I'm too tired to post anything of significance.

Church was lovely.

Lunch was great.

I love my friends!

I'm now back at school.

The SAO business meeting went well.

So did the worship night.

I finally got around to doing my discussion board.

I do not like philosophy at all.

I wish I didn't have this quiz.

I am not doing my reading on Buddhism.

That is all.

1:31 AM

It's late, and I'm waking up in approximately 7 hours.... Run-down time! {Today really has been great!}

• Wake up around 11 {Brittany, Brianna, and myself}.
• Eat some "pigs in a blanket" delivered to my room by my mom.
• Get dressed and whatnot before going to Casa Grande for lunch.
• Short Pump. {Brittany and Brianna were mind-blown.}
• Regency.
• Thai Diner Too with Heather, Britt, and Bri.
• SWEET FROG!
• Red-boxed Sherlock Holmes.
• Bed time for twinsies/wind-down time for Heather and I.

Now I'm here. A million thoughts are swirling around in my head, yet none could adequately be expressed on here. Nor should they be, really. As much as I love to splurge my inner thoughts on here, some things are not appropriate to publicly expose. You all understand that, of course. Hmm. I suppose this whole segment of text could have gone without typing. But you know, it has already been written now. What's the sense in deleting it? Ehh, word vomit.... Goodnight dears!

Britt, Bri, and Me

are here in RVA! Woop woop! I really do love my home sweet home :) And I'm excited that I get to hang out with Brittany and Brianna outside of school. Cause we've never really done that, haha. It was funny, we were getting into my car, and they were like, "Oh my gosh you're driving us somewhere! We really are friends!" Bahahaha. Semi-sarcastic/freakout moment. Twas funny :) We went to the Aaron Gillespie, which was awesome. Brittany and Brianna really loved it :) I thought he did an amazing job, and I really liked the music. I just wish my brain hadn't been so scattered. It was really hard for me to focus tonight, and I'm not sure why. I'm not going to make excuses for why I was distracted/mentally preoccupied, because ultimately it was my own fault. But I still had a lovely time, so for that I am thankful. Afterwards, we went to Friendly's along with Heather, Annemarie, Thomas, Elsbeth, Kathryn, and Mary {Kathryn's roommate}. I enjoyed that :) It was lovely social time and refreshment. And now I'm writing this while Brittany and Brianna are sleeping. Bahh! Guess it's time to hit the hay! Goodnight loves! But before I go....

I LOVED SEEING Nikki, Heather, Kathryn, Elsbeth, Kaitlyn, Cara, Stephanie, Austin, Jesse, Ashlee Lisa, Ashlyn, Evan, Jeremy, Jonathan, Josh Reid, Josh Okuda, Annemarie, Thomas, Renee, Kay, Colin, Scoob, Emily, Missy.... EVERYONE! Eeep! I'm not sure why I felt the urge to type out everyone's name like that, but I did :) Byeeee!

My head is swimming.

At first, my mind was being swarmed by various Hindu texts that were all jumbling together. There are so many terms and so many people/deities to keep up with! Bah! Confusion! But then, I started reading this cool story one of my friends posted on our small group's facebook page:

There was a certain Professor of Religion named Dr. Christianson, a studious man who taught at a small college in the western United States. Dr. Christianson taught the required survey course in Christianity at this particular institution. . Every student was

required to take this course his freshman year, regardless of his or her major.

Although Dr. Christianson tried hard to communicate the essence of the gospel in his class, he found that most of his students looked upon the course as nothing but required drudgery. Despite his best efforts, most students refused to take Christianity seriously.

This year, Dr. Christianson had a special student named Steve. Steve was only a freshman, but was studying with the intent of going onto seminary for the ministry. Steve was popular, he was well liked, and he was an imposing physical specimen. He was now the starting center on the school football team, and was the best student in the professor's class..

One day, Dr. Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him. "How many push-ups can you do?"

Steve said, "I do about 200 every night."

"200? That's pretty good, Steve," Dr.. Christianson said. "Do you think you could do 300?"

Steve replied, "I don't know.... I've never done 300 at a time."

"Do you think you could?" again asked Dr. Christianson.

"Well, I can try," said Steve.

"Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I have a class project in mind and I need you to do about 300 push-ups in sets of ten for this to work. Can you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it," said the professor.

Steve said, "Well... I think I can...yeah, I can do it."

Dr. Christianson said, "Good! I need you to do this on Friday. Let me explain what I have in mind."

Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the room.

When class started, the professor pulled out a big box of donuts. No, these weren't the normal kinds of donuts, they were the extra fancy BIG kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls. 

Everyone was pretty excited it was Friday, the last class of the day, and they were going to get an early start on the weekend with a party in Dr. Christianson' s class.

Dr. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked, "Cynthia, do you want to have one of these donuts?"

Cynthia said, "Yes."

Dr. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut?"

"Sure." Steve jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten. Then Steve again sat in his desk. Dr. Christianson put a donut on

Cynthia's desk.

Dr. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, "Joe, do you want a donut?"

Joe said, "Yes."

Dr. Christianson asked, "Steve would you do ten push-ups so Joe can have a donut?"

Steve did ten push-ups, Joe got a donut. And so it went, down the first aisle, Steve did ten push-ups for every person before they got their donut.

Walking down the second aisle, Dr. Christianson came to Scott. Scott was on the basketball team, and in as good condition as Steve. He was very popular and never lacking for female companionship.

When the professor asked, "Scott do you want a donut?"

Scott's reply was, "Well, can I do my own push-ups?"

Dr. Christianson said, "No, Steve has to do them."

Then Scott said, "Well, I don't want one then."

Dr. Christianson shrugged and then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Scott can have a donut he doesn't want?"

With perfect obedience Steve started to do ten push-ups.

Scott said, "HEY! I said I didn't want one!"

Dr. Christianson said, "Look! this is my classroom, my class, my desks, and these are my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you

don't want it." And he put a donut on Scott's desk.

Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and down . You could start to see a little perspiration coming out around his brow.

Dr. Christianson started down the third row. Now the students were beginning to get a little angry. Dr. Christianson asked Jenny,

"Jenny, do you want a donut?"

Sternly, Jenny said, "No."

Then Dr. Christianson asked Steve, "Steve, would you do ten more push-ups so Jenny can have a donut that she doesn't want?"

Steve did ten....Jenny got a donut.

By now, a growing sense of uneasiness filled the room. The students were beginning to say "No" and there were all these uneaten donuts on the desks.

Steve also had to really put forth a lot of extra effort to get these push-ups done for each donut. There began to be a small pool

of sweat on the floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were beginning to get red because of the physical effort involved.

Dr. Christianson asked Robert, who was the most vocal unbeliever in the class, to watch Steve do each push up to make sure he did the full ten push-ups in a set because he couldn't bear to watch all of Steve's work for all of those uneaten donuts. He sent Robert over to where Steve was so Robert could count the set and watch Steve closely.

Dr. Christianson started down the fourth row. During his class, however, some students from other classes had wandered in and sat down on the steps along the radiators that ran down the sides of the room.

When the professor realized this, he did a quick count and saw that now there were 34 students in the room. He started to worry if Steve would be able to make it.

Dr. Christianson went on to the next person and the next and the next. Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was taking a lot more time to complete each set.

Steve asked Dr Christianson, "Do I have to make my nose touch on each one?"

Dr. Christianson thought for a moment, "Well, they're your push-ups. You are in charge now. You can do them any way that you want." And Dr. Christianson went on.

A few moments later, Jason, a recent transfer student, came to the room and was about to come in when all the students yelled in one voice, "NO! Don't come in! Stay out!"

Jason didn't know what was going on. Steve picked up his head and said, "No, let him come."

Professor Christianson said, "You realize that if Jason comes in you will have to do ten push-ups for him?"

Steve said, "Yes, let him come in. Give him a donut."

Dr. Christianson said, "Okay, Steve, I'll let you get Jason's out of the way right now. Jason, do you want a donut?"

Jason, new to the room, hardly knew what was going on. "Yes," he said, "give me a donut." "Steve, will you do ten push-ups so that Jason can have a donut?"

Steve did ten push-ups very slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered, was handed a donut and sat down.

Dr. Christianson finished the fourth row, and then started on those visitors seated by the heaters. Steve's arms were now shaking with each push-up in a struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity. By this time sweat was profusely dropping off of his face, there was no sound except his heavy breathing; there was not a dry eye in the room.

The very last two students in the room were two young women, both cheerleaders, and very popular. Dr. Christianson went to Linda, the second to last, and asked, "Linda, do you want a doughnut?"

Linda said, very sadly, "No, thank you."

Professor Christianson quietly asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Linda can have a donut she doesn't want?"

Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow push-ups for Linda.

Then Dr Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan. "Susan, do you want a donut?"

Susan, with tears flowing down her face, began to cry. "Dr. Christianson, why can't I help him?"

Dr. Christianson, with tears of his own, said, "No, Steve has to do it alone. I have given him this task and he is in charge of seeing that everyone has an opportunity for a donut whether they want it or not. When I decided to have a party this last day of class, I looked at my grade book. Steve here is the only student with a perfect grade. Everyone else has failed a test, skipped class, or offered me inferior work.

Steve told me that in football practice, when a player messes up he must do push-ups. I told Steve that none of you could come to my party unless he paid the price by doing your push ups. He and I made a deal for your sakes."

"Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Susan can have a donut?"

As Steve very slowly finished his last push-up, with the understanding that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 push-ups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.

Dr. Christianson turned to the room and said. "And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, on the cross, plead to the Father, 'into thy hands I commend my spirit.' With the understanding that He had done everything that was required of Him, He yielded up His life. And like some of those in this room, many of us leave the gift on the desk, uneaten."

Two students helped Steve up off the floor and to a seat, physically exhausted, but wearing a thin smile.

"Well done, good and faithful servant," said the professor, adding "Not all sermons are preached in words."

Turning to his class, the professor said, "My wish is that you might understand and fully comprehend all the riches of grace and mercy that have been given to you through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He spared not only His Begotten Son, but gave Him up for us all, for the whole Church, now and forever. Whether or not we choose to accept His gift to us, the price has been paid."

"Wouldn't you be foolish and ungrateful to leave it lying on the desk?"

Pretty cool, huh? I thought so! Well, since that was rather lengthy, I'll make the rest short. I love Hannah Harrison and our dates! I love seeing Brandi and talking to Courtney through a window :) I am loving the direction Justice Team is heading in! And I got to hear about this really awesome organization tonight called Mission Year. Check it out! Goodnight loves!

JMU was a snow globe today!

Seriously! My 9:05 got canceled, and then the university ended up closing at 2:15!

Pray that we get tomorrow off! Ahh!

But anyways, I had an amazing lunch with Courtney today :) I love her, very much so :) I also loved that I got to see Kim, Kaci, Daniel, Betsey, and Lauren while I was there! Oh! And I received my package from Heather today! I am so excited to read Terrify No More, I've already eaten two of my giant yummy cookies, and I adore the hair clip that was in there too! I got to see Taylor Vance for a little while today, so that was nice :) And despite the fact that it took me FOREVER to do my psyc reading/notes/quiz. Today hasn't been too shabby!

You know, while I was in the shower I couldn't help but think about what is basically my new life philosophy: It's the little things in life! It's so true! I started winding back even to my childhood and thinking about it. I remember getting off the bus one day in the 2nd grade {me and my see-through backpack!} and my friend Christina handing me my birthday present. I remember walking down the aisle to get off while ripping through the paper. I stepped into the street and saw that she had gotten me a VHS of Sailor Moon, my favorite show. I got so excited that I was frantically waving at her through the window and shouting "thank you!" as the bus drove away. I was so excited, I put it in the VCR as soon as I made it to my house.  Walking through the airport lounge here and seeing at least 3 different Bible/book studies going on around me just lifts my spirits and encourages me in such a lovely way! On an even simpler scale, the other night as I was laying down to go to bed and adjusting my blankets, I noticed the little sparks that were resulting from the static the static. I literally laid there for a minute or two just moving around my blankets and watching the the little blue lights dance between them :) So simple, yet it brought a smile to my face. Dancing. When I'm confident and having fun, my face just beams! I love it! I don't have to be performing it, no one necessarily has to see it, but doing it brings me great happiness. I don't know what the point of this word vomit was, but I suppose this thought-train was a reminder for me to stop and appreciate all of the things we encounter in life--whether big or small. I love you all! Goodnight :)

P.S.- If you all don't mind, could you also pray that this sneezing subsides and that my nose will quit leaking? It would be greatly appreciated :)

This is me.

Sad day. Ugh. I don't want to get sick!!!! I don't wanna, I don't wanna, I don't wanna!

Well, there was my tantrum for the day. I'm going to be honest with you all and just say that I'm kind of out of it right now. I had a lovely day filled with sister encounters, lunch/dinner dates, hot tub frolicking with Courtney from my hall, and a nice hallway conversation with Brittany and Brianna. But then I get an IM and I have no clue what to say. I don't know how to bring back the lost. I don't know what to say when things really aren't okay and there is a real issue that needs to be owned up to. I don't know how to help someone who doesn't want help, and I don't know what to say to have them realize that their faith is essential when their seed of doubt and fear of failure is so far engrained! At least not in this situation...

My head is heavy, and my brain is numb. The motor skills in my fingers are decelerating, and I need to go to bed. Sweet dreams, loves.

I WILL be going and relaxing in the hot tub tomorrow

because I failed to do so today. I decided to take a three hour nap instead, which was lovely {don't get me wrong} but it did nothing for my sore muscles. Yes, I am even more achey today than I was yesterday. It really is sad. I just want to sit in a vat of hot water and doze off...

Enough about that, though. There are plenty of other random tidbits I can rant about. For example, I love embarrassing stories, haha. Tonight was kind of a hangout night for our small group, and we sat on the stage in TDU and shared embarrassing stories with each other. Laughing is definitely one of my favorite pass-times, especially once it's infectious. Kaci {one of the girls in my small group} has the greatest laugh EVER. Half of the time we end up laughing harder at her than whatever she said, but it doesn't matter because you're too bust laughing yourself to tears. I love that :) Also, I absolutely adore my SAO sisters :) I grow to love and appreciate them more every day. Seeing them literally brightens up my day. I had lunch with Nicole today, which made me quite happy. Then, I ran into Kirsten and Brittany in D-hall {where I also ran into Nicole again}. And then I saw Courtney and Stephanie in TDU! Not only did I snag a dinner date with Steph for tomorrow night, but I also got some of the greatest hugs :) I just love them :) And I love that I get to have meal dates with Hannah, Steph, and Courtney this week while also getting to see many of them {and Brandi} at Worldbeat! Bahhh :) They just make me happy :) And I am getting quite excited for this upcoming weekend! Not only will I get to see some dearly beloved friends that I miss so dearly, but I also get to spend some good away-from-school time with Brittany and Brianna! They're excited; I'm excited. We're just a bundle of lovely anticipation! Haha.

"But may the righteous be glad 
   and rejoice before God; 
   may they be happy and joyful."

{Psalm 68:3}

"I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live."

{Ecclesiastes 3:12}

"Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise."

{James 5:13}

On a slightly sour note {sorry!}, I hope I'm not getting sick. My throat feels kind of dry and scratchy. I hope it's just because I was sleeping with my mouth open or something, haha. Dear Jesus, please lay your hand upon me so that I may not become a sickling! Amen :) Goodnight precious loves! Sweet dreams!

I have not gotten sufficient sleep

for the past two nights. We're talking lass than 6 hours a night. I have to be up at 8 AM tomorrow, and it's already after 2. Ugh! I am a horrible procrastinator. I'll make this short though, because I am exhausted and my muscles are very achey.

Church was good. It was followed up by a nap that I wish had been longer {even though I probably shouldn't have taken it at all}. I then went to lunch with Brittany, Brianna, and Andrea before going to the library to work on this blasted paper. It's finally done, but we'll see whether or not my professor likes it. At 4:30, Hannah and Brandi picked me up so they we {along with many other SAO sister} could go see Christa {another sister!} compete in the Miss Black and Gold Pageant. It was fun to watch, even if there were only two girls. I am so proud of Christa! That's right, she won! Hooray for scholarship money! And hooray for the exciting bonds of sisterhood :) Speaking of sisterhood, we had a meeting tonight. Although it was long, it was refreshing to get all of our concerns and questions out in the open. We are ready to turn a new page! Oh, and I don't know if I ever mentioned this, but I got selected to be the head of the Alumni Committee :) I get to take over the blog! Haha. I mean, other things will be done as well. But that's what I am REALLY excited about. And even though I faced a minor feeling of upset, tonight was good as a whole. Too bad I had to come back and face all of this homework nonsense... Wahh! I still need to shower and whatnot. I need to get off of here. I love you all! Bye!

I kind of wish I had slept in today,

not because it was all for nothing, but more productive things could have been done. In short, I will not be a part of Madison Dance. The lyrical auditions were a little rough for me. I didn't realize just how technical these girls were that they were looking for. And hey, nothing against classical training, but that's just not really me, you know? In regards to the hip hop auditions {which I ended up doing}, I honestly thought I did a really good job. I did it full out every single time, regardless of the group size, and I kept my energy up the entire time. All in all, I don't know if I could have asked much more of myself. Sure, I messed up once or twice when it was the actual audition, but I wasn't expecting perfection. Who could? I had fun with it and I put my own style on the choreography. If I'm not what they wanted, then that's okay :) It just wasn't where I was meant to be, and I kind of knew that. I had that feeling dwelling in my mind basically all day. So that's that! Haha. But you know, this reminded me how passionate I am about hip hop. Of course, I love dance in general, but hip hop is my zone. It's where I have the most fun and I feel the most confident! I miss it, truly. But anyways, I ended up spending basically 6 hours in UREC today. Woah! After lyrical I ran on the elliptical for 30 minutes, and then hip hop. So yeah, I'm going to be sore tomorrow! Anyways, I took a glorious nap before meeting up with Kim and Hannah to get dinner and see Whitney in Our Town! The play was really good, and Whitney did an amazing job :) Upon returning to Eagle, I skyped my lovely Heather, which always makes me very happy :) And am now ready to shower and sleep. I have to get up early again tomorrow, ugh! Goodnight loves! Sleep well :)

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"
{Jeremiah 29:11}

I love this verse :) Sure it's commonly heard, but it definitely serves as a sound reminder :)

It is 8:07 AM right now,

and I really wish I was sleeping! Especially since I didn't go to bed until after 3....

Bahhhh! Okay bye.

Kittens! Inspired by, kittens!

Hello all! This will, yet again, be a rather brief post. I decided {after seeing all of these posts about dancing and talking to Brandi} to audition for Madison Dance-- the lyrical portion. I would have done hip hop, but there's a conflict with small group. At any rate, the tryout starts at 8:45 {approximately 6 hours from now}. I may or may not hate my life in the morning, but whatever. Wish Brandi and I luck, please!

Today was pretty lovely, I must say. Even though I was basically a zombie in all of my classes, I took a lovely 45 minute-ish long nap in the library. That was lovely, just saying. From there I picked up some sushi and went to a bible study/devotional with some of my lovely SAO sisters. I loved that; I really did. And even after everyone else had to leave, Christa, Taylor, and I stayed and talked for an extra 2 and a half hours just talking about different parts of scripture and how to view things based on what God is telling us. It was awesome, truly. I just love seeing how everyone is gifted with different forms of insight, and you can learn SO MUCH from just listening to your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ {I know I did!}. Honestly though, I didn't think I would have anything to bring to the table in regards to helping someone learn more about their faith, but having one of my sisters tell me that I did was an amazing feeling. None of it was my own understanding, of course; I'm just glad that I was able to be used as a vessel, you know?

^"4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. ⁵ There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. ⁶ There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work."
{1 Corinthians 12:4-6}

After that, it was time for large group. I kind of forgot to meet up with Kim {friend fail!}. But when I realized that I was an awful person, Brianna and I waited for her so we could all walk together to meet up with our small groups for dinner, which was fun. I loved large group tonight, especially the worship. And(!!!) Hannah and Brandi {two of my sisters} came too! That made me so happy, you don't even know :) From there, Kim and I went to see It's Kind of a Funny Story with Brittany, Brianna, and Andrea. And yeah, then I came back to the penthouse, haha. Oh my gosh, but check out this video they showed me:

Hahaha. So random! But yeah, I suppose this really didn't end up being as short as I had intended. Oh well! Goodnight my loves!

This won't be long

because I am in the library and it's after 12:30.

This is getting insane. Trying to keep a calm mindset is proving a little more difficult than I had anticipated. And I know that typing this out isn't going to resolve anything. I also know that I don't really possess the power to mend anything of this nature. That's God's work, not mine. But as many of you may know, standing idle isn't something I practice, so hopefully there's something I/we can do to bring about a peaceful resolution within. In the end, though, all trust has to lie with out Father. And as much of a relief as that is, I know it's going to be easier said than done. Of course, I say that now. But I need not forget that I have a support system behind me. Rather, we are all here for each other, and there is hope to be found in that.

I realize this may make no sense whatsoever to many of you. But then again, sometimes I perceive my posts to be much more cryptic than they really are, so I won't jump to any conclusions. In short, I have a lot to be praying for tonight. I love you all dearly! Sleep well!

Let me state the obvious

because some things can never be over-appreciated. Friends are amazing. They are good, they are kind, and life would literally be miserable without them. And in my case, it would be nearly impossible {although, through God, anything is possible}. God's gift of friendships {and relationships in general} is one that I thank and praise Him for every day! Even when I think I have none to turn to, He places one before me-- ready to listen and offer support :) He is so good, for real!

"And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus."
{Philippians 4:19}

Today wasn't too eventful, but when is it ever? English class was fine. I had my professor look over my draft of the first writing assignment. For those who don't know, I'm using blog posts from times I've felt alienated {<--topic!}. I think she was a little shocked that those were actually on the internet, haha. Yeah, well, that's me. I just put it all out there sometimes. Anyways, my religions class was canceled, and ethical reasoning was whatever. I had a lovely lunch date with Emma, and I later got dinner with her and Jenny. Yay for some Justice Team bonding! From there, it was off to Worldbeat Dance at UREC, which I was miraculously able to get a spot in. I followed up that 50 minute dance extravaganza with a little over 30 minutes on the elliptical. Be proud, friends! I ran 3.44 miles at a resistance level of 13! Woop woop! I'm working my way up in the world :) I came back to the room to find Reem asleep. Thus, I had some chatter time with Brittany, Brianna, and Andrea before deciding to shower, write this, and get some sleep {which is next on the agenda}. I love you all! Pleasant dreams!

I kind of love that feeling

where you have to eat your words because the actual outcome was so much better than the one you anticipated :)

"If you take a chicken, put it in a shell..."

"... what you have is chicken turtle looking very well!" :)

Run-down:

• Psyc.
• Lunch with Taylor and Kim :)
• Facebook/blog stalking.
• Health.
• Dinner with Taylor, Kim, and Reem :)
• Convo with Brittany and Brianna.
• They're coming home with me the weekend of the 28th!
• Skype date with Heather :)

As I was blog stalking today, I cam across Jason Lee's photography blog. He takes the most adorable pictures of his two daughters Kristin and Kayla :) Look! {Click to blow 'em up!}

Kayla, the younger one, just melts my heart {in case you couldn't tell}! She is too precious! But yes, you should most definitely take a look at his pictures.

On a separate note, I've been thinking a lot lately about how all of our lives are different--as is each individual. We don't all have the exact same beliefs. We don't all follow the same path. And one suits one person doesn't always suit everyone else. All of that may come across as cliche, but I've come to notice that there are many people who are unable to accept these facts when someone is in opposition to their personal thoughts. Sure, they can understand the basic concept, but they take offense when something they think or believe isn't reflected in someone else. And what that creates is conflict, whether it is stated or not. The problem is, is that somewhere within that issue lies judgement. It doesn't have to be made blatantly obvious or put on display, but it's there. But we are not called to judge, and we are certainly not called to make assumptions on the behalf of others. I've mentioned before that one of the biggest lessons I've learned in college is to not assume you know where someone comes from. In all honesty, no matter who you are, you have no idea. Just because something suits your lifestyle doesn't mean it will correlate with someone else's. Even though you know what's best for you, it may not benefit those around you. In the end, we are made to love our Father and to love each other. We don't have to see eye-to-eye, and things don't always have to go our way. But we need to strive to show nothing but unending love and compassion for those around us. I mean, how else are we going make Christ's love known here on earth?

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God."
{1 John 4:7}


"¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."
{Colossians 3:13-14}

I'm really not sure if that makes sense to anyone else but me; I hope it does. Goodnight precious loves! Sweet dreams :)

A prospect :)

To see things from a new perspective.

To break free of inhibitions.

To never overlook imagination.

To take risks, no matter how small :)

To giggle at anything, everything, or nothing at all :)

To embrace awkwardness :)

To just simply be :)

I'm not exactly sure what it is I'm trying to covey...

but I do love you all very much.

That's all for now :)

Here in my own little nook,

in my own little chair, I am content. Simply sitting crossed-legged at my desk with only the light of my desk lamp. Surrounded by mild clutter and listening to songs of praise; it is here that I am emotionally at peace. Staring up at pictures and memoirs from home, I cannot help but smile. How could I possibly deserve this many blessings? A wooden J♥S that was crafted for me by an amazing friend and "second boyfriend" :) A Waffle House hat establishing not just our VIP status, but also the incredible experiences and friends we've made there :) The 27 smiling faces {other than my own} that remind me of just how phenomenal my loved ones are, and how many memories I have to cherish :) These songs playing through my headphones reassure me of God's glory and power. He has a plan for us all, and His work is never completed. He created this earth, He came to this earth, and He shall one day return. There is no one like Him! He is Holy, and He is the God of everything :) Forever shall I sing praises to Him, and forever shall I adore Him :)

I'm beginning to see where my heart lies--where my happiness stems from. And even though those realizations plant a seed of doubt in regards to where I'm supposed to be, I'm trusting that God will guide me where He wants me. Lord knows I am not decisive enough to determine my own path, and why would I even try to steer myself when it is He who is in control? Even still, I have much to pray about--both for direction and peace {amongst other things}. I want to draw closer first and foremost to my Father, for I fear my heart is more distant than it should be. I wish to better reach out to my loves back home; for who am I to allow 128 miles to interfere with my most beloved friendships? I want to walk with my head held high and not worry about if others have negative perceptions of me. I desire emotional stability and the ability to discuss my feelings without blubbering or having to talk through sobs. I pray that I will find stability here at school, and perhaps one day even find some sort of comfort here. Even though I am far from perfection, and I cannot always live a life that is picturesque, I can find hope in having to rely on God. I will never know how to adequately approach or deal with the challenges in my life, but at least I am not required to figure it out on my own. With the support of such amazing friends and a glorious God, how can things not turn out well in the end?

Run down of the day's events:

• Sleep until 11:30 or so.
• Lunch with Kirsten and Christa.
• Show Reem where her classes are.
• Reading homework.
• Nap.
• Small Group.
• Shower.
• Chocolate fondu with Reem!

• More reading, facebook, blogging, etc.

Goodnight sweet loves! I pray that your dreams are pleasant and that you all may receive rest :) Peace be to all of you!

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ."
{Ephesians 1:3}


"¹⁴ For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

 ²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

{Ephesians 3:14-21}

"Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him."
{James 1:12}

One thing I cannot wait for

is to hug Jesus! It is something I am greatly looking forward to. To have Him take me by the hand and lead me into His beautiful and magnificent home for the rest of my life. To be covered in eternal light--bursting through every fiber of my being. To weep at His feet. To dance before Him with unending joy. To be free of regrets and worldly burdens. To have my Father pick me up and embrace me as His daughter, there to live with Him forevermore in His Holy dwelling. To be wrapped up in His arms :)

I'm so tired.

And yes, I realize it's not even 10 yet. Right now I'm beyond the point of caring, though, and I think I'm to shower and hit the sack. But first, I must blog...

I've been coming to notice a horrible pattern in my life, or rather, one that I am not fond of. It seems as though things that I love and invest my time in never fail to sort of come apart at the seems. It's not that they fall apart completely or cease to exist, but it's still saddening. I feel like I haven't even gotten the opportunity to give myself completely, and now things seem to be crumbling. People are leaving and tensions linger and things just don't feel right! And now I'm retreating into my self it seems; for who can I trust completely? Not that friendships are defined by these sorts of things, but this is supposed to be more than just a friendship {at least I thought it was}. I understand that some things need to be done for one's own sake, but is this really it? Are things truly beyond repair? I kind of want to stand up and scream. I don't know what I would say or who exactly I would need to be talking to, but I feel like something needs to be said. I wouldn't do that, though, out of respect of wishes. Things like this are where I want to confide in and talk to someone else, but I'm not supposed to. So here I sit, an internal struggle that is twisting itself into an immobile knot. What's worse, I wonder who would honestly care. I wonder if anyone would, in all honesty, be willing to sit and talk/listen to me about this. That's a feeling I'm not accustomed to. Sure, I don't always share was troubling me, but I've never felt like I had no one who would be willing to listen. And what does that mean? I think that question might link with a recent evaluation of myself in which I realized that I am not the same person here that I am at home. I'm not as vulnerable or carefree. I'm afraid to open up for fear of judgement. I'm not as bubbly. I'm not constantly smiling, and people rarely hug. Little things, I suppose. I came back this semester promising myself that I would show my friends at JMU who I really am, the person I love being. But it's not working, and I don't know what's hindering me. I'm just not sure what it all means...

My day could have been much more productive...

Not much to say about today, really. I had lunch with Brittany and Brianna, after which I went to the gym with Courtney. For my first time using the elliptical, it wasn't a bad time. I'm going back tomorrow, however, and I'm going to crank up the intensity a bit. I doubt I'll "run" for 45 minutes again, and I know I won't be completely "7 miles." But we shall see, I suppose :) After the gym, I basically just hung out in my room for a bit. Andrea stopped by, and had a minor fail...

Yes, she dropped a jar of her favorite salsa on my floor...

And she proceeded to clean it up with a chip, paper towels, a trashbag, a broom, Clorox wipes, and Febreeze. Haha! I tried to help, but she wouldn't let me.

Haha, so after all of that and a skype date with Heather, I ate dinner with a group of girls from my floor. I then ate desert with some of my sisters and two of their friends, which was followed up with some conversation in Wilson before going to see The Social Network. Twas quite a good movie. There's a lot of fast talking though, and I think it contributed to this headache I currently have. Haha, oh well. Such is life, I suppose :) I didn't get back tot he room until basically midnight. I feel bad because Reem insists upon staying up until both of us are going to sleep. Her intentions are sweet, but I told her that it's not necessarily. Well, finally our lights are off {with the exception of my desk lamp} and she is under the covers. That makes me feel better inside. It's funny, though, because when I was telling her that I was worried about her sleep, she said, "Oh, don't worry about me." In that moment I thought of all the times I've said that to other people, and they get so frustrated! Haha. But I get it, because my response was, "BUT I AM!" I've heard that so many times it's not even funny. Well, I mean it is, but you know :) At any rate, I have a few things on my mind. The first is the concept of how Facebook has become a part of our lives, a part of who we are, what we know, and how we see people. {Yes, this was sparked by the movie.} But think about it! How many times have you figured out that a friend was upset because of a facebook status? {In my case, several.} How many times have you gotten into a heated argument or debate with someone over a wall post, status, or message? {I know I have a few times.} How many people have you met and realized that you've facebook stalked them before? {I haven't been counting...} I know none of these thoughts are new, but it is really crazy if you think about it for a while. I mean shoot, it's my homepage! I practically live on that thing. I love it, but it truly is a mind-blowing concept how much it has almost defined our generation. Another thought came to me last night right before I went to bed... Does God ever rest? I know that He rested on the seventh day of creation, but what about after that? Because if anyone deserves rest, it's Him. That may seem like a silly or juvenile question, but I'm being serious. He looks after all of His children, provides for us, loves us, and redeems us. Does He get to rest? I don't mean does He have to rest {because God doesn't ever grow faint}...

"Do you not know? 
   Have you not heard? 
The LORD is the everlasting God, 
   the Creator of the ends of the earth. 
He will not grow tired or weary, 
   and his understanding no one can fathom."
{Isaiah 40:28}

...I just wonder if He ever does. I'd love to hear your opinions on that, so please share! I have plenty of other things I could write about right now, but this post is lengthy as it is, so I will spare you for the time being :) Goodnight loves!

Oh hey Friday!

First week of the semester is officially OVER! Woop woop! It's been a long week though, not gonna lie. Anyways, my classes went well today. My English professor is going to let me incorporate my blogging into my next writing assignment, which I'm pretty stoked about. I had a pretty cool little chat with my religions professor {and this other girl who seems like she has a strong faith, so I kind of want to get to know her better}. Lunch with Arijana was lovely :) We got to just talk about what was going on in our lives and classes and whatnot. She was very comforting, and she's such a great listener. Her reassurance that I could confide in her was nice :) Then, at about 2:30, I went to Target with Hannah, Brandi, and Courtney {SAO sisters!}. That was quite fun, mostly because we were so ADD the whole time, haha! But anyways, I didn't do much else until large group tonight, which I enjoyed very much. Not only did CJ's talk have a good message, but I also got to read scripture that I was led to and pray more fervently than I think I ever have. Large group was just really awesome tonight, and I didn't really realize until tonight just how much I missed it. Afterwards, Kim and I hit up the Dog Pound and just talked in TDU. I do love talking to my little Kimberly :) We always talk about something different, and no matter what it is I always take something away from it. I like that :) From there, I came back to my room and have since been talking to and getting to know Reem a little better. She is very sweet, and I can tell we are going to get along nicely :) It turns out she doesn't go to bed early every night. Last night she had a migraine, so that's why she went to sleep early. Another plus, we are both skype users. Thus, she will not be annoyed {hopefully} with my hour-long skype dates :) It's cool, she was showing me the pictures she brought to school with her, and they were all so cute! I loved that; legit. So needless to say, things are going well thus far :) I am rather exhausted, though. So I think I'm going to hit the hay. Goodnight loves!

^"2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. ⁶ But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. ⁸ Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do."
{James 1:2-8}

In the past few days

I've had a lot of people ask me why I have a blog. What is its purpose? Why do I write it? It's strange, because I have kind of a hard time explaining it adequately. In all honestly, this thing right here is my outlet. It helps me maintain my sanity and has become a part of my lifestyle {as weird as that may sound}. As introverted as I can be at times, posting a blog just kind of eases my tension and relieves me of my stress. I get to tell you all about what's going on in my life or what I'm thinking about, even if it's merely a song or music video. Sometimes I'm not stable enough to call one of you and tell you what's troubling or worrying me, but a simple post helps me feel better while informing you at the same time. And I get to stay connected with what goes on in all of your lives! No matter how small or insignificant the writing might seem, each post makes me feel like I'm a little closer to each of you. That may have just sounded really corny, but that's okay; it's practically the story of my life :) But anyways, let me go ahead and just do a little run through of the day.

Psyc class was pretty good, although I was very distracted because I was doing my Justice Team "homework." Woops! Haha. Then I had lunch with Stina, which was lovely :) After getting some work done and chilling for a bit, it was time for health {not real eventful}. Then, I rushed back to my dorm to skype Heather. Not long after we hung up, my mom was here to deliver my textbook. Then it was time for dinner with Kim :D {I love you!} Unfortunately we had to leave kind of early because I had to get to my first Justice Team meeting! I am very excited for the upcoming year, while also kind of nervous at the same time. Eeeep! Okay, so let me just share this experience with you... We were playing fishbowl, and I had to get my team to guess the movie Baby Momma. So this part is the first thing that pops into my head {the very last thing in the trailer, when she's on the bouncy ball}:

Yes, I made that noise. Well, no one knew what the heck I was doing! Haha. So basically everyone {including myself} just starts crying from laughter because I kind of looked and sounded like a tard. Seriously, I am an awkward human being, haha. But anyways, I am very excited to see where God is going to lead all of us this year. I am ready to serve and make an impacting difference! Woop woop! We only covered the basics tonight, but I can't wait to legitimately start! We read this passage tonight, and I am rather fond of it :)

"As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right."
{1 Samuel 12:23}

I relates back to my post from Monday night when I was talking about praying for one another, so I thought that was kind of cool too. Bahh! Okay, so during my meeting I had received a text from a girl on my hall saying that my new roommate, Reem, was here! So I rush back to my dorm, and I open the door to my room to see that the lights are off. Poor thing, she was sleeping and I had woken her up! Granted, it was only 10, but I still felt bad. Needless to say, we haven't gotten to really talk or anything. We literally had like a one minute long conversation. Bummer. But hopefully we can get to know each other better tomorrow! And hopefully she doesn't always go to bed that early... I'm thinking she's probably just jet-lagged. Oh! but she does speak English, and, if my RA is correct, she is from Saudi Arabia. Cool life, right? I'll keep you all posted when I get to know more about her. She seems vert nice :) Well, I need to get some sleep. I have to be up in a little over 7 hours. Party foul.... Goodnight loves :)

Hahaha, it's so dark in my room right now!!!!

I am getting rather tired

of these false alarms! I had an RA come by my room at like 6:30 and tell me that my new roommate {different from the original new one} was going to be here tonight. Well...

 I've waited...

 And waited...

 Gotten rather frustrated...

AND SHE'S STILL NOT HERE!

So you know what JMU?

TAKE THAT!

Ugh, I'm sorry. I just needed to get that out of my system. Anyways, today's classes were pretty good. I'm starting to think that my English class won't be too bad. My professor seems really nice; I like her :) I got lunch with Ashton, which was nice. And I managed to finish my psychology work before going to dinner with Nicole at 5...

RANDOM THOUGHT SPURT!

Okay, so I love that scripture has been popping up in my course work today. In my religions of the world class, we read/found symbolism in the Sermon on the Mount. Then, when I was reading my psyc book, they referenced Proverbs 28:26 {even though they had a bit of a typo and said it was verse 28... FAIL!}, "He who trusts in his own heart is a fool." I don't know, I just love it when little pieces of God's word pop up in school work :)

AS I WAS SAYING!...

I was going to nap after dinner, but the whole roommate thing sent me into an anxious frenzy. Then at 8 I went to the World Beat Dance class at UREC with a few of my SAO sisters. I think I might be sore tomorrow. At least I hope so, because that will mean I did something right. Anyways, I fully expected to come home to a roommate, and that clearly did not happen. I suppose I should do some reading or something before I call it a night. I'm not even sure if I was supposed to do anything for health tomorrow. I sure hope not! Haha. Goodnight lovelies! Sleep well :)

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

{John 16:33}

Love it :)

SHE'S COMING! SHE'S COMING! SHE'S COMING!

OH my gosh my new roommate is going to be here tonight...

WHAT THE HECK?!?!?!

Well queen sized bed, the idea of you was good while it lasted. Haha.

P.S.- Her name is Reem.

Who focuses anymore?

Hey there! Today marked day number 2 of spring semester, and my classes weren't too bad {although they were HUGE!}. My professors have to wear mics. Yeah... But anyways! I had a lovely lunch with Hannah :) And I got to trek up a mountain in the snow, which wasn't necessarily fun... but it was pretty :) Still no roommate, but I should be getting an e-mail tomorrow that tells me whether or not I'm supposed to get a new one in the near future. However, they could always bring someone in at any point in the semester. That would complicate things. I say that because I would have to RE-rearrange my room, and that would be annoying--especially if I had to do in in 5 minutes like the hall director said I might. Luckily, some of the girls on my floor said they would be willing to help me if that happened :)

And now, CUE THE RANDOMNESS!

Look at how big this mug is...

It literally eclipses my face, haha. And I love it :)

And these pictures are from November, but they always pop up when I go to upload pictures on here...

They make me laugh :) It's a wonder I have friends, haha! At any rate, it's time for me to do some winding down and get ready for bed. I guess that means it's time to turn off the Ke$ha, haha. Her songs have been stuck in my head ALL DAY! It gets a bit distracting, haha. Goodnight dears!