He > i February 13, 2012

I am supremely happy today.

I have 8 free-elective tests and 2 courses left for my degree. Very do-able by May.

Trivia: Valentines day is my second favorite holiday.

One of the courses I am working on consists of a 25 page research paper. I was pretty thrilled when I found out I could pick literally any topic I wanted…So, I get to spend 12 weeks researching and writing a paper on why human trafficking is overlooked in today’s society. Best school assignment ever.

I am in the middle of my last semester here at Verity…I have had 7 different roommates in my time here. Caitlin, Emily, Nina, Bethany, Ellen and now Katie. Olivia is an honorary roommate….

All of these girls have come to mean a lot to me. I am so thankful for their friendships and for the things they have taught me. I am a better and deeper person today because of the influence each one of these girls has had in my life. =)

December 22nd. December 22, 2011

I feel like an involved citizen right now. I just sent an email to all of our city council members to request the rescinding of a law that is coming up for discussion in a council meeting tonight. My whole family is going to go speak at the meeting as well.

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I have been painting lately. I have three different pieces I am working on.

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I really like this outfit:

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I’ve been reading Afflictions by Edith Schaeffer and she mentioned something that made me think:

When Stephen, in Acts 7:60, was being stoned to death, the last words he uttered were, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” Edith makes the observation that with this prayer, Stephen was praying for the salvation of those persecuting him. Standing in that crowd, was Saul-one of the greatest persecutors of the Christian church during that time…Saul’s hatred for Christians only increased after Stephens stoning.

It seemed as though Stephen’s last prayer and even his death were futile…some might have considered it a major defeat. God didn’t save Stephen…..Why? Stephen was such a Spirit filled man! But wait, what is this? A few chapters later, we find an earth-shattering miracle taking place: Saul’s conversion on the road to Damascus. It was at this point that the miracle of answered prayer took place.

~We have no idea the affect that our faithfulness, during the circumstances in which God places us, has on the lives of those around us.~

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Prayer builds our faith. 

We have not because we ask not.

If we asked, maybe our eyes would be opened to see it happening.

God is sovereign. 100%. “Stephen’s part in God’s plan was achieving victory when Satan was trying to make him cry out against God.” Through Acts chapter 7, we are meant to realize that Stephen’s victory did make a difference…

“The victory in the midst of an unchanging circumstance so often is a victory of tremendous faith” -Edith Schaeffer

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Never underestimate the power of a prayer.

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How often do we judge what happens and consider our circumstances to be a sound defeat? When really the supposed “defeat” was a powerful tool in the very hand of God.

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“Oh ye of little faith!”

-Lord, I believe, help my unbelief!-

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-May we learn from Stephen.

“God, help us to be faithful in the area in which we are meant to show forth a practical aspect of faithfulness.” -Edith S. 

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Did you know? 

 The scientific definition of laughing: A “successive, rhythmic, spasmodic expiration with open glottis(part of the larynx)and vibration of the vocal cords, often accompanied by baring of the teeth and facial grimaces.”

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Truth: 

“Every deliberate choice to obey Him will –depend upon it–be attacked by the enemy. Never mind. Nothing new about that. Be a man and stick with it.” -Elisabeth Elliot 

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Last thing! I bought a hat at Academy today. For $2.88. I love it .

My long over-due randomness :) December 15, 2011

Lately my little 10 year old brother has had the best comebacks. They literally leave me speechless. The other day, I said something to him and his reply was so crushing and witty that I just stared at him, I had no words. I tried to make my stare intimidating to make up for my lack of words…Clearly I am going to have to up my game.

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Tweet of the week: by MaxDubinsky- “What happens inside gas station restrooms to make us so overwhelmed with rage we must desecrate the place, tag it, & leave it soaking wet?”

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If anyone needs an expert hairstylist, I highly recommend this young lady:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Her name is Gracie. She does a fantastic job

 

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Awkward Family Photos.com

http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/2011/11/26/kissy-face-2/

http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/2011/11/15/lock-load/

http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Logjam.jpg

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Words of wisdom from my sister, Alison: “People need to start expecting the obvious”

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“When you love God with your mind, everything changes.” -Alberto Solano

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Sometimes…we get caught in the pit of self-focus. We think it is better and easier to sit and do nothing. To shut down, sink deeper, cover over.

But…since when is easier better? Rise up. Climb up. Reach out. 

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“You have no idea how far God wants to take you” – A wise friend

And such is life November 3, 2011

Today was one of those days where you just feel drained at the end of it. I knew I needed some outside perspective and I talked with a few friends who always know how to help me see the bigger picture and how to make me laugh. It is amazing how letting your world shrink to the size of the school you attend really does a number on you. So! I decided to blog.

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Food for thought: 

“We cannot ask God to give us a detailed answer to the “Why?”, we likewise learn that He gave no such explanation to Job. A portion of God’s answer to Job consisted of pointing out to him that if he could not understand how Creation took place-where the fantastic design of snowflakes originated-he could not understand the intricacies of the total battle between God and Satan, in which he had become the battlefield, so to speak.”

-Edith Schaeffer

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For a school assignment I wrote an obituary on my brother, John. It was terrible. I started tearing up while writing it . And then it got really long because there were all these nice things I wanted to say about him….

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Tweet of the week, by Alberto Solano(albsolano):

“Love is living a life that impersonates not a concept, but a God that was once in a human physical structure, Jesus Christ.”

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Words of wisdom: 

“Love to be real, it must cost—it must hurt—it must empty us of self.”
― Mother Teresa

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My two cents:

really good friends are hard to find. appreciate the ones you have- and make sure they know you appreciate them.

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I was going to go visit Chicago this weekend with my brother…but then I found out we were going to be decorating school for Christmas, having a big class get-together and that it would be our last normal weekend of the semester and I decided to stay in Indy. My roommate, Nina will be finished with her degree in the next few weeks and so won’t be coming back next semester..this makes me very sad!

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A boy here at school, who is completely deaf, gave his testimony during symposium this week. He shared about how he learned to speak both English and Spanish (most deaf people can barely communicate), how he was bullied and made fun of when he was younger…how he learned to drive, how he learned to play the piano, how he wanted to be a Dr. etc…I was blown away by the passion he had for life and for God. He made this statement that really hit home: “If you have Jesus in your life and you aren’t smiling, that is a sign something is wrong inside of your heart.”

[suddenly, all of my excuses seemed petty and weak]

Vanessa, Emily, Nina and I were working out that night…we came to a pretty intense set and in the middle Nina yelled out “GAH! If Ediee can talk, we can do this!”

She had a point.

I finished the entire set.

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Every year my school has a Christmas banquet. It is not this weekend, but next. There is a music program and a speaker… it is a big fancy event. I have the most beautiful, brown gown to wear to it, thanks to my roommate Bethany. I am pretty excited. I adore dressing up .

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Last Friday, Nina and I collided heads during an ultimate frisbee game. We knocked each other out and both went flying. Apparently I was out for at least a minute. I don’t really remember anything… When I came-to I wasn’t able to talk. I heard people asking me if I was ok, but I couldn’t answer them. Tears were streaming out my eyes even though I wasn’t crying. I mustered up enough strength to finally sit up and walk off the field. (Not a fan of being surrounded by a ton of people when I’m hurt). I immediately collapsed on some benches in the field dugout and laid there until a car was brought. My brother took the best care of me! Unfortunately I had set up a time to string pop-corn that night for some decorations that we needed the next morning. So I had to shake it off and go string pop-corn. I was pretty out of it. It took me forever to finish a whole string.

Nina and I both ended up being okay.

[I have had a headache since Friday]

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The verses God gave me for this week:

Isaiah 12:2&3

² ”Behold, God is my salvation,  I will trust and not be afraid; ‘ For YAH, the LORD, is my strength and song;  He also has become my salvation.’ ³ Therefore with joy you will draw water, from the wells of salvation.”

Hebrews 12:28&29

^“28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. ²⁹ For our God is a consuming fire.”

A bit of randomness from my week October 27, 2011

I’ve got a busy week ahead-time for my superwoman suit!

:Sunday:

[Beth and I took a walk this evening-the weather was absolutely gorgeous. Apparently there is a boy, who looks like Channing Tatum, that lives right by school...I'm not sure how I went a whole year already without knowing that...After our walk, we sat in a hammock and talked for a long time about everything and anything-it was simply lovely ]

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-One of the things that has been on my life to-do list:

Climb Kilimanjaro. I would love to do that. One day.

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I just spilled water all over myself…and I mean, all over.  That is 5 things I have spilled in 3 days. I’s got talent.

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~Monday~

This morning I have a very cynical view of humanity. It started with a bad night of sleep, increased when I sat down at a very awkward table for breakfast this morning and really got going when I got on facebook and there were a few things that were just so stupid to me…then I was on drudgereport and saw that 2 women had started attacking the cashier at a McDonalds and he beat them with a metal pole in self-defense and that a man had mooned Queen Elizabeth.. that did it. I started going off on the stupidity of people to bethany and then I stopped and went “wow. I am being so cynical! I’m sorry” I decided to change my attitude. People will always disappoint me..but then, I disappoint people too…what matters is that I respond with grace and give people room to be.

-My dad always tells me “Do not empower the weaknesses of others in your life”

-No more bad attitude for me!

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I am at starbucks with john..I am studying company relationship building through direct marketing, personal selling and sales promotion.

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I spent the afternoon studying with John, Joel and Jesse. I really like studying with these guys..not only are they ridiculously smart and can explain things very well, but they are the funniest guys I know…They make me laugh all the time.

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John keeps getting mail..but they haven’t given him a mailbox yet, so all his mail goes in my box…so I get really excited and then really disappointed when it’s always his. Today he asked me, “soo, do you ever get mail for you in your mailbox anymore?” I stuck my tongue out at him..in my head.

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-I helped make pies for Harvest Fest tonight!

-I made an exercise schedule for myself, It is hanging on my wall and I cross the workouts out every day. Tonight was a running night. I keep Ellen and Bethany doing it with me..the other night it was raining and freezing, but I dragged them all out there and we ended up having a blast. We sang jodies while we ran..we decided we were going to start a verity girls track team.

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.Tuesday.

Beth, Nina and I are all studying in our room this morning…I like this ..we’ll be studying and then someone will say something interesting or funny and we all pause and discuss and then go back to our work. It is quite pleasant.

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Tweet of the week! From Lecrae:  ”I have no idea how today is gonna go, but there’s nothing it can throw at me to rob me of my peace. #letsgo” 

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*Wednesday*

Last night I got a little concerned when I noticed my left calf muscle was in a  rather abnormal state… So I emailed my physical therapist and I’m waiting to hear back from her. I am really hoping it is nothing

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I am in a fantasy football league with some people from school and for the game this past week, the guy playing against me and I bet a milkshake on the game. I won . So, I just got my milkshake…it was the perfect timing because I had just been saying to myself how long and boring this day seemed. Pretty sure my day just got 10x better. =)

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Odd News Section:

-Poor boy..this story is just sad: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/upshot/young-boy-wishes-join-girl-scouts-210130922.html
-And this is just gross: http://news.yahoo.com/performance-artist-gives-birth-nyc-art-gallery-173638430.html

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I am an ISFP: http://www.personalitypage.com/ISFP.html

You can find out what you are here

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I have been studying all.day.long. 1o more minutes and then it’s time for a break.

10 minutes is up! I am leaving my room to see what adventures I can find…

-I said hey to John and Joel playing ping-pong

-I said hi to Valen

-I said hi to Careena

-I said hi to Kristina

and then I

-stopped to chill with Joey and Nina in the student lounge

-and then John stopped to chill with us too.

-and then Alberto stopped to chill.

-and then it was curfew time.

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Wellll, I test on Friday at 8:45 am and we have Harvest Fest this weekend, which is a big deal at my school. Bethany and I are in charge of decorating the barn this year, I love decorating… We have some fabulous ideas in progress.

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Alright, time for this blog post to end. Goodnight Have a fantastic rest of the week!

Oh hey, you’ve got a fully ruptured Achilles tendon! October 19, 2011

[The inability to do anything can either be your worst enemy or your greatest instructor.]

I would like to take a moment to tell a very brief version of my journey through a ruptured Achilles tendon…I am not telling this to get sympathy, or to be dramatic…I’m telling it simply because I am a completely different person than I was a mere 365 days ago..and my injury began that change. I won’t go into all the personal details of everything..just want to reflect on a couple of major lessons God taught me . SO..sit back and read away! 

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I remember making the conscious decision not to shave my legs that morning…We were at at Verity! No one notices that sort of thing here anyway…It seemed like solid rationale at the time…

Little did I know that decision would come to haunt me. 

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It was Nina’s birthday on Sunday. We went to church, went to lunch, went to Aveda, went to Kohl’s, got frozen yogurt and then to end the day we had a Special K cereal party . It was a very good day.

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As soon as the cart hit my ankle, I felt myself falling…I didn’t understand why until I looked down…

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Exactly 1 year ago,  in a freak accident (pulling a cafeteria dish-cart behind me) I ruptured my Achilles Tendon…The one day I hadn’t shaved my legs (or worn a cute outfit for that matter, but who cares about that) was the day people besides myself had to touch them! I remember sitting in a chair, my poor unshaved leg propped up on my (guy) friends knee…another (guy) friend pressing paper towels on the wound to soak up the blood…Through the intense pain and the shock I remember just being completely and utterly mortified. I put a sticky note up in our room the next day that said “ALWAYS SHAVE”…. hehe.

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When I was at home two weeks ago, I made this delicious dinner…Fish sounds really good right now! So, since I couldn’t have it, I decided I’d blog about it .

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[Your emotional responses can either cripple your(and others) capacity to grow or they can be a strength that changes lives.]

I couldn’t do anything on my ankle. I could hardly even walk…for months. I had never before experienced such constant excruciating pain…My sciatic nerve had been damaged as well, so the pain went up my calf and into my back. I know I complained about the pain way too often. In fact, I got tired of hearing myself complain!  I opted for rigorous physical therapy instead of invasive surgery…Estimated time of recovery? 6-12 months. 

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What began to change in me during the past 12 months? The top two things:

-Emotional Strength: Within a two week span of the injury, I lost the friendship of one of my closest friends and failed two big tests in a row. Deep pain intensifies the refining fire- ensuring the potential for lasting change. In my weaknesses, God showed Himself strong. He revealed His faithfulness to me in intimate ways. No human can have an encounter with God and come away unchanged.

-Identity: I realized I had never before  had no one or nothing (sports) to turn to…thus, I had never before really learned to be completely fulfilled by Christ. It is one thing to say your identity is in Christ, but when it comes down to it..is it really? Mine wasn’t. Is yours?

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Tweet of the week: From C.S. Lewis quotes…”How little people know who think that holiness is dull. When one meets the real thing, it is irresistible”

I favorited this one!

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I am taking Marketing Communications this week…I am thoroughly enjoying the marketing aspect of my degree. I find learning about how people respond to advertising and the whole decision process going into advertising simply fascinating. The last three classes I have taken have rarely gotten boring for me . Right now I am reading about the advertising campaigns that “pushed the boundaries of what is ethically and socially acceptable”

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-Awwwwww, bethany and I were just saying how we really wanted something sweet and a couple underclassman girls knocked on our door and gave us pumpkin rice-crispy treats they had made!

-Tonight we are going to make bagels! [well...beth and I went to make bagels...and there was no more room at the counter so we decided our help wasn't needed, went back up to our room and snuggled in for the evening..it's cold here.]

-I asked bethany what else I should blog about and she said “how disgusting my tea is” I was like “ehhhh..” so then I asked Nina and she goes “about the lamp I just put up in the middle of our room?” I went “uhhhh” so she tried again, “about how three of us went through 16 oz of creamer in three days?”

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It has been a year, I am back to playing ultimate frisbee, running and wearing high-heels…and even though I am a little nervous of walking in front of things,such as grocery carts and I am constantly aware of what is behind my foot and even though I fight being scared of re-snapping my achilles tendon again and even though I still experience pain everyday and still have two numb spots on the bottom of my foot…I know that Christ works all things together for good to those who trust in Him. 

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Last night, I went for a 2 mile…I sprinted at the end(so hard I just about threw up) simply because I could. And when I stopped running…I looked up at the sky and laughed from pure joy. 

{“It is good for me, that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes”  Psalm 119:71}

Thank you, Jesus, for counting me worthy to bear affliction for Your sake. 

Breath of Life October 9, 2011

“Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever…As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people, from this time forth and forever.” -Psalm 125:1-2  

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Living :  Hebrew- Chay [khah'ee] Alive; hence raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether literal or figurative, alive, appetite…

Spirit : Hebrew-  Ruwach [roo'-akh] Wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation…

["For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." -Hebrews 4:12]

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Tweet of the week: I am going to start sharing my favorite twitter update from someone I follow, ‘cuz some are just too good not to share . This week is from phatphilboy(Phillip Rosenberger)…His constantly make me laugh:

“What do you do when you’re dishwasher stops working? Slap her! JK!!! (cause everything is okay if you end with JK.. Or a face.) “

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["This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." -Joshua 1:8]

I am a person who benefits from visual reminders. I have sticky notes with bible verses and promises from God all over my room, a marker board in our bathroom which we take turns writing words of truth on, I wear a ring as a constant reminder of God’s grace, etc. In church today, we were reminded of the power that is in the words of God…I was encouraged all over again to keep His word before my eyes and in my heart. I wanted to pass on that encouragement to all of you

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In case anyone was wondering…I passed the Principles of Marketing test I last blogged about!

We did a little experiment on the last day of class, buying a caramel frappuccino from McDonalds and Starbucks we closed our eyes while tasting them to see if we could tell a difference…we could.

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Random Section:

-Great blog post! Sent to me by Holly Birdsong: Here

-Here at school we play a lot of ultimate frisbee…the last few games we have played have been killer. There is something super awesome about giving 100% of your physical strength to a game-fighting for all of your points- being completely spent after the game. We played an amazing game the other night in which I got the air knocked out of me, wrenched up my shoulder, had multiple people slam into me, and I could hardly breathe the whole game..I was covered in bruises the next day.  My team won.

-Bethany and I are at Starbucks right now…I got all of the things on my “to-do” list done. I am now ready for a new week! Next, we’re heading to Trader Joe’s to buy organic vegetables to juice  :)

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Next week is the 1 year mark for my achilles tendon injury…This song is a prelude to my next post, which will be a brief reflection on what God has shown me in the past year through the injury. Take a moment to listen:

Worth It All by Gateway Worship

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_

“Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”

-Psalms 126:5-6

Go forth in gladness and rejoicing…Have a fantastic week!

A Day In The Life… October 5, 2011

I am in class right now, for Principles of Marketing [probably my favorite class so far]…we are in the conference room at school…all around a table..in big comfy chairs. Everyone is majorly sidetracked…talking about mac versus pc…so I decided to start blogging. Oh, here we go back to the power point..[we are talking about the different types of goods and services] Oh we’re sidetracked again…I think no one should be allowed to talk until we get through all of our slides . Unless there is an immediate question of course. Sometimes during these sidetracks, I look up and smile or laugh or say “hm” just to show that I’m “paying attention”…

[oppsies, i just made a comment that got everyone sidetracked....now Matt is talking about cereal mascots that used to not wear shirts, but now they do.....?]

[oohh i did it again..i started choking and people had to make sure i was okay...I was.]

[heey we had a long(ish) stick to the slideshow stretch! Now we're on another sidetrack...half the table is talking about the movie, Courageous, the other half is talking about some sort of advertising something...]

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Did you know the zipper was first patented in 1851 by Elias Howe as the “Automatic Continuous Clothing Closure”? It wasn’t until the 1930′s that the “zipper” became popular.

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It’s 11:11..make a wish!

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Ok, class is over, lunch is over and now I’m studying at Starbucks with John. I am sipping on some iced green tea. so refreshing.

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It’s evening and time to study some more… I get to write a place analysis and a price analysis in the form of  a business memo. It is absolutely perfect weather tonight, I’m studying outside on some rocking benches…

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Watching some ultimate frisbee go down. I think I want to be a sports referee, I think I make good calls and I know the arm signals for “incomplete pass” and “touch down”.

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Well, it’s after curfew…I have showered, am drinking relaxation tea, we have candles burning in our lamp-lit room…i’m perfectly content . My favorite smell right now is lavender. I have natural lavender: shampoo, conditioner, body lotion and  lavender spray(lavender oil mixed with water)…I didn’t used to like lavender..but right now, I absolutely love it!

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The scarf I am knitting is almost done! And I am drinking my tea from a mug I made myself..I feel so domestic.

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I just have a few thoughts to share before heading to bed…

1. Being home last week was wonderful.

I had the most relaxing time! On Monday, all I did was sleep, do a few projects, play some basketball, read in the sun, go for a run and chill with the fam. One of my favorite evenings was when my whole family went out shopping…My dad bought my little brother a box of gumballs for $1 and we all chewed at least 4 at a time until the box was gone(fyi, it’s hard to chew when 3/4 of your mouth is filled with gum). The flavor only lasted like 30 seconds..for some reason we had a lot of fun with that gum …when the box was empty…Justin: “Wow, that was a lot of fun for $1!”. I went to a couple football games, saw a lot of friends, got a lot of sleep, watched some movies, listened to some good music, chilled with my fam and got completely refreshed.

2. Having my brother, John, back at school with me is so happy. I forgot how much strength, laughter and protection he brings to my life here…He is so stable and constant, I really love him. I remember one day last semester, John was not here and my good friend from home wasn’t here and it was the first time I had been at school without either of them and for some reason, a lot of weird stuff was going on around school and I got the most scared I have ever been. I felt so vulnerable and not safe…a feeling I never have and never will forget. I called both my brother and my dad and then I started to feel better.

3. [last thought!] A smile is incredibly powerful. I do not smile half has much as I should. I am going to start working on that.

“Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. ¹⁵ See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. ¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰ Do not despise prophecies. ²¹ Test all things; hold fast what is good. ²² Abstain from every form of evil.”

-1 Thessalonians 5:14-21 

A Rainy Day Blog Post September 20, 2011

This morning I am studying at my favorite Starbucks in Indianapolis. I have not been here all semester due to the lack of a car..but now one of my roommates, Bethany, is back at school and brought her car. I am working on writing my final project for Mass Communications…I am writing on the effect of digital books to the value of bookstores, with an emphasis on where the book industry is heading. I need to have 8 sources, so I am reading all sorts of interesting articles on media convergence in the publication industry.

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When I got back to school they were serving grilled cheese and tomato soup(it was really tomato sauce, but we pretended it was soup) then I traded dishpits with Nina and since it was Monday the fridge had been emptied out, people had brought back all their to-go boxes and there was a bunch of build-up from Sunday, all of the new students on the team still were unsure of what to do and had a lot of questions….oh, and the dishwasher is still broken, so now the kitchen sink washes all cups/pitchers/plates/silverware… It was a great dishpit .

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Now it is back to studying! It is 2:15 and Beth and I are already hungry =/..we’ve decided that 2:30 will be a snack break

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Update! We pushed snack break to 2:45…I was a on a roll with my paper writing.

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~Snack break~

Beth: “alright, it’s 2:45!”

Me: “Okay! What do you want for snack?”

Beth: “Your Great Harvest bread and animal crackers with peanut butter and nutella.”

We then proceeded to eat the aforementioned snack and the topic of conversation fell upon inhaling glue and other drugs of inhalation and how we needed to get our toilet fixed. Our toilet is quite broken. It has no lid and the seat is no longer attached. We all agreed that it is quite uncomfortable. Bethany said it was like taking a ride. Because of the no-lid factor and a shelf right over it factor, we have definitely dropped items in. The recent items being a blow dryer (i did that one), my contact case (bethany), and a brush (beth again).

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coconut oil hair masks:

Bethany brought back coconut oil with her…it is amazing stuff. We have used it so much and it’s hardly even gone from the jar! My 2 favorite things we use it for are coconut massages and hair masks. The water here was starting to damage my hair, but after leaving coconut oil in overnight a couple of times, it is healthier, shinier and stronger than ever. I highly recommend it!

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lavender oil:

Bethany also brought back lavender oil…lavender oil relieves stress, balances hormones, clarifies skin and blood, improves respiratory and immune system, aids in sleep and helps with pain relief. We have been rubbing it on the bottom of our feet, but tonight we are going to mix it with the coconut oil for our massages.

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People are starting to get colds around here. I am taking vitamin C, zinc and staying away from sugar..I am not getting sick.

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My brain is starting to die from writing all day long.

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Alright! It’s 5:00 and I have finished my first final project. I re-read the directions for the paper and saw that I wrote the maximum amount of pages allowed…oopsies! didn’t exactly mean to be an over achiever .

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20 minutes til dinner! I am going to stay productive and start making a budget. Dad, please be proud of me .

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News Flash! I did not use a single napkin at dinner.

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I am on my 5th outfit of the day.

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Off to whole foods and aveda with beth, nina, julie and bethany rowe! We all have great coupons.

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At whole foods, beth and I got a bunch of vegetables to juice in the morning. I am really looking forward to doing that…currently it is Beth and I in our room and we are just chilling, sipping on some apple cider vinegar in fruit juice(no judging, it’s so good for you.)

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Today was  a very productive day for me…Tomorrow promises to be just the same! My plan is to be in bed by 10:30 tonight (i’m feeling ambitious ) and so I’m going to wrap up this rather random blog post…I hope you  enjoyed reading a few of my random thoughts, moments and stories from the day!

The sun is always shining. September 13, 2011

The past few weeks have gone by in a blur! 2 weeks ago, I was up in Michigan, last week I was in South Carolina, this week I am in Indiana and next week I will be in Texas for 10 days and then I’ll be back in Indiana. No wonder I’m feeling a tad exhausted!

I have been taking naps after chapel this week until 9:30 and today I am starting to feel back to normal. Before I left  for Michigan I was consistently waking up at 6:30, reading my Bible, getting ready in a non-rushed fashion and going to breakfast…all before chapel…since being back at school though I have been struggling to get up at 7 and I have been moving so slowly I’ve missed breakfast every morning. I’ve gotta whip myself back into shape!

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Interesting News of the Day Section:

*Selena Gomez may have gotten a tattoo on her wrist: “Justin <3″.

*A man sued White Castle for not having big enough booths. He had been asking the chain to get bigger booths, and apparently they sent him condescending responses with coupons for free food and promised to expand their booth sizes..but they did not, so he sued: “He is suing for bigger chairs and unspecified damages because he says the eatery is violating the Americans with Disabilities Act. (He compares himself to pregnant women and the handicapped.) The lawsuit, however, has not put an end to Kessman’s love of mini burgers. Now, instead of going to White Castle himself, he sends his wife”. This 64 year old man weighs 290 lbs.

*Miss Universe has been crowned: Leila Lopes of Angola. She stated that she “wants to help her native Angola further escape a history of war and impoverishment and said she plans to focus on combating HIV around the globe.” Her three tips for beauty? -lots of sleep, sunblock and lots of water.

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On Sunday night, I called my family and they were all just sitting down to dinner..So they put me on speaker and I got to “be a part of” a family dinner…it pretty much made my day! I absolutely love family dinners…we have the best time. My little brother has told me multiple times, “dinners aren’t as fun when you are gone, Rachel!”

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[Random thing I miss: Cooking. The other day I really wanted to make fish, Tilapia to be exact. I was so happy when I was at Nina's house in South Carolina last week and got to make an apple pie and some apple sauce!]

[Senior Research Paper: I picked a topic! Existentialistic Communication. I am very much looking forward to writing this paper now. Just because I am so excited about it, here is my thesis paragraph. I'd love feedback on it if anyone has input!

The infiltration of existentialistic philosophy in all of social communication creates a constant tension. A tension that Christians must be knowledgeable of, and able to discern. Existential ideology has become the foundation upon which social interaction and communication is being built. It has quietly become the normalcy, a normalcy that must be reversed. However, before it can be reversed, it must be exposed. “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord...But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.”-Ephesians 5:8,13. This paper will strive to shine light on the subconscious use of existential communication and will urge Christians to not give in to this unbiblical worldview. 

I really hope my program advisor approves my topic .

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Deeper thought of the post: 

"Sometimes God calms the storm...sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child."

The cry of my heart recently has come from Psalm 37:

³ Trust in the LORD, and do good;
         Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
⁴ Delight yourself also in the LORD,
         And He shall give you the desires of your heart. 

I read that about a month ago and the phrase, "feed on His faithfulness" burned itself into my heart. I kept asking "Lord, what does that mean? It sounds so satisfying and rich and safe...but what does it mean?" I couldn't wrap my mind around it. I thought about it constantly for days.

I was at the time reading a book called "Captivating" by John and Stasi Eldredge that a friend had given me...the book is about becoming the woman God created you to be. The biggest thing that stood out to me in that book was this quote:

"For a woman to enjoy relationships, she must repent of her need to control and her insistence that people fill her. Fallen Eve demands that people come through for her. Redeemed Eve is being met in the depths of her soul by Christ and is free to offer to others, free to desire and willing to be disappointed. Redeemed Eve knows that she has something to offer; that she is made for relationships...being secure and safe in her relationship with her Lord she can risk being vulnerable with others and offer her true self." 

*Liiiightbuuulb* [please tell me you've seen Despicable Me!]

As soon as I read that it clicked.

Feeding on Christ’s faithfulness is *literally* allowing God to meet me in the depths of my soul and from that drawing on His peace that surpasses all human understanding.

So that became the non-stop cry of my heart to God. My world changed completely when that click happened. No dramatization being added here, just ask my roommate . I had been wondering why God had wanted me to go to Michigan on a retreat with my school…I found out on the day of fasting. God met the depths of my soul in a way that I could literally feel. And nothing.else. mattered.

Sure, I mess up. I have weak moments. Way more often than I’d like to admit to. But they aren’t the same anymore…because God is truly my wellspring of life and I have never felt so safe and secure in Him before. And I have never been happier =)

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Well. I have 48 minutes until lunch. I should probably get a discussion post or two done before then. Here’s to being productive! May everyone who reads this post have a super wonderful rest of the week

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P.S. OH! I got to go to the beach last week. Folly Beach in Charleston. I had never been to an East Coast beach before. It was absolutely divine. I love the beach.