Friday, September 30, 2011

True sign of happiness:

Mallards :) Seriously, they make me so incredibly excited every time I see them. They make me smile so big! Haha :) I think it's because they just seem so calm and peaceful, yet they're still very social. I don't know, they're just so cute! They were one of the first things I saw this morning on my way to class, and it just set everything off on a good note :)

I got lunch with Ginger and Kirsten today, which was awesome. We talked all the way up to the point where Kirsten had to be like, "Ummm.... We need to go to class." Haha. Womp womp, but it must be done! I ended taking a 2 hour nap after my classes. (It was supposed to only be 30 minutes, but my bed is just really comfy!) When I woke up, I felt too antsy to sit in my room, so I decided to head over to the Quad area. Stephanie was hard at work on a paper, so I decided to not be a distraction and go to TDU. After a few minutes I got a text from Steph asking if I had an extra hair-tie.... SO I ended up going to Carrier anyways! I ran into Jess on the way there, and she is just too cute :) I'm glad I got to talk to her for a little bit! I ended up talking to Stephanie for about 20ish minutes--which I definitely enjoyed, but I felt bad for distracting her for that long! Oops... Dinner time came around, and I met up with Nancy :) A little ways through our meal, we see Elizabeth (another Delta!), and she sat down with us while waiting for Katelyn. Well, we ended up having a double date! Haha. I thoroughly enjoyed it :) Those girls are SO sweet!

Eight o' clock meant time for Justice Team! Woop. We started off with a dance party of sorts. Check out this video we watched! (You can skip to 0:30 if you want.)

Haha! So great, right?! But yes, our meeting was good :) And we found out that the Virginia Belles, an acapella group from UVA is performing at our event next week!

They are so talented! J-Team is so stoked! This is going to be SAWEET! After our meeting, I stopped by to check on Steph in Carrier before going to Late Night Breakfast at E-Hall with some SAO sisters! Twas lovely :) There were cheerleaders stunting and flipping, dancers performing, a DJ doing his thing, and people everywhere! Haha. It was fun though; Jenn, Lauren, and I shared a plate :) Sharing is caring! But yes, that was my day in a nutshell :) Love you all! Goonight :)

Thursday, September 29, 2011

God is GOOD :)

So good, in fact, that He doesn't need to include the second "o." Haha! Get it?! Hahaha. Yeah that was cheesy, but that's okay :)

Today was good; it just was :) Hannah and I got some pretty great laughs in during anthropology, mostly because we realized that we communicate in the same manner as 5 year old girls.... No but seriously, it's true. Haha. Not ashamed :) I got lunch with Melissa, and that was good. I then spent about 3 hours in TDU. I wasn't there with anyone; I just napped, played words with friends, and facebook browsed. Oh! and I ran into Hannah F., one of our Deltas! I ended talking to her for about 30 minutes probably; it was awesome :) And she wants to come see GCN! So it looks as though I'll have both Hannah's going back with me to RVA in December! YAY :) But yes, back to TDU endeavors... I sent out the email finalizing the plans for the Alumni event this weekend (praise!), talked to Rhett and his friend Ace, and then headed on my way. I surprised Courtney with some Starbucks, and spent some time with her and Jenn in Carrier :) Good times!

I went with Courtney to wait in line for a free "Purple Out" shirt, and we ran into Beth! So the three of us got to hang out for a little while before I had justice team :) We made lots of posters tonight!
It was tedious, but fun :) I got to make paper-cut letter and numbers! And, being the dork that I am, that made me very happy. Haha! From there, it was back to my dorm for.... A SKYPE DATE WITH HEATHER! Yayyyyy! I'm so happy I got to talk to her! I've been having withdraws. Haha. I love my best fwend :)

OH! I almost forgot to mention this: I OFFICIALLY HAVE A HOUSE FOR NEXT YEAR!!!! Eeeeep! Hannah, Courtney, Lauren (for a little while), Brandi, Stephanie, and myself will be living together! Even as I am typing this my insides are all giddy! Haha :) Y'all, God is so good! In everything! And I'm not just saying that because things are going my way; He seriously just IS! I am so incredibly blessed. Thank you, Father!

Goodnight loves :)

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

HAY IS FOR HORSES AND CHICKEN AND FISH!

HIT ME THREE TIMES AND I'LL GRANT YOU YOUR WISH!
 One!

 Two!

Three!

Barakabakabakabaka! Barakabakabakabaka! Barakabakabakabaka! BARAK OBAMA! Confused? Haha. Just take a look at this SNL skit :)



Yeah, Taylor and I were being very silly in Carrier tonight. Listen to this: I went to Carrier to keep Steph company at 8. We were later joined by Taylor and Andy (who brought chips and salsa). (Fantastic Four reunion say whaaaat?!) I did absolutely zero work, yet I was there for five hours.... Yeah. On the plus side, though, I help Taylor come up with ways to remember her Spanish terms for her exam tomorrow. So I suppose that's something.

Today was alright. I found out I can't start my job tomorrow because I don't have all the paperwork I need on hand, and I won't have all of it until Friday. Ugh. So I guess I'm starting next week? I took a power nap in TDU--something I don't think I've every done before. I realized how terribly I procrastinated to really plan this SAO Alumni event.... Woops. Hopefully that will all come together! AS for my oceanography test..... I got an 82. I am less than satisfied, but what's done is done. All I can do is try to do better next time. On that note, I'mm gonna hit the hay. Haha! HAY IS FOR HORSES AND CHICKEN AND FISH!.... Okay I'll stop :) Goodnight all!

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

I have a choice

to be joyful and cheerful in the Lord-- to live my life in thanks and praise to God. That is the lesson I started my day with today, and it is so true! Some of you who know me well may have picked up on this sort of funk I had been in the past few days. Well, the funny thing is, I have no idea what caused that. I can not sit here and pinpoint what caused that feeling. My thoughts: Satan wedged his way in during my weakness and played my emotions like a ukelele. Not cool, right? Well, no mas! I will wake up in the morning and make the conscious decision to face every day with an optimistic outlook, so that peace and happiness my dwell in my heart :) I also need to get back to being diligent with my morning devos. Today was the first time I had done it in probably a week or so. I need to make sure I get my time in the word every day; I have not been doing well with that. I am so thankful, though, for my small group! Tonight was something I really needed. We simply went over who Jesus was, what He did, and what His life, death, and resurrection signifies in our lives. It was just really good for me in a way I'm sure I can explain on here. I even hugged Melissa and told her "thank you" before I left. True story. Also, and this might sound kind of random, I want to go back and re-memorize my verses from this summer. They are seriously popping up everywhere, and it kills me that I don't know them like I used to because their messages are so relevant! I'mma jump on that soon, hopefully :)

So yeah, that's a good bit of what's been going on with me recently! Sorry if that came out resembling a tangent. In other news: Thinking about who is going to be my little makes me both excited and anxious. I need to go into some serious prayer about this. I want my decision to have direction from Jesus :) You know what I mean? And on a totally separate note, I have an oceanography test tomorrow. So dumb. I haven't dona a lot of quality studying, but I'm hoping that my excellent short-term recognition memory will get me through it alright! FIngers crossed! Also, I start my job on Wednesday! Praise! I am excited :) Now we'll just wait and see if I feel the same way after my shifts on Wednesday and Thursday.... Haha. Goodnight world!

Monday, September 26, 2011

Deltas have arrived!

Today's morning/afternoon were pretty uneventful. I went to a new church this morning (still not sure how I felt about it), got some lunch (I sat in E-hall by myself, but it wasn't a big deal.), took about a 2-hour nap, drove around downtown making observations for my social welfare class, and hung out for a bit before getting ready for the evening. What was this evening, you ask? What's with the title of this post? Well, tonight was our bid night for SAO! Yes, we now have 11 beautiful new candidates!
So exciting!!! One of these girls is my future little, which is also very very exciting for me! Eeeep :) These girls are so incredibly sweet; I can already tell that the Delta class is going to be legit :) We followed up our bid ceremony with a trip to Sweet Bee, which was wonderful! We enjoyed some lovely froyo while laughing, sharing stories, and having Hannah/Taylor take horrible, horrible pictures of us at inopportune times. Haha. It was so fun though :) I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Can we just take a second, though, and analyze my Gamma class....
Hahahahaha. I don't think I have words to say in our defense.... We're an interesting bunch :)

Well, I am quite tired. Goodnight my loves! I hope your slumber is both pleasant and restful :)

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Jennifer got her senior pictures taken this weekend!

I cannot believe my little sister is graduating this year! Awwwww! Say it isn't sooooo!






I love my Jennifer :) She looks so beautiful in all of these pictures; I only wish I could have been there with her!

Things I need to hear...



"I can do all this through him who gives me strength." {Philippians 4:13}




"1 I waited patiently for the LORD;
   he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
   out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
   and gave me a firm place to stand.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
   a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear
   and put their trust in the LORD.
 4 Blessed is the man
   who makes the LORD his trust,
who does not look to the proud,
   to those who turn aside to false gods.[a]
5 Many, O LORD my God,
   are the wonders you have done.
The things you planned for us
   no one can recount to you;
were I to speak and tell of them,
   they would be too many to declare."
{Psalm 40:1-5}




1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God[a]; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”
{John 14:1-4}

The more you are asked if you are okay, the more you start to wonder... This weekend has been stressful and draining, both physically and emotionally. And although I sense that I may be in a bit of a rut, I have to trust and have faith that God will pull me out of it.  None of this was meant for me to encounter or overcome on my own; my strength is far too feeble. God has equipped me to find peace and joy in Him, and He is waiting for me to fully embrace that and take comfort in it. These are not empty promises, and I should in no way feel as such. He can point me to where He wants me, and in Him I can be made whole and truly satisfied.

"5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart 
   and lean not on your own understanding; 
6 in all your ways submit to him, 
   and he will make your paths straight."

{Proverbs 3:5-6}

Friday, September 23, 2011

Whirlwind.

There is so much going on right now. And even though they're all good things, they're all going on at once and it makes it difficult for me to not get stressed out. I won't even go into details about assignments that are due, tests that are piling up next week, and extra curricular events that are going on, but everything decided to hangout in the same two-week time span. Well isn't that dandy? I really do not intend to whine or complain, because I really am doing alright. I just wish things were a little more spaced out. But you know, God will get me through it. I have faith.

Today was pretty good, though long. Lunch with Steph was wonderful, and I'm glad we were able to get together :) My social welfare class was good today, but deep. We starting talking about the death penalty and our views on it. A couple of us shared how we viewed it based on personal experiences of losing loved ones to murder crimes, so it had me thinking about my brother. I got a little emotional, but nothing too crazy. I kept it under control. A guy in my class posed a question about prostitution, and I got to put my passion for the issue of sex trafficking to good academic use! I'm glad I got to provide some good quality information to that conversation, because there are so many things that people just aren't aware of that goes on in our country. It's easy to say "Oh, that happens in those countries," but it is often overlooked that it's happening here on our own soil as well. But yes, that was good stuff. I got to skype Heather today, which made me so very happy! Any time I can talk to my best friend is just phenomenal! She makes me happy :) (Oh, Heather! Don't forget to send me an update on Tom tomorrow, please!) Yeahhhh :) After our skype sesh, I grabbed some dinner and was off to SAO interviews. They went pretty well, despite the length. So that was good! A bunch of us followed that up with Sweet Bee, and it was delicious. And now, I am going to read over my interview notes, pray, and sleep. I am developing a headache, and I think sleep may very well just cure it! Haha. Goodnight my loves! Sweet dreams :)

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Late night Carrier productivity, ftw!

Well, today was pretty awesome in the grand scheme of things. Anthro wasn't too overwhelming. I had lunch with Hannah, Erin, Kirsten, and Brittany. And after that I had an "interview" with a 3M students, which means they're an upperclassman Social Work major that is taking the required micro, macro, and mezzo social work classes. Basically it was role playing. She pretended to be a social worker from Child Protective Services, and I had to pretend to be a parent under suspicion for child neglect. I was nervous about having to make up a story and somewhat act the part and everything! Haha. I had to make up things all the way down to "what and where my employment was" and "the name and age of my child" and "why I was being suspected of neglect." It was crazy. Haha. But the girl said I did a good job once it was all said and done, so that's good! And now I have an idea of what I'll be doing in two years. Bahh! But yeah, from there I headed back to the dorm, getting some "Duke Dots" along the way. Yes, students were making dip n' dots in the Phys/Chem hallway. I got a small cup of chocolate dots for a dollar; it was delicious. A nap soon followed, and it ended up being 30 minutes longer than originally planned (go figure, haha). Hitting the snooze button six times... Rough. Haha. Anyways, Brianna and I listened to old 90s/early 2000s songs while I got ready for the evening, which included Justice Team and a recruitment SAO ice cream social :) The tee-shirt designs for the J-Team event have been decided on, and the ice cream social was so fun :) I got to talk to quite a few girls, and may or may not made myself sound like a fool, haha. I mean, doesn't everyone have a Pokemon shirt? Wouldn't you wear it out in public? Hahaha. I mean hey, I have no shame, and I don't mind too much if people laugh at my expense :) As for nighttime, Steph and I had a late night Carrier date (my first of the year!). She had reading to do (which I distracted her from, woops...), and I got my oceanography stuff done. YAY! I was actually productive with my time! And I still got to spend time with Steph! Winning?! Oh yes :)

Yep, that's basically it for today :) I am waiting for the day that people get tired of reading this thing, seriously. I feel like my posts aren't really that interesting most of the time. But I love that I have some faithful readers :) It really does make me happy, haha. I love you all! I hope your slumber was/is filled with pleasant dreams :) Goodnight!

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Abandon.

This past weekend, I had the privilege of being a leader on Seek and Echo's Fall Retreat: Abandon. The message was all about abandoning aspects of your life that hinder your relationship with God and your ability to truly follow Him. It was so amazing to see the work God was doing in each person, from their words to their actions. From image, to pride, to reputation, to foul language, to relationship struggles... each person had something different that they wanted to let go of for good--starting with this weekend. I saw relationships forming in what seemed to be the most unlikely places, and I saw more unity in this youth group than I think I've ever seen before. From the seniors letting little Zeke sit with them at lunch, to tiny 6th grade Brady being lifted on the shoulders of a bunch of high school boys after scoring a goal in their soccer game, I just could not help but beam with joy :) I am so blessed to have been a part of this experience, and I do not know where I would be if it were not for these youth and crazy leaders. I love them all so incredibly much! Each one of them has made an amazing impact my life :)

















God is good, all the time :)

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

ROUGH

I should NOT be awake right now. The assignments I had to do tonight were not anything that should have taken me this long, and I'm pretty frustrated with myself for procrastinating this bad. It is after 3:30 AM, meaning that I'll be getting less than 5 hours of sleep. Part of my distraction was going over to Taylor's to bake a cake for Hannah (IT'S HER BIRTHDAY OFFICIALLY!) and we also ended up watching Burlesque. So, you can guess how productive I was during that time frame (keeping in mind I didn't get back to my dorm until 1. And once I got back here....

Yes, I did skype Steph... for almost an hour. Hey, I don't regret it. Sometimes Steph squared just needs to talk, ya know? But anyways, I finally just finished my writing assignment for oceanography. I don't care if it's awful at this point. It technically might not even get graded if I don't want it to (it's complicated). But yeah, other than my slacker-status, today was good! Tonight was "Hangout on the Quad" night for SAO recruitment, and I had so much fun! And I love that I got to get to know some of the potential candidates more :) Woop woop! I can't wait until Wednesday when I can go to the next event!

I think it's time for me to call it a night. Peace out, loves!

P.S.- I will be posting about Seek & Echo Retreat: Abandon soon, I promise! Love you all!

Friday, September 16, 2011

It's only a day away!

(Technically it's today... but just roll with me here.)

Today was pretty darn good! My social work classes were good, nothing too crazy. I had lunch with Bonnie Jean, and that was nice. I don't think we had ever hung out one-on-one, so it was nice to just talk to her and see how life was going. I got to see three of my sisters (Jenna, Steph, and Court) on the quad for a bit in between classes. I also saw Kristina and Erin! Sweet Erin, she was having a very stressful day, and that made me sad because she is the biggest sweetheart ever! But I tried to encourage her by saying basically what I titled this post as. Tomorrow is only a day away! (She's going home this weekend, and she is very much looking forward to it.) I am also looking forward to this weekend! But I'll come back to that. I had a coffee date with Courtney, which ended up turning into an adventure. Instead of walking back to her house, we decided to take the bus. Well, we missed our stop, got off at the next one, and consequently had to backtrack. Moral of the story: we should have just walked from campus. It's okay though, it was pretty funny :) After packing/moving my car, the two of us further extended our rendez-vous by getting dinner together, which we enjoyed from the comfort of her car :) I do love Courtney; she makes me very happy :) My Justice Team meeting went pretty smoothly, minus the fact that I failed to read the email from last week all the way through, and had failed to email my sisters.... Dang it. They understood, though. And the contacting is being taken care of! And other than that, tonight consisted of procrastinating and anthro reading that I did not start until after 11. Oh well!

So, about this weekend... IT'S SEEK & ECHO FALL RETREAT: ABANDON!!! Holla! I am so excited! Not only do I get to be a boxcar leader, but I get to be a bus captain with Kathryn! I don't know if I was supposed to disclose that information, but I think the only person going who actually reads my blog is Kaitlyn... (Hey Kaitlyn! Haha. Let's keep this on the down low :) Thank you, darling!) But yes, I am so incredibly stoked to have been blessed with this opportunity! I cannot wait to see how God works in everyone's hearts this weekend, and I cannot wait to be reunited with all of my beloved youth! This is going to be so great! Eeeeeeep! Goodnight all :)

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Today was WONDERFUL!

I got with class at 11 as usual, after which I went to Starbucks and treated myself, Hannah, and Erin to some drinks :) They ventured off to lunch while I sat outside and soaked up the beautiful weather. While I was sitting there, a boy stops, addresses me by name, and says hi to me. He's in ROTC get-up, and the name on his uniform says Cox... I have no idea who he is. He was super understanding, and proceeded to tell me that we went to middle school together. SO CRAZY! I have not seen this person in over five years, and he recognized me. It was cool though! We talked for about two minutes, just seeing how each other enjoyed their summer and whatnot. Some might consider that creepy, but it made me smile :) I got to grab some lunch with my darling Stephanie, which is always wonderful :) Once she left to go to class, I eventually wandered up to the clubhouse to help make the SAO banner for recruitment week (NEXT WEEK!) that will be hung in TDU. I was pretty impressed with my ability to free draw/cut out the greek symbol "omega," and I got to put my cursive skills to use! Oh, and we got to use glitter..... :) I do love glitter. Haha. (Ke$ha-related love? Maybe!) And the best part of the whole endeavor was getting to spend time with Hannah, Kirsten, Brittany, and Jenn :) From there, it was time for dinner/workshop sesh with Justice Team. This event looks like it's going to be legit! I'm stoked to see everything come together :) The name of the event is H2O, and the slogan is Dig Deep (cause we're building a well!). I cannot wait to see the official design of the shirts and water bottles/mugs! Eeep!

Okay, but let me tell you two highlights from my day:
1) I GOT A JOB! Dining services contacted me about working in Market One on campus! I'm not like starting tomorrow or anything, but they're going to be calling me in the next few days or so to discuss a shift schedule. Yay!!! I am so in need of an income! This is such a blessing! Even if it is only a smidgen above minimum wage.
2) I got the email with all of the retreat info for this weekend! My boxcar is literally the bomb dot com! Not only that, but I get to do some potential fun crazy shenanigans with Kathryn! (Or I mean it could be super chill, but let's be honest... It's me and Kathryn. Haha!) (And yes, I realize that was improper grammar.) I am just so grateful for this opportunity to be a leader for something like this, and I cannot wait to be reunited with so many amazing individuals that I love so dearly! Look at my little youth loves! This. Is. RETREAT!!!!

Goodnight loves!

Bullet points.

  • I love that my Social Work classes don't really feel like classes.
  • Venting can be a healthy thing, so long as those emotions are redirected to a more Christ-like state of mind.
  • We all struggle, whether or not we are willing to admit or talk about it.
  • I do not remember a single thing we learned in Oceanography today, but I did find out that I know someone in my class!
  • I wanted a quesadilla for dinner, but I didn't have the patience to wait for it. So I got a burrito instead. (This sounds like something that should be tweeted under #firstworldproblems.)
  • I don't mind eating by myself as long as I have Words With Friends to keep me occupied.
  • Metered parking is not okay with me, especially since it's on campus.
  • Starbucks ran out of soy... Thus rendering me unable to get Hannah a surprise drink. Womp womp.
  • I love my SAO sisters :) They just make me really happy.
  • I'm so glad I have sisters who are willing to let me throw laundry in with their load. It saves me from paying $3.25, and it ensures that I have SAO gear to wear each day for this week and next! (Yay, Recruitment!)
  • If you get a chance to watch the movie Unstoppable, do it. It's intense and based on true events!
  • The 90s Nickelodeon shows were so legit! Hannah and I cannot handle them :)
  • Walking back on campus from the parking lot at 1 AM is scary. An ambulance turned its siren on when it was right behind me and I nearly had a heart attack.
  • I'm really happy Brianna's a heavy sleeper, because otherwise she would have been woken up a few times in the past hour...
  • This post is choppy, and I prefer it not be. However, I am very tired and am waking up in less than 7 hours. That being said, goodnight loves!

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Pictures, as promised.

Here's a glimpse of what went down on SAO Fall Retreat:











These are just a few :) All photos were stolen from Hannah Harrison :)

And here are a few pictures representing my time at small group tonight...



Yep, the Powdered Babies were living up to our name! Haha. So crazy, yet so fun :)

I truly am blessed by the best! And I am so grateful :)

Monday, September 12, 2011

"You're my sister! You're my friend!"

"You're my beginning and my end!" (Yes, we changed the lyrics to this song for our sorority. Haha. We sing just the chorus, and have motions to go along with it :) It's wonderful.)

This weekend was SAO retreat, and I had such a lovely time of fellowship with my amazing sisters at Lake Anna :) Relaxing on the dock, taking silly pictures, Catch Phrase, singing terribly and loudly, painting nails, dying hair, Bible studies (and accompanying activities), worship sessions, heart to hearts, and staying up until 4 AM talking with each other... It's all so marvelous to me :) My sisters embody so many aspects of Christ that I need in my personal walk, and I really want to use this year as an opportunity to really learn from them and apply those strengths to my life. The grace with which they love, the scripture-deriven manner with which they speak, and the understanding with which they express in communication are just a few ways I see God working in them. I am beyond blessed to have them in my life!

Bible passages from this weekend:
"1 There is a time for everything, 
   and a season for every activity under the heavens:

 2 a time to be born and a time to die,
   a time to plant and a time to uproot,
 3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
   a time to tear down and a time to build,
 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
   a time to mourn and a time to dance,
 5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
   a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
 6 a time to search and a time to give up,
   a time to keep and a time to throw away,
 7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
   a time to be silent and a time to speak,
 8 a time to love and a time to hate,
   a time for war and a time for peace."
{Ecclesiastes 3:1-8}

"12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
 15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues.29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts."
{1 Corinthians 12:12-31}



Our worship set:


I hope to post some pictures later :) I'm waiting for Hannah to upload hers so that I can steal them... I'll be giving her full credit, of course :)

We got back to JMU this afternoon, and this evening there was a candle lighting/memorial ceremony on the quad in honor of our nation and everyone who lost their lives/loved ones on September 11, 2001--just 10 years ago. Despite the dark clouds, wind, and rainfall, hundreds of students gathered together for this time of rememberance. It was truly something to see.
{Photo cred: Matt Merritt}

And on the Festival lawn, there were flags placed in front of the spirit rock, one for every person whose life was taken on that day. We have not forgotten.
{Photo credit: Sara Wigglesworth}
Goodnight my loves. Sleep well.