known as Kingdom Strife! It wasn't so bad after all. Happy to say, I'm still sticking with Education and I'm pretty sure after four years of worldview, I should not be lacking in that department and I know what I believe!

Quad Life

Today we played apples to apples and had pizza. A few days ago we made snowflakes.....even if they turned out umm let's just say interesting.

It is hard to believe that this semester is almost over. I'm finding free time in my days and it is so unusual I am not quite sure what to do with myself anymore. Don't worry, I find things to do!

Thankfully, academics are winding down this week because somehow dance picked up. We are all looking forward to a Dance Ministry Christmas performance this weekend. The students also have a choreography showing on Monday so that means lots of rehearsals and a sore Emily but that's ok!

Listening to Christmas music is getting me excited about the coming season and New Year. I cannot believe this new year will be filled with many lasts and firsts. We are all about to begin a new phase of life.

At RUF last night we were reminded and challenged-Jesus' resurrection from the grave is our only hope, so live like it!

"And he said to them, 'Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him."-Mark 16:6

Ultimate Frisbee

Some people are just really good at ultimate frisbee. For some reason, I have not figured out the art of frisbee throwing. I've been taught how to do it, I've attempted to do it, but it just won't go where I want it to go. Sometimes I can run fairly fast so I could actually attempt to receive it. There's one slight problem. I am a bit short. So sometimes no matter how hard I run, there's still no hope.

I always forget why I don't play it more. It doesn't take me long to remember once I start. There is so much running. One time I played on the football practice field on a sunny day. It must have been near the beginning or end of the year because it was hot. Ultimate, in MS, in the summer is a bit dreadful but some people are troopers. They are like mailmen, rain or shine, they play! Almost every Sunday there was a group of people who would play in the afternoons. After that dreadfully hot hour of running, I took probably a year and half hiatus and didn't play again until the beach retreat. Apparently I'm not a trooper.

Needless to say, if you're specialty is ultimate, I'm impressed. If you can throw it upside down with two fingers, also comically labeled the "bunny fingers" by our HPCY, again I'm impressed. To those of you who dream about Ultimate Frisbee, well enjoy....

Merry Christmas Early

This is such a great clip, I think I can guarantee a smile....

I love my family

Mom: Hey honey, why don't you put the star on the tree like Elf does....
Dad: Because the sofa is not in the right spot!

also Indiana Jones never gets old, love the classics!

Stone Mountain

Spent the afternoon with Evan at Stone Mountain and didn't get too terribly lost (even if we did walk a lot) which is pretty good for two people who don't know their way around Loganville. Ok, I have lived here for two years now (so I probably should have known my way around) but I was at school for much of those two years. Unfortunately we bypassed the road that would take us to Starbucks but we did manage to find some Christmas lights and a Mellow Mushroom.



Stone Mountain is beautiful at night around Christmas! They have their big 'Snow Mountain' exhibit and are making lots of snow! The lights were beautiful and they had a cute version of Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol!' It reminded me of all my theater friends at Belhaven. Harry Potter, Justin Beiber, and Dale even made it into the show!



If you ever go, I think you should try the Harvest Farm. We thought it was an actual farm, and it is but the word Harvest should have given us a clue. It's not an animal farm but a fruit farm. Alright, you have to use your imagination here but it is full of fruit (or colorful squishy nerf balls). We were warned not to 'bruise' the fruit (throw it at people) and got to climb around the playground, 'pick fruit,' and play fruit tic tac toe. That is the hardest tic tac toe I have ever played (see the pic above, you have to throw the fruit into the baskets) but, I won best out of three so it was worth it!

Happy Thanksgiving!

It must be thanksgiving.....

My voice is disappearing but that's ok. Watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, had hot chocolate and pumpkin pie (for breakfast, we were a bit anxious to eat it!), video chatted with Josh and Alli (we miss you guys!! and are so excited to see ya'll in a few weeks!), started Thanksgiving dinner, tried to get mom set up on pinterest, watched Bear play outside in the leaves, and now its football time (we sure hope the Dolphins come out with a win!).

I have been so blessed to have such a lazy day today!

I've got about four papers to write but it's Thanksgiving, I think they can wait...

Thankful that

"None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written:
“What no eye has seen,
what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived”
the things God has prepared for those who love him—these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God." 2 Corinthians 2:8-10

the list goes on and on! What are you thankful for this year?

Mary Gets Married

On November 19, 2011 Two of our very good friends, Mary and Luke married each other! It's a special treat when two of your good friends get married.



We headed to Olive Branch, MS for the big day! Mary was beautiful and the two were so excited! I remember when they first started dating Freshman year. Time flies, we will always remember those game and movie nights! Throwing candy at them as they cuddled during a movie. Oh how we love our friends :)



We pray that God will continue to bless them as they begin this new life together!



Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Luke Andrew Mittwede!

49 Books Later

I did it! I finished my 50 Books Project. I read one over the summer but all the rest I read this semester! Here's the list....i didn't include the 5 controversial books I read because I did not like most of them and probably wouldn't recommend them to anybody to read. Some of them were highly offensive and just not worth reading.

10 Classics

Pinocchio
A Christmas Carol (daddy's favorite)
Alice in Wonderland (I finally read it! still have to see the movies)
Robin Hood (enough said)
The Tale of Peter Rabbit (love Ms. Potter)
The Secret Garden (favorite! great quotes)
The Night Before Christmas (everyone knows it!)
Treasure Island (adventure!)
The Cat in the Hat (on a rainy day...)
Winnie-the-Pooh (precious!)

10 on one Topic (Favorite Little Girl Characters)

Eloise Takes a Bawth (love this book! has some fold out pages!)
Olivia…..and the Missing Toy (never read Olivia before now)
Angelina at the Fair (sparkly cover, good message, everyone loves the fair)
Fancy Nancy Explorer Extraordinaire! (fun projects inside)
Madeline at the White House (love the story behind the book)
Junie B. Jones and her Big Fat Mouth (all my second graders read her)
Amber Brown Wants Extra Credit (fav. growing up!)
Pippi Longstocking (I dressed up as her for halloween one year)
Ramona and Her Mother
Nancy Drew: The Secret of the Old Clock

5 Caldecott Winners

Baboushka and the Three Kings
Make Way for Ducklings
Jumanji (classic! first introduced to this at my grandparent's house in Naples, they owned the movie and it was a bit scary when I was little)
Madeline’s Rescue
Seven Blind Mice (must read, love the illustrations and good message)

5 Poetry/Mother Goose/Nursery Rhymes

Mother Goose
Michael Foreman’s Mother Goose
Sing-Song: A Nursery Rhyme Book for Children (love!)
Amen, Brother Ben, A Mississippi Collection of Children’s Rhymes (interesting)
A Child’s Garden of Verses (love!)

5 Folk and Fairy Tales/Fable

Rumpelstiltskin
Sleeping Beauty
The Ugly Duckling
Cinderella
Little Red Riding Hood

5 Non-fiction

Noah’s Ark-Caldecott winner (silver medal)
Jonah and the Whale (and the worm)
You Can, Toucan, Math: Word Problem-Solving Fun (great for math teachers, could use for bellringers!)
Our Seasons (so interesting, great for science teachers)
Jump: From the Life of Michael Jordan (like the illustrations, well done)

Newbery
The Slave Dancer (sad but happy ending)
The View from Saturday (Favorite and a Must-read!)
Strawberry Girl (time period piece)
Missing May (short and sad)
Walk Two Moons (page-turner)

Video Time

Two music videos I've seen on facebook that I like.....

Yes, its a boy band!



My friend posted this one and it reminds me of what my mom always encourages me to do: figure out how to dance for fun, like no one is watching....forget about technique, a grade, and what other people think. Dance, enjoy it, have fun. Dance for the Lord, honor Him with your gift! Audience of One.

Another Friday

Face, to the ground I'm not proud of all You must see when you look at me
I tremble at first as You was the dirt
The dirt from my feet and I see my need for thee

You life me up, Holey One, Holy One
When I but come, You're enough, You're enough
You fill me up, with Your love, with Your love
To You I run, Holy One, Holy One

-Rush of Fools

Happy Friday! and to some of you happy start of vacation week!

It's beginning to look a lot like.....

Christmas! Ok, I know, I know you can't have Christmassy stuff until AFTER Thanksgiving but let's face it, Thanksgiving is only a week away (and this makes me super happy for a number of reasons-especially since I get to see family and a friend, hopefully, this go around) and here at Belhaven we kind of get overly excited about Christmas, overly early....

sign number 1-Christmas trees go up in the Student Center
sign number 2-They start unloading the platforms for the Singing Christmas tree.
sign number 3-It's 80 degrees. Wait this shouldn't qualify, but trust me it does. MS weather is so odd that it could be snowing next week! Well not really but you get my point? We will never forget that day it was sunny and 70 and dropped to oh maybe 45 and clouds in a period of 3 hours! so even though it doesn't feel like Christmas it could next week!
sign number 4-We are decorating Gillespie lobby tonight! It will probably be completed with Christmas music and hot chocolate and sweets of course!
sign number 5-Kimber combo decorated our quad (Christmas and Thanksgiving) about a week or two ago.

I know, it's too early, but hey we are only here until mid December or earlier so most folks like to enjoy it while they can!

I must say I do love Christmas lights!

Today I had to read controversial books for my Children's Literature Class. Let me just say I hope to never read some of them again. Some of them were awful and I feel like they should not have been written. This makes me sad, but now I get to read Winnie-the-Pooh so I'm hoping and thinking this will make up for those other ones!

PS Is it starting to look like Christmas where you are? If so, what are the signs?

Camping!

Last weekend my feet were in the sand, this weekend they were in the leaves!!



I drove up to Clark Co State Park in Quitman, MS to join a few friends campin' in the woods!



I had dance ministry performance in the morning and after doing a few chores I headed out. I was a little nervous I was going to carry the traditional Schreck rain storm that somehow always develops when camping, especially since the clouds were rolling in on campus, but it held off!



We shared a delicious chili dinner with the Callens and sang some songs around the campfire. Then we had smores with chocoloate covered graham crackers! (I was thrilled because I didn't know these delightful treats existed!) I even attempted to roast some marshmallows! (Normally I just eat the fixings without smushing them all together because they are a bit messy.) Then we played Big Booty (which I failed miserably at, I got so stressed when they called my number :P) and then the animal game. I was better at this one but Kim, not so much. The elephant sign was tripping all of us up but sure made us giggle!

Then we got a special treat of cookie dough ice cream at another friends' camper! Finished the night talkin' by the fire. Oh and Ellen and I attempted some sand pictionary! It was a beautiful evening of about 50 or 60 degrees (much warmer than the previous night that I missed) and all seven of us girls squeezed in the tent while the boys braved it in the hammocks.



Ellen and I say Goodmorning! It wasn't terribly early but we were still a bit sleepy...




Sang worship songs and looked at Ephesians 4 in the morning before heading back to Jackson. I especially liked Ephesians 4:32, "Be kind and compassionate to one another, foregiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." I think we forget that our friends and brothers and sisters in Christ are not perfect. Nobody is perfect. That's why there's forgiveness.

We had lunch at an AandW great burgers, milkshakes, and floats!



They have chilled mugs you use for your drinks, so fun! (the above mug pic was taken by Mysie!)




What a blessing it is to sit outside! If God created such amazing seasons and nature that are so diverse and beautiful, Heaven must be incredible!

Sand on Friday

It's Friday! I wore the shoes I wore to the beach today....without socks. This could have been a bad life choice. I apparently brought back a lot more sand than I realized. But hey, it was the beach and you can't really beat that!

11/11/11 11:11am Did you make a wish today? Would you like to tell us about it?

Happy Veteran's Day! We cannot thank our serviceman enough! Praise the Lord for them as we continue to pray for our friends and family members currently serving!

Just to make your day, we attempted an awkward family photo at our late night breakfast hall party last night. For some reason I do feel quite awkward in this photo....

Some youtube videos are quite funny and cool.....



The best is the last scene...well there's some others that are good too



This guy is just great!

"The Encyclopdia is not something that will get your heart excited."-Ms. Quinn.

Ms. Quinn has read the whole Encyclopedia. She's amazing. She found the time as a 10 year old due to a bout of rheumatic fever that kept her bedridden for over a year!

Beach Retreat 2011

This weekend I got to spend with about 20 highschoolers at a beach in Alabama at Gulf Shores! It was just beautiful! We had a lot of fun taking walks, getting to know people, playing ultimate, watching football, and of course eating delicious food! The Crosslands at HPC sure now how to cook!


Cayla and I even sprinted to get our cameras to catch a glorious sunset (God is so good!)


On our walk, Cameron and I found a tiki hut where you could leave your mark-literally and sign the posts! What a fun place! It was a bit windy but it showed the distances to a lot of famous places!



I discovered why I don't play ultimate very often: its so much running! and since I'm a bit short, sometimes it is hard to jump high enough but it was still lots of fun!



We even had a bonfire and were going to have smores.....but somehow there were no marshmallows. But the HS still ate the chocolate and gram crackers :)



Watching the waves and the tide come in and out I was reminded of God's faithfulness and in awe. Every day the tides come and go. Every day God is there for us.

We also watched the movie "To Save a Life." If you have never seen this movie, you should take the time to watch it. It could very well change your life. There is SO much in it that is worth considering! 3 precious lives in MS were lost this past weekend in a car accident. Things like that shake up your world. In light of the difficult week many shared, the youth pastor decided to do something a little different. We watched "To Save a Life" and talked about it.



Here are just a few powerful thoughts...

"I built my life around you, and now I don't even know who you are."-Who or what do I build my life around?

What is your goal? Is my goal to glorify God, is that my soul purpose?

What in life is worth it?

"You treat some people like a penny and others like $20." every life is valuable and precious, every person deserves my time (showing I care). I care because Christ cares for me (1 John 4:19).

"Whats the point of all this if you're not going to let it change you?"-has Jesus, the Church, the Bible, the name Christian, changed you? Is it more than a name? Is it your life?

A quote the HPCYM youth pastor shared from a book, "One life will soon be passed....only what's done for Christ will last." Check out Ephesians 5!

This movie brought up a lot for me to work on, makes me look at life and the world a little differently. Maybe next time I won't keep walking when I see someone eating alone. Maybe next time when the student looks miserable and standoffish, I'll take the time to ask how she's doing. Maybe next time, I will be the hands and feet of Christ. Father help me! May it not take a tragedy to bring about that change. Help me say today is the day, not next time!

"Prayer is surrendering to God and allowing his presence to fill you."
Sometimes I learn things in Kingdom Life class...

October 31, 2011

A little bit o Halloween and Reformation Celebration

Dancers like to dress up for holidays. It doesn't matter the holiday they just like to dress up; anything to spice up a leotard and tights. We were supposed to dress up for our night class (jazz) so since I'm in a class of musical theater majors I figured I'd attempt something....



This is what happens when you live with soccer players. I went all out....pregame headband, socks and Adidas, warm up jacket, and of course the fishtail braid!

We won't mention the fact that my class was canceled (epic halloween fail) and I am standing in 3rd position-dancer at heart ;)



We also had Reformation Celebration at Highlands! Helped Kimber, Thomas, and Kim with the 'turkey shoot' oh how kids love nerf guns! Then Samantha and I got to do 'ring the monk,' ring toss

"I love this song!"

It was a while ago now but thanks to Kimber for takin' pics!
Great last homecoming dance!

Last Soccer Game

It's my roomates' last soccer game of the season and college! Hope you ladies have an awesome game!!
I have some video but unfortunately Blogger and the internet are extremely slow SO
here's a pic from senior night!

Waking Up

I was so excited about sleeping in today except that I woke up at 6:45 and then 7:00. Well between 7:00 and the time I actually got up (9 or 10) I managed to rest or fall back to sleep. All I remember is that I had a dream about teaching at some point....you know its bad when you aren't even teaching yet and you dream about it. It must be all those internship hours and lesson planning, they're doing somethin' to me ;). But I also woke up with a song....'Hungry/Falling on my Knees' by Joy Williams

Broken, I run to You
For Your arms are open wide
I am weary but I know
Your touch restores my life

I'm falling on my knees
Offering all of me
Jesus, You're all this heart
Is living for

I finally caught up on cmt videos, I know I'm actually one of those people who watches them....found this one I really liked! Also, I still really want to see the movie

Facts for Friday

I always seem to have a 'Friday' post so in starting with keeping with a new found tradition...

Marley burns really do burn. They may possibly be worse than carpet burns. Today I got one in almost the exact same spot that I got one probably two years ago and the scar was just starting to fade. Now I get a whole new one. Oh well.

It is cold. Well a little cold. MS weather is rather fickle. Today it decided to be cold and cloudy as opposed to warm and sunny with a high of 75 (which it actually kind of was just 24 hours prior to this). It is ok though because it is truly a wintry day and makes me get really excited about the holidays. Thanksgiving and then Christmas. I am pretty sure Christmas is just about my favorite time of the year.

Apparently the last few days I have made a habit of 'I don't know' responses. This is a problem I should probably fix....but I don't know ;) just kidding! I will work on it....

For the past few days I have woken up and thought, I feel like I could sleep all day if given the chance. Then I think...two more days and I can sleep in. Well, it is finally here.....Saturday and sleeping-in are SO nice!

In dance department meeting today we listened to Nicole Nordeman's song 'Every Season'...I love the line, "....You make me new with every season's change." That is the truth! For this I am glad :)

Fact-I finished The View From Saturday. Book count down-20? Now onto The Slave Dancer.

6 years ago I wrote on my base floors in my bedroom. I wrote Bible verses. Actually, I even recorded the date and it was October 14, 2005. So it really was almost 6 years ago exactly! Hard to believe I was only 15!
Today dad had to rip up the floors because they will be carpeted for our house to sell. When we ripped up the original carpeting to lay laminate floors, I read in a book about someone who wrote verses all over the floors in the house they were building. I thought we should try it!

You never know who will buy the house and see it some day. Well, it might be a while now that someone sees it but they are there! Hope it blessed daddy as he saw them tonight after ripping up the floors. I asked him if he had to replace the base floor too and he said nope. They'll be there...forever. Reminds me of 1 Peter 1:25......

When the floors are ruined/ripped up...."the word of the Lord endures forever." Though this literally did happen, it is also a good analogy. My life as a believer will often be ripped apart, ruined, torn up but God will always be there; His word and His promises will always be there.

Mountain Dew and more

Mountain Dew, Tylenol, and Chocolate...now time to finish up this unit and write two lesson plans.
In other news, we have been learning some of "Steamed Heat" from the movie The Pajama Game, pretty cool!

Fosse's style and dancers were amazing!

Fact

In honor of the new book, of the 29 that I still have to read, The View from Saturday and Noah, I shall write the following post in facts...

Fact. I got a Snoopy card in the mail from home today and it made my day. Snoopy is awesome.

The internet was down this afternoon. I was supposed to write lesson plans. It's ok because I have so much other hw to choose from it helped me eliminate something for today. Fact.

Fact. Sleep is wonderful, I would like more of it.

I would like to survive this math class. I think my knees are permanently bruised this semester. Ok not permanently but they seem to have a habit of bruising in the same spots. Fact.

"Get Your Head in the Game" on the Healthy Body Boogie at the Children's Museum was on repeat for a good half hour. Apparently bones and the boogie weren't big hits because it was a slow day at the Children's Museum. I think the digestive system playground and express yourself art projects out-did us today. Fact.

Fact. I need to go do that homework and I don't remember what else I was going to post....

The not so Secret Garden

I finally finished The Secret Garden. (So its not a secret anymore.) Sometimes I get in these ruts where it takes me a really long time to finish a book and for some reason this was one of them. Nevertheless, the book has some great quotes!

" 'Do you think he wants to die?' whispered Mary. 'No, but he wishes he'd never been born. Mother she says that's th' worst thing on earth for a child...' "

"She knew nothing about the pitifulness of people who had been ill and nervous and who did not know that they could control their tempers and need not make other people ill and nervous, too. When she had had a headache in India she had done her best to see that everybody else also had a headache or something quite as bad. And she felt she was quite right; but of course now she felt that Colin was quite wrong."

'....Perhaps they're growing fat on that.' 'Perhaps they are,' said Dr. Craven. 'Let them laugh.' "

"But then she said indulgently that humans were always more clumsy and slow than Eggs and most of them never seemed really to learn to fly at all. You never met them in the air or on treetops."

"In this new century hundreds of things still more astounding will be brought to light. At first people refuse to believe that a strange new thing can be done, then they begin to hope it can be done, then they see it can be done-then it is done and all the world wonders why it was not done centuries ago."

"Of course this was the wrong Magic-to begin by saying 'too late.' Even Colin could have told him that."

"...thoughts-are as powerful as electric batteries-as good for one as sunlight is, or as bad for one as poison. To let a sad thought or a bad one get into your mind is as dangerous as letting scarlet fever germ get into your body. If you let it stay there after it has got in, you may never get over it as long as you live."

All quotes from, The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett copyright 1911-1987

This is a wonderful read that teaches much (child or adult)!

God is good all the time...

Cancer.
Both my grandparents passed away from cancer.
It is a difficult thing.
This sums it up though, thanks Martina McBride, we love ya!

I will never forget my grandparents claiming-God is good. and the reply?
All the time, God is good.

Today is college day at some elementary schools, I told the first graders I'm a senior so I'm like a big 5th grader....I also taught them about a record player.

Quotes of the Day

"Are you a teenager? Are you a grownup?"
If I had a penny every time I got that question...
Apparently you never know what will happen during state Bingo...
"The next state is India."
Ms. Schreck-No, there's no India in the United States, do you mean Indianapolis?
"No India!"
Ms. Schreck-oh, you mean Indiana. I do believe that ranks with her pronunciation of Arkansas as "Arkan-sass"
Student-"In the future, MS is going to merge with VA, yep that's whats going to happen in the future."

Alot can also happen when babysitting.....


"some people go boo hoo on Lifetime."
me-Yep, it happens.

Sister-"You look like the yellow power ranger. You know if you pull your hair back some."
Brother-"She's not."
Me-you never know
Sister-I think she is....

I am rather tired at this point. I don't feel like doing anything. What a day! Davis Magnet school hours, MS Children's Museum hrs, and babysitting.

-Life as an El Ed Major...long hrs but awesome kids

Winter has returned

As it is SO cold walking around campus yesterday and today I thought of Lion King. You know the scene where Simba comes back and Rafiki (not the dodo bird) is like, "The King has returned." Such moving scenes and though most of us aren't as moved and in fact the cold could quite possibly make us rather stiff and immobile, it reminded me that winter always has its season and in fact, has returned.

I forget how much I love this movie. I wish I could sit down and watch it today. I would absolutely love to see it on Broadway too. Here's another great scene. Life lessons from the help of Rafiki ;)


In other news, the internet is a bit slow today but that's ok because I have lots to do today!

Soccer, Cold, and 100 years later

100 Years later, I am attending Belhaven University. Today was our campus' 100th year anniversary. Boy has God been faithful to Belhaven. BU even had a fire and the president at the time was at an architexture class in NY and had a project in which he planned to rebuild and expand. Coincidence? I think not. Providential? I think so.

Ms. Betty Quinn (one of my education professors) first came to BU when she was 3 to see the singing Christmas tree. Since then she has spent 70 years here both as a student and a professor. Boy does she have some priceless stories!

Only at Belhaven would a 100 year anniversary chapel include a skit from 1919. This included the quote of the day, "I think the boys replaced the cows here." Back in the day, they milked their own cows and grew their own vegetables, the President even helped out!

As a student, I've been able to be part of history too. My sophomore year, they had a name change from college to University. Worldview Curriculum got easier after we finished and now there will be two separate graduation ceremonies in the spring because our undergrad and grad programs are so big.

I sure am blessed to come here. Though you often wonder if you should have gone somewhere else, I know in the end, this is where God placed me for a reason.
I think of Esther 4:14, "And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" I'm not royalty but I was here, at this time, for a certain reason, even if I don't know the extant right now.

Belhaven means "beautiful home." Whenever I read the MS welcome sign, "It's like coming home," it reminds me that Jackson is a special place. It has been a home away from home for the past 4 years. Hard to believe.

Went and celebrated Katie and Kimber's senior night at their last home soccer game! It was freezing! The temperature dropped significantly (ie 20-30 degrees) in an extremely short period of time. We were cold but cheered loud!

Our cold faces!

In the words of Allison, "our happy to be here faces!"

Spiders on Monday

after an afternoon of cleaning, class is canceled so what do we do? we go to the library to find spider books with Kim Weninger and Katherine Anne...i think i liked katie's costume idea book better I mean how many books show you how to make not one but 5 pairs of and i quote "nickers"...spiders are gross. I only liked the one that lived at our house and picked out the leaves we threw into it's web, but I love Kim so we got the spider books.

Start your week

Start your week with this incredible reminder....turned the volume up on this one when it came on Pandora

The Glory of it All by David Crowder Band

...

And After all our hands have wrought
He forgives

Oh the Glory of it all is:
he came here
For the rescue of us all
that we may live
for the glory of it all
for the glory of it all

...

After all falls apart
he repairs he repairs

Oh the Glory of it all is:
he came here
for the rescue of us all
that we may live
for the glory of it all

oh he is here
for redemption from the fall
that we may live
for the glory of it all
oh the glory of it all
the glory of it all
oh the glory of it all

...

After night
comes the light
dawn is here
dawn is here
it’s a new day
it’s a new day
everything will change
things will never be the same
we will never be the same
we will never be the same
we will never be the same
we will never be the same


Amen. Hallelujah!

Every Girl Needs a Little Bit o Pink

I just love this picture for so many reasons! But especially because we are all so happy!



We decked out in pink for the boys and girls' soccer games! It's breast cancer awareness month! RUF tailgated and we came out with a win in both games! UDC performed! It was a big day for our quad...Katie and Kimber had a great game and Annie led UDC in a great half time show! So proud of my roommates!





Love Rachel! She gives the best massages! Don't worry, I returned the favor this time :)

"Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him."
-Matthew 6:8

Fun Friday

Apparently I am into starting titles with the same letters so there ya go :) I also really want to see Footloose. I missed The Help (and I live in MS! whats up with that?) maybe I will just have to put all my hope in redbox for the two of them. Orrr if you are in MS maybe we can go!



After a day of mostly just dance (class and a short rehearsal), we kicked of a crazy night! Went to SMF's international potluck supper. This is a potluck dinner to celebrate all our international students here at Belhaven. Everyone brings a dish and we get to have a taste around the world if you will. Everything I had was delicious! I have to say my favorites were the Swedish meatballs (made be a Swede!) and the American chocolate chip cookies-they were so soft and gooey!



Got to see some of my old girls and teammates from Caldwell! The semester has been a busy one for lots of people so when we actually get to see each other we just have to catch up.

Then we went to Belhaven late night. It mostly involved watching the latest Harry Potter parts 1 and 2 but it was outside and sooooo cold! I didn't make it through part 2 so I don't know if Harry ever finds all the H people and defeats the bad guy but when I left he only had two left (the snake and the man himself) BUT apparently Harry would have to die too???? That was news to me....guess I better finish it one day and find out what happens.
I'm sorry Potter but seeing as how I haven't followed you for the past half decade of my life, I opted to find some warmth at about 12:30. Don't worry, I'm sure one day I will get to see the end of your epic tale!
Katie and Kim, you are great at filling me in! Thanks for answering all my whispered questions during the movie and offering parts here and there to catch me up! You're the best!!

Flowers for Friday

I was lookin' for some fall colored flowers but these match our quad and it was the quickest and easiest....maybe all find some fall ones next week!

The dictionary was discovered by Annie I think :) it has made quite the home in our little place. I just thought it looked artsy.

Happy Friday!

"This is the day the Lord has made...."

Cookies and Compliments

I have a terrible sweet tooth. I watched a student eat a Twix icecream bar and since I only had pbj and chips I couldn't resist!
I also brought back some molasses crinkles from home (I made Saturday night) and froze them but they are so good. They are little cookies so I can eat a lot right? They are so soft, I feel like I could eat them all day!

It has been a very cloudy day but put on some music and look out the window, read a book and its kinda peaceful! I started The Secret Garden today as part of my classics section for the Children's Literature class. Its kind of sad right now but I think it will get better!
Observed and helped with centers in Kindergarten today because the second graders were taking 9 weeks tests.

Kindergarten is a whole other world.

I was very impressed with this school's teacher. The little ones were adding and making simple sentences! She had a balance beam of numbers that was a great help to show them how to make numbers. Today's number was 7. So you put 5 and 2 on one side and 7 on the other and it balances! It's pretty cool!

She also had this loft piece of furniture built. It was so neat, there's a stair case up to the top and a reading center up there with books, pillows, stuffed animals and underneath its like a secret hide out (well just another place for a center) but if I were in K4 i would say its a secret hide out! The sides were different shapes cut out (another hidden lesson). Kids need a little fun every now and then. It's hard to be a kid, so many things to remember and so many people telling you what to do and what not to do.

They even knew their colors, the difference between a shade and a tint! They listened to a song about opposites which was also a great tool! They could do the motions and they did it in Spanish too. They also knew shapes and characteristics like rolling or sliding. They know much more than I knew when I was in kindergarten!

I am learning that songs are very helpful in education! The second graders are learning how to skip count (prelude to multiplication) and they have a song that goes from 2-10. There's a song for each number. The kids love the silly songs and it sticks! I love the line that says, "taking the complication out of mul-ti-plication!"
One little boy told our teacher, its stuck in my head! She said that's good, its supposed too. He was singin' it on the way to the bus and gave her a hug. It's neat because this little one used to not like the song at all and now it clicked!

With kindergartners its so fun because they get SO excited for every little accomplishment. Part of that 'whole other world' is that they love to tell you anything and everything. You sit down and they say hey, did you know? Or I do that too! Or you have a momma too? They have something to say about anything. You are automatically a friend if you smile, sit next to them, and/or your teacher introduces them. They are like oh someone new, I can tell them stuff! Right now everyone is excited about the fair!

I love how everything is so new to them! They get so excited and say, "I did it! see!"
Sometimes I wonder if we had that attitude about life, how different and enjoyable it would be.

I also discovered today the power of encouragement and high expectations. I was checking a little boy's work and one of the girls asked, what if he got them all wrong? I said, he didn't because he's smart and the boy lit up and said, yeah! Math is my favorite subject. After finishing checking, most of them were right!

Give someone a compliment or encourage them today and see what happens! Share your stories if you'd like!

I should go read...

-Life as an El Ed major

Construction

7 hrs is a long time. 14 hrs is a long time. I'm pretty sure Alabama has been under construction for my whole college career. Maybe it will be done by May (I graduate in April.) As I was driving and listening to all kinds of country, pop, and Christian music, there's only so many songs on the radio, I had a thought.

Construction is awful and gross. You have to go really slow, 25-30 miles slower than normal. Hardly anyone actually adheres to this. It takes a long time. When it is finally finished its gorgeous! We just don't like the process, the mess it takes to make it smooth and bump free.

That's kind of how my life looks like. God is at work and it takes a long time. It's not always fun. People pass me all the time. Not everyone has the same Contractor. Not everyone has the same bumps in their road. Sometimes it's bumpy and painful but the final product?



When there's clear blue skies and nothin' but a brand new paved road....well that's just glorious. In heaven, it will be glorious. Until then, I'm under construction.

Pictures!

I got a picture at school! (elementary school)

Fall is in the Air

Well it's still pretty warm but the leaves are changing colors and falling which makes for some beautiful drives!
Came home to GA for two days and did something we've never ever done: Carved a Pumpkin!!!



Here are the pumpkin innards! and a whole lot of seeds! Its kinda sticky and a bit of a mess.


We did it! We were pretty excited about how it turned out! Success!



Mom and I got a baby pumpkin for 70 some cents and a little carving kit. It turned out pretty well for the first time! Do you have any pumpkin carving stories you'd like to share?

Sunday

I can't decide on a profile picture for facebook. I go through fazes where I change it a bunch and then I leave it. I also discovered today that my roommates and I have a living facebook....our doors all have our names, a sticky note that says 'is' and we put up signs like "studying", "sleeping", etc. (Thanks to Kimber and Annie! Oh and Annie, I posted in 3's the other day, it's been a while!) Oh how times have changed. I like our for real life facebook :)

Knowing You by Graham Kendrick

All I once held dear, built my life upon, all this world reveres and wars to own;
All I once thought gain I have counted loss,
Spent and worthless now compared to this:
Knowing You, Jesus, knowng You, There is no greater thing
You're my all, You're the best, You're my joy, my righteousness,
And I love You, Lord.
Now my heart's desire is to know you more,
To be found in You, and known as Yours;
To possess by faith what I could not earn,
All-surpassing gift of righteousness.

O, to know the power of Your risen life
And to know You in Your suffering;
To become like You in Your death, my Lord,
So with You to live and never die.

All I have is Christ by Jordan Kauflin

Before I share these lyrics, I have to say there are about two or three songs that I always feel compelled to stand in respect, reverence, and awe of Christ my Savior. This is one of them. (The other two are "In Christ Alone" and "Before the Throne of God Above)

I once was lost in darkest night, yet thought I knew the way;
The sin that promised joy and life had led me to the grave.
I had no hope that You would own a rebel to Your will;
And if You had not loved me first, I would refuse You still.

But as I ran my hell-bound race, indifferent to the cost,
You looked upon my helpless state and led me to the cross.
And I beheld God's love displayed-You suffered in my place;
You bore the wrath reserved for me, now all I know is grace.

Hallelujah! All I have is Christ! Hallelujah! Jesus is my life!

Now, Lord, I would be Yours alone, and live so all might see
The strength to follow Your commands could never come from me.
Oh Father, use my ransomed life in any way You choose,
And let my song forever be, "My only boast is you!"


We had communion at church today and rejoiced with are fellow brothers and sisters in Christ as we partook and sang some amazing songs! Went to college lunch after at the McGehees and it was delicious! The sun was shining and we chowed down on some bbq, cheesy potatoes, salad, and pumpkin muffin walnut rolls, fudge and chocolate chip cookies! I was one full little girl, and thankful ;)

Last night was a lesson in contentment and also a restful evening. After doing hw, I returned some library books and got Chinese takeout. When I came back I attacked our bathroom in the quad. With four girls living together, I was glad I cleaned last night (and I didn't even realize we have open hall tonight!). Cleaning on a Saturday night, take out and a movie, yep it was good to have a clean place and rest :) I watched "He's just not that into you." It was interesting and the ending was cute.

Anyway, I have lots more homework to do, midterms will do that to ya! I should get going but happy Sunday! This fall weather (more like Spring in Jackson) is just lovely! Window-open weather can make a world of a difference in a day!

Do you have any songs you'd like to share or weekend extravaganzas?