Snowy Sunday

Three people I love very much are flying home today. It is snowing so I am thinking about their safety.
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We are celebrating a birthday today.

FINALS!

I am so ready for finals.

My papers are all finished and I have been studying like a maniac. I'm so ready.

well hello December.

It's getting colder, the professors are making us do course evaluations, and they're talking about doing midnight breakfast...

HERE COME FINALS!!!

This Monday marks the beginning of 'dead week' and the following Monday is finals week! I have a lot to do between now and then, but I will get it done. Here's my to-do list:
- STUDY- Greek, Bio, Anthro, and Spanish
- WRITE- two papers for philosophy and a paper for Spanish (written in Spanish)
- Pack!
- Do service (3 times during Dead Week!)
- And other stuff that I am not listing here. This probably involves having a mini-mental breakdown. (that's a joke)

The end is near!

And now I can listen to Christmas music! haha

study break!

Tomorrow I have a bio test, and Wednesday is a practical lab quiz for bio. I've been studying a lot and am trying some new techniques. I hope it helps. I think it is working so far.

I have an "up to 6 pages" paper due on next Tuesday. I've started it already, wrote about a page today. Not a full page but it is about 4/5 of a page. I have general ideas and a sort of outline (not really an outline but it has the concepts I want to hit on) written. The professor wants footnotes, which I haven't used before (or if I have, it was a long time ago). The paper is to be on a topic of my own interest based on the articles in the book. I am writing about language and how it affects people's perception of each other. It's a fascinating topic (I really should be a linguist, eh?).

The following Tuesday (30th) the first round of presentations for Spanish are due. They are 7-10 minutes long and are supposed to have an audio-visual component. I am presenting on conservation in Costa Rica. I haven't done much research yet, but I will. I am just focusing on the paper that is due before then.

I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving but I'm trying to keep it fairly low-key. I have at least 4 people who aren't family who want to hang out with me during the break, and I'm hoping I can see all of them. Trying to make plans and still respect family plans and kind of stressing about this when I should be worrying about school! haha.

Okay, time to write some emails...

so...

A lot of things have happened since the last time I posted but honestly I don't want to write about all of it, so I'll give Reader's Digest blurbs about things.

- I've been home 3x and got to see my dear bf all 3 times.
- I went on a fall break trip to Omaha, which was fun, and definitely an eye opening experience as I served supper at a soup kitchen for the first time.
- I've been a listening ear for a friend who is dealing with a major life change, incidents at school, and other stressors.
- I had a cold this/last week but it is clearing up, which makes me happy.
- I bought an exercise mat so I can do Pop Pilates in my dorm room without getting bruises because the floor is hard. (Pop Pilates here with Cassey: http://www.youtube.com/user/blogilates )
- This month I am making a point of posting as a status on Facebook what I am thankful for each day.
- I am enjoying my classes and made it through midterms with all A's except one A-.
- I got to test view "The Candy Shop" by Whitestone Motion Pictures, which is a "fable about child sex trafficking" and it is intended to raise awareness against it. ( http://www.whitestonemotionpictures.com/Films/the-candy-shop/ )
- I have been doing a bit of service lately for Wesley Service and it has been fun.

That's all the (semi) important stuff, so there you go. A post at last. :P

well.

Clearly I didn't write more when I got back from class. Oh well.

Float Sink or Swim was fun, there were antics all around.

The game was good today. We lost but we were close to winning. Pep band is annoyed with the school for hiring a DJ for the game who kept INTERRUPTING us! Jerk. Anyway, he eventually got the picture that we were gonna play and he was gonna stop playing.

Other than that, not much to talk about. Tired.

homecoming and tiredness

This week is Simpson's homecoming. I am not terribly excited, but there's always the chance to watch people be dumb at Float Sink or Swim and Yell Like Hell (the pep rally), and the football game. Honestly, homecoming seems to be a waste. It's just taking my precious energy resources and putting them to a silly use. On the plus side, it's a stress-reliever.

http://www.simpson.edu/slideshows/150kickoff/ This is what was going on last Friday (the 24th).

I am very tired today as I woke up at least four times last night. I haven't been sleeping completely through the night lately, but that was just once a night, usually around 4 am, and I could deal with it. Last night was just a wash. My body aches, as well. I am guessing I may be getting sick. At least I got most of my homework done yesterday, so I was able to take a nap today. I had a dream involving a giant koi fish and me in a pond during this nap...

I finally started working on homework that I've been procrastinating on. I haven't gotten any part of it done, but I have started several parts of it. This makes me feel a little better.

I've been playing my clarinet a lot lately. I have been practicing for Chapel Winds. We will be playing for a special Sunday service at 10 on the 3rd. I will also be singing with Revelation Singers at that service.

On Saturday pep band was in the Log Cabin Days parade and we rode on a tour-trailer with a roof. The roof was a blessing because we were able to play despite the rain! It poured at the end of the parade and we didn't get soaked.

This song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GI01P4hCaGM&feature=related has been caught in my head a lot. The video is sort of related but not really.

I have more to talk about but I have to go to class now so I will write another post when I get back.

Labor Day Week

This has been another short week but still jam-packed with stuff to do.

Monday was Labor Day, durr, so no classes AGAIN. I would like to start a week normally! I'll get my wish this week.

This week I learned that everyone's got the wrong textbook for our Anthro class. On the plus side this means no more awkward speech thing. Possibly a speech thing, but not the awkward one.

I've learned some more Greek vocabulary. But what really is difficult for me right now is parsing, where you have to figure out all kinds of stuff about the word. I just haven't practiced with it enough, I suppose. I have a few friends I study with, so that helps.

None of my fishies have died yet. Good!

I don't know what else to talk about, so I'll just hush and go do my homework.

first week is over.

Well, my first week of classes was better than expected. Haha. Actually I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Monday I didn't have class, that's just the way Simpson started.

Tuesday I had anthropology at 8 am and Spanish at 2 pm. The class periods on Tuesdays and Thursdays are longer than the other days of the week. It's supposed to equalize the amount of time in class.

Anyway, anthropology was quite interesting. It almost felt like a philosophy class. The professor looks a lot like this guy: http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2537721344/nm0000125. Really. Especially in this photo. Here's the prof's photo on the Simpson site. http://www.simpson.edu/socialsciences/faculty/jones.html I don't think he really looks much like this photo.

Spanish was a class I was worried about, but when I got to class I felt a LOT better about it. We have to speak Spanish all the time but I have more vocabulary now, so I feel better about it. And the topic (history of central America) is rather interesting, so I think I will do okay in this class.

Wednesday was a very full day for me. I had Biblical Greek at 8, Ancient and Medieval Philosophy at 9, Biology at 11, Bio Lab at 2, and campus worship at 9 pm. Wednesdays will always be busy.

Biblical Greek was intimidating at first. I thought, "ack! Greek letters!" but I got them learned, and now I am reading words and able to translate some words! Yay! :) I've got a flash-card program called Anki that I am using to practice. It has helped a lot.

Philosophy was what I expected it would be. It's the same prof I had for philosophy last fall, and he's also my advisor, so I am not worried at all about this class. We discussed "Does God exist?" and "What is happiness?" "How is morality connected to happiness?"

Bio is not making me happy for two reasons. First, I have over 100 people in my class (a prof resigned last year and they haven't replaced him so they had to cram everyone in to the same class), and second, the lecturing prof and the lab prof are not the same person. The lab prof doesn't sit in on classes either. Yikes. However I feel like I am understanding the class thus far, and I will be going to SI on Tuesday nights.

Bio lab was fun, because we played a game. No point in explaining it but we competed and it was about evolution.

Thursday was basically a repeat of Tuesday and Friday was about the same as Wednesday except no lab.

Thus far this weekend I have been to Walmart, studied with a couple other people for Greek, and attempted to get even more organized.

Tomorrow I don't have class because it will be Labor Day. I would rather have a break in a few weeks, but whatever, a long weekend is kinda nice.

Well, back to working on getting organized.

back to school

Well, Simpson is back in session starting tomorrow. I've been here since Friday night. The pep band had to play for the freshman dedication ceremony thing, so we had rehearsal Friday and the ceremony Saturday afternoon.

Sunday my roommate moved in. We rearranged the room and I like the lay-out. The beds are in an L shape- one above the other, which makes the room feel bigger. People kept coming by when we were arranging and saying that the room was "huge!"

Today we don't have classes, but the freshmen have a lot to do. Sophomores upward don't have much scheduled but there are still things to do. For example, we went to a picnic for lunch, and the organization festival was today, and I helped with the pep band booth. Later tonight we have pep band practice.

Nothing particularly special has happened, but that's okay. It's nice to have a relaxation time with my friends :)

well

It's been over a month since I posted last and a lot has happened since then.

My grandpa passed away rather suddenly after he fell and hit his head. Very traumatic for us as we had to decide whether to pull the plug on him...

Since he passed we have been trying to get their house cleaned up to sell. My parents have been down there every Saturday for a while and we've gotten a lot done. It's almost ready now, I think.

I am still working and trying to make money. I don't get paid much but I do get enough to try to prevent having to take out a loan.

I keep getting sick in my digestive system, it really is no fun because I keep missing out on things I want to do, like go to church with my bf and help my parents down at the house. In fact that's why I'm posting- I'm sick in bed.

Now I'm going to go back to sleep.

home is so good...

This is my third weekend home since school got done, and I must say, it has been pretty good. It's just good to see the people I love and be in the places I grew up in. It's just contenting.

It's a nice perk to have real toilet paper. None of that single-ply tissue paper, no sir. Gimme the thick stuff! haha :)

And the weather has been fabulous.

Must go, children are here to babysit.

summer...

Well, here I am, been home two weeks already. Started my job the Monday after I came back and it's kept me busy. I scan papers. It's a job. My co-workers make it better. :)

Memorial Day weekend was busy- Friday with my homegirlfriends, Saturday with my boyfriend, Sunday with parents and boyfriend, Monday working at the grandparents'. It was a lovely weekend.

Not much else to say. Job keeps me busy and I try to get to bed early and there's just not enough time in the day to do things.

Time to say goodbye

This is the beginning of the last week of school until summer. I am ready for a change of pace (read: to go home). I have a 3-5 page paper to complete, and I already have 1 1/2 pages done, so I'll be just fine. I wrote that 1 1/2 pages in the space of about an hour and a half, so I think I will be done soon.

People are starting to wear on my nerves who haven't been doing so previously. I think this means it's almost time go go. One person in particular keeps asking me how I'm doing on my paper when it's clear I'm doing something else, and it has been frustrating. I actually wrote the 1 1/2 pages because she annoyed me to the point of actually working on it beyond the two paragraphs I've had written for forever.

Tuesday my May Term class is going to Des Moines for a field trip to immigration stuff. It will be very interesting, I'm sure. If nothing else, I won't have to sit at a desk for the time span between 11:45 and 2:30...

I have been listening to my new favorite band, She & Him, comprised of Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward. Zooey sings and M. plays. It feels like 60's music, kind of like a cross between Simon and Garfunkel and The Carpenters.

I had milk in a glass bottle today. It was a new experience. The milk was chocolate and tasted good. :)

Rain rain rain

It's been rainy and cloudy here the past few days, and I'm starting to get tired of it. At least it actually stormed this morning- something a little different. The sun will come again soon enough.

Last night I went to Wal-mart and ended up spending about $30 for hearing aid batteries, juice, crayons, coloring books, and a thing of bubbles. The batteries were the expensive part- the "kid stuff" cost less than $7. The crayons smell great... Brings back memories of being a kid. A 24 pack of Crayolas cost me $1.14, only 2 cents more than the 16 pack. Nice. Plus the coloring books were $1 each, and I got 3, and the bubbles cost me $2. I know that this isn't exactly "responsible" use of my money, but I need something to do besides sit around on the internet, and coloring is fun, stress-relieving, and in all a positive thing. I could have bought much more expensive stuff.

I'm also participating in a contest, so that's another project to work on. I am supposed to make a video to explain my experience with my FM. Right now I'm working on a script.

I've also been packing up (sort of) to go home. I have some packing still to do, but I don't go anywhere til next Friday the 21st anyway, so it's okay.


You're probably wondering if I am doing my homework, and the answer is yes. But I don't have very much homework; the last thing I had to do was read a website and take notes. For the final grade I have to write a 3-5 page paper about immigration. I've been learning a lot about immigration, and I must say, my views are starting to change. It's conflicting, though. Perhaps it is cognitive dissonance. I am all for keeping to the letter of the law. But I think the law is not the way it should be. Today is the two year anniversary of the Postville raid. The human aspect is just so difficult to reconcile with the law. I am also upset because the people at the plant in Postville were treated SO poorly and the law has not gone after the supervisors/owners very much. Rubashkin, the former owner, is on trial for child labor abuses, and I'm glad he is. It's hard to believe this goes on in IOWA. This is not justice.


My weekend at Grinnell was fun, thanks to my dear friend there. <3 Even if we did mess up the cake... haha :D

Last night was fun at dance class too. Next Tuesday is my last lesson and I will miss the party because I'll be at home. Oh well. Even though I had a headache last night, I had fun.

I got my pottery back from the pottery thing on campus. It turned out the way I wanted it to, so yay! :)

Oh May Term...

So, I've only had two days of class this week. And that's all for this week. Today got canceled, Thursday is a track meet instead, and Friday was canceled at the beginning of the class (on the syllabus even!).

It's like summer, without the "staying at home and sleeping late and eating whenever I want" part... I feel so lazy!

On the plus side, tomorrow is swing dancing on campus!! yay! :D And I get to go up to Grinnell this weekend! :D

May Term starts today

It should be interesting. This is a set-up similar to Cornell College. I think I would not like it. The first day and I'm sitting around doing nothing because I have no homework and we haven't gotten into our bucket list yet.

Most of the bucket list is food related. One of my friends wants to go for free pie at Village Inn and Indian food and Pizza Ranch and Maid Rite... there's more, but I can't remember off the top of my head.

We're also going to have a "Bones" marathon. And going to parks and museums and who knows what else. I don't know if we can cram everything into the 3 weeks! haha.

I spent the weekend at my friend K's house. That was an experience. Apparently her family is kind of famous... Her dad is editor in chief of a travel magazine, and so she's been featured in his editorial column, as well as having her picture in articles for the magazine. I asked her if having the photographers following them on vacation was annoying, and she said that it wasn't that bad, and by the end of the week they didn't want the photographers to leave. Me, I'd rather have an anonymous kind of vacation. But that's just me.

Finals were fine, I didn't fail anything, but my GPA for the year has kind of been shot. Oh well. It's still a perfectly decent GPA. Just not one I'm used to getting. ;)

I'm looking forward to spending this weekend in Grinnell. :)

dead week

I guess it's worth reporting that I have a summer job lined up.

And that I got inducted into a freshman honor society. Alpha Lambda Delta.

Been home 3 weekends in a row. Kind of looking forward to staying put.

Finals are next week. I got my study guide done for one class and the paper for another. Not much motivation to study, even though there are classes I really ought to do so for.

Found one of my old friends from middle school on Facebook. She's a mom. So strange to imagine!

Anyway I better go try to work on study guides...

don't have much to say

I'm just going to quote an old hymn.

Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee. Tell me Thy secret, help me bear the strain of toil, the fret of care...

*rolls eyes*

The idiocy of my age-peers never ceases to amaze me. That is all.

family ties

So my grandfather is in the hospital again and has been for a week+, and my grandma finally relented and let us move their stuff into an apartment in Glenwood.

It was a busy weekend for Easter and I am still rather tired from the moving and from the large amount of traveling I have been doing (about 560 miles worth). At least I get to sleep in tomorrow and I only have one class then.

I've gotten my calculus homework done, so hopefully I did it right. I will be going in tomorrow to ask.

Not much else to report.

New Orleans posts up!

I'm not going to put up pictures, partly because I have so many it would take too long to upload, and partly because I just don't want to.

Start about halfway down the page, that's where part 1 is.

New Orleans part 4 (Thursday, Friday, Saturday)

Thursday, March 18

This was our last day working on the house, and to be honest, we were glad to go. There was a lot of frustration that had built up, because we’d work hard on a project only to be told we did it wrong by the project manager, and so we had to re-do it. He hadn’t shown up on Wednesday and didn’t show up until after we ate lunch, then gave us several large projects to try to complete. It was irritating. However, Andrea and I finished the Bathroom of Doom as best we could.

We completed to the best of our ability 4 rooms (master bedroom, master bath, secondary bedroom, and Bathroom of Doom), but there were several others that needed completion (kitchen, living room, front room, another bedroom).

After working we went back to the church to shower off (lukewarm this time) and get ready to see a presentation on the Katrina effects. Unfortunately we didn’t realize it was next Thursday, not this week, and so we changed our plans. We went out to supper in the French Quarter for the girl’s birthday at a place called Montrel’s Bistro. I had crawfish bisque and the house salad. The bisque was sneaky-hot and burnt my throat, but it tasted good. The house salad tasted good. For dessert we went to Café du Monde for beignets. These are kind of like funnelcake or fritters, with a ton of powdered sugar on them. I got 3 in my order and when we returned to the church, I measured the left over powdered sugar. It was just over ¼ cup. Wow.

We walked through part of the French Quarter and then went back to the church. It looked different in the dark, but it was still the French Quarter with its air of mellowness. There was a man playing saxophone as we waited in line for the beignets. It felt comfortable, in its way. I wouldn’t mind visiting again.

Friday, March 19

We got going around 8:30 for the trip home. We drove straight through. I got annoyed because the girl who was navigating kept flipping the radio channel and kept turning it up, until it was at ¾ the power of the speakers. The van was vibrating from the bass and it made my head hurt. Plus she didn’t navigate well.

Our final gas/bathroom stop was in Missouri, and we drove on. Between Fairfield and Oskaloosa we hit a snowstorm. What a difference from New Orleans, where we were going around in tee shirts! At Oskaloosa, a different girl was going to navigate, and I had the atlas, so I said to go on Highway 34, while she said take 63, and so the driver got annoyed, stopped, switched with the other driver, and then we listened to her. We ended up taking about three hours to go what should have been less than two hours’ worth of driving. On 92 we nearly hit a deer, but the driver never lost control, and we made it safely back to Indianola. I was so tired (because I’d been awake since 7:00 with no naps) but I was happy to be back safely. God heard my prayers.

Saturday, March 20

We got here at 2:30ish this morning. It was tiring but it was good to be back. I’ve had today mostly to myself, which has been a good de-compression day. I did some homework and catching up on things, and did laundry too. In conclusion, this trip was a good one, but not as life-changing as I would have hoped, since we never got to meet the homeowners. I got to see and do new things, and that was a good thing.

New Orleans part 3 (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday)

Monday, March 15

We had to get up for a meeting at 8:00 in the church’s sanctuary turned warehouse, and there we were assigned our house to work on. We learned that the organization that we were working with (LA United Methodist Disaster Relief) was likely to shut down by the end of the year. This saddened us, because they focus on the least, the last, and the lost. But we took heart in the fact that they had done so much already, something like $85 million worth of work (I think), and in that we were going to help them do more.

We loaded up our van with tools and found our way to the house. It had 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, a nice kitchen/dining room area, and a large living-room. It turned out that we were doing finishing work. We didn’t know what to do at first, because there was no supervisor to tell us what to do until about 9:30, and this supervisor came in, told us what to do, and then left. This was definitely different from my experiences with Habitat for Humanity! In Habitat there is always someone there who knows what they’re doing, someone to ask questions.

Andrea and I started working on what we would later call the Bathroom of Doom. Whoever put the walls in the house did a poor job. The walls were not straight, and the bathroom was not square. One wall was longer than the opposite, and the door was narrow, and the floor wasn’t straight either. But we made it work throughout the week.

We put in baseboard and quarter rail. I got to the level of professional with cutting 45 degree angles using a chop saw. I also scraped my backside on a pipe that was sticking out of the wall. It hurt. But I had a semi-warm shower so that was nice.

Tuesday, March 16

A new group came to stay with us, a group of retirees. They had money and would go out for supper instead of making food in the church’s kitchen. I don’t remember much about Tuesday’s activities other than in the evening, everyone else went to the French Quarter and I stayed back because I was A, tired, and B, needing some peace and quiet, and C, a little nervous about going to the French Quarter at night. It was a relaxing evening. I also got to talk to three middle-aged ladies for a while. It was pleasant to have adult conversation. Four of the girls on the trip just drove me bonkers because they were loud and juvenile (granted, they were freshmen/sophomores, but that’s no excuse) much of the time. At least they were having fun, right? I just didn’t associate with them much, and tried to keep my mouth shut when they grated on my nerves. The shower this night was cold.

Wednesday, March 17

Since it was St. Patrick’s Day, I wore green while we worked on the house and afterward. It turned out that Thursday was one of the girls’ birthday, and so two of the girls, one of the guys, and I sneakily made muffins while the other girls took her out to play tennis with the racquets that they bought on Tuesday night at Wal-Mart. They ended up not being able to play tennis anywhere, but they still stalled so we could get the muffins made.

This was the day we visited the Lower Ninth Ward. I took pictures but they don’t do the desolation justice. It was extremely saddening. However there is hope. Brad Pitt’s Pink Project has built about 10 homes that are super-energy-efficient and have solar panels and the like, and these houses look like they could actually last in a flood. The really sad part though, is the way there’s old, beat-up houses right by these new, high-tech houses. It’s jarring.

We got lost on the way to the Lower Ninth Ward, and it was strange because the area we ended up going through (which was near Tulane University) was so spruced up and the houses looked more expensive, better built, etcetera. And then we found our way to the Lower Ninth Ward. It was such a contrast.

I went to bed by 11 but apparently the other girls stayed up much later decorating the downstairs for the girl’s birthday surprise. It is hard to sleep when the light is on and you are light-sensitive. I had a warm shower though, so I didn’t get too grumpy.

New Orleans part 2 (Sunday)

Sunday, March 14

This was quite possibly the best day of the trip. Nobody was on my nerves yet, I was fairly rested, and there were a lot of awesome things about the day. First, we got up late (late being 9ish) and walked over to the same little strip where Pizza Milano was to the Sweet Savors bakery. I got an apple Danish as big as my hand and a bottle of apple juice for less than $4! The Danish was so delicious- fresh with a hint of warmth left in it. We ate our food outside in the parking lot of the church. The weather was so comfortably warm, I was wearing short sleeves.

After eating we went to church at First Grace UMC on Canal Street, and I have to say that it was an amazing experience, possibly the best of the entire trip. This church is actually two congregations who merged in 2007, First UMC and Grace UMC. They are so diverse, with black people, white people, Hispanic people, and Asian people. They had two pastors, one white and one Hispanic. But the diversity isn’t what struck me. It was the pure joy that they had at being able to worship. They weren’t even in their sanctuary because it was being remodeled, but they were SO happy to be there in their fellowship hall. It was standing-room-only, but nobody cared, they were sharing seats and pointing out empty seats.

This was a church that definitely had taken Jesus to heart and was trying to truly live out His message. To quote the blurb in the bulletin: “As you can see with your own eyes, our congregation mirrors the diverse wonder of our city. Our mission is to celebrate that wonder as the body of Christ through our commitment of living together in our city and joyfully engaging all city dwellers through our worship and missional ministries, serving meals on Sundays, sheltering women at Hagar’s House, having Wednesday night pot luck and community Bible study, an organic community garden, and various other ministries. We want you to feel welcomed and moved by the loving Gospel that lights our path.”

We, as a group, didn’t even care that the service was nearly two hours long, it was so very joyful. There was jazz music performed by a live band, a choir of people singing, and the Spirit was in that place. There was communion, with the sweetest communion bread I’ve ever tasted. It was like being in a family. Even though they were strangers to us, they hugged us, clapped for us, and thanked us profusely for doing what we were going to do.

There was one woman in the choir who didn’t stop smiling almost the entire time. Even though I didn’t get the chance to talk to her, I could tell that she had the joy of Jesus, and she was magnetic to watch as she sang and clapped with the choir. I don’t think I will forget her face; she was almost glowing.

Once the service was almost over, they asked, “Does anyone want to be the first new member to come forward?” and two men got up and went to the front, and the din was deafening as the church cheered and clapped for them. It was amazing.

Thinking about it now makes me desire that kind of community on Simpson’s campus. If we could really have the joy of Jesus shining through us… Wow. I don’t know how to get it going, but I really want to share it.

After church we went to Walmart to get food for the week. The Walmart was disgusting but we got our food and got out. We ate lunch and then headed down to the French Quarter. The French Quarter was an interesting experience. The roads are narrow, the shops crowded close. Signs everywhere, dollars changing hands. The flea market was so crowded I made sure to keep a hand on my wallet and phone in case someone decided to be a pickpocket. It was a little overwhelming. Two of the other girls and I escaped from the commercialism and went down to the cathedral. Passing to the back we saw a statue of a man (I assume it was Jesus) who was missing fingers. But then we turned to the other direction, and it seemed like we were in a movie set: the balconies and colors and such, the way the sunlight was hitting things. It was a little disorienting, but fascinating.

We went down to see some break-dancers, and it ended up being an uncomfortable experience too. They seemed to be greedy, always asking for money, but what was worse was the way they were making jokes about race. I admit that I laughed at first, almost because it was so shocking to me, but then I felt bad, and actually a bit offended, because they were making these jokes about people who didn’t know what they were getting into. We didn’t give them any money (but we stayed to watch the show… hmm.). They actually were impressive when they were doing their dance moves, but most of the show was the joking and banter.

We left the French Quarter as the sun was setting, and we walked along the river. I got pictures of a bridge and a steam/paddle boat. The atmosphere was laid-back, mellow, easy-going. We ended up at the van and found our way back to our church. We had a reflection meeting and then I went to bed.

New Orleans part 1 (Friday and Saturday)

Friday, March 12

This day, we left the chapel around 3:30/4:00, in a rented 15-passenger van. There were ten of us (three guys and 7 girls), and we needed the whole 15-passenger van because we had so much luggage. I sat in the middle of the front bench seat, which was a very good spot because I could get out relatively quickly, I had access to the food/cooler, and I could see out to the front and the sides. We drove and drove and drove, finally ending up in Lake St. Louis, MO. We stayed at an ELCA Lutheran church, which, once we found it, was very comfortable and accommodating. Some of us slept in the sanctuary on the pews, which actually was a great night’s sleep for me, and some slept in the youth group’s room. I think I would have liked to be a member of the church because it was large, had a praise band, and the pastor was kind to us when we arrived.

Saturday, March 13

When we arose in the morning, the men’s group had prepared breakfast and was watching a Nooma video. As we ate the delicious sausage-egg casserole and donuts, we watched the video with them. Once the video was over there was a bit of discussion of who we were, what we were doing, and church issues relating to our generation. After a while we had to get on the road, and so we did.

There’s not much to note about the driving except for a few incidents. One incident was that we were driving in AR and a truck of drunken rednecks pulled up beside us. They didn’t harm us, and they were actually rather stupidly funny at first, but we were relieved when they finally pulled off at an exit. Another incident was stopping at a gas station in MO and finding out that MO does not have the public places smoking ban that IA does. This gas station was a real throwback and felt like stepping into “a time capsule from 1972” as one of our leaders said. Another MO incident was stopping at a Phillips 66 in the St. Louis area and finding out that A, they had no flush toilets (we ended up using a portapotty), and B, they had gone through the floods of ’93 and it had been over the door.

Anyway, now I can say I’ve been through AR, TN, and MS. Another interesting thing was to note how the road quality changed between the states. MO had great roads, but half the rest stops were closed (I assume for renovation?). AR was bumpy, but the roads were among the flattest country I have ever seen, and I fell asleep despite the bumpiness. TN was not very memorable (we did pass the Graceland exit in Memphis though!). MS was not memorable either. I heard the song “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga at least 6 times during the whole drive. I hate that song because it’s always playing.

At last we made it to LA, and the light at the end of the tunnel grew brighter. We stopped at a Shell gas station to fuel up, and there I experienced the awkwardness of being the minority. We were the only white people there, and we found ourselves joking about being “so white” and “Iowa bumpkins”. We were uncomfortable. It was not a pleasant experience, even though there was no reason to be afraid or suspicious. One thing that struck me about being there was that the place was extraordinarily clean, and it also seemed to be a “third place” (a place of social networking that isn’t school/work or home). But we were still uncomfortable. Clearly we need to travel more.

We finally found our sleeping quarters, in a former Methodist church near Elysian Fields Avenue. I found it appropriate that it was “Elysian Fields” because that is a reference to Heaven. We girls ended up in a room with 5 bunk beds. It did not feel very large, but it was a place to rest, and that’s all we really needed. The guys were in the room next door, and they had it all to themselves, three guys to a room with 4 bunk beds in it. There was another college group there. Dickenson College in PA had brought about 30 people. Later another group would join us.

We ate at a little pizza joint across the street called Pizza Milano. It was surprising that it was still open, because it was at least 9:40 pm and the other businesses in the little strip there were closed. There was only one person there to run the place, but he brought us our pizzas quickly and they tasted good to our road-weary senses. After eating we returned to our church and had a reflection meeting. Finally we got to go to bed.

Back

I'm back from New Orleans, it was a loooooong drive (from 8:30 A.M. to 2:30 P.M.) but we made it back. Blog post about it to come eventually.

Watch out, New Orleans!

Because HERE WE COME! Yeah RLC alternative spring break! :D

Breathing...

I got things done today...
- laundry
- paper for New Testament
- paper for Lit
- letter for job app
- packed
- mailed off my scholarship stuff to my dad, he'll sign and mail for me.
- relaxed... just breathed...

Grandma got out of the hospital! yay!
I got meds for the plague. yay again.

God is good, friends. Friends are good, too, thank God for them :)

Feeling peaceful, finally. It's been a good hour or two of sitting, just listening to calm music, breathing... Listening to this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghZfnQxUhzQ "My chains are gone, I've been set free, my God my Savior has ransomed me, and like a flood, his mercy rains, unending love, amazing grace!"

I am extremely frustrated and stressed

The title of this post says it all.

Right now, I'm sitting here, feeling like I got run over by a truck, because my cold/allergies/whatever it is, is attacking me.

Emotionally I am trying to deal with the fact that my grandmother is in the hospital again and they don't know what's wrong with her. She thought she was having a heart attack which is why she went in, but they said she didn't.

I have two papers due tomorrow and only an opening paragraph for one of them. The other's "done" but needs to be revised, PLUS I have to write a reflection about writing the paper.

There's a deadline for my Methodist scholarships, which is Monday, and I just found out I need my dad's signature on all of them, and he's 4 hours away in Omaha, and I can't go to him to get the scholarships signed because I don't have a car.

I found out today that my Methodist scholarship that I *thought* I had received never got disbursed to Simpson, so I'm out $2k because of that.

I'm not packed up for my trip which is leaving tomorrow at 3:30 to go to New Orleans.

I just want to curl up in a ball and cry right now, but I've got to do my laundry and I've got to pack and I've got to write my paper.

foggy

This is a crazy week.

A list of what I've done just today (not in order):
- Finished a 5 page paper
- Finished a calculus assignment, even though I did a wrong problem
- Called about a job
- Wrote on a letter for the job
- Had a deep conversation with someone who wasn't entirely awake
- Said goodbye to my poor hyacinth
- Worked out
- Studied Spanish
- Wondered where the sun went (it's very very very foggy here)
- Found out that my college is now doing Direct Stafford loans, which means I have to fill out a new master promissory note because I can't use the lender I used for this year. This irritates me.
- Found out some info for the New Orleans trip, woo hoo!

I think I've run myself down this weekend, so I'm trying not to do too much, but the life of a college student requires busy-ness, does it not?

But you know, life is good. It really is.

Sliding into Saturday morning, 2 am...

Thursday I went up to ISU with a few of the RLC people to a talk called Promoting Religious Pluralism by a guy named David Fraccaro. He was an interesting fellow, a UCC pastor and former starving artist who saw 9/11 happen. He related the story of that experience and explained how it showed him that he needed to promote religious pluralism because of the hatred that arose for Islam. Religious pluralism is promoting communication and understanding between various religious factions (and atheists/agnostics too). I think I am somewhat a pluralist in the sense that I enjoy learning about and trying to understand other religions (see previous posts about Rosh Hashanah, Diwali, and Purim).

There's an organization called Interfaith Youth Core which is attempting to promote this pluralism. It's college-based and hoping to use college students to spread the message of peace. I'm not sure how comfortable I am with this.

Friday I got to color in my religion class! (it was slightly spoiled by having to analyze the drawings I was coloring, but hey! Coloring in class!) I got a letter from a dear home-church friend, and it made my day even better.

I went home with one of my friends and am typing this on my laptop (they've got wireless). When I came into the house, I was amazed by just how big it was. I was expecting it to be large because her parents are both doctors, but it has 4 bathrooms, 4.5 baths, two kitchens, two studies, a sunroom, two large hang-out spaces, a dining room, an exercise room, 3-car garage, and other rooms. It's huge. The bedroom I am in has a full bathroom and a walk-in closet, and it's just one of the kids' rooms! It has a bay window and a queen-size bed, along with an easy chair and ottoman. This room is huuuuge compared to my dorm room!

Anyway, the house is gorgeous. But that's not so important as that I got to meet three of her friends, all of whom are cuckoo, but so are MY friends. :D We played what is quite possibly the best party game ever (Apples to Apples) and watched two movies- The Great Muppet Caper and Spirited Away (an animated film).

I've got homework to do, but hopefully I will be able to work on it tomorrow/later today (Saturday). I'll be heading to bed now.

it's a full moon tonight

Well, Friday after my 2:00 class I didn't want to do any homework, so a friend and I decorated doors! I have a roll of shiny paper and we wrapped my door and my friends' door and made a decoration for our CA's door. That took us most of the afternoon and then three of us girls went to work out and do what we normally do on Fridays: nothing interesting!

Saturday I got up and went to a professor's house to learn about Purim which is a Jewish holiday. (Same professor as Rosh Hashanah) Purim is a celebration of the deliverance from Haman's plot to kill the Jews in the story of Queen Esther. We didn't go to synagogue but we made hamantaschen which is a triangle shaped cookie with jelly in the middle. They were soooooo goood. The cookies are triangle shaped because Haman wore a 3 cornered hat. Other than that we didn't really do much Purim-related but we did talk about the different sects of Judaism which I found interesting.

After the Purim fun, we returned to campus and I tried to do homework. Got reading and my WSS journal done, but not the Spanish studying. Agh. I plan on doing that today.

I've been invited to be in an honor society and I think I shall join, it can't hurt, anyway. I get an extra scholarship opportunity.

Time for me to go off for church. Toodleoo.

busybusybusy

This week is a busy one for me. It's midterm week, so I've got two tests, one was Monday and one is Friday. The test on Monday was my Religion test and I am certain I did well; I didn't feel worried at all when I was taking it. Friday is my Spanish vocabulary test, and I am nervous because I'm having a hard time shoving the words into my head. I'm trying to study, though, so hopefully I will not bomb.

Monday night I helped package meals for an organization called Meals from the Heartland- they're packaging food for Haiti right now. There will be about 2 million meals when they get done. I am going to go again Thursday (tomorrow).

Monday night ended up being drama night for me. My two girlfriends who live together have been irritable and not very communicative with each other, and the rest of us (me and two others) finally just ambushed them and told them to get their heads on straight and grow up. It was an hour-long talk but it was very tiring because I ended up being the mediator. It's scary when one isn't listening and the other is freaking out... However, once we got it all out there, it seemed to get through to them, and I think they are really trying to work on it now.

However a second drama involving one of those girls and one of us others has arisen out of that because the one of us others decided she didn't want to room with the first girl after all, and flip-flopped on her. Once the first girl cools down I think it will be okay.

Tuesday was full of homework and dance class (which was SO FUN!!) and the second-year area tour. I decided which building I want to live in and I don't have to worry about finding a roommate, so I am less stressed about that.

Today I had my classes and after math I started getting a headache because I am getting stressed. Spanish was just about impossible because my head was hurting and I couldn't remember words. It was very frustrating, but I managed to get through the class okay.

Stressors:
- drama with my friends part 1
- drama with my friends part 2
- math homework load plus math test this coming Tuesday
- worries about not being able to complete my Wesley Service hours and get that $500 scholarship
- deadlines coming soon, including Methodist scholarship deadlines and WSS deadline, plus two papers due March 12
- One of my friends from home was in a bad car accident

But there are good things too:
- sending a letter to a good friend and she got it the very next day!
- the sun is shining so prettily and I've been seeing the moon during the day
- Birds are returning! (crows)
- my hyacinth is starting to grow at last
- my room is clean
- I have the Methodist scholarships done, I just need an envelope to send them in, plus postage.
- I get to help feed hungry people with MFH!
- I get to read the New Testament for class. :D
- God is good! The friend who was in the bad car accident was barely hurt, despite the fact that she should probably have died.

Today I saw a fortune cookie paper that read: "Turn your scars into stars" so that's what I'm doing. :)

update

It keeps snowing here in the great white midwest. Fine with me since I live right next to the dining hall! :) Wednesday I saw on TV that we'd had something like 71 days with at least 5" of snow on the ground and that was a record. Snow depth is currently around 16", but we are promised 5" more for Sunday. Yikes. So glad I don't have a car to dig out.

We had a preliminary meeting for my New Orleans spring break trip, which made me super-excited. We're supposed to be helping with Katrina cleanup/rebuilding. I know it will be an interesting experience, no matter what we do.

I think I'm finally over my cold. Well, I quit taking the medicine, anyway, and it didn't make me feel worse, so... yay!

I wanted to go swing dancing last night, but it was snowing like mad and I was nervous about going anywhere in the dark. Didn't go, but the dancing is every 3rd Friday of the month, so I plan to go next time.

However, this morning the snow was finished and I went to Habitat for Humanity. Working for Habitat is fulfilling; I get to make a difference in someone's life. It's great. I don't mind the physical labor; in fact I rather enjoy it. I'm thinking I might want to work for AmeriCorps or Habitat, but for now I will just volunteer. Today I: scraped paint, pulled nails, did some demo on a wall, killed mold, painted, removed cobwebs, swept floors, helped clean up construction materials (ceiling tile = skin irritant), carried ladders, went up on said ladders and cleaned track-lines off the ceiling-wall joints (at one point I was probably 10 feet up on planking), removed plastic from windows, and had fun. :) I even learned some new things, because I learned about Habitat's ReStore, where they sell salvaged or discontinued items. It's in a former dairy warehouse. Really neat building.

Soon I will be registering for May term and fall classes, which I am excited for. I plan to take New Testament Greek! :) I also will be signing up for housing. I don't know where I want to live yet, but there's two choices.

My one friend and I had steak tonight. Woo! Steak therapy is deeeelicious. :D

Well, it's almost 11 and I've been up since 6ish, and I'm tired. So... goodnight.

I finally slept well last night!

I hope the trend continues :)

I realized I needed another blanket and some peaceful music.

Your Hands by J.J. Heller

Beautiful video, wonderful lyrics.

I don't mean to complain, but...

I am TIRED.

I have not slept soundly through the night for at least the last 3 nights. I keep waking up in different positions- I'll fall asleep on my back, then awaken on my side, then awaken on my stomach, etc etc. It's frustrating to wake up at 1 and 3 and 6 and 6:50 for no apparent reason...

On top of this, I think I am coming down with a cold, and so I NEED my sleep more than ever, which is EXTRA frustrating.

Please pray for me to be able to sleep soundly and through the night. Thank you.

I should really go to bed.

I had a great time at my new swing dance class with the same friend who went with me last semester.

I got a 93% on my first calculus test which makes me feel very good about myself in terms of my math ability.

Campus worship tonight was great. We had some mix-it-up leaders and it was good to have.

RLC is doing a collection for Haiti- teeshirts for making bed-mats, money to help in whatever way, shoes because people need shoes, and time to help pack Meals From the Heartland meals. I really hope people respond well to this.

Physically I am not at tip-top shape, but considering it's the middle of winter and I'm not getting enough sleep (again...), I'm actually doing quite well.

I only have a little bit of homework for Friday but I have things to do besides just homework. I need to write up a resume, recopy calculus notes, and pack and write out a thing for this leadership retreat I'm going to Friday night/Saturday. I think it will be good, and if it isn't, at least it's free food and I get to go off-campus! :)

Sunlight

There's something about the golden morning sunlight here, flowing unfettered through the naked tree-branches, dappling the sidewalks and snow, that makes my heart happy.

The sunlight is beautiful, and makes other things grow beautiful. It can be blindingly beautiful, a dangerous beauty. And this makes it all the more appealing.

The exquisite golden sunlight comes around 10 am, that fleeting moment between sunrise and mid-day.

Blue sky reaches the hue that Crayola cannot replicate when this sunlight exists. Colors are richer.

And Heaven whispers, "Do you like it? I did it just for you."

Yes, I do. Thank You!

Changed the major.

According to my degree audit, I am going for a B.A. in Spanish with a minor in Religion.

Sweeeeeeeet.

A letter to Mother Nature.

Dear Mama Nature,

You have tantalized us with a piece of sky yesterday morning, warmer temperatures last week, and even a sprinkling of sunlight for the first time in a week.

AND NOW IT'S SNOWING AGAIN?!

That is all.
-Me

On majors and money

I'm two weeks into my second semester of college, and I'm thinking about changing my major.

I am currently listed as an English major, and I've been telling people I'm an English and Spanish double-major.

But, to be honest, I don't like the English classes as much as I did when I was in middle school and lower grades of high school. They've grown to be just a pain, rather than a delight. The English class I took last semester was a waste of time because I didn't learn anything new, and it doesn't even count for the major. The class I am taking this semester doesn't count for the major, either, and I'm frustrated that I've wasted two class chances that I could be using for the major.

I know now that I don't want to be an English major anymore. The requirements are full of literature classes that will have depressing material, and there's only one or two writing courses. The classes will require many textbooks, which will add up to be more expensive. To top it off, the English major just doesn't feel like it is the right fit anymore.

I am now planning to be a Spanish major, for certain. I have already taken two of the classes required, and I get to study abroad for an entire semester as part of the major. I enjoy learning the language and customs, and the professors I've had make the classes interesting. Besides, being bilingual is good for one's brain.

Also on my list of considerations is the Religion department. I am currently taking a New Testament class, and it is fascinating. I'm learning new things about the New Testament, and I want to continue learning about the Bible and how it influences my world. I am thinking that a Religion minor would be better than a Religion major (No, I wouldn't go to seminary), just because then I could take whatever classes I wanted in the Religion department, as long as at least one was a 300-level. I'm planning on taking New Testament Greek next year, which would fulfill half of the minor when the class I'm currently in is included.

If I do not double-major, I can take more "random" courses, instead of just Spanish and Religion courses. Languages are my forte, and I'd like to take some French and some German, both of which Simpson offers. I can even take Hebrew on an independent-study type basis with the same professor who will be teaching the Greek. It's really too bad that Simpson doesn't offer a major that is "Take all the language courses you can!" :)

But besides languages, the point of a Liberal Arts education is to take classes from multiple disciplines. I am doing that with the Cornerstone requirements, but I'd like to be able to pursue other courses if I am interested in them.

I did some course mapping, like they always had us do in high school when we were planning for college, and I have found that I can take all the classes in both Spanish and Religion majors, if I wanted to, but I have to get rid of the English major to still graduate on time without taking summer courses. With a Spanish major and a Religion minor, I'd have plenty of space for the Cornerstone requirements AND for other areas of study.

Have I mentioned that I patently refuse to be a "super-senior"? Well, I do. I know that I will be over 25K in debt (unless I get some amazing scholarships) because I have an unsubsidized Federal Stafford loan that I will need to have all four years in order to pay for the tuition. Currently, I managed to get a scholarship and reduce it from $5500 to $5000 for this year, but I still am going to be in debt. I don't want to put that burden on my future, but I guess that's what happens...

Also, I don't want to be a Wesley Service scholar next year. I prefer not to have to report my service learning, and it's 80 hours for only $500. I can take less time and get more money with other scholarships (that's not laziness, that's efficiency). Besides, it makes me feel like I'm doing service for the wrong reasons if I'm getting paid.

So, I'm excited to change my major-minor, and I'm getting a bit discouraged about the money. I know that God will take care of me no matter what, but money is depressing to think about...

But God will provide! To quote a song a friend gave me: "I think I can't, I think I can't, but I think You can, I think You can!"

Pants on the Ground guy is awesome.

"General" Larry Platts, who was a participant in the Bloody Sunday march back in the Civil Rights movement, appeared on American Idol and sang this self-penned song:
Pants on the ground
Pants on the ground
Lookin like a fool with you pants on the ground
Gold in your mouth
Hat turned sideways, pants hit the ground
Call yourself a cool cat looking like a fool
Walking down town
With your pants on the ground!

Here's the Youtube video.



Both basketball teams won yesterday over Coe. Kohawk? What is that? I dunno, but we Storm made it roadkill! Both of our teams won by over 10 points. And the pep band played fun music, like usual. I still can't play the school song, and I got stuck sitting next to someone who actually could, so I was a bit embarrassed. But I still had fun.

There is a giant ice column on the side of the dining hall. It's probably 3 feet wide and 2 and a half feet thick. It's amazing. I'll take a picture sometime. Right now the light is failing so it's not a good time. Things are melting here and the column just keeps getting bigger and bigger. There was also fog Friday and today. But it feels almost spring-like after the bitter cold that began the year.

Last night I stayed up late with my girlfriends. After pep band we went to Walmart b/c I needed hearing aid batteries, and then we went to Taco John's. I spilled pop in my friend's car because there was a screw in the cupholder and it punctured my cup. What a waste. :(

Anyway, after that we went down to Family Video and rented some movies- Driving Miss Daisy, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, and Swing Vote. We watched Nick and Norah (I didn't really like it. Too teenagery.) and then we watched Driving Miss Daisy, which I thought was sweet and interesting, even if it does have weird time warps in it. We haven't watched Swing Vote yet, but I've seen part of it before, and I think it will be okay.

After the movies my one girlfriend and I were reaaallllly silly, and there was much goofing around with a foam sword and "laser" gun. One of the others gave me a new piece of clothing (it didn't fit her anymore) and there was goofiness involved with that. Then we had one of those late-night talk sessions that become serious and it was enlightening and a bit saddening too, hearing how their pasts haunt them...

Speaking of saddening, poor Haiti! It had not clicked for me until today when I saw a disturbing image showing how they were dealing with the bodies... So very sad. I am planning to donate money tomorrow at the MLK Day service.

This morning I got up and went to church, and I'm glad I did, because it had a message for me that was a bit like being whacked upside the head with a 2x4. It was a big reminder of my own sin, and I have repented of that sin and asked the person I sinned against for forgiveness.

And to end on a light note: BABY ANIMALS!!!
http://thedesigninspiration.com/articles/70-cutie-baby-animals-bring-your-a-good-mood/

before pep band...

Well it's Saturday of the first week of this semester, and it's going to be a busy semester, based on the homework load. Example: For Monday, I had/have to read for Lit p 392-413 and p 757-772, for New Testament, ch. 3 of the book and Matthew chapters 1, 5,6,and 7, for Spanish, a dictionary with pages 31-39 (and do some writing on that), and I have a calculus worksheet due Tuesday. But I've got all that done except the Spanish and the calculus.

My two favorite classes so far are New Testament and Spanish. New Testament is great because it is a different way of looking at the Bible and it helps put the Bible into context. I also really like the professor; she's an ordained Methodist minister and she really knows her topic. Spanish is great because the professor is a funny guy. He actually made a joke in class yesterday that was a pun and I think I was the first person to get it. Also, I know many of the people in the class because they were in my Spanish class last semester, AND the TA is also helping with the class.

Women's lit is okay. I am learning about the history of feminism, with the waves and all that jazz. There is discussion but we have so many people in the class it's hard to get a word in edge-wise. Definitely not like my AP lit class in high school (just me and one other student!). Believe it or not, there are actually some guys in the class, and they even talk in class! Amazing.

My calculus class terrified me at first, because I thought, "Oh no! I've forgotten all of this!" However I realized that I remembered more than I thought, and the prof has done review, so I am no longer terrified. There's going to be a study group on Monday nights with a math major, so I am going to take advantage of that. I turned in my first assignment yesterday and I think I did okay on it.

My roommate quit her job, so she's around more. She tends to talk on her phone A LOT which is okay except for when she is fighting with her boyfriend. Then, it's just annoying. Karma got her yesterday, because she'd left the light on til midnight (Thursday night), keeping me awake, and then her class got moved to 8 AM Friday...

Well, it is time for me to get ready for pep band. I have to be at the gym in 15 minutes. Maybe we will win! :)

back to school

This semester I'm taking Women's Lit, Intro to New Testament, Calculus, and another Spanish class. All of these are MWF except the calculus class also has a lab on Tuesdays.

Nothing particularly interesting has happened. It's just the first Wednesday of the semester. *shrug*

More later when I actually feel like writing something.

It doesn't seem real that it's 2010 already.

Well, a lot has happened since the last time I posted. Christmas came and went, a giant snowstorm attacked, I went to a great conference, I went hooding for the first time, and all of a sudden it's 2010!

Christmas was strange this year. The giant snowstorm attacked at this time, dumping about 10 inches on my hometown. As a result, we didn't go to church services or to either grandparents' house. My brother #2 and his wife couldn't get to our house for the traditional fondue, and so we video-called them in. Technology is indeed miraculous.

The presents were different; this year my parents gave each couple a gas card and a gift card to a restaurant and we are expected to go out with a different couple in the family to use these gifts. I like this idea but unfortunately it has not yet been implemented in my case. We will see what happens.

The giant snowstorm can only be described as giant. There is over 2 feet of snow on the ground (some from the previous storm), with drifts up to 4 feet deep, just around the house. I've read in the paper reports of 17 foot deep drifts. Scary. And under all this snow is a layer of ice. Since the storm, the temperatures have been in the single digits. Even down to -17 without windchill! It is positively Arctic here.

All this snow has been great for a little thing called hooding. Take a car hood and go sledding with it. That's hooding. We did this on a hill that is famous in town for being fast. At the bottom there's playground equipment. I whacked my head pretty hard when I flew off my sled, but the headache went away on New Year's Day afternoon when I got sick... Anyway. It was a lot of fun until it started to hurt from falling off the sled or from being bumped up and down. We did this on New Year's Eve, before the clock struck midnight. What a great way to end the year, screaming bloody murder and flying down a hill! :)

The conference I was talking about is called Faithwalkers (By the Great Commission Churches- www.gccweb.org). It exposed to me a lot of things that I need to change, and I think I will continue to process and grow. My heart was, at last, freed from certain things that snared it. It was three days of tears, pain, and great joy. I heard a lot of great music, great teachings, and great love-filled talks. You can hear some of it here and I encourage you to take the time to listen: http://www.gccweb.org/conferences/faithwalkers/west/2009_teachings Truly a life-changing conference, and I pray that I will continue to change as a result of it.

It's 2010 now, and it really doesn't seem all that different. It has been challenging so far, back and forth between the good (people I love) and the bad (being sick). I just remember that God's got a reason for it all and I'm grateful just to be able to enjoy my life with the people I love.

In about 7 months I will be 20 years old. That is scary and exciting at the same time. I won't be a teen anymore. It's a challenge, a challenge that says, "Step up and grow up!" Whether this year is "good" or "bad", it will make me grow up, and for that I am excited and afraid. Yet I am more excited than afraid.

This year I plan to read my Bible through again. I did in 2009, so I know I can do it. :) I also plan to memorize Scripture. I have not done well with that, but I think with a plan and some discipline I will do better. I have the capacity to memorize, but I have not been using it well. I can quote half of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", but I can't quote much of the Bible beyond John 3:16 and Jeremiah 29:11? Clearly my priorities are in the wrong spot. However, the Lord is good and has revealed this to me via Faithwalkers, and I am determined to change my priorities.

God is so good, friends. So very good. He breaks your heart only to make it anew, full of joy and peace. He gives Life and Truth. He saves! He loves you! He actually LIKES you! Jesus wants to be your best Friend, your Lover, your Savior. Let Him, and your life will NEVER be the same! Oh, there's no way to explain the love, peace, and security He gives despite the storms of life! I love Him so very much.