Oh hey stress!

I really need to be better at maintaining my pre-set time management on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I know I say this all the time, but it's true! I meant to finish my SOCI homework by 12, and then have my writing homework done before 1:15ish. Yeah, that didn't happen. I finished my SOCI homework, but I got less than half of the writing assignment done. Thank you SVU for being so gosh-durn interesting! At any rate, I didn't leave my room until after 1:30, and so I had to speed-eat my lunch and rush on over to GCOM. We reviewed the whole time for the exam on Thursday, which I am really nervous about. It doesn't help that I have a PSYYC exam literally right after GCOM. There's only 15 minutes between the two classes, so right now I'm basically cramming for both. It kind of sucks, and I'm kind of stressed. I just finished reading over all of my GCOM notes and flipping through The Essential Guide to Rhetoric {which is where a majority of the material is coming from}. Please pray that I will do well! Ehhh. AnxiousAnxiousAnxious!!!

One of Brittany's favorite verses:
"What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?"
{Romans 8:31}

Why would you offer Elementary Portuguese 2 but not 1?

Hello all! Today was pretty average I'd say. I had a minor fail this morning when I made myself a delicious cup of Tazo tea and then forgot to take it with me when I left my room (ugh!), but never fret! I drank the luke-warm chamomile when I got back! Don't judge me; I don't like to be wasteful, haha! Anyways, I got lunch with Taylor Hudson today {from SAO}, and it was a lovely time indeed. We got to talk about a little bit about our relationships with our families and also about how impacting the testimonies of others are. I really love meaningful conversations, ones where you can share something about you or your life without necessarily turning into an emotional wreck. It can be refreshing and almost therapeutic to just say what's on your mind and be real with someone--whether it be a family member, acquaintance, or a friend. Small talk can be nice, but those aren't really the types of conversations that are remembered are they? But anyways! That was a fun time :) From there I pit-stopped by the library to see when I can register for spring classes {November 10, 12:30 PM} before going to government. I didn't do so well on my iRAT, but on the plus side our team got a 100 on the tRAT! Anyways, I came back to the room after that to finish taking notes for PSYC, took a 15ish minute nap, and then went to small group! Can I just say how much I love my small group? Haha, there was one point where literally every person in D-hall was staring at our table {no literally I checked}! It all started with a funny noise/face made my Melissa, then Kim started laughing and turned completely red, then Kaci was laughing at Kim's face, and at that point I was already laughing at Kim but Kaci's laugh jsut made everyone else laugh and yeah... It was legit :) Our eyeballs leaked... a lot. Then, before we started out Bible study, we played this game called "pterodactyl." Yeah, you have to either squawk or say "pterodactyl" to the person next to you to try to make them laugh, but you can't show your teeth. The moment you do, you're out. It was so funny! I made it to the final two, but Ryan beat me. At any rate, we studied Galatians chapter 4, and it really confused me until I read it in The Message. But once I understood it, I really loved the message behind it. There are always going to be people in our lives that want to control us and make us think that we are dependent on them. But should we give in to this method of thinking, we lose sight of the fact that we are to depend on God and that His law is far superior to that which is created by man. Also, as children of the Lord, we are given His inheritance! We are His seeds and His heirs! Ahh! No longer are we deprived of freedom like a slave, for we were not born into slavery. We were born into freedom as God's sons and daughters, and it's all because of Jesus! Praise be to Him!

<sup>"17Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may be zealous for them. 18It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always and not just when I am with you."
{Galatians 4:17-18}


"4</sup>But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, ⁵to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. ⁶Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." ⁷So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir."
{Galatians 4:4-7}

Upon returning to my dorm, I decided to plan out all of my classes for next semester {talk about frustration!}. I spent hours trying to find a way to make my classes work while also finding professors with good ratings. This process took so long because everyone and their cousin was on "rate my professor," thus making it extremely slow. {And, as the title of this post suggests, there is not an appropriate Portuguese class available for me to take.} However, I think I finally have a schedule concept that works. In addition to Ethical Reasoning {which I'm pre-registered for}, I plan to take PSYC 101 {self-explanatory}, Health, Religions of the World, and Sign Language! I'm not gonna lie, the thought of learning sign language kind of make me excited, haha! I just wish that it wasn't at 9:05 on east campus... Oh well! Whining shall get me nowhere! I am very sleepy now, so I shall take my leave. Goodnight my loves!

Fixed at Zero {VersaEmerge}

This doesn't make much sense
Think far out but I'm still locked in
I'm still lost, walking circles
The floor swallowed me up whole
There's no where to go

There's a vulture on my shoulder
And he's telling me to give in
Always hissing right in my ear
Like it's coming from my own head
It's got me mixed up, trying not to give up
Tell me there's a way to get out of here
Oh, fixed at zero

I've learned to talk with my fingers
The only that voice that wakes my ears
Oh make my bones do something
Ever wanna jump out your skin
Anticipate until the sidewalk ends
There's no where to go

There's a vulture on my shoulder
And he's telling me to give in
Always hissing right in my ear
Like it's coming from my own head
It's got me mixed up, trying not to give up
Tell me there's a way to get out of here
Oh, fixed at zero

There's a vulture on my shoulder
And he's telling me to give in
Always hissing right in my ear
Like it's coming from my own head
It's got me mixed up, trying not to give up
Tell me there's a way to get out of here
Oh, fixed at zero

I'm fixed at zero 

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes." {Revelation 21:4}

My alarm woke me up at 7:30 this morning after having gone to bed at approximately 4 AM. Needless to say, my body was not diggin' the sleep deprivation. Thus, I informed Brittany and Brianna that I would not be attending church this morning and got right back into bed. I did feel bad about missing church. But as badly as I wanted to sing my guts out and give praise to Jesus, my body just not up to par. I needed more than almost four hours of sleep, so I slept until 11 for sanity's sake. I finished typing up my testimony before going to lunch with Brianna, Brittany, and Andrea all the way at E-hall. It was delicious, but I ate way more food then a person should in one sitting. I won't go into much detail for your sake, but let's just say I had three plates to carry up to the dish return... Anyways! I completed my SOCI homework upon returning to my dorm, and my the time that was all said and done it was time for my candidate class. I was more than a tad nervous upon my arrival at this meeting; I'm not going to lie. Today, we were to share our testimonies, and that's something I've never done before. A million worries littered my mind. What if mine's too personal? Am I going to be the only person who cries while I'm saying mine (because I know I will)? Should I leave out some of the heavier things? Is this accurately portraying my relationship and experiences with God?... The list went on and on. It is truly amazing, though, the intimacy that results from vulnerability. In that room today, we shared things with each other that were emotional, personal, and difficult to discuss. Sometimes it seems like no one else in this world can share in your struggles and your heartache {at least in the same form}. That may be true, but as individual as your burdens are, the same can be said for your neighbor. The person directly beside you may have overcome inconceivable hurdles, and you may never realize it without taking the opportunity to learn and listen. These girls, my sisters, are such strong women. Each of them have encountered aspects of their life that left them broken {as I too have been broken}, and by the glory of God we continue to rise up against incredible odds and praise our Father in Heaven! After all, His desire is to heal us of our pain and lead us to His kingdom. I know how easy it is to lose sight of love and support that is freely given to us, but I also know how insurmountable life can be when we refuse to take God's hand and allow Him to take control. It is only through Him that we can truly grow and prosper! We are His creation and we are made in his likeness! Let's make Him proud, shall we?

{This might be a severe shift in mood, but...}

One of my friends mentioned this verse in her testimony this evening, and the truth of it really hit me. Just reading it is frightening in a way, but I know that fear has no place in the presence of God. And if I am His temple, than fear shall not reside in me if I can prevent it. Just the same, I thought I'd share it so that it could resonate with you.

"You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder."
{James 2:19}

We are called to do so much more than merely recognize His existence. We are called to be servants of the Lord and disciples of all nations! Acknowledgement isn't enough... And with that knowledge we must live by Him, for Him, and through Him--never losing sight of the fact the we were made to love Him and model the life of Christ. It's a bold task, dear friends, but that's part of the reason we have each other :) God gave us fellowship and community! And everything has a purpose, does it not?

Jolt! Slizzard! Thrust! Hair! Costumes! Dance! Dance! Dance!

Today was AWESOME! I woke up at 12 {since I didn't go to sleep until 3}, and that felt divine :) I do love sleep; I do indeed! Then, around 1:30, I went to lunch with Kim at D-hall. We ate yummy food and discussed life. I love talking to my little Kimberly :) We just kind of get each other, and I never have to worry about her judging me or anything. It's comforting, you know? From there, we decided to go to Walmart to get our Halloween costumes! They're going to be epic. But we're keeping it on the down-low because it needs to be a surprise for our small group at the IV dance party next week! Woop woop! Once I put my stuff in my room, I met up with Kristina Elliot for some dinner. I got nachos instead of a salad, and I didn't even care because they were delicious gosh darn it! Haha. Anyways, I meant to be productive in the time after dinner and before the IV dance party, but that was a fail {as you probably could have guessed}. At any rate... I AM SO GLAD I WENT TO THE PARTY! We were all dancing like crazy people and enjoying some Jolt energy drink in the process! Kim and I in particular had an amazing time dancing and flailing {and in my case hair swinging and head-banging, haha!}. Kimberly took some legit pictures, and she deserves all the photo cred!

{JOLT!}

{The rest can be seen on facebook!}

Who needs alcohol?! Not us! I am so stoked for next week! Eeeeep! Anyways, I've been working on my testimony tonight, and it's more difficult than I thought. It's not that I can't describe my process of coming to Christ, but I just want to say it right if that makes sense. I have to read it out loud tomorrow at my SAO candidate class, so please be praying that it goes well. Like I said, I'm rather nervous...

On the way out of my dorm tonight, I was approached by these two brothers who weren't representing any church or organization, but were trying to spread the Gospel. They asked if I wouldn't mind answering a thought-provoking question; I said yes. They asked, "If you were to die tonight, and you were standing at the feet of God, what would you say if God asked you why you deserved to go to Haven?" Intense question, right? This is the answer I gave them: "Honestly, I've done nothing to deserve eternal life; none of us have. I know that I sin, and that I do so every day. The only reason I even have the possibility of obtaining eternal life is because of Jesus's sacrifice and God's love, grace, and mercy." And once I said that, a chord was kind of struck, because I realized just how true it was. I don't deserve to live in Heaven. I'm not entitled to spend an eternity with my Father. He is so Holy, and I am a wretch. And yet, He shows us more love than any human being could ever fathom. He sacrificed his Son for us. He pulls His children into His arms despite the fact that we are constantly slapping Him in the face with our sin! I am so thankful to have a Father that will never leave me or forsake me. His love is unconditional and unending, and it is given to us freely! No strings attached! It's just so crazy, and so incredibly humbling. Thank You Father! For everything You do for me even when I fail to do everything for You. I hope to one day to truly stand in your presence :)

"To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent.
         O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever."
{Psalm 30:12}


"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
         And into His courts with praise.
         Be thankful to Him, and bless His name."
{Psalm 100:4}


"Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
         For His mercy endures forever."
{Psalm 107:1}


"But I will sacrifice to You
      With the voice of thanksgiving;
      I will pay what I have vowed.
      Salvation is of the LORD.” 
{Jonah 2:9}


Goodnight sweet loves! You are truly a blessing :)

I whip my hair back and forth! I whip my hair back and forth!

So catchy! Haha. Kudos to you Willow Smith {Will Smith's 9 year old daughter}!

"Why are her hands so cold?"

"It's because her heart's cold and it's spreading." Thanks a lot Brittany! I knew you were the mean twin! Hahaha. I'm not gonna lie though, the snippy sarcasm humors me :)

Okay! So today was pretty awesome. I got to sleep in an extra two hours because we did a discussion board instead of having to go to class! I was able to slowly get myself awake and ready for the day before going to my writing class, which wasn't bad at all. Then I met up with Brianna at D-hall for a delicious lunch complete with yummy froyo. I then made a pit-stop by Starbucks on my way to government, and I ran into Ariel, Leslie, Christa, and Brittany from SAO :) That was lovely! Government was easy to get through, and I spent a good chunk of time in Brianna and Brittany's room once I got back to the dorm. Brittany and I picked out classes to take next semester. That eventually turned into a youtube video escapade, haha. {Shocker, I know.} The three of us trekked over to east campus to meet up with our small groups for dinner around 6, at which point we went our separate ways. I requested an application for IV's justice team tonight! Eeeep! Please be praying that Brittany, Brianna, and I will be picked! We want too so badly. Brittany and I had an hour to kill before our small group would be back on the ISAT steps for the scavenger hunt, so we wandered for a bit before we eventually ended up outside. Yeah, a word of advice, don't climb the statues.... Some man who works in ISAT saw me try and almost took down my JAC card number.... Luckily he let me off with a warning. Guess I won't be doing THAT again. Oh well. The scavenger hunt started at 10, and it was definitely a fun time! We answered trivia questions, made a human pyramid, untied our human knot, spelled out JMU with our bodies, and Melissa, Kaci, and I even sang the Bed Intruder song! Hahaha! We didn't actually complete all of the tasks {because another group had already won essentially}, but we got spider rings as a consultation prize! Teehee, mine's purple :) At any rate, Brianna, Brittany, myself, and some girls from Brittany's small group went to the Dog pound after all of that to get some food and hot beverages. I got a nice steamy cinnamon bun and some hot apple cider! It was SO good! After returning to Eagle and thawing out a bit, the twins and I decided to watch Aladdin. However, we were all about ready to pass out, so we turned it off after the "Prince Ali" song. That was my cue to shower, get ready for bed, and type up this blog! I am rather tired now, so I suppose I shall take my leave. I love you all!

AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO KNOW AND LOVE ELIZABETH SEWARD, WISH HER A HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

Jenn's other favorite verse:

"A happy heart makes the face cheerful,
       but heartache crushes the spirit."

{Proverbs 15:13}