Top Tens

With the end of the year, and the decade, right around the corner, I decided to make a list of my Top Ten Favorites over the past ten years. Now, I ask that no one would judge me on any of my choices, and keep in mind that I was only 10 years old when the decade began, so I may not remember a lot of things spanning over this entire time span. So, sit back and enjoy... and feel free to give some input (as long as it isn't criticism ;)

Football players:

10. Brett Favre (before he retired and unretired a million times; as in, Greenbay Packer Brett Favre)

9. Eli Manning (I got to keep it in the family with this one)

8. Teddy Bruschi

7. Darren Sharper

6. Tiki Barber

5. Reggie Bush

4. Deuce McAllister (he will always have a special place in my heart)

3. Peyton Manning

2. Drew Brees (I must say, it was definitely hard putting him at number 2)

1. David Carr (he will always be my first love. Loyalty is important… and I am sticking with my man!)

Books: (keep in mind, I only recently have become a reader… so try not to judge me too harshly)

10. Great Gatsby

9. The Glass Castle

8. The Once and Future King

7. The Scarlet Letter

6. The Giver

5. Quiet Strength- I just adore Tony Dungy

4. The Magicians Nephew

3. Don’t Waste Your Life- though I am not done, I can just already tell this will be at the top!

2. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

1. Redeeming Love

Songs: (most of these songs may not be “good” songs, but they all bring back some memory or have some kind of meaning to me, so spare me any criticism)

10. Home- Michael Buble (ps: this song no longer makes me ridiculously sad, just sentimental, so I thought it deserved a place)

9. Don’t Trust Me- 3OH!3 (I had to do it… DG and LG will understand)

8. Unfailing Love- Jimmy Needham

7. Lead Me to the Cross

6. The Solid Rock

5. See You Again- Miley Cyrus

4. Last Christmas- Taylor Swift

3. Daylight- Brave Saint Saturn

2. The Climb- Miley Cyrus (classic)

1. The Call- Regina Spektor (this is Black Deaths song… always has a special place in my heart!)

Movies: (these movies may not meet your definition of “good,” but they are movies that I have thoroughly enjoyed over the decade, no matter how dumb they are)

10. Ocean’s Eleven

9. Juno

8. She’s the Man (I love to quote this movie!)

7. That Thing You Do! (technically not in this decade, but I didn’t see it until this decade… so it counts)

6. UP

5. Stick It

4. He’s Just Not That Into You (sorry Andrew, I had to do it)

3. Highschool Musical (specifically the 3^rd one. I simply love it! Best stress-reliever)

2. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

1. Pride and Prejudice

Actors/Actresses:

10. Steve Burton (from GH)

9. Katherine Heigl

8. Rachel McAdams

7. Ginnifer Goodwin

6. Matthew Macfadyen (Mr. Darcy…of course)

5. Mariska Hargitay

4. Christopher Meloni

3. Kate Winslet

2. Matthew Morrison

1. Hugh Laurie

TV Shows:

10. Friends (this is number 10 because it started before the decade… but I still LOVE this show, and I have watched it throughout the decade. This is probably in my top 4 honestly)

9. Make It or Break It

8. Grey’s Anatomy

7. What Not To Wear

6. Bones

5. House

4. Scrubs

3. Law and Order: SVU

2. General Hospital

1. Glee

Pictures: (this was by far the hardest category and there is no way I could limit it to only 10. deal with it. I also realized there were a lot of people I have hardly any pictures with)

Greetings from Boston.

I haven't blogged in a while because I haven't had too much to say. But, just to assure you that I am still alive, I will give a little update.

1. Got to Boston a week and a half ago-ish. I made it without any flight complications. Ah. What a nice change.

2. Christmas in NYC. We took the train in and spent a few days. We came back the day after Christmas. It was a neat trip. Beautiful city this time of year. I did miss my family, but all is good. Christmas is a great time of year.

3. Completed readings: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and (as of about 30 minutes ago) The Magicians Nephew. Yes, I read them in that order. Very good books. I enjoyed them. I will give more detail in the future.

4. I plan on starting Don't Waste Your Life tomorrow.

5. I haven't made a large dent in my reading list yet. I have been doing more sleeping than I originally anticipated... but I am definitely not complaining.

6. I am terribly out of shape.

7. I have been watching so much football lately. It rocks. Saints are officially the number one seed in the NFC and have clinched homefield advantage throughout along with a first round bye. It. Is. Awesome. However, I am ridiculously superstitious when it comes to football. I have come to the conclusion that I can not wear any saints paraphernalia during any of the play-off games. That has been the common denominator in their two losses.

8. I still have a bunch of stuff to get done before school starts... like order books! yikes.

9. I found out my semester grades today. I was pleasantly surprised. I ended up with a B in physiology, but I consider that a success. That class was horrid this year. But the big surprise was that I ended up with an A in nutrition (making physio my only B). You see, I would have needed a 95 on that final to make and A, and considering I only had the night before to study thanks to my other finals, and at 1 in the morning before that final (which was at 8am) I had two people sit me down to tell me how awful of a person I am, I didn't have high expectations. I also hadn't made and A on a single test all semester, and the final was comprehensive and worth 25% of our grade. I had mentally prepared for a B... but God is good and by His grace I pulled off an A. I salvaged my GPA and get to keep my scholarships. :) Man oh man. It was a close one.

10. I watched the E! special for the Jonas Brothers, and I have been converted into a fan. Judge me if you must.

11. It is so cold here. I really dislike winter. I also like it in theory... but experiencing it is a whole other thing. Summer is definitely my cup of tea. But... I do like scarves, and I have been getting a lot of use out of them while here.

12. I have been staying up into the wee hours of the morning and then sleeping in until well after noon. It is kind of ridiculous... but I think I am finally catching up on all the sleep I didn't get this semester. I better enjoy it while I can.

13. I was asked to be a bridesmaid for Courtney's (my roomie from last year) wedding. Unfortunately, I might not be able to. The wedding is June 5... but if I am working at the hospital I may not be able to get any time off... or have a way to get to oklahoma. :/ hmmm... we will see though. I would love to be a part of it.

14. In regards to number 13, everyone is getting engaged and married. Seriously. It is insane. When is my turn?! ;)

I am DONE!

As of today, I have completed my third semester of college. Weird. Only 5 more to go. Ha. I am so relieved to be finished with school. It has been exhausting, to say the least. But, God totally sustained me throughout this semester in a way I was not expecting, and especially this past week. It's cool to look back on this week, and think about how much was going on, and how I would normally freak out so easily about everything, but instead I was able to find peace and push through. It is one of those things where you realize, "that was all God." It is pretty wonderful.

Today's finals were kind of hard to focus on, because last night I was told some things about myself that were pretty hurtful, and from what I and everyone I have talked to thus far can tell, not true. Ya know, it's stuff like this that Satan would absolutely love to use to try and bring me down. It is hard not to be discouraged by what other people say about you, and it is hard to not be hurt, but I think the best thing (and the only thing) I can do is be in prayer about it. If there is something in my life that needs to be addressed and changed, God will reveal that to me. I must remind myself that my confidence is in Christ, not in what people say about me. It is hard for me to put into practice at times, but it is truth and I need to seek that out. I cried, a lot, about this, and spent the morning sick to my stomach, but the wonderful thing is that through the day God has just given me a strange peace about everything. I am still going over every word that was said to me and still trying to process it all and see if I can find any truth in those words, but ultimately, God has really sustained me. I know its only been a day, but this kind of stuff used to have the potential to destroy me. It is totally another thing where all I can say is that "It is ALL God." My strength is not keeping me going... only His. Let me say, I am so grateful for that!

In other news, my roommate from last year, Courtney, will be here in the morning! I am so excited! I have missed her and it will be nice to just catch up on each others lives. Oh yeah, and she is engaged now. As of Sunday to be exact. I wasn't surprised one bit by it, but it is still exciting nonetheless. We have been talking about her marrying this guy since the beginning of spring semester last year... its about time the made it official ;). They haven't picked a date or anything yet, but hopefully it will be a time of the year that I can make it. Ha. I have a feeling I will be talking about weddings A LOT tomorrow... I am pretty pumped. I can't wait to see her ring! :)

I fly out Thursday morning and officially start my break. My connection is in Houston (interestingly enough), but I will be flying to Boston first. I am praying that everything goes smoothly with my flights. I have a tendency to have bad luck with airplanes. ;). But, there is not snow in the forecast this week in Boston... so that significantly improves my odds of a peaceful and non complicated flight. I am excited to get to Boston... and to go to NYC for Christmas. Ah. It is going to be so cool. Once in a life time experience, I'd say. I get back in to Houston on January 6th and will be there for about 2 and a half weeks. I love these long Christmas breaks!

Oh, just a little update.

I haven't blogged in a while simply because nothing too interesting has been going on. I must say, I am completely exhausted. I desperately wish OBU believed in this whole "dead week" concept rather than "cram-everything-you-possibly-can (including tests and papers)-into-the-last-week-before-finals-starts-and-time-runs-out" week. But, I suppose I should just be grateful that it is Friday and at 2pm my 3rd semester of college classes will be complete. Victory. Here is my final schedule, in case you are curious:

Monday: 8:00am- Civ (comprehensive. blah)

3:15pm- Physiology final #1 (Lecture portion; comprehensive)

4:15pm- Physiology final #2 (Lab portion; comprehensive)

Tuesday: 8:00am- Development and Nutrition final (this is the one I am most worried about; comprehensive)

3:15pm- Sociology final (not comprehensive)

THEN I AM DONE! I can't wait. Just the word "finals" is making me cringe these days. Sheesh. I am just so ready for this semester to be over. It has been truly exhausting. Christmas break will be a sweet relief. I plan on finally relaxing. Ah, it sounds wonderful.

In other new, my roommate from last year is going to come up on Wednesday to visit me (seeing as how I don't fly out until Thursday)! I am excited. I have really missed living with her and I think it will be super fun to just catch up and hang out. It takes me a long time to get comfortable around people, but she made it pretty easy last year. We got along so well, and we both got to be ourselves. Super fun. I am looking forward to seeing her.

I have been making some serious cash off of my books thus far! It is awesome. The sad part is that I have made $185 so far... and it ALMOST pays for my ONE nursing book next year. Oh college, why are you so obscenely expensive?! sheesh. The good news is that at least I am making money back to put towards the book fund, so it wont be quite as overwhelming of a cost.

I have been studying a good part of the afternoon/evening for my physiology finals. I started to get REALLY stressed out in realizing how much there was to learn. So, once I finished for the night I decided my best bet to calm my anxieties was to put in HSM3. I must say, it was a great decision! That movie makes me SO happy. I wish more than anything that my life was a musical.

Lately (more specifically, today), I have been craving spontaneity! I am an organized person, generally speaking. I do really well with routine and I am comfortable with very little change. I like to be able to plan my days and know what I will be doing, when and where. Surprises are so appealing to me in theory, but typically they stress me out more than anything. I like structure... it works for me. I am cautious. I like safety and security. However, I would really like to, for just a moment, be spontaneous. Not crazy or stupid, just spontaneous. Something that just makes you feel alive. I don't know what it is, and I don't have anything in mind, I have just been restless lately. I feel like a small adventure could do me some good. Sigh, at least I can dream!

I just have to laugh.

So, the past few days have been rather odd, but slightly humorous. I thought I would share a few stories with you all.

Story 1:

Setting: Lobby of my dorm room, talking to my old RA. In walks this guy (his name starts with a J, past that, I don't remember). He sits down on the couch between Kaitlyn and I and starts talking with her (they are friends, don't worry). Eventually I become part of the conversation. Ten minutes later the realization hits that guy and I have not ever met. We exchange pleasantries. Here is what unfolds:

Guy: Where are you from? oh wait, don't tell me, let me guess.

Me: Oh, ok. Go for it.

Guy: Give me the state

Me: Texas

Guy: (looks at me intently for a few minutes... sufficiently awkward) When people as you where you are from, you answer Houston, right?

Me: (thoroughly surprised) Well yeah!

Guy: But you aren't technically from Houston, right? You are from a suburb of Houston, right?

Me: (kind of freaked out, yet impressed) Yeah, you are right.

Guy: Is it an area similar to Katy?

Me: Yeah, it is similar, but no it's not Katy.

Guy: Ok, past that I don't know any other areas other than Magnolia, and that's not it.

I told him where I was from and both my RA and I were in shock as to how he guessed. Apparently, DFW girls have a certain "look," which I was lacking. I am not sure whether that is a good thing or a bad thing. He said he was between either Houston or Tyler. Very weird, but pretty funny. Today, I saw this guy again as I was walking to the ARA (our cafeteria) and he waved enthusiastically and said "Hey new friend!" Ha. So apparently, I got a new friend out of the deal. Cool.

In other news:

1. Our Civ professor brought her dog again today.

2. We got out of Civ an hour early.

3. I found out today, our physiology professor will be placing a curve at the end of the semester that could very possibly bring my B to and A! It is not set in stone, of course, but for the first time all semester and A is a realistic possibility. I am trying not to get my hopes up and just keep working hard, but this is rather encouraging news.

4. I am ready for break! That also means lots and lots of fun reading! :) I have a list going and I am pumped to get started.

5. It is snowing in Texas. Remind me why I left the state?! ;)

6. I have a super creepy stalker. He sits next to me in Civ. Awesome. He is a 5th year senior, ex baseball player and loves to get wasted on the weekends. A real winner.

Thanksgiving Reflections

So, a few of you know the horrors I suffered today at the airport in my journey back to Oklahoma. To be honest, it took all I had to not break down and cry in the airport. This was an emotional week for in general, but today seemed even more so. I was not ready to say goodbye to my dear friends or my precious grandparents... then all the stress of my day at the airport and my utter exhaustion made it all the worse. While on one of my 3 flights today, I just started praying and asking God for peace. I was so upset and so negative about my situation, which frankly, I had a right to be... it was a pretty lame one. BUT I didn't want to let it get me down, and I knew I didn't have it in me to find any good in this situation, so, while on my final flight I pulled out my bible and journal. I read through various things, then I started journaling. I decided to make a list (of course) of the things that stood out to this break (spiritually speaking). I wanted to put my focus on all the amazing work God has done in my life this past week, rather than the not so good stuff that happened today, so I made a list. This may not make any sense to anyone else other than me, but I just wanted to share where my thoughts are and what God has been doing in my heart. This week truly was incredible. Much of this list stems from Tuesday night, but God totally took it from there. So, I wanted to share, even though there is no flow to this. I literally wrote things as they came to my mind in terms of what God has been doing in my heart and revealing to me over the past week! And I must say, turning my attention to the Work of the Lord really did brighten my day and change my mood. :) Here we go (this is how it is written out in my journal- the raw goods! ;)

[Psalm 119: 36-37]

"Incline my heart to your testimonies and not to selfish gain! Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways."

1. Your word gives me hope.

2. I delight in Your law.

3. Steadfast love.

4. Teach me Your statutes, that I may abide in Your word.

5. The world is temporary- it does NOT satisfy.

6. Turn my heart toward Holy things.

7. Protect my eyes that I may guard my heart.

8. Take captive my thoughts.

9. Your word is ALIVE!

10. The power of the Holy Spirit is real- and very powerful.

11. Prayer, prayer, prayer.

12. Include other believers in my spiritual journey.

13. Allow Christ to love through me.

14. No more white washed tomb.

15. Never stop repenting.

16. Forgiven and loved.

17. Pray through scripture- meditate on the word- hide it in my heart.

18. Do not love the world.

19. Conviction --> brokenness --> godly sorrow and repentance --> FREEDOM!

20. Christ conquered the grave- HALLELUJAH!

21. Bended knee.

22. Discuss, seek truth, strive to know more- never stop learning.

23. Faith in God, not circumstances.

24. What is my main pursuit?

25. Righteousness, peace, faith not marriage, education, career.

26. Be vulnerable, be real.

27. Sin has lost its power, death has lost its sting!

28. Provider and Sustainer.

29. Joy, not happiness (Christ, not circumstance).

30. I can face tomorrow!

So there ya have it. No organization or method, just thoughts and things God has put on my heart, either about who He is or who I need to be/what I need to change.

God is good.... all the time.

Thankful.

I feel like it is only right to make a list of what I am thankful for on such a holiday as this.

1. Christ died for me.

2. Conviction and the subsequent brokenness.

3. Joy.

4. My health. (for the most part ;))

5. My grandmother for teaching me how to make thanksgiving dinner.

6. My aunt for being so loud and full of life.

7. My grandpa for always telling me I am his favorite.

8. My uncle for his sarcasm.

9. My cousin for being so young and joyful.

10. Skype so I could see my dad today.

11. Campfires on the back porch.

12. Smores.

13. Learning to cook a thanksgiving feast.

14. Pictures.

15. Football.

16. Napping in my grandma's bed.

17. Yahtzee.

18. Hot chocolate.

19. Bottled rootbeer, dr pepper and ginger ale.

20. Cypress, Texas.

21. Wonderful friends.

22. Great conversation.

23. Life lessons.

24. Incredible encouragement.

25. Mexican food.

26. Hope.

27. BFFAE.

28. Gift giving.

29. Desserts. Lots of desserts.

30. Beautiful friendship.

31. Houston Northwest.

32. A comfortable and peaceful home.

33. Peace.

34. Faith.

35. Excitement.

There is so much more I am thankful for... but these just came to my mind in thinking about the events of the day. God is good... so very good!

Call me a nerd

I LOVE making to-do lists. Seriously. I made one the other night when I should have been studying for civ and physiology ;). This list entailed all the homework and other various tasks I wanted to complete before I left for thanksgiving break, so that I could have the maximum time possible to have fun/relax while at home. Initially, I was completely overwhelmed by all the stuff I had to do and seriously considered crying right then and there. But, I decided to just focus on one thing at a time until I got it all done. I think one of my favorite feelings in the world is being able to cross things off of a list. I feel so completely accomplished, and with each slash I feel a weight being lifted. Man... what a great feeling! :)

As soon as I finished my civ test Friday, I went to the library and checked out 9 different books about Martin Luther and his life for my research paper. I came back to my room and got to work looking through them all. It took about 4 hours... but I made my way through them and typed up all the possible quotes I could use in my paper and such. I don't plan on looking at the paper again until after break, but it is nice to know that I got most of the hard part done. Then I did my civ homework for Mondays class. Victory. Another item crossed off the list. After my workout (yep... that means yet another slash!) I did some laundry. Oh what a great feeling that was. I woke up this morning and did my civ homework that is due the Monday we get back from break (yeah... I am that much ahead... be proud). All that is left on my list today is: meeting with my group about our nutrition presentation, writing a fake sociology paper*, Thanksgiving dinner with the same group as last year, physiology reading and a workout. I am making some serious progress...and man am I glad I made a list to keep track of it all! :)

*In regards to this "fake" sociology paper: you see, we write 3 papers during the semester. If we complete all 3 we qualify to do the extra credit paper at the end of the semester... which entails watching a movie from a list she gave us and relating it to sociology. Our professor drops our lowest paper grade of the 3. Whether we make a 100 (which no one does) on all three... only 2 get counted. So, she suggested to us (since paper number 3, the fake one I will write today, is due the Monday we get back from thanksgiving) that we simply turn a piece of paper in with our names on it and a few sentences and let that be the dropped grade. Considering I made A's on my other 2 papers... I am totally doing this. Basically, I am just going to pick one of the prompts and write an opinion paper... no research or anything... just so I can have something to turn in and qualify for extra credit. This is kind of stressing me out, because I can't imagine not trying on something... but then again, our professor did encourage that! Ha.

Strange Days.

This week has been pretty chill... for once. I only had one test, so it felt like I had nothing but free time. Ha. I got to catch up/store up on some sleep... which is always wonderful. Friday, however, was a rather strange day, but in a good way. Here is what took place:

1. My evil physiology professor baked us cookies and brought them to class! This really threw us all off because, well, this guy is a total jerk. Come to find out though, we had a lady sitting in our class observing/evaluating him and the next class had to fill out evaluations for him. Apparently he is up for a promotion. I feel like the cookies were a total manipulation... but good nonetheless! ha.

2. No chapel! So I went back to my room to hang out a bit before my next class. While walking past the GC (our student union thing) I realized that there was a limo parked in front of it. I have never seen a limo at OBU before... it really threw me off, but was kind of cool!

3. In sociology I drew my friend Amy this awesome hand turkey. She loved it.

4. In Civ, my history professor brought her long haired doxin (sp?) to class. She said that we could all use the stress reliever. So, when we all got into class, she took her leash off and let her wander around the room and we played with her if she came near our desk. It was so random... but pretty awesome!

5. It's our homecoming weekend... meaning OBU is infested with old people.

I guess that really isn't a lot of strange things... but it felt like a lot more while I was experiencing the day. Ha.

Sorry my life is so boring these days. I am so ready for thanksgiving break.

Spring 2010

I registered for classes today. Here is what next semester holds for me:

Monday: 9:00-9:50 Microbiology

10:00-10:50 Chapel

11:00-11:50 Wellness lifestyles

1:00-1:50 Lit of the Western World

2:00-5:00 Microbiology Lab

Tuesday: 8:00-9:15 Arts and Ideas

1:00-2:50 Intro to Nursing Lab

6:30-8:00 Jazz and Hip-Hop

Wednesday: 9:00-9:50 Microbiology

10:00-10:50 Chapel

11:00-11:50 Wellness lifestyles

1:00-1:50 Lit of the Western World

2:00-4:50 Intro to Nursing (this is a 4 hour class... its not as easy as the title makes it sound. just saying)

Thursday: 8:00-9:15 Arts and Ideas

Friday: 9:00-9:50 Microbiology

10:00-10:50 Chapel

1:00-1:50 Lit of the Western World

I don't know what I got myself into... but it should be an interesting semester!

Weekend Wrap-up

This has been a rather uneventful weekend, but I can't complain. Ha.

Friday I was so mentally drained from completely my civ test (I wrote 9 pages this time... I think I am actually learning how to write faster now). I cam back to my room, watched some general hospital and just chilled. It was needed. Then I went to the girls house... and that's when my weekend went downhill. We built this incredibly insane fort in their living room. In fact, we turned their entire living room into a fort. It was pretty epic. However, I really hurt my back. It has been bothering me for a couple of weeks now, but Friday night it got to the point where I just couldn't take it anymore. I called my dad bawling like a baby because I just didn't know how to make it stop. I was sick to my stomach from the pain and just couldn't find any relief. When Saturday came, I couldn't even move. It was horrid. So, I have been laying down, or sitting propped up by pillows, all weekend. I had to miss out on a lot, but I really needed the chance to rest my back while I could. Plus, I definitely value my alone time more than most people here... so I am actually rather grateful for that! I was able to lay in bed all day. I skipped church... which ended up being a good call, but more on that later. I woke up and listened to a Matt Chandler podcast. It was very good... I certainly got a lot out of it. Then I just laid in bed, with my heating pad, and did homework/watched tv all day. It was so nice. I finally watched Glee online, and it was wonderful, as usual. I even got to see the last 10 minutes of the Saints game. They definitely came back with a big win today! I was thoroughly impressed. They always win when they wear their black jerseys. I got a lot of civ reading done, and some physio. Boring, sure, but it needed to happen.

The reason skipping church was a good idea is because I was in too much pain to handle it. Also, the medicine I took last night made me so tired I wouldn't have been able stay awake anyway. I ditched my diet tonight and went and got food with my roommate, and after being in the car and sitting up for 5 minutes my back starting killing me. There is no way I would have been able to last the 40 minute car ride to church, the hour long service, and the 40 minute ride back. I hate missing church, but I think I made the right call for the day.

I am about to head to bed (yes... this early) because I think my medicine is kicking in. Looooooong day tomorrow.

ps: did I mention that the Saints won?! mhmm. 6-0! and they play next Monday night. I love football so much.

Hugh Laurie and strange dreams

This week has been crazy! I am SO ready for Friday. Nutrition/development test today and Civ test tomorrow. Yikes! But... my roommate showed me this video today... and suddenly my stress was replaced by laughter... so enjoy!

In other news, some of you recall last semester when I experienced a few recurring dreams involving a particular subject matter/people involved. Those dreams lasted a while and each one was kind of a continuation of the last. Well... they are back! Sheesh. I must say, the most recent is the funniest of all. We will see how long they last this time ;). Dreams are a very strange thing.

Day 4

Well, this is it. Tomorrow is the last day of fall break, and I must say I am actually relieved. Don't get me wrong, I was super appreciative to have two days off of class... but I have not particularly enjoyed being alone for the past 4 days. I think it was necessary for me to be alone in order to get all the work done that I did, but at the same time... I am so ready to actually have a conversation with another human being! I will be giddy when everyone comes home tomorrow. :) This is what my day consisted of:

1. Woke up and finished my civ paper! :) Victory! I will probably need to do some more work on it later and make some changes... but I have over a week. The point is that I got it done!

2. I was able to watch all but the first quarter of the red river shoot out... and Texas won! It was awesome. It is even more fun to actually be in Oklahoma and have them win! Haha.

3. Speaking of UT... I watched the "I am second" of Colt McCoy, and I must say... I totally fell in love! No joke. Sigh.

4. During the game I decided to get to work on some more physiology reading... but I only lasted a little over an hour before my brain couldn't take it much longer. Blah... oh well. At least I got something done.

5. I watched Center Stage Turn It Up! I stinkin' love this movie... and I think today was my 4th time to see it. It is absolutely ridiculous... but I don't care! I can't get enough. Once you accept that the acting is truly horrid, the movie is rather enjoyable. :)

6. I did some more civ homework for a while. It is pretty much never ending. I have a test Friday... and I am SO unprepared. Yikes.

7. I made some dinner and watched Say Yes to the Dress. It has been a marathon like all day... so that was awesome! I am hooked on this show. The Duggars where even on an episode... go figure! Ha.

8. Next up, Moulin Rouge. This movie was so weird... but I think I totally loved it. I even got a tad choked up, I am not going to lie. I am glad I finally got around to it!

Since I can't go to church tomorrow, I am going to wake up around 10 and listen to a podcast. I am actually looking forward to it. I rarely find time to listen to any these days... so it will be fun! Then, I am not doing ANY homework! I have been doing homework nonstop since I got out of class on Wednesday... I figure I am allowed to have at least one day of fall break... right? :/ anyway... the Saints and Giants play tomorrow... and I actually get to watch it! Words cannot express my joy. I finally have a Sunday off and there is a game on that I am deeply invested in! (Go Saints ;)!

Well, I am going to reapply this heating pad and pray that my pain subsides enough so that I will actually be able to move tomorrow.

Day 3

I must say, today was not nearly as productive as I would have liked, but such is life.

1. I woke up to a phone call from my dad. Not my favorite wake up call in the world, but hey, it happens.

2. After a long talk, and A LOT of money, my dad booked my tickets for thanksgiving! I am flying in to Houston on Monday November 23 at 8:30pm and flying out Sunday November 29 at 3:30pm! I get so much time off and I couldn't be happier! I need to be home.

3. Once I got off of the phone I decided to go ahead and finish my nutrition paper. Success.

4. Next, I got started on my Civ paper. Sheesh. I didn't get particularly far, but oh well... at least I started. I keep justifying it considering the fact that it is not due until a week from Monday. I will hopefully get a lot done tomorrow.

5. I did a good amount of physiology reading as well. I am not sure I retained much... but I did it! :) This class is KILLING me this semester... I need to do all that I can to survive. I am so nervous

6. I ended up going to my great uncles house to have dinner with him and his "wife." They are not technically married, but they have been living together for like 20+ years... so I tend to just use the term wife. Anyway, they are that awkward family that none of us really like to see... but at the same time it is my grandmas brother, and he does take me to the airport, so I need to be polite. It really isn't horrible... just weird, ya know?

7. Once I got back to the house I decided to order some jewelry... and I am super excited. nothing too special, just a necklace and some earrings.*

8. As per the usual of this break, I picked a movie to watch for the night. I chose... He's Just Not That Into You!! :) I absolutely LOVE this movie. Seriously though. Can we say story of my life?! Yes. haha. If you have seen it, think about the character Gigi... now picture me. Pretty much one in the same. This is somewhat sad, but very true! Gosh. I can't wait to watch this again over Thanksgiving break with DG. Perf.

9. Tomorrow holds another day of paper writing and physiology reading. What joys await. Sigh. But, I have decided to not do any homework on Sunday... so I have something to look forward to. I am so burnt out on school.

10. Have I mentioned how ready I am for Thanksgiving break?! Seriously! I need a break from school, and need the taste of home! Fall break has been a good opportunity for me to get some work done, which has been needed for sure, but it has made me extra homesick. I have had a lot of time alone, which definitely has its benefits, but I am ready to be around people again! Ha. I miss BD like crazy!! I am ready to be home!

*Ok, so buying this little bit of jewelry is part of my attempt to become more of a girl. It might be a loooong process, since I hardly have a feminine bone in my body (at least when it comes to my appearance), but I have some moral support and 'guidance' from a certain bffae of mine. Haha. Oh my, don't judge me.

Day 2

Alright, I know everyone has been waiting in anticipation for my day 2 post. Now, I can barely stay awake at the moment, so I don't know how exciting this will be (sorry DG...I hope you can forgive me).

1. Woke up around 11. Beautiful.

2. Immediately got to work on my civ homework. success.

3. Took a lunch break and ate one of my WW meals. I think the chicken alfredo ones are not particularly good... but don't worry, I persevered.

4. I continued working on my nutrition paper. It is quite the project, I must say. I definitely underestimated it. I gave up around 6 because I simply got tired of doing it. Don't judge me... it is fall break after all. Looks like I will have some more homework waiting for me when I wake up in the morning.

5. Next was my daily wife training aka cooking dinner. Tonight I made some baked pasta and texas toast. It kind of turned out to be a mini lasgna type of meal, because I made a meat sauce to go with it. It was really yummy I must say... and I have lots of leftovers! Ha.

6. I watched a ton of tv. Bones, Greys Anatomy and Private Practice! :)

7. I APPLIED TO SKY RANCH! I had been meaning to do this for a long time, but the application was rather extensive and I just hadn't had the time yet. I am so excited and I am praying that I get this! I just think that it would be a great opportunity for me this summer.

8. I watched 27 Dresses. Can we say wedding fever?! Sheesh. I forgot how much I actually liked that movie. Haha.

9. I still have SO much homework to get done it is ridiculous! I am trying to get everything done before Sunday though because I want to just have one true day off. Plus, I think the Saints play on national tv... and I have yet to see an nfl game this year. I would love finally see a game!

10. This house is pretty creepy at night. No lies. :/

Day 1

I decided to give a day by day update of my fall break. Trust me, it won't be very interesting, but it gives me something to do. Today marked the beginning of fall break. It couldn't come soon enough.

1. We got out of civ 35 minutes early!

2. I bought 5 bottles of cranberry juice on my way back to my room. I might be getting a kidney infection. not good.

3. I made an 80 on my physiology test. you have no idea how big a deal this is. PTL

4. I came to the house and settled in. Amanda left. Then Kacie. Then Julian.

5. I did dishes for an hour and rocked out to music.

6. Worked on my nutrition project for a little over an hour. I still have a ways to go.

7. I cooked some homemade chicken strips and made some salad. It was rather tasty, if I do say so myself. practice, practice, practice!

8. I watched Glee. It was wonderful.

9. Did the dishes I acquired during cooking dinner.

10. I watched Hairspray for the first time. It was tight.

11. Talked to my bffae for a while.

12. Looked up some aprons online. I love being a girl.

13. Now I am watching scrubs and getting ready for bed.

It is definitely weird being here alone... and definitely lonely... but I am looking forward to just relaxing and getting a lot done (hopefully)! well, be on the lookout for more riveting posts in these next few days ;).

Fall Break

So, fall break begins on Thursday. Actually, I mean it pretty much starts tomorrow at 1:50 when I get out of civ... but the official days are Thursday and Friday. I am not looking forward to it because I am the only person I know staying in Shawnee, so it is going to be ridiculously boring and lonely. However, I am staying in the girls house... so at least I get to cook for myself! Here is my to-do list for break. I don't think anyone cares.... but it will help me organize/plan for this 4 day weekend.

1. Do my nutrition self assessment project and paper

2. Start studying for my development and nutrition test

3. Read Canterbury Tales for civ and do copy book questions

4. Start studying for my Civ test aka outline my 20+ pages (front and back) of notes

5. Write my Civ Lit paper (intense!)

6. Keep up with my reading for physiology

7. Beginning learning my definitions for the next test (we have 100 this time... :/)

8. Potentially look at the assignment for my next sociology paper (do some research?)

9. Work on my proposal for my Civ history paper (topic: BLACK DEATH!)

10. Write some letters

11. Finally watch Moulin Rouge

12. Skype!

13. Do some serious cooking

14. Clean the house a bit... especially the kitchen

15. Wake up Sunday and listen to a podcast since I won't be able to get to church

16. ...and most importantly, SLEEP!

I am sure I am forgetting plenty of stuff that I need to do... but these are the main things. Sheesh... this isn't going to be much of a "break."

Plans for us

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

Jeremiah 29:11-14

House of God Forever

So, after reading Molly's blog in which she listed out some blessings in her life, I was greatly inspired to make a list of my own. So, enjoy!

1. Best friends

2. Cooking dinner for my friends

3. Doing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen for a very stressed Amanda, sick Kristen and working Kacie

4. Surprise parties (Happy birthday, James!)

5. Cookie cake

6. Juba (Johnny's puppy)

7. Cancelled football games ;)

8. Days without class

9. Life lessons... lots and lots of them

10. Random, and epic, handshakes in the hall

11. Making civ jokes with Johnny

12. Hope beyond all reason

13. Getting an excellent education (even when I complain so much about it)

14. Pen pals

15. Encouraging emails

16. Hugs

17. Phone calls with people I love

18. A God that has been sustaining me

19. Opportunities to practice/work on my "woman skills"

20. Chances to serve others/show them my love

21. Unanswered questions

22. Care packages (coming soon, so I am told)

23. Awesome grandparents that I am so close to

24. Skype

25. Forgiveness

26. New/growing friendships

27. Being able to look at a breathtaking skyline

28. Pictures

29. Optimism

30. Going home for Thanksgiving

God is so good. I am so blessed. I pray that when my own pessimism wants to take over, I can stop and look at all the things God has given me. He is so faithful, I am so undeserving. What a beautiful thing Grace is.

I think I am in love...

With Matthew Morrison... aka Will Schuester on Glee. Seriously. This weekend I watched all 5 episodes of this wonderful show, and with each one I fell more and more in love with this man. He is precious! Seriously. Plus, his voice in incredible. It makes me melt every single time he opens his mouth. Bah. If you don't watch Glee, I highly recommend it! It never ceases to put a huge smile on my face. :)

Girls Night!

Tonight, we had a massive girls night. About 85% of the time, I complain about being a girl. Let's face it, being a girl can be tough! But, the other 15% of the time I absolutely love being a girl. Like tonight, it was great!

You see, girls will declare and official "girls night" for a variety of reasons. Here are a few:

1. Someone has just gone through a breakup (luckily, that was not the case tonight)

2. The girls involved haven't seen each other in a while, and want to reunite

3. The girls have just completed an incredibly stressful week (the stress could be from many sources)

4. Someone needs some serious cheering up

5. Everyone involved needs an excuse to eat a lot of junk food and not feel bad about it

Of course, there are many other reasons for holding a girls night, like frustration with boys (yep, it happens), a sudden desire to watch chick-flicks, dance, talk, laugh a lot etc. All of these reasons are valid for those of the female persuasion. Tonights girls night was held for a few reasons: stress relief/relaxation, junk food, not wanting to go out or look nice for anyone. I think it was needed by all. Our night consisted of:

1. Chocolate covered strawberries

2. Milk shots

3. Dance Party! (which also included the hoedown throwdown)

4. What Happened in Vegas

5. Pictures

6. Girl talk

7. Sweaters and leggings

All in all, it was very enjoyable! I like nights like these. It makes me miss BD all the more, but it was definitely fun. Being a girl definitely has its perks at times.

The moon and the stars declare who You are

This has been an exceptionally good week. Seriously. I don't know what happened, but I am so grateful to get to experience times like these. It has definitely been a chance to shake off the past week and be renewed, ready to take on whatever is next. God is so good. He is so faithful. I hate how easily I loose faith in that sometimes.

I have been blessed to have a week that is test free! Gosh, that is so rare this year. Unfortunately, I have been lacking some motivation to do my day to day homework this week, but at the same time I am just trying to soak up these moments while I can. :)!

Yesterday we had a Civ reading. We started Dante's Inferno in Civ, and as tradition, the professors take turns reading (and sometimes acting) out the poem for us on random nights during the week. I went last night with Johnny and Julian. I found it to be rather enjoyable and helpful... plus it forced me to actually read the poem, not just sparknote it ;). I enjoy it, which is really rare for me with Lit. Then, I got back to my room and got to skype with Molly. I must say, one of the most fun skype experiences to date! Haha. Love you Molly!

Today was nice because, as is the norm this week, the weather was perfect. I got out of nutrition early (PTL!) and got to sit on a bench outside with my friend Julie and chat for a bit. I also called Zach for his birthday, and we had a sufficiently awkward, yet humorous, phone call! Zach, you are welcome ;). Then I went to Old Navy with Amanda and Kristen and I actually bought a dress!!! I never buy clothes, so it was a big moment for me. I like it! It is black, and fairly simple, but a good investment I think. On the way to Old Navy, Andrew called me. It was lovely. Certainly put a huge smile on my face! After I got back and did some more Civ homework, I went out to our football game. We won 27-0. We have played 4 games since preseason ended, and a team has yet to score on us! Woop. Then I came back to my room and got a wonderful phone call from Eric! Very enjoyable. I am glad we got to catch up a bit. I also talked to my dad today like twice on the phone discussing some summer stuff (more on that in a bit) and I also called my gma today so we could catch up. It has been a day of phone calls for me. I like it! Haha.

Now, for my big news: This afternoon, I interviewed to work as a counselor at Sky Ranch this summer! It is so crazy how this has all been happening. I had really been thinking about working at a camp this summer for a long time. I initially thought about it last semester and continued to think about it through this summer, but thats as far as it went. Well, lately (like the past week or two), I have been thinking about it A LOT! I started researching various camps on Sunday. I looked at a few, then came across Sky Ranch. It is in the Tyler area, so immediately it had some extra appeal. I looked at the website and read about the camp and all that. It quickly moved to the top of my list, but I was still going to look at some more. Well, I walked into the GC today to check my mail and grab some lunch and what do I see... a table set up with people from Sky Ranch recruiting!! Seriously?! I got so excited and decided to go over and talk to them. They were very nice, of course, and we talked a bit about how I heard of this camp and what got me thinking about working at one. Then they asked me what my schedule was like for the day because they were going to be doing interviews. I explained that I had class from 2-5 so I wouldn't be able to interview in person. But then, the guy sitting there looked at the schedule and was like, "Actually, we have ONE spot open for an interview right now. Would you be interested?" So I said YES! Ha. So out of my comfort zone, but soooo cool. So this girl Tamara walked over with me to these couches and we had an interview. It lasted a little over an hour. It was so cool. I felt like we related really well, so although it was an interview, there were a number of times when it just felt like conversation. So cool. I think it went really well! She took my picture (unfortunately I looked GROSS today) and then I went on my way. I still need to actually apply to this camp, but I felt really good about the interview today. Gosh, I am definitely praying for this. It is such a good opportunity for me. She even told me today, "we are not a sports camp... we are much more focused on relationships." Umm... PERF! haha. I am just SO excited about it all. Plus, I only work for 6 weeks. So, I still get to go see my dad and go to Houston. It is most certainly a win win win for me. :) I will keep you updated.

PS: HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZACHARY! (now I have covered all my bases. mhmm)

You are so much more

Have you ever had those days when you are just so overwhelmed by the beauty of Gods creation that you can hardly speak? Have you ever had one of those days when you feel like everything is just going to, somehow, workout? Have you ever had those days when you wish you could just freeze time? Have you ever had one of those days when joy is the only thing you can feel? Have you ever had one of those days when, no matter how much work you may need to get done, all you can bare to do is sit in the warmth of the sun? Have you ever had one of those days when God has reminded you that in Him all things are held together? Have you ever had one of those days when you want to cry, not because you are sad or stressed or angry or scared, but because you simply don't know how else to express what you are feeling?

Today has been one of those days for me. It has been beautiful. Praise God.

I woke up a lot later than planned today, but I am ok with it. My body needed to sleep. I mailed a letter to my dear friend and a present to Zach (be pumped, btw) and then I went to lunch. It ended up being just a few of us there, but enjoyable. After lunch I started walking with James and we got to talk for a while. I don't have class on Tuesdays (thank you, Lord) so I decided to just keep talking to him for a while. We went to his car, got his hammock and set it up outside of the library. We sat in his hammock for nearly 3 hours. He worked on Greek, I just relaxed and took in the beauty of the day. It was 70 degrees, clear skies, sunny, no humidity and a cool breeze. Aka PERFECT. The hammock drew a ton of attention, as was to be expected. Johnny walked by and ended up hanging out for close to an hour. He rocked the hammock, and I almost fell asleep. It was wonderful. People came and went, we chatted for a while and they went on their way. I just stayed in the hammock, realizing I had a ton of civ homework and physiology reading, but I couldn't bring myself to leave. I loved hanging out with James... it had been way to long. I came back to my room and started some homework, then Lauren called me. I thought about keeping the convo short so I could be productive, but I decided talking to my friend was way more fun. We talked, we laughed. It was nice.

God is good. He is so faithful. In the midst of the struggles of this year, He alone is sustaining me. I am constantly amazed.

My word, what a beautiful day.

Party in the U.S.A.

I am not going to post about any of the junk that has been going on this week, because chances are, if you are reading my blog, you have already had to put up with my incessant complaining. Sorry again about that. ha.

I am going to stick with a list for this post. I am just too tired to think of anything else.

1. I am currently updating my phone. It is taking forever.

2. I stayed up until 3:30 last night doing homework. I am actually proud of myself considering I only got 3 hours of sleep Thursday night and no nap at all yesterday.

3. I did all that work last night for this purpose: I am about to leave to go to a stained glass store with Amanda!

4. The drive is a little over an hour... so that means plenty of time to jam out to Miley. Perf.

5. TWIRP date today. I am hoping it will be fun. It is going to be a bit weird for sure, but we will see. It is the same group of guys we TWIRP every year, but Amanda, Kacie, Kristen (who is out of town anyway) and I haven't talked to or hung out with them all year. Also, we have no plan in place yet. Haha. Oh well, I am sure a good time will be had by all.

6. We plan on going to see Fame on Sunday. I am pumped.

7. I am legit allergic to Oklahoma. I am not just saying that because I don't like it here. I am totally serious. My skin will attest to this fact. It is rather unsightly.

8. It is a BEAUTIFUL day. 75 and sunny with a slight breeze. Talk about perfect! Gah. I am so happy. "It's a Jon Foreman day."

9. Since we will be in the city, I am kind of hoping for chick-fil-a. I feel like its a long shot today though. We will just have to wait and see.

10. My allergies are kicking my butt this week. But... fall is coming!

11. Izzy (my cousin) turned 8 yesterday! I sent her a video and called her. It is interesting trying to talk to kids on the phone. Ha. I can't believe she is so old. I feel like all my memories pretty much begin at 8 years old.

12. I think our room is actually getting colder. I didn't know that was possible. It is actually really painful to take a shower now because our skin is SO cold, the warm water feels like flaming bullets. Not exaggerating.

13. Iphone update almost complete!

14. I have the absolute BEST bffae in the world. Seriously.

If I had time

I finished my journey through Matthew this moring. It has taken me a little over a month, but I stayed committed and finished it. Today I read through the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. I pray that this never looses its ability to amaze me. When I initially started reading through Matthew, I found myself thinking at times "oh, I know this story" and I would just quickly read through this. But, I don't ever want the Word to become something I can take so lightly. Reading today reminded me of the price Christ paid, for us! He knows I don't deserve it. He knows I screw up constantly. He knew that humans would continue to be imperfect and sinful, yet He died anyway. Gosh, I am so thankful! I don't have any words that could do this justice, so I think I am just going to stick with "wow" for now.

Reading through this today really made me want to take another class at OBU called Life of Christ! Of course, I don't have anytime in my schedule, but as I prepare to continue to go through the gospels, I can't help but wish that I had time to take this class! James took it last year, and Kacie and Johnny are in it this year. As you can imagine, all I hear is how wonderful it is and how much they learn! I know I am in the right major, but sometimes I wish they gave us a chance to have at least one elective... because I would definitely take Lif of Christ.

Epiphany

School has been getting me down lately, that is no surprise to anyone who has been keeping up with my blog, but today I realized something that helps this all suck a little less. Ha.

First off, I have been learning SO many lessons lately. Sheesh. Sometimes it is hard to take it all in, and sometimes I would rather not have to be learning these things. But, nonetheless, God is teaching me. Let me share something I have been thinking about tonight.

This year I have come to realize/accept that school is not the single most important thing in the world. School is not what defines me and school is not something that should take all my time, energy and focus (because then it becomes an idol). I came to this realization and used it as an excuse to have fun this semester. That is all well and good, but I have come to realize that there is more to it than that. School is not everything, but, school is where God has me right now. I do not have a family and I do not have a job. School is my "job," so to speak. Although I need to be cautious about making school an idol in my life, I must realize that this is where God has me for the next 3 years, and I need to look at it as my service to Him. School needs to become about glorifying God. For me, that means facing it with a positive attitude. It means not allowing myself to get so discouraged when I am not perfect. It means balancing work and play so that I can keep some of my sanity. It means giving my worries and anxities over to God with each and every day. It also means sacrifice. It means saying no to hanging out with my friends so that I can get what I need to done. It means giving up a Friday night to prepare for a civ test on Monday. It means getting everything done that I need to. It means doing things to the best of my ability (as if to the Lord), and not just doing things to get them done. God has called me to OBU. God has called me to be a student. God has called me to be a nursing major. I need to start treating it as such. I need to treat school as my calling for this time in my life, not just a season I have to suffer through.

With that, it is time that I get to work on my civ studying and physiology reading. I plan on being in bed by 11 tonight so that I can be well rested for tomorrow. Man, God is so good.

I'm so over it.

School, that is. Seriously... it is so lame. I have come to the conclusion that I strongly dislike sophmore year. It is just a constant flow of work. Like, I don't catch a break... ever. I am constantly doing homework (which often consists of tons of reading) or studying. Bah. I have a test tomorrow in development and nutrition. The material is not difficult, but from what I hear the tests are surprisingly difficult/confusing. I am nervous... but we will see. For the first time, I am actually dreading the weekend... because my first civ test is Monday! Yikes. I cannot put into words how terrified I am! Ha. There is just so much information to know. So far I have 20 pages of notes (front and back), plus all the questions I answered related to my outside readings. I plan on starting my studying on Friday afternoon. Then, I plan on sleeping in until about 9:30 or 10 on Saturday, then moving into the library for the day. I will take a break for Biggie around 7 (it's this show at obu), then study a bit more before bed. Sunday will be church, followed by a nap (hopefully), more studying, civ cram jam, family dinner with Kacie, Amanda and Kristen (maybe), brief bible study, more studying and then hopefully sleep. Gosh. No fun at all. Luckily I get the test over on Monday... then I can start studying for my physiology and sociology tests next friday! Then, somehow, working on two different papers. I am not exactly sure how I am going to get it all done... but somehow I will. I am just praying for God to sustain me... He is my only chance! :)

Now that I vented about school, I will mention some positives lately (those are always more fun):

1. I have been learning a lot lately. Sometimes I don't like it, but all in all it is a good thing.

2. I think I am starting to grow up. Again, sometimes I hate it, but I am choosing to look at it as a positive.

3. My dad ordered my TOMS today.

4. Family dinners and bible study are starting up again. I am excited. It will be Kristen, Kacie, Amanda and I. I am looking forward to it!

5. Amanda and I had a great conversation yesterday. She is starting to incorporate BFND into her vocabulary. victory.

6. I studied in the art building last night. I felt cool.

7. We sang how He loves in chapel today.

8. I currently have a 113 in civ. Ha. (that won't last too long, though)

9. I skipped an extra credit movie for civ today and napped. Good decision.

10. I get to sleep in a tad tomorrow.

11. God is so faithful.

12. I am still a hopeless romantic, so it has been a lot of fun to watch Amanda and Evan's relationship.

13. I am currently watching GH... I never get to watch tv anymore!

So Encouraged

Sorry I have been posting so much lately, but I just wanted to share this.

Today I ate lunch with Sarah Shutt. She is the RD of my dorm, as well as the dorm I lived in last year. Anyway, it was wonderful!! Gosh, we talked about pretty much every major subject. We discussed school, relationships, family, marriage (of course), the future and Gods plans for us. Ha. I love Sarah so much. She is like a big sister to me, which is a total blessing. Who knew I would simply have to go to lunch to find some much needed encouragement?! It was so good. She also told me that it is kind of strange for her to talk to me, because I seem to be a pretty much completely different person that last year. That made me feel so good... God has really been changing me.

At lunch, Sarah also told me that she was expecting! :) I am SO EXCITED! I love babies and pregnancy. Plus, she is due April 4, so I will be able to witness the whole process. I can't wait. She wants to go shopping soon so she can get some bigger cardigans for her growing belly! :) yayy!

God is so good. It's funny how He always provides me with exactly what I need. Lately, that has been people to just love me and encourage me... and He has provided more than I could have imagined.

Ring by November

I knew that title would get your attention. Danielle gave me that suggestion earlier today. That shouldn't surprise anyone. But seriously, I am so sick of school! I want to just drop out and get married. I even had a dream the other night that I changed my major from nursing to marriage. No joke. I don't know how this was possible in my dream, but it happened. It did involved me transferring to lonestar... ha.

School is wearing me out! I am exhausted all the time! I seriously can't remember the last time I was so tired. I just want to sleep. This is party due to the fact that I only got 2 and a half hours of sleep on Saturday, but mostly because school has completely drained me. For example, today I ended up being in class from 9-7:30... my only breaks were chapel from 10-10:50 and a 30 minute dinner break. Ugh. It was awful. Then I came back and wrote a paper for extra credit for civ. I can't bring myself to think anymore tonight... good thing I don't have class tomorrow. Sophmore year is no fun at all.

These past couple of days have been exceptionally discouraging. However, there is definitely a bright side to it all. I have been experiencing these discouragements from a variety of sources, and I haven't seemed to be able to catch much of break. If this were last year, the combination of all the junk would have destroyed me, but God is so good! There is no explanation other than that He is taking care of me. Gosh, God has just been working on my heart. He truly is sustaining me, and I am so grateful.

One thing He has been teaching me is how to be fully satisfied in Him. It is a real struggle for me, because there are so many things of this world I seem to want. Even if I desire "good" things, they will never satisfy me like the love of Christ will. That needs to be enough for me. I am learning that, and it sometimes hurts, but after all the things of this world are gone, He is still more than enough for me. :)

In other news, Julian texted us all today asking if we would pitch in to buy Jared a new longboard. These things are NOT cheap at all, but everyone was really generous and it got ordered tonight! He has no idea, and I am so excited! I don't have a lot of money, and I am pretty much always stressed about it, but I was just filled with joy at the opportunity to pitch in. He is going to be so happy! Gosh, I can't wait for him to get it.

My dad is ordering me new TOMS! I can't wait. Gah! I had just been thinking in the past week or so how I really wanted a new pair... and then today my dad just asked if I wanted new ones! Yay!

I downloaded some new Miley and Regina. It does wonders for my mood. Mhmm. I also got to talk to Kyle a bit today! It was so exciting. And tomorrow I get to have lunch with Sarah, my RD from last year. I love her so much. :)

How He Loves Us

Gosh, I just love this song so much. We sang it today at church, and I was overwhelmed with emotion. What a beautiful reminder.

He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realise just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us so,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

Yeah, He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves.

We are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
So Heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way…

He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves.

Long Time No Post

It has been a while. Needless to say, things have been a bit hectic. So here is an update. I am sure it will be boring, but it's cool. ;)

Labor Day Weekend:

This was a very fun weekend! I decided to pretend like I wasn't a student (bad idea) and just have fun! Sometime on Friday I went to the girls house to hang out and ending up not even getting back to my room until Monday evening. It was awesome. I had brought laundry to do over there, and I already had a toothbrush, so there was really no need for me to go back to my room. It was nice. I had a lot of fun hanging out with them all weekend. Kristin was out of town visiting her bf, so I got her bed for the weekend! Bonus. Amanda's new boyfriend, Evan, came to visit as well. He is a good guy! I definitely approve. He got here on Friday and he and Amanda went to the city and Kacie was at work, so I had the house to myself (except for the few times Julian popped in). It was kind of nice to just chill. On Saturday we all slept in, which was awesome. Julian, Kacie, Amanda, Evan and I went to lunch and then just hung around. That evening we went to the city to go to Hobby Lobby. Always fun, although I am like a 5 year old and feel the need to touch every single thing I walk by. After that we went to, you guessed it, Chick-Fil-A. Words could not describe my joy. I was so happy. We headed back to Shawnee and hung out. I got to skype with Zach and just hang out with everyone. Sunday morning was church. It was about marriage... of course I loved it. Ha. Then Panera. Yumm. Sunday night we decided to go to the bridge and hang our heads off! Luke's brother, Nick, and I had never been before, so it was especially exciting! It is terrifying and awesome. The semi's get so close to your head! Ha. While on the bridge Luke and I were doing cartwheels. I had done a couple successful ones and impressed everyone, but I couldn't leave good enough alone. I went for another, and as my entire body went into the air, my hand slipped in the sand. I landed rather hard on my side. Of course it was witnessed by all. Ha. It was hilarious... but my hip is still bruised. As we left the bridge we went to pick up the boys who were longboarding in Lowes parking lot, which is apparently one of the best places around here to board. So, they all got in Nick's car and came back to the house. We ended up fitting 9 people in his 5 seater. It was really awesome! Monday was a chill/try and start homework day. Nothing too special.

This past week has been insane. Very difficult, very stressful etc. Yesterday was the first day I really got emotional about anything. I just wanted to be home so bad, and I was so overwhelmed with school. I cried 2 different times... all before noon! It was a long day. As I was studying, Amanda called and asked if I wanted a starbucks break, and of course I said yes. I needed it. Today I had 2 tests and then 2 hours of Civ. It was long! Ha. Thank goodness for naps.

Last night we had our first flag football game... and we won! We are the Lagomorphs. We picked our team name by opening the dictionary and pointing to a random word. I know you are dying to know, so here is the definition

Lagomorph: an order of mammals that comprises the hares, rabbits, and pikas. They are distinguished by the possession of double incisor teeth.

Yep, that is our team! Ha. I play on the offensive line. I would rather stand there and get hit the entire game than have to run and catch. Ha. Plus, I can take a hit... I can't exactly run well. I took a few really hard hits last night... but it is all part of the game! After we won, James gathered us all together and gave us a speech about how horribly we played and how much we work we have left to do. So encouraging ;)! Ha. We play tomorrow at 10:00am, and if we win that game we play again at 11:00am, and if we win that game we play again at 12:00pm. I am praying we loose at least at 11! Haha.

I am going to leave you with this note that Julian wrote on my phone last year:

Hey dude, don't get down about all the studying you have been doing cause you're going to save a life someday!

This Isn't a Dream

I feel like I had a lot more to blog about last night, but oh well.

I have had a good week, although, it has been exhausting. I am looking forward to a 4 day weekend. :) Yep, I get 4 days. Be jealous. Here is a list of things that stood out to me between yesterday and today.

1. Kacie turned 21!

2. Giant Dr. Peppers

3. Free starbucks (which, I get anytime I want now... it is awesome having friends that work there)

4. Jon Foreman

5. Windows down

6. Driving through the country

7. Sunny with a high of 75

8. Friends

9. Laughter... lots of laughter

10. Realization that school is not the ONLY important thing in the world

11. Permanent marker "tattoo"

12. MCC

13. Good conversation: in person, through text, on the phone

14. "Marie, I like those shorts! What size are they?"-Kacie "I wear a 4!"-Me "Why do we not share clothes?!"- Kacie "I don't know, but we can always start now."-Me "I am so pumped."-Kacie

15. Epic wall posts

16. My bffae is wonderful

17. My OBU friends think my friends from home are too cool. Awesome.

18. Doing laundry in the comfort of a home.

19. First Canterbury tonight!

20. iTunes card=lots of new music

God is really blessing me this semester. But, my heart does ache a little when I think of home. I miss it a lot. I miss you all a lot.

Love Isn't Made

I have been on a bigger than normal Jon Foreman kick lately. As in, if I get the chance to listen to music (which is rare these days) I always want to listen to Jon Foreman. I can't get enough.

So, yesterday was "Death Day." That will be all Mondays from now on, actually. By death day, I mean that I am in class from 9-5 (since I have lab) without a break. It is exhausting. Seriously. I was so mentally drained by the time I got out of lab that I couldn't bring myself to do ANY work last night. However, Praise the Lord, I do not ever have class on Tuesdays... so I was able to put off my reading and get it done today. School is certainly overwhelming me, but I am just doing my best to take it one day at a time and not get overwhelmed by it all! So far, so good... I think.

Today was my "day off." It was certainly good! I slept in until 10, which was beautiful, woke up and continued my journey through Matthew, got dressed, had lunch with my friends and then started my work. I read for development for a while, which was actually interesting. I also got to watch GH today. Perf. Then I decided to tackle my Civ reading. This is where my day got a tad frustrating. Civ makes me feel completely stupid. More than anything else, I think. At least, the literature portion of Civ makes me feel dumb. We are reading The Aeneid right now. The problem is... I don't understand it at all! Even when I read, I still have to follow it up with sparknotes just to know what the heck is going on. I am NOT good at interpreting literature. I never have been, but for some reason I notice it even more this year. It is very frustrating. My mind simply doesn't work that way. I don't mind the history portion because it is fact based. There isn't room for interpretation, for the most part. I think this is why I like having a science based major. I like to learn facts. I like to be told how to do things. I am not good at "thinking outside of the box." Science, although it is still challenging to me, is something that I feel like I have the potential to learn. Bah... we will see how this works out.

Speaking of Civ, I had my first experience with our Lit. professor for Civ on Monday. Her name is Dr. Cole... and I think I am going to like her! She had us take a class picture, which I thought was hilarious, and awkward. She got up in class on Monday and spent about 20-30 minutes talking about how "art saves lives." She was very passionate about it. She was also wearing Eiffel Tower earrings... which was tight. In the midst of her art speech, she stopped to say this:

"Now, art doesn't save your life like Jesus saves your life..."

Sometimes it is really tight going to a Christian school. Ha. I also hear that on occasion she dresses in character for class. I am looking forward to it.

I went to visit Amanda today while she was working in the library. She is a math tutor... but it is still early in the semester and so she doesn't have anyone come to see her for help quite yet. We talked for like an hour and a half. She filled me in on some drama that had unfolded the night before, and I filled her in on some non drama of my life. Then... we began discussing, what else, boys and marriage! It was tight. I haven't talked with her to much like this before. It was fun. Very good conversation. :)

Tonight I also went to Community Group! It ended up just being Johnny and I because James and Parker had to work, but I really enjoyed it. Johnny brought along his new puppy! He is a 10 week old pitbull named Juba. He is SO precious, and became my new bff. I fell in love with that puppy... and he loved me. He wanted to be near me the whole night! He even slept on my lap during the bible study. The community group was very cool. A lot of people weren't there today, though. It was a variety of ages too, which was kind of cool. There was an older married couple (they had highschool/college aged kids) and 2 recent OBU grads. When James and Parker come, and hopefully a few others, there will be a good amount of college kids. Anyway, I enjoyed it a lot. I even spoke up a few times and shared some of my thoughts. I was proud for not being too shy. The lesson was a continuation of Sundays sermon, so it was tight. I am excited to see what God does through this!

Class Overview

I have no experienced all of my classes (except for physio lab), so I decided to give an overview on my impressions on them so far.

Physiology (MWF 9:00): Same professor as last year, so I know how he teaches. I also know that reading the chapters before class are going to be rather helpful. Probably moreso this year, because this class requires a lot more understanding and a lot less memorization. I am somewhat looking forward to it, because it should be much more interesting in general. However, it is still going to be ridiculously hard... but I will be praying for God to sustain me through this.

Sociology (MWF 11:00): I have a feeling this will be the class that sneaks up on me! As I said in my last post, this class will probably be interesting (simply because people are interesting) and a bit controversial at times. I don't think I will have a problem liking this class... but it is going to be very time consuming, which is hard because all my other classes are so difficult. We will see though, I think if I just do the work and not put this class on the back burner I will be fine.

CIV (MWF 12:00-1:50): Yep... the infamous Civ! This class is SO intimidating. Seriously, I internally freak out at the thought of this class. It is more work than I have ever had in my life, and I am convinced that the professors genuinely believe this is the only class we are taking! For tomorrow's class I had close to a hundred pages of reading to do... and that is a regular to light day. Bah. This class scares the poop out of me. Plus, I find it hard to get all my reading done because there is just so much and it makes me want to sleep. Ha.

Development and Nutrition (Thursday 2:00-5:00): So, today was my first experience with this class. I have mixed emotions. It is two classes combined into one (we even have 2 different professors). It is also three hours long... with only one 10 minute break. And we were informed today that under no circumstances will we be getting out of class early. Bah. I think the subject matter (at least the nutrition part) is very interesting, though. The problem is, neither one of the professors are very clear on their expectations or instructions... and we have quite a few projects in there, and of course tests. It just makes me really nervous because I am not entirely sure how to prepare for that class. I still haven't made up my mind entirely about this class.

Tonight a group of us went out to dinner for this girl Danielle's 21st birthday. It was fun because I was at the end of the table with the people I know and get along with the best. We went for mexican food... which is always a bad idea in Oklahoma. It is gross. Danielle ordered a margarita with her meal in celebration. It was so strange to be there. Ha, most my friends here are a year older... so they are all turning, or just turned, 21! Ha. I am not used to it.

After dinner, we headed to Ford music hall to pick up our friend Luke. He was in there practicing piano. He started playing and singing Phil Wickham and I was just in awe! He is so incredibly talented. We also got fake married. I was the bride, he was the groom, Kacie was the preacher, Amanda was my MOH and Kristin played the wedding march on the piano. It was sufficiently awkward, but very funny.

After that we headed to Spotlight on Shawnee. It is this thing in downtown Shawnee where all the local businesses and such come out and set up booths and give away free stuff. It is always nice to get free things! It was super hot though, and we were very impatient, so we didn't stay too long. It was good though. I got a bunch of free spirals and plastic cups and pens. Ha. I also got some cookies and a dr. pepper. It was a worthwhile trip, I must say!

Tomorrow is another long day of class.... but then it is Friday! Yay! I am so ready for the weekend... and I have so much work to get done.