The Real Simple Life

God and running...:-)

2010-08-21T08:47:00.000-07:00

I think A LOT. It's just getting out on paper or on a blog that seems to be the problem. One particular way in which my thoughts are transpired is through running. Running has become something that I absolutely love to do. Usually I run the best when I have a problem I am facing and sometimes I can even come up with a solution to it. Most times this is a prayerful time for me to just be alone with God and my thoughts.

It's really neat living in Spring Lake, MI. They have wonderful bike/running paths so that all may be able to keep an active lifestyle. There are several types of people that run or bike:

-Those who are just starting out and need plenty of encouragement.

-Those who have been at it for a while and are in the middle of the pack.

-Those who are quite advanced in their activity and have a more competitive edge.

Out of these 3 categories I fall in the middle of the pack. One of my favorite things about running/biking is that you can receive verbal or unverbal encouragement from those pass by. I love getting "the knod" from those who are also in the middle of their physical activity. To me that means, "keep it up, you're doing great." Some people will actually speak these words as I'm passing by which is very helpful too. In fact, I was running recently when one of my high school teachers passed by on his bike. Maybe he could tell I was struggling, maybe not. He didn't even know it was me but he still shouted words of affirmation as he passed me by. That really meant something to me and it DID help me to keep going.

I think there is something more here beyond just physical activity. In our Christian walk we are all in vastly different places:
-Some have been Christians for years and are growing more and more each day.
-Others may have also been Christians for years but might have had a time of struggle in which they turned away from God for a period of time.
-Others may be just starting out and are excited about the new life they are starting.
-There are those who are "newer" to Christianity but are growing and growing as well.

We are not all on the same level. We all learn differently and grow differently too. This life is not easy and it was not intended to be that way.

Something that is wonderful is when I receive encouragement from others. They may know what I am dealing with and want to give me a helpful push in the right direction. Even though we may be in a different place in our walks with the Lord the encouragement is still helpful and needed. Just like when I am running--I'll take encouragement from anyone. It definitely helps me to attain my goal and gives me a sense of what I am doing and the importance of not giving up, no matter the difficulty of the task.

"I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me- the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace"
Acts 20:24, NIV

My prayer today

2010-02-28T12:14:00.000-08:00

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you another day to live and be in your presence, for this among the other countless blessings you have given me I do not deserve.

I want to take this time to say I'm sorry. I'm sorry for the times this week that I did not live up to your calling. I know I mess up often but it is such a comfort to know you are there to pick me up.

Lord this is such a humiliating thing for me to admit but you already know that I am guilty of this. At times I can find myself apathetic about one thing or another and I am not sure why. Maybe I'm not seeking after you enough or maybe I'm not listening. Lord, please forgive me for I know this is a deadly sin with horrific consequences. How can I find myself in this state at times when I have the greatest gift in my life?

Forgive me Lord when my heart does not break for those in need around me. You have called me to give of myself, even when it hurts. When I know there is a need that I can meet and I fail to do so, I am ignoring what is in front of me. I am selfish and wrong; I am sorry. You put people in my life who are thinking of those around them constantly. I am so thankful to you for this gift as they are a constant reminder and example to me. There are needs globally and locally as well. Help me to know where I can be effective. Let me listen to where you want me to go and be used; let me have a willing heart for you, oh God.

My heart should completely break at the thought of your crucifixion. When it does not Lord, forgive me. You gave your life so that I can live which is the greatest sacrifice. How can I not completely break every time? When we have Communion in church my tears fall easily and I am in repentance. Lord, may my tears fall not only during this time but from postlude to prelude as well.

Lord, when I am not kind to others, bring it to my attention. When I am only seeking those who are lovable, help me to seek out those who are more difficult to love. Help me to tame my tongue when it is easier to gossip and be a part of the crowd. Lord, help me to ultimately love as you called me to love, which is at the base of most of this prayer. I cannot live my life without you, nor would I want to attempt to.

Thank you for your sacrifice and for choosing to love me. Thank you for helping me up each and every time I fall. I know I will fall again but your saving love will lift me up. Thank you for your consistency and for being the same; yesterday, today and forever. I love you Lord.

In the quiet, in the stillness I know that you are God...

2009-07-21T09:13:00.000-07:00

In the quiet morning I enjoyed today I was reading the book of 1 Thessalonians. Some of the words and concepts are so simple to me but are strong in the meaning of what the church exists to be and what fellow believers are to one another. It is definitely helpful to know that there are those among me who help me to strive to live a more Godly life. It is wonderful when others who are close to me can walk along side me, encouraging me but also praying for me in the things that I struggle with. These are some of the highlights from my reading this morning:

"You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit." (1Thess. 1:6)

---I have experienced some suffering in my life, but none compared to those who are daily persecuted or even those around me who have terrible suffering. I am encouraged by my peers who are faithful to our God through these tough times.

"We were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us." (1Thess. 2:7-8)

---I love this passage. This book references both being like a gentle mother and a father who is urging them to do what is right. That is exactly how young children grow into adults and how baby Christians grow in the Lord.

"For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory."
(1 Thess. 2:11-12)

---Not only uring them but ENCOURAGING as well.

"Therefore, brothers, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?"
(1Thess. 3:7-9)

---I am definitely influenced by my surroundings, which can be both good and bad. It is something that I constantly have to be aware of; another reason why it is important to surround myself with people that are seeking after the Lord.

"May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it." (1 Thess. 5:23-24)

---I love the encouragement in this passage. It is extremely difficult to be a Christian: but the one who calls us to do so is FAITHFUL.

"And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere."
(1 Thess 1:7-8)

---This was my favorite part. Not only did others around them recognize their faith but it even stretched further. The ones who saw their faith told others and so on.

Am I living in such a way that others see my faith daily? What do I need to change? I can never become complacent with where I am. I love the fact that our God is constant--his love is consistent and NEVER-CHANGING. He doesn't have to change for us, but we do for him.
I am a mess sometimes: I see this; I hate this. I want to spend the rest of my life striving to live up to this calling. One of my big problems is that I hate failure. A lot of times I avoid doing something because I am so afraid of falling flat on my face. This fear will keep me from being called to something that God wants me to do; this is sin. My fear can only be conquered with the Lord, which is comforting in itself. Not only does he call me to do his work but he will help me and walk alongside me; what a comfort and a blessing.

Back in the habit...

2009-02-15T09:41:00.000-08:00

Today at church our choir sang a very popular song from Sister Act II entitled, Joyful, Joyful. It's very interesting to me when we sing songs of this nature because it is a church of classical orientation in music. I did have fun however I have not sung in this way in quite a while. I have been singing classically more often than not over the last year. During my college graduation in 2007, I joked with a fellow classmate that I probably would never sing classical music again. I am so blessed to have the opportunities that I do, whether it be in church or with the Muskegon Chamber Choir. All have been great experiences and I am glad that God has given me the chance to continue with what I love doing.

I like to think that God is often chuckling about what we think we're going to do or not do. I really thought that since I would be returning home to Muskegon my opportunities would be limited in continuing with classical music. I'm so glad that I was wrong, but also kind of mad at the way I approached it; I guess I was thinking that Muskegon had little culture or something. In some ways it is very enriched in culture and I need to embrace it instead of going with my presuppositions. I am finding out often lately that I have many presuppositions that I need to re-think; this goes much beyond just our culture, but in people as well. God is constantly challenging me and helping me to re-think what I think I know is right....for this I am thankful.

I always do this.

2009-02-12T21:13:00.000-08:00

I am so good at re-starting my blog and then not continuing with it.
I am determined to get back into the blogging world, including keeping up with friends/family blogs, but I don't get online enough.
For this reason I make no promises for keeping up with this. I will, when I remember and have time to do so, write a blog, or read yours. If I do well enough I will eventually (maybe) have readership and enjoy reading about the what God is doing in the lives of others. I know this will bless me if I can get the discipline to do so.

So much has happened in my life. July 4, 2008 changed my life, as Mark proposed to me. We are getting ready for our April 25th wedding! It is very overwhelming but so exciting. I constantly remember the wise words of those who have already wed, reminding me that the day of my wedding will be amazing but the days after are what I really need to be planning for. I hope I will make a good wife and be the helper that God created me to be. I am very traditional and believe fully what the bible has to say about marriage. I hope I am not going into this in a naive way but I truly believe that Mark is to be the head of our household. That does not make my role "inferior" by any means; Mark COULD NOT be the head of the household without a helper. He could not fulfill his role unless I am faithfully fulfilling mine.

**An aside**
Those of you who know me know that I am NOT a natural leader. My philosophy has always been that there could not be leaders without followers. Call that lazy, but it's what I believe(d). Over the past few years I have been re-thinking this philosophy. Although I am not a natural leader God still created me to lead in certain ways. This means often I have to step out of my comfort zone. Often times I just don't want to; I am uncomfortable in a leadership position. I know that God commands us to obey him and through obeying him he will truly bless us and teach us. He will be glorified if we are faithful to him and follow the path he has for us.
**End aside**

My life is not really what I thought it would be. Sometimes I feel like I have failed those who have helped raise me up. Sometimes I feel like I have failed God because somewhere along the road, I took the wrong path. I know that in our lives we go through many times where we do not feel like we are where we are supposed to be. I know that God is constantly preparing us and using our past roads to teach us about what is ahead. I believe that I am right where I am supposed to be; although in the eyes of people I may not be. God is preparing me for what's next. I know in my heart God has bigger things for me than I can even imagine, starting with marrying my best friend. I am not sure what's next but I know that through much prayer and just being still in the presence of God, I will not be lead astray.

Great is thy faithfulness...

2007-10-19T07:51:00.000-07:00

What is a blog?
Is it something that is kept up with by sharing thoughts, ideas, or just what is on one's mind? Well, I can tell you that it is something that I have not kept up with so I do not even know if this is worthy enough to be called a blog. I have said this several times (if you scroll through and look at previous posts, posted few and far between) that I would actually like to write more in this. I am trying to become a more disciplined person, so this would be good practice for me. Even if it is just writing a sentence or two every day or so, that would be more discipline than I have shown in blogging thus far. Actually, in the past I blogged much more. You can check out my very old blogs by clicking on the links below.
http://bloomiebiscuit.easyjournal.com/
http://shaundrajonanda.livejournal.com/
Life seems to be flying by. Where did September go, and how are we already passed mid-October? It is great being home, as it is the first Michigan fall I've seen in 5 years. I can't really constitute this as an authentic Michigan fall because of how warm it has been. I feel like I have brought the Tennessee fall home with me! It has been great spending time with family, constant friends that have been in my life, and Mark. I am so blessed to have so many loving relationships in my life.

This time in my life is a very awkward time. I had lunch with Marianne and my sister yesterday, and I was telling them how I just don't fit in anywhere right now. I have no title as I once did as a high school or college student. I am not married nor do I have any children. I do not have the job that I went to school for, and thus am working at a few different places for now. I just don't fit in any catergory. I know that this happens to many college alumns. It is good for me to find my identity in other places-not in a title. I just need prayer right now. I need to be content with where I am, but not content enough to stop looking for what I want. I need to know that the things I am involved in right now are still shaping me towards the future and what God has for me. Most importantly, I must realize that even now I am doing God's work, even if it is not what I envisioned. He is faithful...I definately know that.

"For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus."
-Phil 1:5, NASB

Home.

2007-08-06T13:52:00.000-07:00

I am now home from college after obtaining my bachelor degree and trying to find the path that God has for me. It is difficult venturing towards the unknown, but I will use this description that I keep in the files of my mind; it's like I have a blindfold on that will remain until I am ready to see what is beyond it. The clincher is this: God has my hand. No matter what is in front of me, around me, or in my past, God has been, is, and will be with me through my life. That is a very comforting feeling and realization.

Something that is difficult to believe is how the last five years of my life flew by. I started that journey with different dreams than I have now. The way my life is turning out is vastly different from what I always thought it would be. I always pictured myself as someone who would never settle down, but instead would travel and perform. I did not think that I would end up in West Michigan or anywhere really. I did not see myself as conventional or traditional but rather someone who was always looking for something new.

Now I dream of the conventional life, settling down, getting married, having children (eventually), and living close to the ones that I love and who have seen me through everything. Some people can live their lives in such a way where they never make roots. I want the roots that I have to grow. I guess in these last five years I have grown up some. I am the same person seeing life through eyes with much more life experience. I have been through much more, been given more responsibilities, learned how to budget better (thanks Mark), learned better time management, learned how to better prioritize, and more. I love making lists and checking things off of them; I actually get joy out of this. The big check that I cannot cross of my list is my finding a job in my field of study. This may remain on my list for a while, which I know is common. The inner part of me feels like I have failed myself, but at the same time, I know that I cannot rush where God wants me to be, especially if I or the place is not ready yet.

This is the prayer that I have for my life each day:
My purpose is to glorify God by drawing nearer to him each day, seeking out his will, having faith in the unknown, and trusting his plan for my life- even when times are difficult.
The truth is that God is the only one that will never let me down because his will is perfect. If I trust in him, I can say that I am putting my trust in everything.

God has given me so much to be thankful for; so in him, I give thanks.

Our fallenness...

2007-02-11T21:54:00.000-08:00

One way for me to blog more often is to copy what I am writing in class. I am taking a Johannine Literature class, and I love it! I have to write papers for mostly every class on my reading, and from time to time will post them on here. It has only been a week and a half since I started this class, but it has been such an encouragement to me already, and it is helping me to re-evaluate my own life; it is showing me where I am not putting God first in my life. What I wrote below is taken from 1 John 2:3-27.

"This is how we know we are in Him!"
1 John 2:3-27 is a passage which includes much encouragement to those who are believers of God, but is also one that includes a warning about those who are "antichrists." John drives the point home that we know God by keeping his commands. He elaborates on this much, and really wants the audience to understand this. Because we believe in God, we are changed; on the inside and outside. If there is no change in our lives, we were probably never believers in the first place. This is very important; we often fall and mess up in our lives, but when we do it over and over again, our motives are questioned. This is accented in verse 4, in which those who constantly are disobedient are called liars, and the truth is not in them. John is reminded the children of God of this, and how we are to constantly re-evaluate ourselves; making sure that we are living in God. When we keep God's commands, His love is completed in us!
One of the things that really struck me about this passage is how much our lives should be changed when God enters in. John is writing to a group of people who, as he encourages in verse 21, know the truth. He wanted them to be aware of themselves, but he was more concerned with them being aware of those who have gone out and denounced God. These are the people who walked in the same circles as them, but they did not really know God, the truth, or His fellowship. John was encouraging them for their persistence and standing firm in their faith, and he wanted them to continue with this. If they know the truth, why did he drive this point home so far? He did this because people are born with a sinful nature and can become tempted and fall very easily. He wanted those who knew the truth to continue living for God, and to be constantly aware of the change that has occurred in their lives. He did not want them to be content, but always seeking God and trying to become more like Him. Once we become content with ourselves, and think we are good enough, that is when it is easiest to fall.

"Any love that we have in God must find its origin in Him" -Daniel Akin

Question: Do we make the connection with the fact that loving God is not just a feeling or a spiritual thing; it is demonstrated by our actions? Have we forgotten that God demonstrated his love for us by sending His only son to become sin for us? I really think that is what John was trying to emphasize this as well. We want to know God, abide in God, and have fellowship with Him. We cannot even experience the fellowship and love of God without knowing Christ first! Believing in Christ is not just something we do on Sundays; it is loving God by keeping his commands daily. Love is an action word. Loving God is a testimony; if we are not following His commands daily, we are not showing Him our love, and thus, we were probably never believers in the first place.

Making a post so they don't cancel my account due to lack of use...

2006-09-18T14:27:00.000-07:00

Well, I have not posted on here in some time, so I will update you all (if there's anyone left) on a few things.

The thing that lays on my mind constantly is the fact that my senior voice recital is in 24 days. It is coming up very quickly, and I am really excited and nervous about it. My family and Mark are all coming down, and they will finally see where I've been hiding all of these years. My hearing for my recital (where I sing in front of all of the music profs. to make sure that I'm ready) is a week from Thursday, and I have 3 new songs to learn and memorize before then. They are pretty easy, so it won't be too bad.

Today is 1 year since Mark and I started dating. It is interesting to me that before we dated, I couldn't imagine being in a relationship for a month, let alone a year. I have grown so much since dating him, learned a lot about myself (strengths and weaknesses), and God has shown me how blessed I really am. This happiness can only come from God and I really don't deserve it, but I am thankful.

I am getting ready to graduate this year! I have a lot to accomplish this year. I am taking 17 hours both semesters, testing out of 4 classes, and I keep busy with being an RA and working at Red Lobster. Being a music major also takes a lot of my time, but I know that I can get everything done, because God has given me so much strength so far. I know He will be with me as I continue forth and finish up. Then...who knows...

Speaking of being an RA, I absolutely love it! This is my first year (and last) doing this. I have 30 freshman, 12 upperclassmen, and 2 transfers in my building. I hope to become close to these girls and make it a ministry opportunity. God has grown me through this already, having to deal with things that I'm not very comfortable with, but it is good for me to get out of my comfort zone.

Well, that's it for now. Holla.

THUMBS UP THURSDAY!!!

2006-04-27T14:39:00.000-07:00

Well, This is my first week doing "Thumbs Up Thursday." I'm pretty confident in the picture that I found. Let me know what you think!

Prayer

2006-02-27T17:21:00.000-08:00

There is a girl who is a music major at my school, who is in all of the same choirs with me, who has suffered from vocal nodes since last semester. Because of this, she has not been able to sing this entire school year. She has been going to Vanderbildt for speech therapy, in hopes that they can help her, and that she can eventually fully recover and be able to sing again. Through countless visits, training, and no improvement, she was told that it is best for her not to even try to sing for a long time. Today, she got up in front of choir, and told us that she was dropping from all of the choirs. She tried not to cry, but the tears came anyway. Anyone could see how much she loved singing, and how much this hurt for her to do.

I think about how awful this is for her. This is something that she has done her entire life, and now she just has to quit. I think about this, and it really hits close to home for me. This is the very effect that could have happened to me last year, after my two surgeries. I think about the times soon after them that I tried to sing, and absolutely nothing would come out. I think about the times that I would sit at the piano and cry, because I could not sing along with the song I was playing. I think about how singing is the way that I worship God best, and that could have been taken away from me. I knew that my health came first, and the cancer had to be removed from me, but soon after, I felt a twinge of regret within me. I regretted finding the lump in my neck, I regretted getting it checked out, I regretted going back to the doctor right before I went back to school last spring, which is the reason we found out. I had just wished it all away, even though I knew something was wrong, I was not feeling well at all, and I could not just leave this alone. I regretted all of this because my 2nd love was gone....singing. Think about if I would have just left it alone. I would have been off a lot worse, and I probably wouldn't have had surgery...instead, lots of doses of chemotherapy from it spreading everywhere.

I realize that this is the path that God gave me. This testimony that I have now is incredible. Not only am I cancer-free, but I have rebuilt my voice pretty much back to where it was, besides the endurance. It is so much more to me now. It is a gift that I can still worship God in this way; it is a gift that I need to share with others, and it is something that I am called to do. I don't know how I'm going to be used, but I just want to do God's work...whatever that may be.

I think about this poor girl though....and where she is right now, and the fact that I can relate with her. I feel like it's not fair that I am able to sing and she is not. I feel like I can't even rejoice in the fact that I can. It's almost a hindrance to me. If you think about her, please pray for her. Her life is Job 1:21 right now: "The Lord gives and the Lord takes away; may the name of the Lord be praised."
That is such a difficult thing to do in trials.

It's my blog, I can vent if I want to...

2006-02-12T19:21:00.000-08:00

A Vent:

28 Recitals this semester that I must attend. 28. Usually it's 19-20, but 28? I know that most music majors would be excited for the chance to go to this many, but I'm not a real one!!** I want to be able to work, spend time with my friends, and have time for homework for crying out loud! If that's not enough, my voice teacher scheduled studio classes for those in his voice studio that we must attend on Some Monday nights. No other voice teacher does this, and now, I have to give up Monday nights of work, because I am *supposedly* supposed to live and breathe music, and that's *supposed* to take over my full concentration. I am in 3 choirs, and we travel often to perform. I already knew that, but I didn't know that all this was going to be required of me this semester. Oh well...
"That's life, that's what all the people say..."-Frank Sinatra.

**Disclaimer**
The reason I say that I'm not a "real" music major, is because I am not a primarily classical music person. I do love it, but when I get out of college, I will probably never sing classical music again. I don't get music jokes, and I don't think they're funny. Therefore, I'm not a "real" music major.

You Alone

2006-01-25T16:02:00.000-08:00

You are the only one I need
I bow all of me at your feet
I worship you alone

You have given me more
than I could ever have wanted
And I want to give you my heart and my soul

You alone are father
You alone are good
You alone are Savior
You alone are God

We sang this song at church this past Sunday. While we were singing it, I couldn't help but think about how this outlines the sovereignty of God.

He alone is our father-we need him, and he takes care of us.
He alone is good-there is no good without him..we are not "good people"
He alone is our Savior-because of His sacrifice, we have life
He alone is God-the one whom we are not worthy of, but the one who deserves our praise, our lives, and so much more.

Because of all this, He is the only one we need. We should be bowing down our lives at His feet, not just part of our lives, but the whole. He does not have to be our father, or our Savior, he does not have to be good to us and offer us a life with him. He has given us so much more than we deserve, and because of this, no other should be above Him; therefore, we worship Him alone.

The hard part is giving him my heart and soul---wholly. There are things in my life that are hard to give up sometimes, and in the back of my mind, I know I should, but it requires a lot of me. It is growing closer to God, and knowing that He will fulfill that part of my life with Him, in replacement of what was there. That is the sovereignty of God---giving my life to Him, because he is supreem and worthy of it, and deserves nothing less.

A long, needed update

2005-11-30T07:09:00.000-08:00

Ok, so as you have all observed (if there are any of you left out there), I have not updated in such a long time, and my consistancy has been TERRIBLE. Hopefully I still have those of you out there who at least check to see if I've updated...well, here you go!

Things have been going really well here. I have been thinking about this semester lately, and this is kind of humorous. I have never wanted a semester to start more than this one, and I have never wanted a semester to end more than this one. I wanted it to start so badly because I missed it so much when I was out this past spring. I was ready to get back in the swing of things, get back on track to *eventually* graduate, see my friends, become more educated...I was longing for that. It's so weird what one semester away can do. I missed so much last semester. When people talk about things that happen, the inside jokes, all that--they assume I know about them, then they slowly realize that I wasn't here. Then I make some joke about how I couldn't be here because I had cancer...GOSH!! Obviously, I had no choice in the matter of being at school, but there's so much I missed, and sometimes I feel segregated because of the times, experiences, laughs...that I missed. With all that, I was ready to get back, to see my friends..and I'm so glad that I did.

NOW....I am ready for this semester to be OVER!!! Don't get me wrong-I love being here, living amongst college students, having that FREEDOM of coming and going whenever, not having to check in, knowing that the choices that I make will be good even though I may be out late...It's nice. But, this is the HARDEST semester that I have ever had. My workload is much. I live in the library, the Christian studies department, and the music department. I have enjoyed getting into my Christian studies courses, because I have learned so many valuable and applicable things in them. I need rest though. I need time away, to get on track. I started the semester trying to stay ahead, and now I cannot get caught up, it seems. When I came back after Thanksgiving break, I felt very rested. I walked into a voice lesson without warming up (which is bad...I usually need AT LEAST a 15 minute warm-up, especially since my surgeries) and my voice responded instantly. I didn't sing at all while I was home. I gave my voice a break, and it was very worthwhile. Sometimes when we step away from things and come back into them later, we do better than if we were to constantly be at it, practicing, reviewing...what have you. Plus, I have to sing a lot in the next two weeks, so any rest I can give my voice is good.

I cannot believe that next week is the last week of classes. Although I have been wanting this semester to be over, it has flown by. Where in the world did November go? I often say that I love school, except for classes get in the way of enjoying it. That is why the first couple weeks of the semester are my favorite, because there is not much going on, and I can enjoy the company of my friends without being stressed. I love it.

Well..hopefully there's more to come. I will update amid the madness.

Meet the guy in my life...

2005-11-07T13:49:00.000-08:00

For those of you who don't know...this is my boyfriend, Mark. This picture was actually taken 2 years ago. We were both in the wedding party, so he was my escort as we walked down the isle for Shane and Jessica's wedding. I know this isn't the best picture...our faces look pretty funny, but it's all I have for now. He is in Michigan while I'm below the mason-dixon line. He is simply amazing. It's so cool for me to think that I've known him for 8 years, and we have been friends all this time, and NOW, we are dating. I am so happy that he is in my life in this new way.

What in the world...

2005-11-01T08:01:00.000-08:00

I have seen a lot of the Darwin icthus' lately, and frankly, it makes me sick. Not only are those who display this their cars making fun of those that are Christians, but they are also taking a symbol that is sacred and making a mockery of it.

The icthus happened back in early Christianity when it was dangerous to display faith. People drew the outline of this fish to symbolize that they were Christians, so they could quitely display their faith, and see those who also wore their faith.

I understand that people are going to believe what they want. Why do they have to make fun of what we believe? What I don't understand, is why they believe something that is so hard to believe. They think that our faith has questions...they have so many more questions in what they believe, and the more they research, the more they have to back up and change what they originally thought.

Aquinas wrote in his Summa Theologiae about "The Five Proofs of God". His first proof states that since some things move, there must be a cause to which they move other than itself. This could be one of two things: Either there is a chain that infinitely regresses, or there is an unmoved mover, one that moves everything. Since an infinite chain that goes back and back is impossible, it must be there is an original mover, and that is God.

His second proof is almost the same, except that he talks about cause. Everything is caused and there must be something uncaused that is causing them, therefore, God.

The third proof states that there are things that are contingent; they come into being and then they pass away. These things are logically contingent and not necessary. There must be something that is logically necessary and that is God.

His fourth proof talks about the different degrees of perfection found in the world. If things are thought of as more or less good, there must be a source that is the definition of perfect goodness, and this is God. How can we say some things have more good than another, if there isn't an ultimate good?

The fifth and final proof is the argument from design, often called the teological argument (from the greek telos, meaning end or goal). The universe is designed with us in mind (anthropic principle). If the earth were a little farther, we'd freeze. If the earth were a little closer, we'd die of heat. Everything is in the perfect place suitable for us to live in. This argument also goes on to say that everything works together for an ending or goal. How can things act in such awareness if they aren't drected by an intelligent being, this being God?

I love to talk about the different proofs for the existence of God. It just makes sense to me...there is a God, who created us, who still exists, who offers eternal life to us, and those who do not take this path...well, you know the answer to that.
I love getting off on tangents...

I HAVE A PLAN!!

2005-10-27T14:40:00.000-07:00

For the first time since I have decided not to be an education minor, I have devised a plan, which may get me to have a job other than being a waitress forever. This has been on my mind for quite some time, but it has always seemed out of reach and something that I wouldn't be good at. Ok, now I know you're dying to know what it is.

I have decided to graduate from Union with a Bachelor of Music (vocal), with an emphasis in Christian Studies. You might ask, isn't this what you're already doing? Yes, but there's more. After I graduate, I will come home, and go to GVSU or something like that, and pick up a minor in Psychology, and then off to grad school to get my masters in MUSIC THERAPY!!! Now, I realize another question might spring from this. Why do I want to keep the Christian Studies emphasis? Wouldn't it just be easier to get my minor here in psychology and then head straight to grad school? Yes, that would be easier, but I feel led to keep this emphasis, and I have no idea why. I know that I will use it somewhere down the road, but for now, I'm just walking by faith. PLUS, do you want me to stay down here forever??? Psychology minors are really easy time-wise to obtain, so it won't take me long, and that will be more time for me in Skeetown!

I have felt a tug at my heart everytime I see or hear about Music Therapy. I think that this is something that I have been equipped to do. It deals with helping people, and there are many different approaches to it. I am really excited that I have made the decisions necessary for the next part of my life.

Maya he, maya who, maya ha, maya ha ha..

2005-10-25T16:13:00.000-07:00

These are some of the members of our hurricane relief trip. We were dancing at a gas station to THE song of the trip; at least our van's song of the trip (we took 3 vans..and I was the DJ for ours, so I got shotgun the entire way!). The song is called "Maya He" or something like that, by some group in Russia. Anyway, I will update you about my trip in a more serious way sometime time this week.

In the Gulf...

2005-10-20T19:20:00.000-07:00

I meant to write about this before I left for the rest of the week, but it has been crazy these last few days.

Yesterday, I traveled to Mobile, Alabama for the weekend to help out with hurricane relief. It is my fall break at school, and this trip was offered through Union. I had other plans, but they ended up falling through, and then this trip came about. I prayed a lot about it, and I really felt God's call for me to go.
Since conditions are bad where we are working, we are staying in Mobile, at University of Mobile, which is one of Union University's sister schools. Each day, we are traveling to the different cities to help where conditions are the worst.

There are 20 of us on this trip, and we drove straight yesterday after classes to Mobile. This morning, we went to help out the Volunteers of America. We put together care packages, in which evacuees will come on Saturday to pick up. Even though the behind-the-scenes work needs to be done, I was really ready to get out there and do some hard work. Later today, during the hottest hours, some of us did some roofing...well, we tore off the roof anyway. It was difficult, but I really loved doing it. I think I've found my new calling....lol.

Anyway, I am asking you all to pray for me during the course of this weekend. It's a strenuous trip. It's hard seeing all of these things, and know that I can only help a little. It's hard knowing how much people have suffered from this, and I want to help as much as possible. This takes energy, in which I have absolutely none. Pray that I can have the energy to help with the physical labor, as well as seeking out opportunities when coming in contact with evacuees to tell them about Christ. Thanks...I might not get the chance to update again until I get back, so I will make a big post about it.

Compliments of my sister's roommate.

2005-10-16T22:44:00.000-07:00

This is my new hair..I haven't had bangs since I was 6!! I called my sis's roommate Jill last Sunday, very spontaneously, and asked her to cut them. It's definately different but I really like them.

Yes! I'm a form of Britney!

2005-10-11T09:28:00.000-07:00

Which Britney Spears are you?

Sweet Britney

You like to be with your family as much as you can. You give money to help kids go to dance camp. No one cares about this part of your personality.

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The honest truth..

2005-10-04T09:31:00.000-07:00

Today we salute you, Fellow Cubs Fan.
You thought you could cheer for the Cubs, but little did you know they would lose once again. Hoping and praying every season that they would "make it" is obviously not enough. As if 1908 was just yesterday, you believe in them. We see your hats and shirts that sport CUBS..you faith is evident. So go ahead, crack open an ice cold root beer, True-Blue-Not-a-Fairweather-Cubs-Fan. It's too bad that your team can't make it to the World Series, but we salute your faithfulness.

Do you ever just have one of those songs..?

2005-10-04T09:05:00.000-07:00

A Paraphrase From Psalm 23, arranged by Mack Wilberg

"My Shepherd will supply my need; Jehovah is his name.
In pastures fresh he makes me feed, beide the living stream.
He brings my wandering sprirt back, when I forsake his ways,
and leads me for his mercy's sake in paths of truth and grace.

When I walk through the shades of death, thy presence is my stay;
One word of thy supporting breath drives all my fears away.
Thy hand in sight of all my foes, doth still my table spread;
My cup with blessings overflows, thine oil annoints my head.

The sure provisions of my God attend me all my days;
O may thy house be mine abode and all my work be prasie!
There would I find a settled rest while others go and come,
No more a stranger, nor a guest; but like a child at home".

This song has meant the world to me this year. We actually sang it my freshman year, and my director (Dr. Joiner...he's the greatest!) sometimes brings old songs back, and this is one of them. I did not fully understand this song my freshman year, but after everything I went through this year, I really get it. Everytime we rehearse this, I can barely get through it. Tears well up in my eyes and stream down my face, and Dr. Joiner always looks up at me for a few moments, and smiles. He knows what went on in my life this year. He called, many times, just to see how I was. He knows that this song is my prayer, my echo for what I have learned in my heart, and how true it really is. We are to sing it in chapel tomorrow morning, and I really hope it touches others how it's touched me.

While we rehearse it Dr. Joiner stops us, not because there were wrong notes or anything technical like that, but because we aren't feeling the song. He says, "With the exception of a few, you haven't suffered enough to sing this". He is so good about bringing a message or testimony when we are rehearsing, helping us keep the focus on what we're really singing about, and not just the technicalities of it.

"I'm gonna be a supermodel"

2005-10-02T12:52:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night, at the Jackson, Tennessee Carl Perkins Civic Center, there is a Cancer Benefit Show going on. My written comp professor is actually in charge of the whole thing. She was aware of my beating cancer, and wants me to help out with the show!! Not only am I helping, but I get to be a model for it! They have a modeling section of the show, and they prefer cancer survivors to be the actual models. I am very excited!! This will be the only time in my life where I will qualify as a model...not because I look like one, but because I had cancer..lol. Looks like I will have to practice my run-way skills...haha.

"Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful."
-Hebrews 10:22-23

We serve an amazing God. One who not only allows us to come to Him, but takes us back after we mess everything up once again. May I remember that in my daily life, and not swerve in my faith, but rather, hold tight to the one who is faithful to me.

Could you put the reference back please??

2005-09-27T09:04:00.000-07:00

A Quick Vent:

For my Intro to Bible Study class, a lot of our time is spent in the library looking in different concordances for greek-english words and a lot of other references for related things. Our professor specifically said, "make a copy of the pages you need, and then put it back".

This is for the sake of the other 29 people in the class, so that they may get the book needed and do the assignment themselves. Pretty sure everytime I tried to get the book this weekend, someone had it. FINALLY, today, the day the assignment is due, I found someone who made the copies and I just made copies of their copies, because I STILL couldn't get the book. Oh well, I guess I'm off to do that now!

My Roomies!!

2005-09-21T21:53:00.000-07:00

My roommates are the greatest. We all get along so well, and the dynamics in the room are just right. We have two Type-A and two Type B people, so we compliment each other well, and it is definately sad that it is our last year all together.

From left to right: Erin, Jenny, Rachel, and me, incase you didn't know that was me.
Erin and Jenny are the Type-A's and Rachel and I are the Type B's. If Rachel or I leave late at night, chances are we won't be back for a while, because we will run into people and lose track of time, whereas, Jenny and Erin hang out with people often, but know when it's time to turn in for the night (one of the many examples of Type-A vs. Type-B).

We are crazy. Our residence is Jones 5--WHERE THE PARTY AT! At least, that's the sign in our window (no joke). We love to hang out with one another, have fun, play loud music, have dance parties...it's always good times in Jones 5.

Even though we're a crazy room, we know that there is time for academia, and we all challenge each other to think in new ways and help each other to keep on task.

Of course, we can't be serious for long. Someone always ends up breaking the ice.
I really didn't mean for this to be a story, but we were taking all of these pics for our new group on FACEBOOK, so I felt that I should use these since they are good pics. Anyway, those are my roommates. I love you Jones 5!!!

Watergate Speaker

2005-09-21T07:09:00.000-07:00

Chuck Colson, who was formerly involved in the Watergate Scandle with Richard Nixon will be speaking at our campus tomorrow night. Chuck has since turned from his watergate days, and is involved in Breakpoint and prison ministries. He has a lot to offer on modern thinking of Christianity, and it will be a priviledge to hear him. I actually have to sing there with one of the choirs I'm in, plus, I get extra credit in my philosophy class for going, but I would go even if those things weren't present. I'll blog on what I learn later this week.

I have been keeping pretty busy. My class load is a heavy one, and I have found the library for solitude and study. I cannot read in my bedroom. There are too many other distractions. I used to think that I needed noise present to be able to concentrate, but I have found that I really need complete silence to fully understand what I'm reading (hence, the self-diagnosed A.D.D.). I absolutely love my classes, particularily my philosophy and bible study classes, because I am learning so much useful information in them.

I have the opportunity to go see Switchfoot this weekend, except for the fact that they scheduled me at work!! I am frantically trying to find my way out of work, because Switchfoot is one of my favorite bands. I have seen them in concert once, and would love to see them this weekend!! Hopefuly I can get this figured out.

Bloomberg...OUT!

Precious

2005-09-18T22:55:00.000-07:00

This is a very recent picture of my niece and nephew (from left to right), Gabriella Noelle, and Johnathon Richard. I have been away at school for less than a month, and already they look so different! I miss them so much!!

My school finally has The Facebook. It is out of control. I went outside to talk on the phone tonight, and no one was outside. Everyone was on their computers, sending out friend requests, and receiving them. Hopefully this will die down in the next few days.

I have some surprising news that will unfold in the next week or so. Stay tuned for that.

That's all I have to say.

completely pardoned

2005-09-14T12:38:00.000-07:00

"My sin, o the bliss of this glouious thought;
my sin, not in part but the whole;
is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
praise the Lord, praise the Lord, o my soul!"
-From,It Is Well, H.G. Spafford

We sang this hymn in chapel today and as I was playing the piano, I felt so overwhelmed, I almost stopped playing! Just to think about all of my wrong-doings being payed for, the burden off of me, way before I even committed them! It is amazing to me to think how Christ knew me while He was on that cross; and to think that each of us crossed his mind during that time is incredible. I know this is something I have been taught since I was a little girl, but the complexity is still there. Not just some of the sins that I committed are taken care of, but even the sins I have yet to committ! There's motivation to try to stop sinning right there, although proved impossible in its efforts except by one..the one.

I don't really know what I am getting at in this, but I am still overwhelmed by that song today.

God and Philosophy

2005-09-12T13:18:00.000-07:00

Last night I was finishing up my reading for my philosophy class, I stumbled upon a section that captivated me.
"The world is not composed of religious and nonreligious people. It is composed rather of religious people who have differing ultimate concerns and different gods and who respond to the living God in different ways,"
-From "Life's Ultimate Questions", Nash.

I have always known that we are not to put things above God (other gods) such as money, success, or power, but I have never really thought about those who do not believe in a higher power, possessing their own religion. Everyone believes in something, and all people have something that concerns them ultimately. Whatever that object of ultimate concern is, that is their god, and that will have an enormous effect on whatever that person does or believes. I just hope that whatever my words or actions are, that I am reflecting on who my God is.

The Atheist lives their life according to their belief that there is no god, and his actions are based on that. BUT, THOSE OF US WHO ARE CHRISTIANS LIVE IN HOPE!! As a result of this why can't we be who we say we are? Why are we often called hypocrites?

One great philosopher (Dave) said, "Don't just do it. BE IT"!!
He was saying that actions alone will get us nowhere, if they are not accompanied with actually being who we say we are. People can see right through this, and if people can see this, don't you think God can?? I know that actually BEING a Christian is a high and difficult calling, but the atheist lives their life according to their belief, and it seems like we should be able to as well, because we have God to help us along the way.

We should be in constant prayer for our words and actions, that through them, God will be seen.

Ok, I'm off that sermon.

Captivated by soap boxes and poker

2005-09-08T09:28:00.000-07:00

As I did my Intro to Bible Study homework, I couldn't help but laugh at myself. I had to purchase colored pencils for this assignment and others to come, because we are using colors and codes to tear the scripture apart (we aren't literally tearing the scripture apart, but rather, finding out what it really says). I finished my assignment, and I was thinking about the tone of our class.

I feel a little intimidated in there, because it is mostly guys in our class. It's almost annoying, because when someone makes an interesting comment, or sounds knowledgeable, there are others in the class that are almost mad, because either they do not see it that way, or they wished they would have thought of it first. IT'S A BIBLE STUDY CLASS FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!! We are there to find new ways to interpret scripture, which will not only help us in our own individual studies, but also if we lead Bible studies, we can go from a different perspective. People in my class need not get jealous or mad of the ones that know just as much as they, or more, because that's how we learn from each other. It's the type of class where interaction is important. If we do not have people offering their thoughts, the class will not succeed. Everyone needs to share, and although they may not be right, it's just one of the many differences of opinion in the Bible. There are the grounded facts that can not be argued or altered, but there are things that really do not matter, and will not further us in the Kingdom of God whether we are right or wrong.

**Steps off soap-box**

I just bought the book Captivating last night, for 50% off!!! I have been wanting to read this book for some time, and I really should have started it in the summer when I had more time. I am excited for what I am about to learn from this, because I have heard nothing but wonderful things about this book. I think Jacquie is also reading it, so I hope to be able to compare thoughts with her, or anyone else that is reading it.

I am having serious poker withdrawal. I was supposed to play the other night with some frat boys, but they ended up not being able to play; most likely because it's rush week. My game is Texas Hold'Em, and I need to find people that will play. I think most likely I will find guys, because these southern bells do not play. That's ok, my friend Fox told me I'm "one of the guys" anyway. Great. Just what I always wanted to be called by a guy.

That's it for now.

Another Scandal..

2005-09-03T10:04:00.000-07:00

What Famous Leader Are You?
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constantly learning

2005-09-02T12:32:00.000-07:00

I absolutely adore my sister. I am very glad that she is here, and I think it will be even better throughout the semester to have one of my best friends here. She is fitting in quite nicely. My roommates like her, her roommates like her, and she is enjoying it very much.

I almost envy her start here. Not that I'm someone great or anything, but she at least knows me, and already knew some of my friends before she started here, so she eased in quite nicely. I started here not knowing a soul, except from phone conversations to and from my enrollment counselor. I had the opportunity to start anew, but I had a lot of things to learn in this time. I had to find my own church, find a way of working where I could at least walk there if no one was there to drive me, and become someone who can meet new people and find a sense of belonging.

I have always struggled with belonging. I am easily intimidated, and usually feel like everyone else in the vacinity of me is a lot more intelligent than me. The many times that happens, I usually get really quiet, which may seem to others that I am an introvert. I am an introvert in uncomfortable situations, or when I don't feel intelligent enough to contribute to conversation. I am an extrovert when I can be myself fully, and not caring about what others think. In essence, I am what they call an "ambivert" which is a combination of the two. When I'm with others, I try to find conversation that is equal, in which we can both contribute, instead of ranting about how rhythm defines and is the key to Beethoven's 5th. Anyway, this is a huge rabbit's trail to what I was originally going to say, so I'm going to get back on track (that was my self-diagnosed ADD talking).

My sister (Sarah) is someone who can be herself in almost any situation. She is not afraid to speak her mind, and what others think do not effect who she is. Sometimes I think she should be older than me, because she really takes care of me. When I have a battle to fight, and I'd rather not contribute, Sarah is right there to help me. Sometimes, I wonder if she should have been at this school before me. She is so good at being who she is, and she could've helped me with my insecurities as I entered college life. It took me a while to find a place of belonging here, not because I wasn't welcome, but because I was reluctant to put myself out there, in fear of being shot down. Sarah could have been there to encourage me like she does, and she unverbally always lets me know that I am ok just the way I am (we usually stay away from the mushy stuff).

But...even though it seems like Sarah should be the older sister...I am. God has been putting these very uncomfortable situations in my path to show me that I can lean on him, and he will bring me through it...maybe even make a leader out of me one day. He is teaching me to be assertive in a proper way, and I am hopefully becoming the person I was set out to be. I have been out of my comfort zone a great deal this year, and I just want God to "bring it on", because I'd rather be in an uncomfotable place with God's presence than to be in a place "where everybody knows my name" and not have God.

What are you doing Katrina?

2005-08-29T16:29:00.000-07:00

Well, I am all moved in to my dorm room, and I await classes to start on Wednesday. All of the returning students (which is me, but since Sarah is a freshman here, I got to move in early) are moving in tomorrow, and I feel terrible for them. Hurricane Katrina is on its way over here, which will make it absolutely dreadful for move-in day. Not to mention that our campus floods at the slightest bit of rain, so tomorrow makes for an interesting day. Tornadoes are spinning off from from the hurricane I have been through 3 tornadoes since living here, so it's getting to be normal.

I have Weather Bug on my computer, and it keeps going off all day. We keep receiving flood warnings, and this was posted on Weather Bug:
"Do not drive through flooded areas. Turn around, don't drown".

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Tomorrow I have "Proclamation Retreat". Proclamation (proc) is the 25-member scholarship choir on campus, and we go out and sing at many churches and events throughout the year. We're trying to get a head start on our repitoire this year, because we have many early concerts ahead. It will be cool seeing everyone from proc. I have missed everyone and just being in the choir. I hope my voice is in shape for all of the singing ahead. I think I will have to take it easy for a while.

To Dave..yeah, the Cubs suck this year. Tell me something I don't know.

Union, dearest Union, honored be thy name.

2005-08-23T17:07:00.000-07:00

First of all, I tried to download these pics from my files, and then I went to imageshack.us to download them, and I can't get rid of the white around them!! This is so frustrating, because I have tried for a long time. Links and pics aren't my forte, so can somebody help me?? I did my best!

The title of this post is just a taste of my school's almamater. I DISLIKE singing that song!!

I thought I would show you a few pics of some friends and other fun stuff, just to give you a few visuals of people I talk about often.

This is my friend Brian Spillman. He is a part of my favorite fraternity on campus, Lambda Chi Alpha. He used to have really long hair, but he decided to cut it, and where it as a mullet for a week. Sadly, the mullet is gone now.

These are my girls from Jones 7 from left to right: Rachel and Jo. I think we were taking a break from our dance** party to pose for a ghetto-like picture.

Last, but not least, The "Suede's Trio". All three of us are music majors, in the same choirs, and have many of the same classes. We already got to see each other everyday, so we figured, why not work together?? Leslie (left) started working at "Suede's" first, which is a restaurant that Carl Perkins opened (for those of you who don't know him, he wrote, Blue Suede Shoes which was made popular by Elvis). Fox (middle) and I went in for an interview together and got the job. Sadly, the owners of the restaurant decided to close "Suede's", but we will always have our memories there. "....I will ride the morning winds....."

There are some people that I left out, because I didn't have good pictures of them. I apologize for that. Maybe we'll get some good pics this semester!!

**I do believe that it is ok to dance, if it is done in a tasteful manner.**

2005-08-22T18:49:00.000-07:00

"Don't you see, don't you see that the charade is over? And all the best deceptions and clever cover story awards go to you."
-Dashboard Confessional

Not in the mood to elaborate on that, just felt like quoting.

Here I am, packing again, and it seems so different. It's almost weird that I'm leaving for school. I haven't been there for so long that it seems so foreign to me, but I'm sure that when I get back, it will be like I never left. I get to move in on Saturday, which is really nice for a change. I usually do not get to move in until the day before classes (next Tuesday), but since my sister is a freshman and moving in for orientation, they figure it makes sense for us to both move in the same day.

It will be nice to get settled in and spend time with people before classes start. This school thinks I'm a freshman anyway...or at least a transfer student. Because I took a semester off, I had to fill out ANOTHER application to attend there. I did not take the application seriously, but miraculously, I GOT IN!! Yeah, I have an I.D. number at the school and a mailbox, but somehow, I wasn't a "student". My scholarships/grants were messed up as well. This has not been a fun couple of weeks trying to get everything settled.

One thing that I am really scared about is getting back into the routine of singing ALL THE TIME. I have truly been blessed to be able to sing after what seemed inevitable, but sometimes it gets so tired that I have to give it a rest. I know it will take some finess, and I hope I am up to it. I am going to have to start getting up really early, especially if I have to sing in the morning. I have found that ever since my surgeries, it takes my voice much longer to warm up than it did before. I can't just get up and sing like I used to. If I try, I will be singing bass!!

That's it for now.

The non-existant "C"

2005-08-12T10:42:00.000-07:00

There I was, laying down on a bed you just sink into, a pillow under my knees and under my head, the lights were low, the temperature was warm but very comfortable, and there was a low humming of machines (from my relative pitch, sounding a low A(since I'm a dork, I try to figure that out when I'm bored)) that made the room very serene, in result, I fell asleep. I was having an ultrasound done on my neck, which was one of the tests I had this week at the Mayo Clinic. This test was done to see if there were anymore swollen lymph nodes, and if there were, there would be cancer left.

Well, tests concluded that the cancer is gone, and I will be declared "cured" in 5 years. I have to go back for tests every year, but that is definately the answer I was wanting.

I really want to thank all of the people who prayed for me, who have prayed with me, who have been there for me, who got me out of the house after surgery, who have called me from miles away, who have visited me both at home and in the hospital, who brought me a frappacino when the news struck me, who sent me care packages, and who have cared so much to try to keep up with everything that was happening. This has meant more to me than you could have known. I feel like I'm making an awards speech, but I feel the need to thank you, because I appreciate all of you.

Rafael Palmeiro--is he telling the truth??

2005-08-01T19:19:00.000-07:00

Today, Palmeiro was tested positive for steroids. Just a few months prior to this, he testified to a congressional pannel saying that he could never have used steroids. Now he claims that he unintentionally took them. I guess some steroids can be found in protein supplements, so how many other times has he unintentionally taken them?? Why wouldn't you read the label very carefully before taking something like that? Maybe he is telling the truth. Why would he start/continue taking them now that they are really cracking down on them? And, if he isn't telling the truth, how come he is only suspended for 10 games? After all of this talk of steroids, shouldn't the punishment be harsher if he is indeed lying about it? I guess his punishment will be harsher, because if it comes out that he lied under oath, he has tougher times ahead of him. It would definately be a tragedy if he did end up intentionally taking them, because he just joined Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Eddie Murray as the only players with 3,000 hits and 500 homers. I guess only time will tell.

I'm leaving, in a big silver van..

2005-07-30T21:08:00.000-07:00

There is this huge part of me that is so excited to leave for school. I have been home since December of last year, and there is a part of me ready to go back.

-Sarah is coming with me to school this year! I am pleased to confirm this information. We are going to have a lot of fun, because WE AREN'T ROOMING TOGETHER!
-I miss my freedom. My parents are pretty protective of me, so when it comes to being out real late, they usually tell me no. While I'm at school, sometimes I am out all night; either studying at someone's apartment or a 24-hour restaurant, or just hanging out, watching movies and what not.
-I am sick of being behind in school! I am a full year behind now, because of the semester I had to take off and also because I was already behind. It's probably good that I have an extra year, because I have no idea what I am going to do when I graduate, and I am terrified of graduating (this is a whole different post). My joke is that I'll graduate and become a waitress.

There is this other part of me excited about the things happening here, so I don't want to leave.
-I don't want to miss my niece and nephew getting older. I have been around this entire time, watching them grow and being able to do more things. It's exciting to watch all of their accomplishments, and it's sad knowing that I won't be around for a lot of them.
-There are interesting changes happening at church, and I wish I could be around to see what comes of them. Whenever I come home, I feel like I don't know anyone or what's going on in church.
-There's other personal things happening in my life that I feel like will go away once I leave here, because they started here.

I know that God's plan for me right now is to be back at school, and I couldn't be more excited about it, but it is pretty hard to go far away from home. To all of you at Union, dearest Union: I cannot wait to see you all, and make up for lost time!

Rejoice with me; for I have found the check which I had lost!!

2005-07-29T13:21:00.000-07:00

I got a pretty sizable check for singing in a funeral a few days ago, so I thought that I would put it away for tuition. I was on my way to church for a meeting, so I put the check in the coin drawer so I wouldn't lose it. I forgot all about it until the next day, when my mom asked me about it. I went out to the car to get it, and the drawer was empty. I frantically searched the car, wondering if I opened the drawer and it fell somewhere else in the car while I was driving. I had awful thoughts that it flew out the window, because I have no AC in the car, so I drive with the windows down. My mom told me to search my room, but I knew that I didn't take it into the house. I am usually a neat freak, but last week was crazy because of working and VBS, so my room was a little ramsacked, so this was a great excuse to clean my room. As I figured, it wasn't in there.

I work with the girl who gave me the check, and I really didn't want to have to ask her to void it and write me a new one (I really didn't want to be payed for singing in a funeral anyway, because it's my ministry, but that's a whole new post). Anyway, because I was so insistent that I didn't put it anywhere else, my mom went out to the car and took apart the whole coin drawer/cup holder, and it turns out, it WAS in there, but it got caught behind it. She also found other papers in there from before we even owned the car, so at least I'm not the only one who lost something in there. I think it's funny that it was in the 'coin drawer,' like the parable of the lost coin found in Luke.

In other news, my grandparents from both sides are coming up this Monday. They are all riding together, because it's only my grandma on my dad's side, and they live in close proximity to one another. I'm glad that they are all coming. My grandma has a lot of health problems, so she can't drive herself far, and doesn't like to fly so much. They are all coming from Iowa, so things will be pretty crazy next week. Also on Monday, AUSTIN IS COMING HOME!!!! He's been in New York all summer, doing mission work for Athletes In Action.

As I type this, my dad is driving me absolutely crazy. The Cubs are playing, so his heart and soul is in the game, but when he yells at the television while stomping his foot, it gets a little annoying. I think we are going to ban him from watching Cubs games, because it's probably not good for his blood pressure.
For my sister's writing project for school this year, she wrote a poem to honor my dad in his love for the Cubs:

The Bipolar Cub Fan

There was once a guy named Brian,
Who loved the Cubs so much he felt like crying.
When they would win he’d be jumping for joy, but
When they would lose, my dad would blow a fuse.

He kicks, he screams, heck he almost
Blows up the TV screen.
He would pound in his chair,
The Cubs would fight a good fight,
But would they give him a winning delight?

Sometimes you wonder why he’s even a fan,
But then they would win,
And he’ll be as happy as he can.
So what can we say about this Bipolar Cub fan,
I guess we will never fully understand. -Sarah Bloomberg

a food poem

2005-07-27T20:21:00.000-07:00

This morning, after taking my mom to work 2 hours before I had to be there, I thought I would be productive and fix the horrible roots on my head. Here is a Hoku (a Japanese poem, 5-8-5 syllables, similar to the Haiku, 5-7-5 syllables) to commermorate the occassion.

I dyed my own hair
Looks like chocolate curly french fries
Now I am hungry

I really don't like chocolate with french fries...heck, I don't even eat fried foods normally. Emma and Liam Rudd used to tell me that my hair looks like curly french fries, so I kinda ripped that off of them.

Work was pretty sweet today. It wasn't busy, but I made pretty good money. If I get better than 20% tips, they seem to come in the same day, and this was one of those days. Keep those college funds coming! You don't have to even tip me well, but my day goes better when people I know come in to see me (at the Apple Ave Bob Evans...NOT the Sternberg one). It makes my day a lot more fun!

the music major within me...

2005-07-24T20:44:00.000-07:00

Today I was sitting around, thinking about my area of study (music). It's interesting to me that music is something that pretty much everyone takes hold of, and I get to major in it. Everyone is interested in music in some way or another. Everyone has either a favorite band, favorite singer, favorite style....you can't get away from it. Music is a really cool form of expressing yourself; whether you wrote the piece yourself, or if you're relating with the artist in similar feelings or experiences.

It's funny how one can like so many different styles of music. I love listening to piano concertos by Mozart, and Etudes by Chopin, or the rebellion music of Beethoven (I call Beethoven the music rebel, because he always went another way when it came to "specific" form). At the same time, I love gospel music by Kirk Franklin, which is a totally different genre. I love jazz, rock, R&B, contemporary Christian...and it all helps me in expressing the type of mood I am in.

I think back to the earliest notated music, when people were just singing the monophonic Gregorian Chants. This music is really cool to sing once in a while, but it's hard, because if it does have harmonies, it's all in perfect 4th's or perfect 5th intervals, which makes the sound "hollow". This music was in the church, and the elders thought that music should be only simple, not expanding in creativity or harmonies. Martin Luther, who was known for the reformation, also loved music. He argued against monphony, saying that polyphony is a beautiful thing.
"We marvel when we hear music in which one voice sings a simple melody, while three, four, or five other voices play and trip lustily around the voice that sings its simple melody and adorn this simple melody wonderfully with artistic musical effects, thus reminding us of a heavenly dance, where all meet in a spirit of friendliness, caress and embrace". -Martin Luther

The Catholic church associated music with something mystical or allegorical. But since Luther was reforming everything anyway, he voiced his thoughts, saying that music was simply practical and was to be used for praising God and proclaiming the Word. This influenced music in the church, and helped bring us to where we are today.

That's why music is so cool to me. It can be simple, but it can be elaborative and complex, and I still love it.

Say Jambo--It means hello!

2005-07-23T17:55:00.000-07:00

This past week was out of the ordinary for me. Jacquie and I had VBS all week, and we taught all of the kids the songs with the accompaniment of motions. It was a lot of fun, but pretty tiring for me at the same time. I had to obtain enough energy to work all day, and still have enough for the kids every night. It took a lot out of me, but I am definately glad that I did it. I am getting so many opportunities to learn how to be a leader, because I am definately not a natural-born leader. I do not like to take charge in situations; I'd rather follow. This week really helped me in my quest to become a leader of something....someday.

Of course, the title of this post has to do with one of the songs we taught the kids this week. Tomorrow, the kids are singing all of these songs at church. Two of the six songs have "leader solos," so Jacquie is doing one, and I will do the other one. It will be fun because it is cool interaction with the kids.

Quote of the week:
"Are fireworks double-sided"??--none other than my sister, Sarah.

I bid you farewell with...Nam si fu mugu kwa.--I have no idea what that means...but we taught the kids this song anyway!

Harley-Davidson theology..

2005-07-16T13:39:00.000-07:00

The other day, I arrived at work fairly early (by 10 minutes) so that I could enjoy a nice cup of coffee, in order to be awake enough to serve other people. I noticed one of my co-workers had the same idea, except she brought her own coffee cup. It was of course a Harley-Davdison coffee cup. This girl is into everything that is Harley-Davidson. She has a bike and would probably put her life at stake for her bike. She will ride rain, shine, tidal wave, or tornado. I remember that one time she almost got fired from work, because she went to some bike festival in the south, and she was gone for a week without finding anyone to work for her. Anyway, all this to say that what was inscripted on the cup really caught my eye and had my thoughts for the rest of the day. It read:

"It's not the destination, it's the journey".

Now, this could be read in many different contexts. If you are talking about an actual trip, I would agree with this. Sometimes I am more excited to go on a trip (depending on who it's with), because I know that the ride there will be fun and exciting, making it better than the actual place we are going.

I was thinking about this in Biblical terms, which is why I couldn't get it out of my mind all day. Our destination is heaven, if we choose to go through the journey of putting Christ first in our lives, and believing what he did for us and what he has yet to do. Now, this makes our journey difficult, because we are not supposed to be of the world. This quote is not accurate if we are talking about our Christian walk. When we make the decision to follow Christ, our journey has started. What we do with our journey is important. If we have had the knowledge but have done nothing with it, we are without fruit. If we do not use our gifts to glorify God, we are not doing our job right. The journey is so important in this aspect, because this is what we do with our belief that God exists, and Christ did die for us and rose up from the grave.

But...the desination is just as important. If we go through the journey of life without receiving Christ, our destination is hell...for eternity. Life down here is only for a short time, but eternity is forever. Forever is a thing that I cannot fathom. Forever is never-ending, and that is our destination; heaven or hell, whichever route we choose. If we do accept Christ, and go through the journey of life trying to put Him first in all that we do, bearing the world's critisism of our belief, then our journey was definately difficult, but the destination is so much better. The quote in this context should be revised as this:

"Our destination is proof of our journey".

Maybe I need some food for my incoherent thoughts...

2005-07-13T21:05:00.000-07:00

The beginning of this year brought a lot of changes in my life; some I have had to learn to cope with, and other changes I happily welcomed. It's amazing what can happen in such a short amount of time, and what can be learned from it.

My life has been altered in a way I could never have imagined, because things like this always happen to other people, and out of my realm of acquaintance. I have been taught my entire life that God brings trials to us because in His will, good can come out of what may at first seem bad. I have been taught that He would never give us more than we can endure, and that He would be with us along the way, guiding, helping, and protecting us as only a Father can do. James talks about how trials bring about the testing of our faith which developes perseverance. I have been taught all of this, and still, it seems like nothing prepared me for what came about this year.

Outwardly, I took the news of my diagnosis well, trying hard to be as strong as I could for my family. I did not want to question God's will. I knew that something would eventually be fulfilled through my trial, that could only be fulfilled by me going through this ordeal. Inwardly, I was a wreck. I knew all of these things, and yet, I was as scared as I could be. All along, I knew that God would protect me and be right alongside of me through this, but I still didn't know how to handle it. I did what I used to do best: bottled everything up inside.

I struggled earlier in my life with my identity and purpose, so it was hard for me to be myself. I kept all of my feelings inside of me, because I thought I was so much different than everyone else. I had some people along my way that helped me realize that it's ok to be myself, and I am more like others than I had thought (this is a whole different post though). I became comfortable with showing emotion, but this was different for me. I was almost afraid to be sad, because for some reason, I thought that it would show weakness, and that it would show that I didn't trust God, and his purpose for my life. When God created us, he didn't make us to be robots. He gave us emotion, so that we would use it. Emotion can be wonderful. When we praise God for who He is and what He's done, emotion is used. When a woman becomes a mother for the first time, emotion is used. When someone finds out that they have cancer....it is OK to show emotion. It is ok to be sad and worried, and it's not lack of faith to have these feelings. It took me a while to see all of this, but I'm glad that God showed me in a way that best pertains to me. We serve an amazing God. He knows the best way to get through each and every one of us, and I'm glad He got through to me.

I don't really know what this post was set out to be. I don't know if it makes sense to anyone but me, but maybe someone else (if there's anyone who's made it this far) needed to hear whatever point I have made in this.

Dynamite strikes again..

2005-07-09T19:12:00.000-07:00

While I was watching my brother's church softball game, something caught my attention that proved very interesting. A member of the opposing team was sporting his team's tee-shirt. The name on the back of the shirt read, "Sanchez". I thought nothing of it, until he got up to bat. All of the sudden, his teammates starting cheering, "go Pedro"!!! PEDRO SANCHEZ?!?!?! WAS THIS SOME KIND OF JOKE. No brag, just fact. This softball player shares the name of the famous Pedro that was voted for on Napoleon Dynamite. I wanted to get a picture with him and post it on here, but for once, I didn't have my camera on me. Maybe they'll play each other again..and I will be much more prepared.

In other news, I am house sitting this week for a family from my church. I am watching their dogs for them for the week. I think that it will be very relaxing for me, and it will be nice to have my own space for the week.

EXTRA! EXTRA! THE BATS STRIKE AGAIN!!
I was attempting to sleep last night, and all of the sudden, I heard something hit the wall right by my head. I immediately jumped out of bed and hit the lights. There was ANOTHER bat!!! It was flying around in circles around the room. I ran down the hallway and slammed all of the other doors to limit the bat's travel. I ran downstairs to get help from Sarah, and when we returned upstairs, WE COULD'T FIND THE BAT!! We looked everywhere, and then finally gave up, and slept on the couches downstairs. It still lurks in the house somewhere, but thankfully, I'm housesitting!!

the little princess

2005-06-26T10:01:00.000-07:00

This is the newest addition to my family: Gabriella Noelle Bloomberg.

questioned integrity...

2005-06-22T19:10:00.000-07:00

Today, I was sitting at Barnes & Noble (one of my favorite places), basking in the comfort of good coffee and great friends. We were there to do a Bible study, and we had some interesting conversation today.

We were talking about Rehab, the prostitute in the Bible who helped save two Israelites by hiding them. She lied about there destination, which spared their lives, in turn, a promise that her life would be spared as the Jericho Walls would eventually come a'tumbling town. The question was: Is lying ok in some situations? In this instance, her lie saved both her own life and the lives of two Israelites. But would it be better to have faith and tell their destination, or have faith that good would come out of her lie? A tough question, with no answer from me. She is mentioned in other parts of the Bible because of her faith, so obviously, she obtained faith. But how can faith come out of a lie, which is sin, when God hates sin???? Is life more important than upholding God's standards for us?

On a lighter note, Jacquie and I are helping out with Vacation Bible School (VBS) this year, by leading the children's choir. I am grateful that my work schedule will not interfere with this, because volunteering is very important to me. Being able to use something I love to get involved in children's lives is so wonderful. I think it will be a time of getting out of my comfort zone, because I am pretty shy, but it will be another way for me to grow.

Back so soon....

2005-06-18T19:28:00.000-07:00

Thursday night, we all went back to the birthing center, because my sister-in-law (Jessica) was having contractions, and her blood pressure was quite high. She was not due until July 6th, but she successfully had Gabriella Noelle Bloomberg on June 17, at 5:03 AM. She is just breath-takingly beautiful..along with my nephew. We were worried about Jessica, because a C-section was very possible, but God helped her through it, and she did great! Gabriella weighed in at 6 lbs, 13 oz. Just think if it would have been 3 more weeks...she would've been much bigger!!

It is quite weird to think that I am an aunt of two. Johnathon (J.R.) and Gabriella (Ella) are just 26 days apart, so it all happened really fast. All of our lives have changed with the arrival of these two. This is definately the best gift I have ever received...a nephew and a niece! I will have pictures soon of both..hopefully together!

Bloomberg...OUT!

3rd Wheels...

2005-06-15T18:49:00.000-07:00

I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about relationships. Relationships are surrounding me! I have two older siblings who are both married, a younger sibling who is dating someone, and most of my friends are dating, if not already married. It's hard sometimes, because when I want to hang out with some of my friends, sometimes I end up being the only one there without a significant other.

Today, while I was at Barnes and Noble, Jacquie and I were talking about being the 3rd wheel sometimes. She told me that when she hangs out with my sister Sarah and I, she technically is the 3rd wheel, but she does not feel like it. I realized that when I hang out with Jacquie and her boyfriend Jeremy, I do not feel like the 3rd wheel at all! I am apart of conversation, and we are just all hanging out and having a good time. They have no idea what that means to me. Of course we all have one thing in common: Jacquie, Jeremy, and I are the only active members of the UnCool Club (UCC). We EVEN have UCC sweatshirts!!!

Thanks Jacquie and Jeremy, for being the kind of couple I can hang out with!!

CrAzInEsS....

2005-06-06T12:37:00.000-07:00

I thought that it would be beneficial to make a list of all of the crazy things I have done in my life. This probably won't take long for you to read, as I have been known as a "goody-goody" my entire life.

I have...

-Rolled (TP'd) a house
-Tipped a cow
-Climbed up a billboard
-Sat on top of the restaurant, Perkins (in Jackson, Tn.)
-Played football in a thunderstorm (accompanied with big mud puttles)
-Drove a car with only one working headlight
-Drove a car with no working breaks
-Gotten pulled over (2 times+...)
-Turned my hair orange
-Snuck out of the house
-Broken curfew (at school and at home)
-Cheated on a test (in middle school)
-Hung out with the wrong crowd
-Ran from the police (when I wasn't old enough to be outside late and the officers enforced curfew..are they still doing that??)
-Sung Karaoke
-Slid into 3rd base in shorts, and NO sliding shorts..ouch!
-Fallen asleep while tanning
-Swam in Lake Michigan in March!
-Consumed "Rum Ice Cream" in Germany..since it was written in German, I DIDN'T KNOW IT HAD ALCOHOL!! EVEN THE KIDS EAT THAT STUFF THERE!
-Played hookey
-Slept through a very important test (in college)
-Missed a rehearsal (in college)
-Almost missed my sister's wedding
-Played poker while waiting for my nephew to be born--in the hospital!
-Gone to class without brushing my teeth..hey, I did have a piece of gum though..
-Worn a costume to a party that wasn't a costume party..
-Gone to a frat party (don't worry, they are so much different at a Christian school)
-Rode to my dorm with a guy I didn't even know (now we're really good friends)
-Walked alone at night in a vacant parking lot
-Worn an offensive color of lipstick
-Forgotten words of a song in an exam
-Made up words of a song in German in an exam..totally fooled them too!
-Skipped a voice lesson because I wasn't prepared

That's all I can think of. Maybe I'm not a "goody-goody" afterall, but I have learned something valuable from everything on this list. Feel free to post your lists here, by leaving comments. If I can think of anything more, I will edit this post.

Batgirl...

2005-06-03T14:26:00.000-07:00

I HATE BATS!!

My dad was asleep in his chair when I walked in the house. All of the sudden, I noticed a bat flying around my living room. I frantically slammed all of the doors that lead to other places in the house, so I could limit where the bat could go. I started screaming like a girl, and woke my dad up. MY DAD RAN AWAY! He hid in the bathroom for some time, until I made him come back out and help me. Who wears the pants in this family?? Anyway, we tried for a very long time to get him outside, but the dumb thing just kept flying in circles, and then disappearing behind curtains, bookshelves, etc. We weren't sure if he flew out and we just missed it, or if he was hiding. Well, we couldn't find him, and I finally gave up at 2:45am this morning trying. I went upstairs and finally went to bed.

While I was cleaning today, the bat appeared again. He was flying around, and quite close to me, as if he knew how annoyed I was. He has disappeared once again. I am ready for him. I have my broom and my running shoes on for when he shows his face again. So now, I just wait....

Ok boys...here it is..

2005-06-01T20:05:00.000-07:00

Supposedly, these are the keys to my heart. I know this is the post you all have been waiting for...lol.

The Keys to Your Heart

You are attracted to those who are unbridled, untrammeled, and free.

In love, you feel the most alive when your partner is patient and never willing to give up on you.

You'd like to your lover to think you are stylish and alluring.

You would be forced to break up with someone who was emotional, moody, and difficult to please.

Your ideal relationship is open. Both of you can talk about everything... no secrets.

Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment.

You think of marriage as something precious. You'll treasure marriage and treat it as sacred.

In this moment, you think of love as something you thirst for. You'll do anything for love, but you won't fall for it easily.

What Are The Keys To Your Heart?

remembering

2005-05-30T18:18:00.000-07:00

I have a friend at school named Megan. She is a very outgoing girl with a sweet spirit. A few times this past school year, Megan let me ride home with her, because she lives on the eastern part of Michigan. This made it so much easier for my parents, because they didn't have to come all the way to Tennessee to retrieve me. Since we go to eastern Michigan, we take a different route than I usually take. My heart goes out to people that I don't even know every time we reach Carrolton, Kentucky. The first time I went through there, I noticed a sign that says something to the effect of, "..this is the site of a Bus Crash that killed many on May 14, 1988..." I always meant to find more out about it, but it never re-crossed my mind until now. Apparently, this was the worst alcohol-related crash in U.S. history. If you get a chance, click the title of this post to go to this site.

It's 1983!!

2005-05-29T19:27:00.000-07:00

This is very interesting.

In 1983 (the year you were born)

Ronald Reagan is president of the US

Sally Ride becomes the first American woman to travel in space

Marines are killed when a TNT laden suicide terrorists blows up Marine headquarters at Beirut International Airport

US Marines and Rangers invade the island of Grenada and evacuate hundreds of US citizens

The Soviets shoot down Korean Airlines flight 007

The Internet Domain Name System was invented by Paul Mockapetris

Ronald Wilson Reagan signs a bill creating Martin Luther King Day

Baltimore Orioles win the World Series

Washington Redskins win Superbowl XVII

New York Islanders win the Stanley Cup

Return of the Jedi is the top grossing film

"Every Breath You Take" by The Police spends the most time at the top of US charts

The A-Team and Webster premiere

What Happened the Year You Were Born?

More cool things for your blog at
Blogthings

I had no idea that Martin Luther King day was created this late, or that the Orioles even won a World Series. The things you learn from blogthings.com....

MY LIL'!!!

2005-05-29T18:58:00.000-07:00

The title of this blog is in reference to sororities at my school. Once initiated into a sorority, each member receives a "big sister." Everyone goes around talking about their "big" (big sister) and their "lil'" (little sister). I am not in a sorority, but since my little sister is going to school with me in the fall, I get the real thing!

This is not only my little sister Sarah, but also one of my closest friends. I never thought I could count my sisters as my friends, but they have both proven me wrong on that, especially in recent years. Sarah is graduating from high school this week, and plans to attend Union University in the fall....(for those of you who don't know, that is also the school that I attend). I always cherish my time with Sarah. We always have fun together, whether it's just going to Applebee's to get desert, going to the beach, or singing at the top of our lungs while driving. This little girl means the world to me, and I am priviledged to have her as my sister.

I was thinking the other day how boring my life would be without Sarah. Everytime we are together, a fight breaks out between us (verbally). We always get out what needs to be said, and then we are done with it. We just have this understanding that does not require apologies. We'll be fighting one moment, and laughing about it the next. I love it. I really look forward to getting to spend more time with her in a different atmosphere. It will probably be weird to actually have someone at school who I am related to, but I know it will be wonderful, ESPECIALLY since we are not living together...:)

Sarah and I are quite different. She will say whatever is on her mind, no matter the consequences. I will not say everything on my mind. I am not bold enough. It is never a mystery with Sarah if you have offended her, she'll let you know. If you have offended me, you will probably never find out, unless it is a very high offense. I would rather avoid confrontation and just let things go than to say that I am bothered about something. The funny thing about this, is that Sarah will often fight my battles for me. We work together, so if anyone ever wrongs me, Sarah WILL let them know. I need to improve in this area, because it is a communication factor, but it's nice to know that Sarah is always on my side. She is a very loyal person.

Sarah (even though you don't read my blog), congrats on graduating. I love you, and I look forward to going to college with you!

Auntie Shaundra Posting..

2005-05-25T20:15:00.000-07:00

Well, this is my very adorable nephew!! He was born Sunday, at 1:47pm, at 7 lbs, 11 ounces, and 20 1/2 inches long.
I am not at all being biased, but I think he is a beautiful baby. Sometimes babies can be...well...not so cute at first, but he DEFINATELY is.
His name is Johnathon Richard McMullin, but I shall call him J.R.--haha.

During my sister's labor, we spent good quality time in the waiting room playing some Texas Hold'em...that's right..poker. In the hospital. The time sure passed! We will have to do it again when Jessica (my sis-in-law) goes into labor in July.

Not much else besides that has been going on. That made for a pretty exciting and full weekend.

between labor pains..

2005-05-18T19:01:00.000-07:00

I am definately ready for Amber (my older sister) to have her baby. She is overdue now, and if she does not go into labor before Monday, they will have to induce her. I cannot wait until the phonecall that will make me rush as fast as possible to the hospital. I hope it happens tonight. I hope I am in the middle of sleep, and I get the call. If that happens, I am permitted to call off of work tomorrow. My mom and I work together, so if I want to call off, it has to be a good reason.

I am so happy for them. They got married in December of 2003, and they are going to make great parents. I am grateful for the kind of man Mike is, and that I know he will always take good care of my sister. That is so important to me. I wouldn't want to have to beat him up...haha.

Hmmmm.....

2005-05-16T12:18:00.000-07:00

Not sure about this...

You scored as Cultural Creative. Cultural Creatives are probably the newest group to enter this realm. You are a modern thinker who tends to shy away from organized religion but still feels as if there is something greater than ourselves. You are very spiritual, even if you are not religious. Life has a meaning outside of the rational.

Cultural Creative

69%

Romanticist

63%

Postmodernist

50%

Fundamentalist

50%

Idealist

38%

Materialist

25%

Existentialist

25%

Modernist

13%

What is Your World View? (corrected...hopefully)
created with QuizFarm.com

New Identity

2005-05-13T16:37:00.000-07:00

This is my new "blog." Wolcum, Yole!!

"Integrity is everything. Never do a 'greater good' by doing a 'little evil'."
-From Kingdom of Heaven

There are so many great quotes to choose from in Kingdom of Heaven, but that was one of my favorites. I have put much thought into that quote. I know that God can do good through bad things that happen, but can good come to those who do intentional evil? The bad things that good comes out of that I think of are death, or sickness, or loss of a job. I know that good can come out of the evil done itself, but can it come to the evil-dooer? If Balien would've married the King's sister, there would have been no war, but in the end, he created evil for himself, while sparing Jerusalem. Maybe it's just one of the rewards they receive on earth, but not in the Kingdom of Heaven. Maybe I'm guilty of over-thinking...

"He who is pregnant with evil and conceives trouble gives birth to disillusionment."
-Psalm 3:14

Kingdom of Heaven was a phenomenal movie. I loved it. Definately ranks as one of my favorite movies. Although I was a little dismantled about the adultry thing, but all in all, it was 2 1/2 hours, well spent!

As I was doing a few errands today, one of my favorite songs came on the radio. We actually sang it at church this past Sunday. This is the Agnus Dei, correctly pronounced Ah-g-noos Day-ee, for those who care to know (I can't stand it to be pronounced any other way). Anyway, I heard the Michael W. Smith version, which is the old-school version to this song. I was so wrapped up in it. I love the classical voices put into the song. It truly is beautiful. I wish they sung it in latin though.

Agnus dei Agnus dei
Qui tollis peccata mundi
Agnus dei Agnus dei
Qui tollis peccata mundi
Dona nobis pacem Dona nobis pacem pacem
Dona nobis pacem

~Translation~

Lamb of God, Lamb of God.
You who take away the sins of the world
Lamb of God, Lamb of God.
You who take away the sins of the world
Give Us Peace, Give Us Peace, Peace.
Give Us Peace.

Holy Holy are you Lord God Almighty!

The *Real* Simple Life