::kristamichelle::

New Beginnings!! :)

2009-02-19T18:24:00.000-08:00

The time has come, the time is now :-)

For my new job @ Aria Medical, I made an SEO website located at http://www.kristaquinn.com

That's right! KristaQuinn.com! How cool is that? My name as my own domain name?

Because I am so proud of my new domain, I've decided to start hosting my personal blog there, too. Please follow my posts there and keep reading! All of my personal blogging posts will now be held at:

http://www.kristaquinn.com/mighty-quinn/ :) Or, you could just click here.

Thanks for reading!

Sweet Moments, First Steps

2009-02-04T19:28:00.001-08:00

I work at a church nursery every Wednesday. I usually don't look forward to it before I go in because I'm already tired and just want to read a book for the rest of the night, or now, research SEO for my new job. I don't know why I have this feeling when each week I always leave feeling like I just spent time with some of the coolest kids on the planet. =-) Tonight was no exception.

I got to help a little girl take some of her first steps tonight. It was such a remarkable thing to see and be a part of. She has some health issues that prohibit her from using her muscles correctly (it will take her a lot longer to learn how to use them than other kids), so to help her achieve this was so amazing for me. She was grinning from ear to ear and didn't want to stop. I am very excited about being able to help her again next week!

Writing and THE Job

2009-02-02T20:10:00.000-08:00

So tonight I was talking to my aunt on the phone and we were discussing our writings. She was contemplating different writing approaches for a novel she wants to begin writing, and it got me thinking, I have not felt very inspired to write lately....

I know that I currently do not have the desire to write a novel, but I do enjoy short stories... Does anyone have any unique writing prompts or topics for me to consider? My lack of inspiration is really bugging me, so I thought I would ask my few readers to help me out with this one.... :)

*******************************************************************************

So, I am REALLY enjoying my job. I'm learning a whooooole lot about SEO and the little things that come with it. It has been really neat to see and be a part of what makes and keeps a website running. Every dad I learn something (usually a whole lot) new, and it has been fun to actually DO the work, instead of hearing a professor lecture about it all day. I am definitely enjoying the other side of college- doing what you are learning about makes it so much more exciting! Granted, I do miss being able to take a nap at any given moment. Although, I don't think taking naps will ever beat being able to say, "Back when I was in college...." like I've been out of school for years (as opposed to a little over a month). =-)

Exciting News

2009-01-24T01:22:00.000-08:00

I'm very pleased to inform you that I have a job! These past couple days, I interviewed for a position called SEO at a small company in San Antonio. (SEO is "Search Engine Optimization," for those who don't know- It's what makes sites number one when you run a search on Google or Yahoo!) I have a lot to learn, but I am very excited about it. It's 3:24 am and I've been researching it most of the night. I've been reading a few books on my Kindle, too- which is awesome. I can't wait to write more about my job- I start training next week! God provides.

Russell is here this weekend and we are going to celebrate by doing different SA things tomorrow- exploring the riverwalk some more, looking at possible apartments, and of course- cooking (eating!). I'll have to take some pictures of our adventures.

I suppose I should go to bed- it's pretty late!

.pruned for my own good.

2009-01-18T11:20:00.001-08:00

So I'm sure you know the common metaphor that is found in John 15. It has been a verse that has just stuck with me over the years, and it's funny because I forget its deep truth quite often.

It'll be a month since I graduated and I've yet to find a job. This has been very hard on me. I first began struggling with my feelings of inadequacy during my last month of college. The though of moving home was soon to be a reality, and I was forced to deal with it. For about the last year or so I have been carrying everything in my life on my own, without feeling like I needed God for much at all. That may very well be a harsh sentence, but it's the truth. I have simply been going through the motions without Him.

This last month has been very enlightening for me, and again I am learning the lesson that God teaches us so much through our trials. I had a very hard interview experience a few weeks ago that I took quite personally. Long story short, I had basically been offered a job, prepared for it (going so far as booking a place to live!), and then at the last minute been rejected. This really tore me up inside, and while it may sound like such a small thing, I had nights where I would cry about it. It wasn't just that I had been rejected, but that I had seriously gotten my hopes up so high, and then felt like I had been brought back to square one completely. I mean, living with your parents? What a loser, right? Especially with no job.... Well, it took a few people (my dad, Russell) to wake me up out of my melancholy stage. More than enough people have been reminding me that I needed to have faith that God was going to do something and that I needed to trust Him.

So it's true. It's completely true. Trusting in God is what I need to do, and I have finally given Him the reigns. While I haven't landed my dream job yet, I do have a small PT job at my church's nursery here in SA. It's every Wed. and Sun. and I have the rest of the week to keep looking for jobs. Plus, once I do get a job, they have been gracious enough to let me work less hours if I need to. It may not sound like much, but it has already proven to be a big help with my self-esteem. Today was my first day, and I was reminded of my love for children as I got to take care of them. They were all so amazing, and it reminded me that God has a plan for me that fits my desires, too.

Graduation Update :)

2008-12-24T14:24:00.000-08:00

I graduated!!! I am now a UMHB alumna! :)

Nice ;)

Pings poke, you owe me a coke...

2008-12-17T20:29:00.000-08:00

I think I'm going to stop jinxing myself and telling all of you blog-readers when I have a job interview.... yesterday when I was dropping Russell off in Georgetown on my way to San Antonio, the recruiter for that technical writing position called to tell me that he didn't think my resume was the right fit for the company after he got more info. on the job... but it's okay. I really, really, really want a job. But for right now, I'm just going to remember that God has a plan and I cannot speed it up. I've recently applied to many positions in the area, bought an interview suit, and made two different types of resumes. I am prepared! So until I receive an interview offer, I will wait. I mean, come on now, free house, free food, free internet.... I can get used to this! Haha... just kidding. I'm going to find a job as soon as possible because I am very excited about getting my own place. :) I talked to my dad about how I feel like such a loser for moving back home. For four years, I've had this vision ofme graduating college, landing a great job, and moving into my own place. It's shame I had to graduate during the worst economical times of my generation. Sheesh! But it's okay- I know something will work out, and I am very thankful that I have parents to stay with!

Tomorrow I'm headed back to Georgetown, and then Belton. Russell and I are celebrating Christmas early with his sister's family and then we're headed back to Belton so I can prepare for graduation. I'm pretty excited! Then, on Saturday, I'll receive my diploma, eat lunch with friends and family, and then come back to San Antonio. It'll be fun- I think Russell and I are planning on doing the river walk thing for one day, head out to the malls, and all that jazz. After spending Christmas with my family, we're driving to Tennessee! That will be so much fun. I will definitely have to take pictures for that one :)

Exciting events...

2008-12-15T16:20:00.000-08:00

So I have one more final exam tomorrow and then I am finished with my BA degree!!! Woo-hoo!!!! So far I have two As, and am hoping for a 3rd :)

I also have a JOB INTERVIEW (again) on Wednesday! This one is going to be a little different though- I'm interviewing for a technical writing position in San Antonio. I really want it! I would love to say, "Oh, I'm a writer" when asked what I do for a living. I mean, really. How AWESOME would that be???? :) I'll keep you posted!

On Saturday I receive my diploma and then go home to SA! Russell and I are spending Christmas with my folks and I'm super pumped about that. We'll be there for about a week and then we are driving to Tennessee for New Years to spend it with his mom. So it will be a fun month!! Then, I come back to the REAL world. Eeeeek. Maybe I'll stay in Tennessee a little longer... ;)

one week!

2008-12-11T22:25:00.000-08:00

So life has been good. I have a final exam tomorrow evening- our professor invited us to her house for dinner before, so as you can tell, the atmosphere is very laid back. She's making Mexican food and I'm very excited!

Russell and I are Christmas shopping tomorrow before the test, so that will be a lot of fun. Our first Christmas to shop for people- it just makes me excited. First anythings are always special. :)

So I'm broadening my job search to include pretty much anything that fits my degree. I am now applying for editorial positions, which is exciting. I'll keep you posted :)

feeling a little discouraged...

2008-12-08T15:14:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been feeling like I've been waiting by my cell phone for the next school district to call me.... I'm still waiting.

While I am very excited for graduation to be here, I am also very sad because I'm moving away from my home, UMHB, and Russell. I'm going to miss being here a lot! But not having a job is also getting to me because I have no security. I would really like to be able to start soon. I'm hopeful that I will get a call soon... maybe my nerves will rest until then. :-0

Tonight I am writing the last paper of my college career! (For right now at least...) I've procrastinated from it but plan on doing well. It's about Walt Whitman. Fun, fun!

12 days...

2008-12-07T21:52:00.000-08:00

until I graduate! woo-hoo!

I didn't get the job in Burnet :( But that's okay. It really was in a town kind of far from everything and I think it's a blessing in disguise that I didn't get it. I'm still applying to jobs. If you would like to pray for me I would be very grateful. I would love to start a real job as soon as possible. :)

Everyone should go to Lauren's blog (link on the right) and read her latest post! We had a garage sale yesterday and did really well! Sine we're moving out, we had to get rid of a lot of stuff! It was a good thing :)

Wrapping up is kind of sad, but I'm also happy in a way. UMHB has been a very good time in my life and I know I will miss it tremendously, but I am so thankful for the time I have had here. I have really learned a lot and feel like I've matured very much. And of course, I made some life-long friends here, and I am so excited about keeping up with everyone. It's bittersweet, but it is good.

:)

Happenings...

2008-11-22T18:17:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I interviewed for a position in Burnet, and it sounded so perfect! The district sounded absolutely wonderful- very student-centered, and that's what I loved most. It just seemed to fit with my "philosophy" of education, and I am very hopeful that I get hired. Plus, Burnet is such a beautiful town, it would be very fun to live there. I don't find out until Tuesday, but I've decided that whatever the outcome, I will be happy.

Today I completed my pedagogy training through A+ Texas Teachers, and I am really happy with the program as a whole. I really do feel like they prepared me to do well in my classroom. My UMHB classes also helped me out, but it was different experiencing this training in a non-classroom setting.

Russell and I leave for Tennessee on Tuesday! I'm pretty excited. It's going to be a good 17-18 hour drive, but I haven't been out of state in a few years, so it will be fun. We're going for Thanksgiving to spend it with his family. It should be fun!! :)

Oh, and I graduate in 27 days!!!

Weddings and Tests

2008-11-08T06:12:00.001-08:00

I take my content exam today for teaching English. I'm not nervous at all! I've passed all the practice tests already, so it should be great. :)

I'm so excited! Last night, when Jenn and I were studying, she asked me to be her Maid of Honor!! I can't tell you how honored ;) I am that she asked!! She and Dean got engaged one week ago today, and I am sooooo excited for them! Now the helping with wedding plans begins! I can't tell you how happy I am about this. So if anyone out there has any "being a Maid of Honor" (I've only ever been a bridesmaid) tips, please feel free to pass them my way!

And who knows, maybe I'll be needing "being a bride" tips soon...

ba-dum ba-dum ba-dum ba-dum

2008-11-03T20:51:00.000-08:00

Well, I've had a long day. But I'm glad it's the end now, because that means Monday is finished!

I sent off my cover letter and resume to two more districts today... hopefully I get a call for an interview soon! I've really been stressing out over this lately :( The thought of not finding a job for after graduation is really scary!!!

Today, after I got off of work, I went to work out. I ran a little more than two miles and worked on my arms and abs a bit. I needed it for some reason today. Then I went grocery shopping and made myself feel a whole lot better with some food in my pantry. Going out to eat is always tempting when your pantry is empty.

I know there is no real point to this post, but that's okay! :)

P.S.

2008-11-02T21:52:00.000-08:00

This just happens to be my all-time favorite song since I was 14.

Oh my goodness.

2008-11-02T21:18:00.000-08:00

Well, the job interview went very well. I'm happy because I felt like I answered all of the questions without stumbling to find a "good" answer. I interviewed for a 6th grade English teaching position, but sadly, it had been filled earlier this week. My interviewer told me she really liked me and would flag my application for any future openings, so that's really good news.

I'm still in the process of applying to many other school districts. Right now, only 2 of them have an opening that fits me. Please pray for me! I know it's very hard to find a teaching job in the middle of the year, but I'm hopeful!!

Not much else is going on... but congrats to Jenn and Dean on their engagement!!! I'm so excited for them :)

2008-10-30T08:35:00.001-07:00

I HAVE A JOB INTERVIEW ON SATURDAY FOR A TEACHING POSITION!!!!!

"i see a light... it's so beautiful!"

2008-10-20T21:54:00.000-07:00

Do you recognize that Bug's Life quote? :)

I got really excited today. I was officially approved for graduation, got fitted for my graduation regalia, AND picked out my college ring. Craziness- I graduate in 60 days!!

This semester's been good- even though I'm only taking 9 hours, I've earned an A on everything I've done, including my midterm for American Lit! Right now I'm focusing on a presentation I have to give for that class on Thursday. 10 minutes long, over Walt Whitman. There is just not enough research on the topic I'm doing.... but it's almost over! After Thursday, I will be 100% happy girl.

Well, not much is new... job fair next Tuesday! Maybe I'll get hired? :)

happy 215th post to meeeee....

2008-10-15T20:59:00.001-07:00

I know it's a random number, but I think 215 is a lot! ;)

Well, the reality that is growing up is smacking me in the face harder and harder everyday. Today I found out that I reeeeally need a job with health insurance, and fast! It makes me wonder how many college graduates go without it!

So resume making and job hunting I will be doing.... so just in case you hear of anyone who needs a teacher, preferably a 4-th-8th grade English teacher, you know who to tell!!!!

:)

breaks = happiness

2008-10-14T22:12:00.000-07:00

This weekend was sooooo good :) Here's a pic of us on the way back from SA- we had stopped in Georgetown on the way, so that portion of the pic that caused you to ask, "Where are they?"... well, it's Georgetown. (sheesh, you were dying to know right??)

My parents were so sweet and did so much for us. They cooked fajitas for us on Sunday, and then last night they took us out to Outback. We had some pretty good laughs- I'm glad because they're all getting to know one another some more, which is why I really like bringing Russell home.

Today we went to Texas State so Russell could talk to the Rhet & Comp department chair. It was sooooo awesome!! She said it was a competitive program, but I know he'll get in. And I loved San Marcos and the surrounding area. It would be wonderful to find a job right in town. Here's a pic of us at Texas State. Isn't the background pretty? There was this huge park-type area (with ducks and cranes!) right next to our parking lot, so we decided to take a few pics. I really liked the scenery!

Well, that's how good fall break was! Now I'm back at school, kind of dreading school, but at least there are only 3 more days of this week!! Woo-hoo!! Thanks to everyone for wishing me a great fall break :)

fall break

2008-10-11T23:33:00.000-07:00

so the weekend is finally here! and i get to have a 4-day weekend :)

russell and i are driving to SA tomorrow afternoon to hang out with my parents. lots of bar-b-q and horseshoes going on. :) i'm excited! we're also visiting texas state on tuesday- woo hoo for figuring out grad school stuff. i think i might take a peek at the town itself to see if i want to live there.

i've had a rough week. i got sick on tuesday and am still trying to recuperate. going to school and work hasn't been fun, but thank goodness i'm getting over it.

well, i guess i shall go. just thought i'd give a quick update. sorry for the lack of profoundness.

Preparing to Teach

2008-10-08T16:44:00.000-07:00

As graduation draws near, I'm beginning to realize how stressed I am about the whole thing. I'm really looking forward to it, and when I say that, I mean it; I will never have to write another paper or take another exam.... at least for the time being.

I've been doing my alternative certification stuff and I've been pretty optimistic about the whole thing. I know finding a job will be the biggest ordeal, but right now, I'm all about taking my TExES test. I'm pretty stressed about this- the money, studying, time... But I know I can pass it. I'm taking the test for 4-8th English, and I'm graduating college with an English degree! It can't be too hard. :) See, optimism mixed with questioning....

Anyways, the test is on November 8th- please pray for me :) If I pass, I will be soooo pumped because I will be an official "highly qualified" teacher and a true candidate for a teaching position.

Well... I guess I should go study!

sleep-drive-learn-drive-sleep!

2008-10-04T22:53:00.000-07:00

It has been a loooong day. I didn't think driving to Austin for my alternative teaching certificate for 2 months would take quite the toll on my body. :( I started it last week with an 8-hour introduction to the profession of teaching, and today we had an 8-hour session on Lesson Planning & Development.

It was really good that I went even though I've already taken the education courses here at UMHB and have prior knowledge to the lesson-planning cycle. It was still very informative! I'm preparing my portfolio over the next few months before graduation- I'm going to include my unit plan that I did for high school English last semester (which I got a 98 on, by the way- and yes, I can brag because I'm very happy about that!), a few recommendation letters, and the like.

It's hard for me to believe that in about a month and a half, I will be looking for a job and possibly teaching. Seriously.

After I drove back from Austin, I went to Russell's and we talked for a while about books and his writings that he's working on. I was so pooped that I feel asleep on his couch for about two hours! He worked on homework and I slept. It's so typical of me, having senioritus and all. ;) So now I'm up at one in the am... I need to get to bed though. Long day tomorrow- full of researching, reading, writing...

It all pays off.

2008-10-02T17:17:00.000-07:00

So, i'm pretty confident that I made at least a B+ on my test, and I'm even hopeful for an A. We shall see. You really never can tell. But the good news is that I feel good about it! I can't wait to get my grade back. Sheesh.

:)

Why yes, I am going to study....

2008-10-01T16:24:00.000-07:00

I just got off of work and am finally home and changed. Now I'm going to grab a bite to eat and then study. I promise, I am!!!

No, I've actually already typed out most of my review and just need to look at some notes. Not bad!!

I know, stop procrastinating.... I'm going. :)

Senioritis...

2008-10-01T08:37:00.000-07:00

...is a bad, bad thing.

Why is it that I have absolutley no motivation to focus on the nine hours of class I am taking, but instead would rather focus on studying for my teaching certification (which is after I obtain my degree)?!

I am going to get out of this rut.

Study, study, study. This is your last semester, 9 hours-make A's! In order to do that, STUDY!

Really though. I've been keeping up with all of my readings for American Literature. I have a test tomorrow! I can do it. I think I can, I think I can....!

I'll be fine. I'll make a study guide today and study all night and tomorrow before the test.

And yes, I do know that this post holds no other purpose but to motivate me, but also allow me to procrastinate. Semi-Catch 22? :)

it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...

2008-09-30T18:15:00.000-07:00

a beautiful day! :)

So, please forgive me for my long absence! I have been a horrible blog-keeper. :( Thank you, Stephanie, for unknowingly inspiring me to blog again! :) (I saw your blog and the cute background and thought to myself, "Self, you should make your blog all cute and updated!" So I did.)

Well I guess I'm long overdue for an update.... ;)

What's new you may ask? Good question! I shall tell thee.

I graduate in 80 days!!! I will be done with school for(ever?) a long time!! Over the length of my absence, I decided that the wisest financial decision for me right now is not to dig myself into a deep debt hole of student loans and the like, but to get a job with my Bachelor's degree and start paying some loans off! So I'm applying to teach English in January. I'm pretty confident in my ability to do this- except the plan is now not to teach high school (because I look like a high schooler still...), but to teach middle school. 4th-8th grade sounds like a pretty good grade level for me. :)

Since graduation is coming up, I would like to invite my readers to my graduation party! I graduate on December 20th (a Saturday) and will be having my party the day after in San Antonio. I'll send out invitations to both my graduation and my party as the dates draw closer.

Russell and I are still doing great! :) He's graduating in May and applying to grad schools near San Antonio. I'm really excited about this! And not to sound too lovey-dovey... he makes me really happy and I'm really looking forward to the next year as we transition from undergraduate life to adult life (also known as "the real world")! Eeeek! It will be fun. :)

happy 4th of july weekend!

2008-07-05T17:07:00.000-07:00

So this weekend I came home to meet up with my parents and just spend some quality time with them. I haven't really come home for a while (since SPRING BREAK!...) by myself at least. 2 weekends ago Russell came with me and met my parents- this is huge for me. If you have known me at all, you know that I have been very picky and well... single my whole life until Russell! Hence, I have never had to introduce my parents to anyone at all. This. was. huge. (I used the periods for effect.. haha)

It went well. I was so scared of how it would all go because I have never brought anyone home, and I didn't know if they would grill him with a million questions or what. But we had a good time. We went to "Mi Tierra" on the river walk and then watched Evan Almighty back at home. Of course, we all had breakfast together, and sooner than I thought, we were driving back to Belton.

Let's see... since I've been a horrible blogger, I suppose I should update the few that read this on my life lately. I've been working full time at The Peanut Gallery, and wow- I didn't realize how drained I could be from this! But alas, due to bills and gas prices, I have also applied for a very part-time job as a waitress, working maybe 2 nights or so out of the week.

Here are some fun pics of life for me lately:

This is my "Red Group" as we call it. I'm in charge of our youngest schoolers, the 5 -and -6-year-olds. We were at inner space caverns! :)

I know this picture is sideways, but I think it's so cute! I told Natalie, the youngest schooler, to make a crazy face, and we did the same thing!

And this is me at home... studying for the GRE (notice my handy-dandy "The GRE for Dummies" book). I'm trying to take the test in October, and hopefully be in Texas State by January, or accepted at Texas Tech by February for next fall. We shall see!

Okay, okay....

2008-05-19T16:46:00.000-07:00

So I got quite the phone call from one of my dearest friends regarding my last post.... no names, no names... *cough* Stephanie! *cough* :)

It was a good call--urging me to give more details!

Okay, so I've gotten to the point where I will. My boyfriend's name is Russell and we celebrated our "one month anniversary" of officially dating this past weekend. We went out and saw Prince Caspian last night, and it was an amazing movie! I'm loving these Chronicles of Narnia movies, which says a lot considering I don't usually like movies that try to bring to life a book. The movie made me realize how much more I want to read everything ever written by C.S. Lewis.

Tangent... I know. I'm quite happy with Russell. :) He came to a wedding that I was a bridesmaid in as my date yesterday- we had a good time! No dancing, but it was still fun.

Ah, but yes. I know those aren't many details, but at least you now know his name! :)

Until next time...

Back by popular demand...

2008-04-28T09:35:00.000-07:00

I don't know why I have not had the desire to blog... Okay, Just joking. I do.

I think I have been feeling like I have not wanted to broadcast everything about myself on blogspot. I'm either at one end of the spectrum or the other; I either blog about everything, or nothing at all. So, here's to keeping this brief. :)

-I am finishing up my last Spring semester as an undergraduate student! My last finals are on Thursday- WOO!
-I am staying here for the summer- big WOO because I get to stay in Belton and be on my own. :)
-I'm growing up.
-And, I have a boyfriend. :) That's the good news! I would tell you about him, but alas- I don't want to broadcast my life on here. Just know that he's a really good guy and I really like him. :)

Here's my story... as of late..

2008-03-21T18:35:00.000-07:00

Long time no see? Sorry about that. :)

Life has been great. A lot has occurred since my last entry, so I shall update thee:

Academically, things are going well. In fact, there is a lot to be said for this area. I made the huge decision not to teach this semester, and that puts me at a point where I need only 3 classes in the fall to graduate! Yes. :) This semester has been rough though. I've been in 2 classes where I needed field experience, and it has been torture. Okay, that's a strong word. But it hasn't been the best experience. I am thankful for these classes because I realize that I do NOT want to teach. Ever. You may remember a post of mine back in December where I referenced my desire to go into speech pathology. These plans are definite- I even visited a school yesterday. I got to meet with the dean of the department and even got a personal tour. I know I'm a nerd (which I am totally okay with) because I have made it a standard that whichever school I choose has an exceptional library with very good hours. Anyways, I'm going to be working full time this summer in San Antonio (Where? I don't know. Possibly with a newspaper as a journalist- it's something I've always secretly wanted to do.) and taking a prep course at UTSA for the GRE. I HAVE to score high on this exam. My goal is to get anything above a 1300. I'll keep you posted. :) I've been in contact with many grad schools across Texas that have a Speech Pathology program- ACU, Lamar, Texas State, OLLU, Baylor, TWU, and UNT. I am planning on applying to all of them. So, once I graduate in December, it is off to grad school for 3 years. This may sound like a lot to you but I know that this will be worth it. If you want to know more about this, feel free to ask me! :)

My classes that I am taking right now have been going well too. If you ever need me, I'm probably off diagramming sentences for grammar, or writing essays for rhetoric. I'm really enjoying those classes. :) Next fall (my LAST semester as an undergraduate!), I will be taking Poetry, Literary Periods and Genres, and American Literature I. It is absolutely crazy that that is all I need!

Well, I hope you are all doing well.
Until next time!
~Krista

Keeping My Head Above Water

2008-02-05T16:15:00.000-08:00

Sunday night, reality set in that I may have way too much on my plate. I've always secretly known that I have made myself a busy girl, but gee... it caught up with me. I was actually very scared of starting this week primarily because I had added my field experience hours, and somehow, trying to fit an extra 5 hours of "to do's" in my week put me at overload. My body is beggining to let me know to calm down and relax- not to fit as much as possible into one day. Not to give too much away but I am going to the doctor because I'm a little concerned. So if you would please pray for me... that would be great!

So, today I decided that I would try to count the blessings in my busy schedule. I have one 2-hour break on Tuesdays and Thursdays which I usually spend in the library. Today I went and did some grammar homework, but suddenly I got the feeling to go browse the books. So I did, and I got a few that I plan on incorporating into my schedule to give myself some "rest time". All too often I use time like that to look at my pile of things to do and stress out some more... or to facebook. That routine has not been working for me- my ability to stress more increases and I inwardly panick. So I got "If" by Amy Carmichael, "Keep A Quiet Heart" by Elisabeth Elliot, "Girl Meets God" by I don't remember..., and "Effective Prayer" by R.C. Sproul. Isn't it nice to have some books that you can just pick up and rest as you read them? Yeah, I think so too :)

Right now I'm at work and I'm going to try to get through "Night". We shall see! :)

Teaching!

2008-02-01T20:59:00.000-08:00

I'm taking two education classes this semester: Curriculum Methods and Classroom Management. For each class, I need to do 26 hours of field experience, putting me at 52 hours this semester. I'm not quite sure how this will work considering I have school and 2 jobs... but it will work. I promise! :)

Anyways, that was me going off on a tangent again. Today I met the two teachers I will be working alongside this semester, and I felt so good about it. They were both so encouraging and offered me many resources to help me in my teaching career. One even gave me the book "Night" by Elie Wiesel (which I have wanted to read for a while. We both agreed that the lessons I would teach this semester would be over that book. We discussed the Holocaust, Wiesel's beautiful words and writing, and of course- the life of a teacher. She told me how stressful it can be, yet how rewarding. I was deeply encouraged by everything she told me.

As we sat and talked in her overly crowded (by desks) classroom, I felt like everything I have been preparing for is so right. I'm going to be honest and tell you that I have questioned the career I have chosen. But I know that I sought the Lord in prayer about this very intently, and I know that He has a plan. As I walked through the highschool hallways today, I knew that what I was doing was exactly where I needed to be. While many of the students I saw today were taller than me, I still felt older than them. I know that sounds crazy, but I have feared that I would not be confident walking through the hallways of a highschool as a teacher, but today God brought that peace.

After hearing about some of these student's lives, my heart went out to them. Our world is full of so much that we choose to overlook. There are 15 year old students that see school as their only safe haven. I am excited for what is to come. I know it will be rough, but I am so ready to see what God has planned.

I start in the classrooms next week. Before, my biggest fear was feeling confident, but now- my worry is, "What will I wear?!" (That's right, I STILL have not deveoped my teaching wardrobe...)

27 Dresses

2008-01-21T13:21:00.000-08:00

(I thought it was hilarious that my dress from pageant was one of the bridesmaid dresses in the movie that was made fun of- maybe it's a good thing I didn't get the green one! hahaha)

I saw this movie today. It stars Katherine Heigl as an independent woman who ironically loves weddings and everything about them. She had been a bridesmaid in TWENTY-SEVEN WEDDINGS! How crazy is that?

Well, before I spoil the ending for you, I will let you know that this movie is a chick-flick. Now... if that doesn't spoil the ending for you, I don't know what will. As I was walking out of the theater last night, I thought to myself, "Self, why do I pay six dollars for a movie where I know that the main character will fall in love and live 'happily ever after'"? Yes, *gasp*, it's true- she fell in love, got married, walked off into the sunset with her knight in shining armor, and lived happily ever after. Or that's at least what they want you to believe :)

I know I must sound like the most bitter person that has seen this movie, but it's true! Why do we get sucked into this cycle? I'm just wondering. We (and by we I mean women) see a preview for a movie like this, say it looks soooo cute, and then go pay for it! When 98% of the time, we know that it's going to end happily.

I honestly have no idea what my point of this post is. I think it might be that I somehow always feel good after seeing these type of movies for about 10 minutes, but in all honesty, then I feel completely upset that I spent money on it. Yes, it was a great movie- it was "cute". But I don't always like the way these movies make me feel.

This past week God has shown me (as He seems to do a lot) that I am perfectly content- that I am fine. By this I mean, He is my rock, He is my refuge. These are the words I cling to from Psalm 73:
23 Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
you hold my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will receive me to glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength [2] of my heart and my portion forever.

He is my strength, He is my portion.

I don't want a simple movie to make me feel otherwise.

Any thoughts?

Twisted logic??

2008-01-10T09:04:00.000-08:00

So you may think this sounds odd... but it makes sense to me! I have decided that not being a morning person may actually be a good thing! Hear me out.... Because I am most definitely not a morning person, I feel tired whether I slept for 8 hours or for 3! I decided that this morning when I woke up at 7 after finally falling to sleep around 3:30 or 4. I will never take for granted a sore-free throat again!! :)

Anyways, I have 3 classes today. I've already been to two: General Psychology (I've been putting that one off for a while. The teacher is very spunky! Especially for 8 am!)and Advanced Rhetoric, which seems like it will be an interesting class. The teacher is very laid back, so that's nice! I have Advanced Grammar at 1, which I am very scared of!! Anyways, I'm trying very hard to stay on top of my classes early! My friends Edgar and Analy and I are going to Starbucks tonight to all read for our classes. So hopefully we get a lot done!!

Hope you are all doing good! Good luck to all the students this semester! :)

I Can't Sleep....

2008-01-10T00:17:00.000-08:00

*Sigh*

This is the 4th night in a row that I haven't gone to sleep before 2 AM. I know, I know...! This is bad. But especially bad right now... because I have an 8 o'clock class this morning! I think I can't sleep because I either have insomnia, I have way too much on my mind, my cough is keeping me awake, or it's a mixture of all 3. I really hope I'm not an insomniac- that would stink. So does having a cough!

I think that since I get sick rarely throughout the year, the best time to get sick is at the very beginning! You know? Start off 2008 with a never ending cough... or one that one end for a few days, rather. Then I won't be sick for the rest of the year :) Hopefully.

Anyways, since I had nothing better to do- seeing as how I can't sleep, why not blog about it? So here I am, in my house, drinking Pineapple Apple Orange juice, blogging at 2:21 in the morning. It's actually quite nice :)

Now lets try to fall asleep...

Louisiana, Grad School, and Friends :)

2008-01-04T22:16:00.001-08:00

So I'm back! Actually, I've been back for a few days... I've just been lazy with my blogging lately. :) Due to uploading time... I think I will only upload a couple pictures of my trip. But, if you want to see more, just go to: http://umhb.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2017895&l=af10b&id=183000054 :)

We went to an alligator ranch!! We touched alligators, and even fed them MARSHAMLLOWS!! It was pretty neat! The kids seemed to enjoy it, too :)

We also did other fun things, like bowling :) I love these kids! Now, aren't they just the cutest? :)
I had a great time in Louisiana. I learned that states are different in very funny ways- Lousisiana has a lot of TREES and WATER. I saw my first Pine Tree (I know, I know) and about a million others!! It was neat :)

During my trip, I talked to my friend Rachel (the mom in the family) about my future plans. We talked about how time flies (I'm graduating in a year!), about guys, and about careers. I told her that I had become interested in Speech Pathology for the past semester, and wouldn't you know- her best friend is a Speech Pathologist. Isn't that wild? I got to meet her (Amy) and she was so encouraging. So, now that I'm home, I've been doing my research, and I am seriously thinking of moving on towards gradaute school. As of right now, I'm looking at Texas State, Abilene Christian University, and Our Lady of the Lake University. They all require a few prerequisites that I don't have.. but I'm not going to let small obstacles stand in my way. I've already had 2 of those schools call and e-mail me to help me out! So I guess I'll keep you posted on that ;) The reason I'm even interested in Speech Pathology is because I really have a heart for children that have a hard time speaking for various reasons. My two younger cousins have difficulties with this- and I would love to be able to help in some sort of way. Anyways, in all, I would be in school for 3 more years, but that's just one year longer than most students who go to grad school. So if you can, just keep me in your prayers as I seek the Lord's will for this.

Anyhoo... I feel like my time in SA has been short, probably because it has. I haven't had much time to do anything because the few days that I've been here, I've been working! But I did have time to hang out with my friend from school, Analy. We did the typical San Antonio things: browsed the mall, walked the river walk, and ate Taco Cabana! :) Now that's a fun day :)

I head back to Belton on Sunday, and I'm sure that there will be many fun times (and picture posts!) :)

Vacation!

2007-12-27T20:56:00.000-08:00

I think that time is so weird sometimes... Somehow it makes sense when I think about it, but when I say it... "This break feels like it's going by so fast, but it's taking forever!!" I mean, come on, how weird is that?? How can a period of time be slow and fast??

I have no idea. :)

Since finals, I have worked at my new job in Temple at a place called "Paperdoodles". This place is exciting- I get to sell paper (and other knick-knacks, too)! I get to look at pretty invitations and help brides pick out the best ones... (By the way, did you know how expensive invitations are? It's absolutely crazy!) After a couple weeks at Paperdoodles, and enjoyable, peaceful days in Belton, I drove back to San Antonio. The very next day, my family and I drove to Fredericksburg to seem my mom's side to celebrate Christmas. We had a wonderful time, and it's always fun to see family and catch up. Since Christmas I've been working at the retirement home serving food too all of the residents. It's fun to see them again- their smiles make me happy :) Tomorrow I fly out to Louisiana! I'm visiting the family I used to babysit for. I can't wait to see Nathan and Anna!! They are the cutest kids ever... I have some proof:

I wish I had a recent picture of her big brother, but I will after I get back from my trip! I'll be there until New Years day, when I fly back. I'm very excited! I'll be taking a ton of pictures because I got a camera for Christmas, which is very exciting!! So, I guess all I can tell you is, "Stay tuned!!" :)

Home! :) and a little randomness!

2007-12-23T19:12:00.000-08:00

So I'm home now. I can smell the lovely scent of my mom's Apple Cake. How will I survive until tomorrow without biting into it?! :)

It's nice to be home. I'm just sitting in "my" room and relaxing. I'm acknowledging this because I do not want to take for granted the time I have now to rest... next semester won't be too bad... I don't think. I'm taking Advanced Grammar, which is supposedly the hardest class for English majors. I am still excited about it because I know there is so much about grammar that I don't know, but I've always wanted to. I'm also taking Advanced Rhetoric, Curriculum Methods, Classroom Management, and an easy one- General Psychology. I also find out where I will be student teaching. I'm not sure if I want Salado or Belton yet... so I will probably be observing in both districts to get a better idea. I think next semester's going to be fun, also! :)

Guatemala notes: I start fundraising next semester!! My Guatemala trip will be set for sometime June or July this summer... I get to choose the dates. It will be a prayer/relational ministry and I am very excited!! More updates to come... I will probably make a Guatemala blog, too. My adopted mom, Shanon, will be teaching Spanish classes at church for the Mexico mission trip, and I'm going to go to learn more for Guatemala :) It's very exciting!

Well, I guess I'll leave you with a quote that I read a couple days back:
"May your presence fill the nonanswers, empty glances, and lonely times of my life. Amen." - Robert Wood

Finals Week

2007-12-10T09:40:00.000-08:00

So I'm almost done! I only have 2 more finals left! It's crazy for me to think that these are the last finals I will take in the fall-- this time next year I will be graduating. Wow, does time fly!

The week really hasn't been bad at all. I even got to go Salsa dancing on Saturday night- on of my hobbies! I've been attending a Salsa dancing class on campus this semester and we had most of our class go to a place called "Copas" in Austin together to dance. It was a really fun experience and definitely worth it. I never knew I would like dancing so much, but I do- I think it really has a lot of benefits, too. Not only is it a great work out, but you make a lot of friends when you all have an interest in the same thing :) And how cool is it to know how to dance? :) I'm pretty happy!

So yeah, that's all right now. Other than finals, I'm just enjoying good ole Belton and my last days of the semester. It's quite nice! :)

whew!!

2007-12-04T17:49:00.000-08:00

So, I haven't posted in a while, right? Wow, sorry about that!

I'd be surprised if anyone still checks this! ;)

Well, let me update you on a few things:

After about 2 months of long practices throughout the week, pageant finally came and went! Our theme was "De'Masque," which means "Unmasked". It was an awesome experience! Here it is through some pics (there's a lot!):

This is at our banquet the night before pageant. We ate yummy food and each of our sponsoring organizations had a beautiful place setting waiting for us at our seat!

The first night was talent night and I performed a pantomime skit about true beauty. It turned out to be a huge hit! ;)

Julie and me before we went on stage to perform our dance on the second night!

Beautiful girls!

This was during evening gown walk- I wasn't nervous at all!

Stroll!

I made top 10!!

Then I made top 5, which is crazy! I answered my questions without an ounce of anxiety in me! God answered my prayer!

My proud, proud parents with me at the reception afterwards. It was so much fun and I wouldn't trade the experience for anything else. By the way, I made 4th runner up!! :)

Life after pageant has been pretty busy, surprisingly. I thought I would be bored without having practices to go to, but I got a new job (my third one!) and I'm still keeping up with classes- mainly writing and reading a LOT. More than the average student, I'm sure! haha :) I hope you enjoyed this post! It was due!

"All the world's a stage..."

2007-10-15T19:43:00.000-07:00

My favorite class is currently Shakespeare. Just thought I'd share :) We had our midterm today and I think I made an A. I get advised for my last semester of classes next Monday. I will have MWF off, so I'm thinking of a job that I could take.. possibly subbing. I'm pretty excited!!

Lately God has been teaching me more about being real. And that's mainly why I'm writing about this, because I want to be obedient to what He is telling me, and be completely real and not cover anything up. So here goes...

He really had to break me down a couple nights ago... I was babysitting and the kids had gone to sleep and I was pretty tired because I was re-reading some Shakespeare. I got a phone call from one of my guy friends on campus, a fellow English lover, and told him that I couldn't go to a Shakespeare play with the group we had planned. Anyways, a mutual girlfriend of ours was in the background... we hung out earlier this semester, but not so much lately.

You may be thinking, "Yeah, so what's the big deal?" Well, small things usually surface larger feelings. And just so you know, I in no way have any feelings for this guy. But for some reason, God used a simple conversation and realization that my two friends were hanging out without me, and told me that I wasn't being real in my relationships with people. I don't know when this behavior started, but I'm thinking when my dad was deployed. I had told myself that I would not dwell on all the emotion that came with my dad being gone. I knew that I would be strong. But now I know that there is no winning with that battle. You have to deal with your emotions.

I was upset because I don't know these two people in that way. I feel like I haven't been real with anyone in a long time. I haven't told you that sometimes, or most of the time, I don't always have it together. I get stressed out. I compare the way I look with other girls. I'm not always happy with who God made me. But He's teaching me everyday. He's teaching me through pageant, and other things. But I never discuss these things with anyone.

I could sit here and say "Woe be me because I don't have a significant other to share things with and be real with." And I'm not going to make this one of my posts about being single, but God does call us to relationshipS (that's plural) with one another where we carry each other's burdens. I'm tired of hiding the fact that I fail sometimes.

So here it is in all caps: I MESS UP. I AM NOT PERFECT. I HAVE TO LEAN ON MY HEAVENLY FATHER, AND RELY ON MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS. WE ALL HAVE TO. LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

I'm just tired of the superficial, acquaintance-type relationships. So lets go beyond that and actually talk to each other. I'm not going to worry about whether or not I would be revealing too much, because I don't reveal enough at all, and instead, I put up a mask of perfection.... which I hope people have seen through.

Is anyone with me? Does anyone else get bogged down with the false standard of everything being together? Because I am. And I hope that I made you think. Because it's been on my heart lately, and I'm trying to break down walls that I have put up.

I want to be real with you.

Siiigh :)

2007-09-26T21:05:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd post a picture since I haven't in a while. This was during our first week back at school. I'm standing with all of my "nieces" in my welcome week family from this year. That was our 80s night- we had a dance and everything! It was pretty fun!! :)

I'm listening to Canon in D and decided it was good music to blog to :) Well, this week has been going well. I had my first test today in Creative Writing over Catch 22. I'm not sure how I did, but I guess I'll find out soon enough!!

Last night was our first official pageant practice. We started out with our talents. If you've been reading, you know that I'm miming. I'm pretty confident that I'm going down in UMHB history for that one- I'll have to do my research to be sure. I was 2nd to last in order of performance for practice, so I had a good hour for my anxiety to increase. But, I got up on stage and performed to "I Feel Pretty". People laughed at the right parts, which is a good sign. I was really nervous and did everything so quickly and ended before my music did... so that will be something to worry about :) But everyone said they liked it- so that's good!! Tomorrow night is "evening gown night" so we are all wearing our heels and learning how to walk gracefully. We'll see how that works out!!! :)

I hope everyone is having a good week!

"Captivated"

2007-09-24T06:31:00.000-07:00

God always uses the most simple, yet very complex, things to draw me to Him. It is these things that captivate me. My favorite male vocalist, Shawn McDonald, wrote a song that encompasses exactly how I feel about God and His magnificent creation. If you want to hear the song you can go to: http://myspace.com/shawnmcdonald . But even better than that, buy his new CD that comes out tomorrow!! :)

Here are the beautiful words:
Captivated

When I look into the mountains I see your fame
When I look in to the night's sky it sparkles your name
The wind and the clouds and the blue in the sky
The sun and the moon and the stars so high
That's what draws me to you

I am captivated
By you
In all that you do
I am captivated

When I wake unto the morning it gives me your sight
When I look across the ocean it echoes your might
The sand on the shore and the waves in the sea
The air in my lungs and the way you made me
That's what draws me to you

I am captivated
By you
In all that you do
I am captivated

The wind and the clouds and the blue in the sky
The sun and the moon and the stars so high
The sand on the shore and the waves in the sea
The air in my lungs and the way you made me

The blood in my veins and my heart you invade
The plants how they grow and the tree and their shade
The way that I feel and love in my soul
I thank you my god for let me know about you about you

2007-09-21T22:27:00.000-07:00

Well, another week has passed! September seems as if it is just flying by :)

This week went well. On Monday night we had pageant orientation and it seems as if there will be many fun times to be had. I was so comforted because everyone seems to be in the same boat of anxiety. So that's nice. Practice starts on Monday, and will be on M,T,Th from 6-9 until November! We perform our talent on Tuesday night, so I'm practicing my mime skit!!

I got to meet up with my mime teacher on Wednesday. She has studied under Marcel Marceau- I am so blessed! She is so nice and had so many great ideas :)

Tonight I went country dancing which was way fun. I've learned all the steps to the songs which is really nice :) All of the instructors are so nice. I even get to babysit for 2 of them!! :)

Well, that's a summary of my life right now. Tomorrow I begin planning for Guatemala trip!!!

"What was a whisper, is now a voice calling out..."

2007-09-16T21:41:00.000-07:00

So... it's been a while!

Life has been good. I've been going running in the mornings with my wonderful running partner, Allie.

I've also been reading and writing... a lot!! But other than that, I've gotten to hang out with some really cool people. My welcome week family came over last week and we had a little game night. It was so much fun! Plus, I got to know them a little better, which was nice.

Pageant orientation is tomorrow!! Please, please, pleeease pray for me. I'm a little nervous because it's just something completely different, and while I know it will be a wonderful experience, it will definitely push me out of my comfort zone!

Oh, life is good. God is teaching me to rest and turn to Him, constantly.

Love you all,
Krista Q.

A Rediscovery :)

2007-09-05T21:45:00.000-07:00

I really feel as if I'm finding my thing. Or re-discovering it rather. Tonight I had to write a rough draft about an event in my life that could be a short story. As I wrote, I felt the creativity begin. I don't really get frustrated when I get to write. I enjoy it! I'm loving seeing my words on the screen, and knowing that they will be read and can make a difference. I'm very excited about what God is doing with this new passion. I do enjoy reading, and I never thought I'd enjoy writing just as much (maybe even more)! I love talking about other writings, too. I like trying to find the symbolism in others' stories and analyzing.

I'm probably going to be posting some of my assignments on another blog. My little "creative spot". So, be looking for that :) I just thought I would share with you the passions that are growing in my life!

Very glad, with a smile spread across my face... :)

2007-08-30T20:18:00.001-07:00

Wow. That is all I have to say. By changing my major to teach high school instead of middle school, I have made a great decision. My classes are so in depth and I am loving every minute of them. My favorite class of the moment is Advanced Composition. We have been reading nonfictional stories lately, and then submitting our response journals online. At first, I felt as if everyone else besides me was somehow above me in their writing, analytical and reflective skills. Today was a major turning point for me. In our class, we are randomly chosen to "teach and take over" the class by our professor. Wouldn't you know it, I was called on today. :) I was nervous, but I came prepared with a list of questions for our reading Independence Day, by Lisa Chavez. At first I was discouraged because I felt as if I didn't clarify my question enough... as if people were just staring at me and blinking. Then, my teacher interrupted and pointed out that the metaphor I had thought of was one he had never heard of and wanted to research more. He told me that I needed to speak up more in class and be more assertive. How's the for a boost of confidence?! I was so excited because I felt as if the only person in the room that I really needed to approve of my question actually really loved it! I'm also thinking that his method of teaching, in allowing us to teach, is the best preparation I could have for student teaching, which is where I will be in one year.

My other classes are interesting, too. In Creative Writing, we are reading Catch-22 and writing poetry. In Shakespeare, we are reading Richard II, and giving oral presentations, as well as writing a very big research paper. In World Literature, we are teaching a lesson geared towards the grade we want to teach that deals with a piece of world literature and current events. In British Literature, we are reading the classics, like Beowulf. Can you sense the excitement I have as I write this? I know that I get overwhelmed with the busyness of it all sometimes, but I do enjoy it. I enjoy reading about peoples' lives and learning their stories. I'm also becoming so much more confident in my own writing, because I do have good experience in that. I had some of the best English teachers you could ask for back in high school. (Those classes kept me going in a way at Judson.)

Needless to say, I am very content. I am enjoying where life is at right now and I couldn't ask for it to be any other way. My parents (yes, plural- my dad is included!!)are coming on Saturday to move in some furniture to the house. I am so excited about our house! It is the cutest little house you will ever see! :)

Life Back at UMHB

2007-08-27T06:49:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

I'm sorry I have been neglecting this blog for quite sometime now... I will try to get back into it! :)

Well... I'm back at UMHB and it's been great so far. I haven't mentioned that Lauren and I are STILL not in our house because they had to rid it of fleas and do a few minor repairs... but we should be moving in sometime this wee. This is completely okay because this has given us time to find a dining table, and a free one at that!

I also have some news that is even better than that... my dad is now in El Paso going through all of the debriefing classes and he should be home in San Antonio by the end of this week! This is very, very good news! My parents have waited so patiently for this time in his career- retirement! He will retire very soon and we will never have to worry about "war" again!! There is a lot of rejoicing in the Quinn family right now!

This week is our first full week of classes and I'm actually more nervous that I thought I would be! :) I've already been reciting Shakespeare with all of my fellow English majors, and this week I will be reading Japanese literature, and writing- a lot! I'm very excited about all of this, but I'm also quite nervous about staying on top of things.

Well, that's my update! :) I know it's not a lot, but I don't have too much to say.

MY DAD'S ALMOST "HOME, HOME"!

Back to School (and other ramblings...)

2007-08-09T20:58:00.000-07:00

So can you find the grammatical error in my last post? :) I must have been very tired when I wrote that one!

Well, lets see.... I have not felt like blogging in a long time! It's not like me at all, but it's true. :( I will try to catch you up, just in case you'd like to know!

I'm still working at the retirement/nursing home, and it has been going well. While I've grown to really enjoy the old folks, I'm ready to go back to school. Sometimes being a waitress can be really tough work, and I don't know if I could do it for a consistent amount of time. Luckily, I go back to UMHB on Wednesday!

I'm very excited about it because this year holds so many opportunities. I'm looking forward to moving into the house and the many get togethers that will take place there. I'm also looking forward to pageant. I'm still nervous about it... but I know God has it all under control. I've never ever performed anything in front of a large group (much less the whole school!) so this will be a stretch for me. I'm feeling very comfortable with my talent, and while it needs a lot more practice, it's something that I know has a message and is still very cute and funny. If you haven't heard, I will be miming for my talent, and no, I'm not kidding! :) I think it will be a ton of fun to get to know all the other girls participating, and to be a part of UMHB's history. Not every girl gets the chance to do this, so it will be a ton of fun (and hard work)!

I'm also taking quite a few classes that will demand much of my attention! In no particular order, they are: Shakespeare, Advanced Composition, World Literature, British Literature, and Creative Writing. I am looking forward to all of these, but I also know that if I don't have a strict study schedule, this could be very, very bad! But it'll be fun, I know it. I'm really interested in Creative Writing (it may produce many blog posts!) and World Literature.

I'm currently applying for a tutoring job at a high school near UMHB, so that will be fun to get to know what it feels like to "teach" at the high school level. It will probably be very different from my other job on campus as a tutor for college students, but I'm up for it. It may sound crazy that I'll be working 2 jobs (3 if you count babysitting on Saturdays!), participating in pageant, and taking a full load of upper level English courses, but I know it will be great. I know that I thrive off of this type of schedule, but I also need to find times to rest. Maybe you can pray for me as I start this semester.. please? :)

On another note, my dad comes home by the end of the month! We are very excited to finally have him home and safe. I can't wait to give him a huge hug and tell him to never ever leave again! ;)

My last day of work is on Monday, and then I go back to Belton on Wednesday! I'm very excited about getting back into the groove of things! I can't believe it's my SENIOR YEAR. Seize the day! :)

2007-07-19T21:02:00.000-07:00

Well, I've started my 2nd class for the summer! It's State and Federal Government, and so far, it's pretty good. I enjoyed the class in high school, too. :) We've already had 2 tests- we have 2 each week! Surprisingly enough, I kind of like it that way. Even though tests are back to back, that means they're is less information to cover each time.

I just looked at my phone countdown. There are 26 days until I go back to UMHB, 34 until my dad comes home, and 101 until my 21st birthday! I'm pretty excited about all 3 of those. :)

I got another haircut today... I've finally gotten over the fear of cutting my hair short, and did what I've always wanted to do. I cut my hair short in the back and long in the front. I guess it's an "angled layer" look, and I LOVE it! I wish I had pictures, but I don't... :(

So yes... there's not a whole lot going on right now. I'm excited for school to start back up so I can see all of my friends, and then my dad comes home!!!

My Pugs :)

2007-07-09T21:27:00.000-07:00

So I love my dogs sooo much and they definitely make our life interesting! They have been getting the spa life lately, as they have been going to the vet to get their baths. (We are trying to be extra careful about fleas during the summer now...) Here are some pictures to show you their complete joy!

Edith sleeping the day away after a stay at the vet's office. Isn't she cute?

This is Khaki's famous stretch... he always does this when he wants you to pet him and tell him how good of a dog he is. :)

I caught Edith for a pic! Can you see her smile? She's actually pretty photgenic... ;)

My two lovely pugs. They're so great!

Hopeless romantic?

2007-07-02T21:08:00.000-07:00

Well here it comes... me writing about the one thing I'd rather not. But a big part of me has to, because I have to get it out. That's right.... the life of being single. I really do hate the phrase, "Always a bridesmaid, never a bride." because you kind of begin to believe it. Now I know I am young and I have "my whole life" ahead of me, but sometimes a girl just has to wonder.

This summer has been particularly hard when it comes to this because all of my relatives call to check on me, and it's inevitable that they all ask "So are you dating yet?" I can only come up with so many different answers: "No, I'm just waiting for the right guy." "No, I'm too busy for a boyfriend." Someone even told me "Good." when I answered. Excuse me for being cynical about this, but if it's good to be single, why did you ask me if I was dating?

I may sound kind of upset right now, but it'd because I am. Even my co-workers, whom I've known for a little over a month, ask me. When I reply, I hear, "You're not dating?! Why not?!?!"

To be completely honest, the answer "I'm waiting for the right guy" is the truth. I really am. And no, I don't know how I will know if he's the right one, but I will. I have so many friends that are getting engaged, and while I am only 20 years old, it's hard not to think why I haven't even been on a date.

I want to feel like I'm special, and I want to be "swept off my feet". I desire to know what that feels like, you know? I want to laugh about things that don't matter, and go on walks with someone because we can. I want to take goofy pictures together. I want to go climb a mountain with him. I want to do my hair for a special occasion. I even want to buy a pretty dress so we can go dancing together, even if we both have two left feet. I want to write mushy letters, too. Yes, I'm your typical girl. But maybe not, because I have never done these things. But I want to. Hopeless romantic it is..

I know it's all in God's timing, but it's hard to not wonder...

Days With Mom

2007-06-29T22:14:00.000-07:00

So this week has been pretty great :)

To be quite honest with you, I wasn't really ready to come home this summer. I may have alluded to that in past posts, but I'm just saying the plain truth :) I'm sure it exists with every mother-daughter relationship, but I wasn't ready to come home to less independence, more chores, and being told whether or not my hair looks good that day. :{ So, I prayed before the summer that I would somehow find the strength and wisdom that comes in being a good daughter, and resisting my fleshly wants.

We've had our moments. But this week has been great. We've had wonderful conversations, funny moments, talks about our soldier (dad) whom we miss and can't wait to have back, and just an all around good time. God is definitely giving me strength, and a deeper love for my mom. (Don't get me wrong, I've always loved her, but we are becoming much closer.) I'm excited about this. God is amazing. He is such a faithful Father, and I am so thankful.

Tomorrow, my mom and I will be spending the day out as we look for dresses. I'm very excited about this!! We are also going to look for videos or books that I need to help me out. It will be a lot of fun!! :)

Question and Answer :)

2007-06-27T21:21:00.000-07:00

What's new with me? Well, hmmmm...

I have enjoyed my day off, and am excited about another one tomorrow! I had a test in my History class today, but it wasn't bad at all. Then I tried to go to different bookstores to find a book of skits, with no success :( This is going to be really hard.

Stephanie- to answer your question about pageant. I can't believe I haven't told you!! Well, MHB has a pageant each year, and I will be representing the Student Foundations group on campus. Student Foundations is an organization that helps out with different events for the alumni. It's very fun to talk with them and hear their stories about their time at UMHB, too. :) Anyways, the pageant will be held in November, and I think there are about 25 girls that participate each year. We have a platform, talent, evening gown walk, and a private interview with judges. Before coming to UMHB, I remember seeing pictures of it, and thinking, "Wow that looks really neat, but I would never do it." When I was given the chance to participate, I hesitated, but decided to do it. It's going to be a long journey, but I am very excited about meeting all the other girls and seeing what God has in store. I know there will be a lot of growth, and I look forward to it. Oh, and guess what I've chosen for my talent? Mime! I even have a "mime coach"! Finding skits is the hard part though... :)

Hawaii, Pageant, House, and High School! :)

2007-06-20T21:28:00.000-07:00

Well I'm awake at 11:28 at night and I'm writing on my blog. For some reason, I haven't had any desire to blog lately, so this post may be a little random.

Tonight we had Hawaii night at work, and I got to dress in something besides my uniform :) I wore a purple Orchid in my hair, and it was very fun! We even had Hawaiian dancers perform for all the old people. Some of the old people even got up with them and learned a little dance. It was very cute and fun to see them in a different setting! However, the Hawaiian theme really made me want to get away and have a vacation. I'm not even that busy! I have a feeling that adjusting to college life will be a little hard for me when I go back...

I'm still excited about going to MHB. Lauren and I got into our house that we wanted, and we are very excited! My mom gave me a couch that is quite comfy if I do say so myself. We have everything we need for the house except for a dining table, which is especially important because we have a nook, and every nook needs a dining table. Well, I need a dining table, too, but a nook is all the more reason to have a dining table. :) Here are some sneak peeks of our house that is just waiting for us to move in:

Now how cool is that? We have a loft and a fireplace. I'm just so excited!

About next year, I have a wonderful feeling about it. I know this is probably natural since I have so many things to look forward to (like my dad being back!), but I really do have a good feeling. I know God has big plans and that a lot of growth is in store. I'm very excited!

Lets see.. what else? Pageant planning is making me a little nervous. My mom and I are supposed to go look for dresses soon.. I have one in mind, but I want to look at all of them. I'm also still trying to find the perfect skit for my talent. Who knew that I'd ever be a part of this? I'm excited, but very, very NERVOUS! :)

This probably should have been one post in itself, but I am definitely teaching high school English now! How exciting! Everything fit perfectly on my schedule, which is very important since I'm trying to fit in my last year. I always hear that it's hard to do. In a year from now I will be preparing to student teach, which is just a tad bit crazy! This upcoming semester I will be taking:
-World Literature
-Shakespeare
-Advanced Composition
-American Literature to 1890
-Students and Learning

It is going to be quite the busy semester, but after that, I only have to take 12 hours in the Spring! I'm excited about that break! I will have to be diligent with my schedule this fall. I will have to say no to things when I need to, and stay on top of my studies. I mean, look at those classes! As intriguing as they sound, they will require a lot of time and studying. I think I am most excited about World Literature. :) We shall see!

Not much else is on my mind :) I've just been doing summer school and work lately! :) I hope you're all doing well. If you read through all of this, you are awesome!!

Decisions, decisions...

2007-06-15T12:12:00.001-07:00

So, I haven't told any of you, but I'm thinking of certifying for English 8-12, instead of 4th-8th. I know I sound crazy, but lately I have been thinking of how much I'd rather teach more in depth literature, rather than the difference between a noun and an adjective. I have e-mailed my English Advisor, and we are talking about possibilities right now. I'm also still in the process of praying about this big decision, especially since I was so set on teaching middle school. I haven't fully made up my mind, but here is my reasoning so far:
- High School students are like mini-adults. A friend pointed out to me that many of them are taking their first big steps into the "real world". What a wonderful time to help guide them and encourage them!

-The type of Literature I would be teaching is more the the kind that I love. Stories full of symbolism, biblical references, and different interpretations. Wouldn't it be awesome to have a class where you discuss each other's perspectives on a character in a novel? These were the classes I enjoyed most in my schooling, how great it would be to teach them.

-The kids are more mature! This would especially be the case if I taught Advance Placement.

Please pray for me as I make this decision! Also, if you have any advice, just let me know. Yes, I know that most of the students would think I'm in high school, but I'm not going to look this young forever! :)

Summer days, driftin' away...

2007-06-11T21:24:00.000-07:00

"to, oh, oh, those summer nights!"

Sorry, had to drop in a Grease quote. I had my first summer school test today in U.S. History 2 today. I think I may have aced it! I finished the 50 question test in about 20 minutes, which is always nice. I kind of like this summer school idea... our teacher gave us a study guide and everything. 'Twas nice!

Today was my mom's birthday. I "built" her a cake and wrapped up the present my dad sent for her. I also took her our to eat at the Cracker Barrel, which just so happens to be the best country restaurant around.

My mom bought me this really neat water bottle that supposedly holds 8 glasses of water inside! She has been trying to get me to drink 8 glasses of water a day for the past 21 years, and I think she may have found a way to get me to do that. I really like it! :)

These are the classes I am taking next semester:
- Classroom Management
- Contenet Area Reading
- Reading & Language
- Advanced Composition

I'm going to be the best 5th grade English teacher ever! :)

Life lately...

2007-06-08T08:33:00.000-07:00

So, I have completed my first week of summer school and I have my first test on Monday! I hope that I do well on it... I'm beginning to realize how much quicker summer school is than a normal class!

Other than that I've been working lately and staying with mom. We got to talk to my dad last night on his web cam and on yahoo messenger phone calling. It was the neatest thing ever and his friends in theb ackground couldn't believe we were talking on a computer! I'm very thankful for technology right now!!

Today I will be studying and cleaning. This is a very uneventful post, but that's okay ;)

Wisdom...

2007-06-01T19:40:00.000-07:00

Tonight I met the cutest old couple ever. Mr. and Mrs. Haney were so cute. They came in 10 minutes before we closed, and tonight was our buffet night, where everyone serves themselves. But the Haneys have some health issues. One is legally blind, and the other cannot walk too well. I introduced myself and took their orders so I could go get their food. They were so happy and so cheerful, even though one could hardly see and the other could hardly walk. I love that they have chosen to not let certain limitations control the way they view life. They were 96 years old. They made me smile the moment they started talking. :) They immediately asked what I was studying, where I went to school, etc. We had a nice conversation, and I was so thankful that they came in late so I didn't have to leave them.

Don't you love those people you meet that have so much to offer, and they don't even have to say all that much? It's just about the way they carry themselves, and the way the overcome obstacles. I hope I get to serve them again! :)

Wanting to Learn!

2007-05-30T19:43:00.000-07:00

So I start my class in a week! I'm actually excited about it even though it's a history class. I'm very hopeful that it will be extremely interesting to me... I'm even expecting it to be! :)

I left all my books in Belton :( So does anyone have a good book they'd recommend that I buy? I get paid this week and I want to spend 20 on a good book. Any suggestions???

:)

All Good Things

2007-05-23T22:49:00.000-07:00

With my dad being gone in Kuwait/Iraq, life is always different when I come back to SA. These past couple weeks have been weeks of transition. I moved out of my apartment in Belton and came back to San Antonio. I've been back for breaks, but I haven't lived here in 3 years. So it's definitely a change for me.

I started my job at the retirement home. The average age of the people dining is 82. It's very fun to see them every day and get to know them some more. They are extremely nice and understanding, and even tell me that I am beautiful. I love that, because who gets to go to work to be told they're beautiful? My biggest task to overcome was lifting and balancing trays of food on my shoulder. It's definitely an art I am still trying to master, but I have become more confident that I won't drop anyone's meal... that's actually my biggest fear. ;) This job has proven to me that I can do anything I set my mind to, because I was not expecting to be waitressing this summer! God provided a wonderful working environment and I am so thankful.

Life at home has been interesting. My pugs have been a little high maintenance lately. We still give Edith daily eye-drops, and both her and Khaki have recently been attacked by fleas. I bathed them twice, but we eneded up taking them to the vet. My pugs are seriously like my children, because I worry about them when they stay at the vet all day, and I get so excited to pick them up. I have always been very protective of them, so it should be interesting to see how I am when I have kids one day!

Summer school starts in about a week 1/2. I'm a little nervous. Nothing is like UMHB, but it should be fun to meet some fellow San Antonio students. Although I must say that I really hope I have a good teacher... I'm taking a History class, and I NEED a good teacher to stay awake!

My dad comes back to the states in 91 days, as of right now. He is definitely retiring once he gets back, and I am so excited that my family can be "civilian normal" for the first time in my life!

Guatemala plans are happening! My adopted mom, Shanon, and I are looking at different venues and talking to our missions team at our church. I am so excited about this. We have a chance of leaving in December, but we are leaning towards next summer. Yay!

Oh, and if you read all of this, good job! ;)

Day 1 - The Life of a Waitress in a Formal Dining Room

2007-05-14T21:15:00.000-07:00

I must say that I absolutely loved every bit of tonight. I was honestly overwhelmed by everyone's kindness. Not only were my fellow employees nice, but the wonderful people I served tonight as well! They completely blew me away with their consistent curiosity as to whom their new waitress was. They truly care, ever for their waiters! Now I know that not every single person I serve will be as nice as they all were tonight, but I think I can handle it when the time arises. This is (aside from my jobs with children) byfar the best part time job I've ever had. God knows what He's doing!

The co-workers are a blast so far :) Luckily, I was not the only new girl tonight, as a girl named Morgan was starting tonight as well. Her brother, Cameron, who is another waiter, got her in. We shadowed him for part of the night, which was quite hilarious when we went to take the single men's order. One of the guys told Cameron, "You have these 2 girls following you, aren't you just lucky?" to which Cameron replied, "I know, they won't stop following me." It made me laugh. Senior adults always manage to say a joke that makes me laugh. :)

I'm looking forward to the summer. While I am still a little bit scared, and "a lot a bit" rusty in my skills still, God has provided graceful management who want to give us a week long training. Hopefully by then, I will have it down ;)

Blessings and Anxiety

2007-05-11T18:42:00.000-07:00

:)

I got the job at the retirement/nursing home! Now I will finally be doing something productive and making a little bit of money! Woo! :)

Although, I must say that reality kind of hit today when I registered for my summer classes. All of the online classes ended up being full, which is mainly my fault for registering so late, and so I'm now enrolled in one class for each session. It should be an interesting summer as I have no idea what to expect with the pace of the classes and a new environment. I'm sure it will be fine, but sometimes I just wonder what I'm doing!

Speaking of which, I've been feeling a little overwhelmed by the future. While I am so thankful for the blessings God has given me- a job in less than a week, the opportunity to take classes for much less than UMHB, a loving mother at home- I'm still anxious about it. I feel like I have never been as scared by the future as I do now. I guess I just never realized how uncomfortable I am with unfamiliarity. I'm worried about the classes, the job, and especially next semester. I really need to completely trust that God has it under control. Isn't it odd to know that but not trust? Isn't even more odd to be thankful for what you are worried about? Have you ever felt like this?

Yay!!!

2007-05-09T15:34:00.000-07:00

I have an interview at the nursing home tomorrow!! I'm very excited about it because it seems like such a great environment and an opportunity to make some friends. Not only will I get to listen to the wisdom that so often pours out of senior adults, but the staff they hire is all college age. Wouldn't that just be neat? It sounds like a fun job opportunity and I hope it all works out! My interview is tomorrow, so please pray for me around 2:30!

Other than that, everything has been going good. Except I accidentally tore a page in my Bible. I don't know why I feel like sharing that but it really upset me when it happened. *sigh* But it's okay.

I was looking around our local Family Christian Store yesterday, and it brought back my memory of when I was in the store with my mom because she was about to buy me my first Bible. Aside from my children's bible growing up, I had never owned one before then. I was about 14, and I can still remember how excited I was, and how I was so particular when choosing it. I ended up getting a black, thinline NIV Bible. I used it all throughout High School and my Freshman year of college. I love those memories. :)

I hope you're having a fantabulous day! :)

2007-05-08T12:53:00.000-07:00

It has been a crazy last few days! I've applid for a lot of jobs and am waiting for a reply. I got one offer but I knew I wouldn't be happy there... I know I can't be too picky, but it was quite obvious. I applied at two restaurants today, one at I-Hop and one at a local nursing home. So, we shall see!

Other than that I've been unpacking and organizing things. I'm trying to get things thrown out that I don't need anymore, too.

Not much else going on. My church college group is in England right now for about 2 weeks. Pray for them if you can! :)

2007-05-03T19:44:00.000-07:00

I'm tired.

Crazy Weeks

2007-05-02T22:24:00.000-07:00

Wow! It's so hard to believe that it's already Mar, and that tomorrow I take my last final of the semester. I'm excited about this because I'm able to take a break! :)

So much ahs happened since I last wrote... Many areas of life changed that I didn't think would. I was going to work an after school program next year, but now I will be babysitting for the people that live next door to the people I babysit for now. They have one little boy, and I'll be doing that on the weekends. This is because I'm going to be in the MHB Pageant....

I know. IT'S CRAZY. It's a long story on how this happened. I'm sure it will be something that will hold a very special place in my college experience. I'm excited about meeting the other girls and getting to know them more. I'm excited about God stretching me, especially since I've never performed solo on a stage before! I'm looking forward to it. You can ask me more about it in person or on the phone if you want to. :) So this summer I will be working, taking online classes, and preparing for that. It should definitely prove to be an eventful summer! :)

Classes have been okay this semester... I'm pretty sure I've made all B's, but I am totally okay with that because the classes were tough. Especially my upper level English courses... ask me a question to do with Linguistics, and I should be able to answer! :)

I go home on Saturday. I'm excited about the vacation. I never thought I'd say it... but I'm looking forward to getting away from school life for a while. I need a change of pace, and I'm excited to see what it brings.

Oh, and about that weather... it's crazy!

Oh, and I also cut my hair! I gave in to my hair temptations and cut it shorter than usual- right above the shoulders. I like it! :)

Reflections on Psalm 34

2007-04-20T20:30:00.000-07:00

Life feels as if it has been flying by for about the past week or so.God has been teaching me a lot lately, and I'm striving more and more each day to be completely satisfied in Him. He really laid Psalm 34 on my heart in a new way this week. I started thinking about all of these different parts of my future that I absolutely have no control over, and knew that I needed His guidance. His gift to me that night was Psalm 34. To give you an idea of the thoughts of the future that have been running through my head, here's a short list:
-This summer in San Antonio
-Graduating
-Friendships
-Every day decisions
-Guatemala trip
-Life after graduation- Singleness, etc.

So often I feel as if my thoughts are consumed by questions on the future. I worry so much about it to the point that it's ridiculous. Suddenly I realized that those thoughts were taking away from my present time, and that it wasn't my life to worry about anyways. My life is His, and good thing, because He has it all under control.

There's one verse in Psalm 34 that really struck me:

"The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing." - Psalm 34:10

How many times have I wanted and hungered for something in my life to just happen? Like the answers to all of y questions to just appear. I hunger for the knowledge of little things, like "What will this summer bring me?" etc.

But it's not about me. "Those who seek the LORD lack no good thing." It's about seeking Him, and not for any benefit, but because He's the only way!

"The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." -Psalm 34:18

He guides, He comforts, He knows so much more than I do. This is why I cannot worry. This is why I cannot be consumed by the maybes of the future. Because my King has redeemed my life.

I have to constantly remember this as my hopes are let down. When friendships don't always meet the expectations I had for them, when certain things turn out to be not for me. I can take comfort and relief in the fact that God does have a plan that is so beyond me. It's not about me.

Energy!

2007-04-17T10:47:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning after I spent the night at my friend Allie's and while it took me a couple minutes to get going, I was all ready for the day afterwards! I went to work, I'm about to go to class, and then I'm going to find a job for next year in the Career Services building. I won't include everything I'm doing today, but it's a lot! So it's probably a good thing that this kick of motivation came today. :)

eeek.

2007-04-14T22:50:00.000-07:00

So, for the past couple days I have been trying to figure out something that I could blog about. Nothing has seemed to come to mind...

Lately I have not been myself in that I haven't had any motivation whatsoever. Usually, I clean up my room when it becomes even the tiniest bit messy. I do this because it frustrates me to not have space. Usually, I am on top of my schoolwork and I do it on time. I haven't been doing these things. I have no idea what is going on but I need to quit it. I don't know why I have been putting everything that needs to get done.

I'm also trying to figure some things out for next year. Everything in my head is telling me do to something, but everything I am feeling is not.

I need to stop being so indecisive. I need to start acting like myself. Please pray.

Running (A nice, but pointless post)

2007-04-11T12:14:00.000-07:00

So, yesterday morning I woke up with the urge to work out at some point during that day. As I was getting ready for work, I was planning what time would be good for this. Normally, I just say I want to work out, think about how good it would be for me to actually keep my body active (other than the physical task that comes with studying and facebook-ing), but I never actually go to work out.

Well, I ended up going running twice yesterday. My friend Allie and I went right after Children's Ministry, and ran at Heritage Park. 'Twas much fun. I even ran into my adopted mom, Shanon, there, because her boys were playing baseball. It was an okay run, but it didn't go as well as I wanted, so we went again around 10. That time we ran on campus.

Today I am really sore, but I really want to start running as a routine. I did for a *little* while during the summer, but I became lazy and took sleep instead. Now, I even made an 8 Week Plan for myself, with some help from the Internet. I'm excited about this, so hopefully I stick with it!

Now should I do this in the early morning or late night? I hope I can make myself get up early!

Great week!

2007-04-04T19:52:00.000-07:00

Lauren and I got accepted to live in a house that we have been calling "our house" ever since we applied for it! :)It includes a loft and a breakfast nook!! I can't tell you how excited I am to be sharing a cute, cottage-like house with one of my best friends!! :) This is by far one of the greatest things that happened this week! I am so excited about having dinners and movie nights, and inviting all of our friends over all the time. A part of me is very sad that I won't be living in Huckins because my dear friend Allie was going to be in there as our RA, but I promised her she will be at our house as often as possible. I'm so excited!! So, if you have any furniture (maybe an old kitchen table?) that you want to get rid of, please let me know!! :)

Another great thing was the time I've gotten to spend with all my kids out at Children's Ministry. A few of them got to participate in the Easter Pageant again this year (which was amazing!), and I enjoyed every moment. For some reason, when I'm around them, I feel like everything's great. They bring something out in me, and I'm sure many of our volunteers that come out each week, that just makes you feel closer to God. I love that. I don't know if it makes sense, but I love it. Plus, what's cooler than being in a play about the life of Jesus with kids that you love?

God has brought me to a place that I've been praying for. That place where I don't worry about the future and what will happen in any area of my life because I'm in His hands. Now if only my stupid human flesh would stop wondering about it all... I promise it's just as bad as worrying!!

I'm leaving tomorrow for home. My mom has some awesome plans for us. We are going to try to get free trees at this huge plant/tree celebration. I don't know too much about it, but I'm all for getting free trees! I'd get to plant it in our yard, which is always way fun! :)

The Sin of Idolatry

2007-03-29T16:13:00.000-07:00

I want to blog a little about something that really hit me at Revival. The very first night, Matt asked, "What is your hell?" He then gave examples of what many people struggle with. His first example was the single Christian girls he sees at his church that just graduate from college. The girl is thinking, "AH! I'm still single, and I'm *gasp* 22 years old." Then these girls proceed to date many guys, constantly giving their hearts away, because of their perception of hell: ending up alone.

Let me tell you, this hit me hard. That is definitely a struggle for me. I don't want to end up "alone".I want to be in love one day with a godly man. I want to have a family. I want, I want, I want, I want. Right??

While he continued to give other examples, his ultimate conclusion was that our hell should be separation from God. He went on to say that God created us with a desire to worship HIM(!!) but all too often we pin that desire on something that He created.

"...because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen." -Romans 1:25

I may not see it now, but I don't want to end up like this, 5, 10, 20 years down the road. I don't want to worship God's creation, rather than God himself.

Another thing Matt said that moved me was when he was talking about his daughter. He said that he so desperately wants for his daughter to grow up and marry a godly man, not just a cool Christian guy. How true is this!! Not only for the husband I want to marry one day, but I too don't want to be just a "cool Christian girl". I want to be a godly woman, I want to reflect His light, I want His words to constantly flow off of my lips! How beautiful will it be when I finally do meet that man of God. How beautiful will it be when I know that God blessed me because I did not give in to my desires to "not be alone", and instead of having that be my hell, my hell was being separated from Him! How beautiful will it be when I can share that love for the Father wish a wonderful, godly man! How beautiful will it be when that relationship glorifies the Lord because we are completely satisfied in Him.

And how beautiful it is that God hits me with these realizations so hard that I can find joy in Him because He is my Father, because He is good... when I delight in His love because it is so much better, powerful, and stronger than anything else I can ever find. How beautiful it is that I can be satisfied in Him and never be alone with or without an earthly relationship.

Revival Update, and Other Things...

2007-03-29T08:28:00.000-07:00

Well, these past couple days were a blast. I got to skip a few classes and participate in something I love. :) I will never know how many hearts were changed through this year's revival, but I know that the true word of God was preached and hopefully at least one person thought about where they are with Jesus. I hope that change begins to occur in people's hearts, as well as my own.

While a part of me is sad that revival is already over, another part of me is also very relieved. I'm relieved that all the logistics were handled successfully and I'm glad that people came. Now, I cannot stress out every now and then. :)

Due to revival's late night yesterday, I had my first "semi-all nighter". I went home at about midnight, studied for a couple hours, went to bed for a couple hours, woke up at about 4ish, woke up at 6, took a shower, and studied some more. I know that sounds like academic suicide, but I think it worked! My Linguistics test seemed far easier than I thought it would be... or maybe those are my sleepy brain cells not comprehending it correctly. Who knows?! But I did count up my points and came up with a low A/high B. :) We shall see...

Now I'm at work. Enjoying the fact that I have nothing to do!

***Please pray for my dad! He's flying back today. THANKS!

Revival Week

2007-03-27T11:20:00.000-07:00

So, Revival is finally here at UMHB and last night was a great start. Matt Chandler is our speaker, and I must say he's on my top 5 list of preachers. ;) If you have i-Tunes, you should definitely podcast him- it's free! He preached on Romans 1 last night and definitely gave me some food for thought. I'm excited about tonight and tomorrow! This has been a crazy year being involved on the committee- it takes a lot of work that I didn't realize. I am very thankful for the experience and opportunities that God has given me.

Anyways, I have to get going! ;)

5 months

2007-03-25T17:08:00.000-07:00

In 5 months my dad will be home for good. This makes me so happy :) I just finished saying goodbye to him and my mom, and it was hard :( We hugged and just kept saying "The sooner you leave, the sooner you'll be back." I love my parents so much. They are wonderful to me.

Conversations About Religious Intolerance

2007-03-21T20:54:00.000-07:00

My friend Lauren and I always seem to have some really good conversations. I'm sure most, if not all of you have heard of the new "youtube.com" craze. Well, Lauren mentioned to me the "vlogs" (video blogs) that some people post. So, I figured, hey, lets look for some! We were somehow on the topic of Buddhism, and so I typed in "Buddhism Vlog", and watched a couple. One of the people post a "vlog" about how she thought that we, as people, need to stop "acting" like whatever religion we claimed was true, while offending others. Well, Lauren and I looked at eachother, and we were stunned. We immediately said to eachother that we did not agree with anything this girl said.

This got me thinking about the calling that God has given us as His disciples. Are we truly claiming Christ? God calls us not to be ashamed of Him. I'm not merely talking about the times where we just can't get over our fear of mentioning God to someone (which is a whole different blog post), I'm talking about intentionally not including Him in conversation because we fear that we will offend someone. Paul says,

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." -Romans 1:16

To not be ashamed means that we shouldn't be scared of offending others. Honestly, so what if we do! How could you believe the gospel, and not have a deep desire to tell others?? This deep desire must overcome that fear! There have been certain people in my life who know this truth, that the gospel is the power of God! How can any one of us shrink back and be scared? What about passion for our Creator?

I will be the first to say that I am not perfect. I mess up. I don't always do what I know God is calling me to do. But that's just it... He has called us to live for Him. Right now. Life is too short to say that you'll talk to that person when the time is right, when you know that they can trust you. How can we be a true light if we're not shining for Him at all moments?

These are just the thoughts that have been flying around in my head while I do Spanish homework...

Ooooh, isn't it so loverly???

2007-03-20T07:56:00.000-07:00

So, do you like it? I'm so pleased with the design that Susie put together for me :) It makes my blog a lot more cozy and I'm even more excited about blogging than I was before. ;) So, I hope you like it!!

I chose this verse because it is true for every Christian. He put a new song in our mouth, and so we have every reason to sing praises to Him. How amazing it is that He is our amazing Father, and through Him, we have complete joy. :)

I'm back at school now, and some of you have been asking how my presentation went last night. Well, I am your typical procrastinator, but that doesn't stop me from doing my best! Dr. Stafford was very pleased with my work, and I got many compliments from my peers after class. I was very surprised, because while I thought I did decent work, it turned out to be great. So, yay for presentations (that are over)!

Right now I'm at work. The volunteers at Children's Ministry, Luke (co-leader), and I have all been thinking of ways to raise money for the playground out at the apartments where our ministry is held. This playground is in horrible shape, and if nothing is done soon, one of the kids is going to get hurt. So, I had an appointment with a guy on campus that is in charge of all of the fundraisers, and it went very well! I'm excited to see where our fundraising takes us, and what our end result will be for our playground project. So, if you have any ideas on building playgrounds, please let me know! :)

I guess I also failed to mention that I got a new car. I didn't know if I wanted to blog about it or not, but here I am. I ended up getting a 2007 Nissan Sentra. Long story short, the old car pretty much died over Spring Break, and so my mom and dad figured it was time for me to invest in a new car. I was very pleased when we went test driving. What's even more awesome is that I am now investing in something that is worth it in the long run that will also help my credit. So, yay for new cars! (I knew Spring Break was unpredictable! ;)

I hope you all have a wonderful day!!

Spring Break and Homework...

2007-03-17T17:47:00.000-07:00

..don't mix well. :)

I have a huge presentation on Flannery O'Connor on Monday night. That's her.

Is it safe to say that I thought her stories were extremely morbid? In both stories that I have read, someone dies, and it's usually a tragic death. I chose this author for my presentation because my teacher e-mailed me saying that she really wanted someone to present on Flannery O'Connor. I did not expect it to be so.. morbid.

The good news is that I have been doing some research, and have found that she was also very interesting. This lady loved Peacocks. She owned Peacocks. I mean, they were in her yard. She also had a pet chicken as a little girl that knew how to walk backwards. She was the celebrity of her town! You don't hear about chickens that much, especially those that can walk backwards.

I guess I'm trying to share this information with someone other than myself because I want to get motivated. Go American Literature!! :)

Fun Quiz

2007-03-15T07:12:00.000-07:00

You Are Likely an Only Child

At your darkest moments, you feel frustrated.
At work and school, you do best when you're organizing.
When you love someone, you tend to worry about them.

In friendship, you are emotional and sympathetic.
Your ideal careers are: radio announcer, finance, teaching, ministry, and management.
You will leave your mark on the world with organizational leadership, maybe as the author of self-help books.

The Birth Order Predictor

I thought this was very interesting. I didn't think an online quiz could guess my "birth order", but it did! :)

Spring Break is SO Unpredictable..

2007-03-14T17:47:00.000-07:00

I almost bought a car today! That's so crazy and spontaneous of me. I guess it would've been even more spontatneous if I did buy it...

My parents have been very worried about my car because of the trouble it has been giving me lately.. It has about 133,000 miles on it.. it's getting up there. So, we went to the dealership and found this awesome Ford Fusion. Yeah- me, a Ford Fusion? Who knew I would like it so much? But, we ended up not going with it. I figured $328 a month was quite a lot on my college job pay. We ended up deciding that I should save until the end of the year, when I am only a year away from graduation to purchase a car. Oh, and if you are interested in a nice, affordable car.. I'd say look at the Fusion. They drive wonderfully!! :)

Other than that randomness, my parents and I have just been enjoying the time together. My dad got home last night, and so we have a little bit of time before he goes back. Tomorrow, my dad and I are going to all the missions around SA and flying kites. I'm excited!! :) Pictures for sure.

I haven't done any school work. Maybe I should do that so I don't make a fool of myself on Monday night... I give my presentation over Flannery O'Connor that night!! Crazy. This semester is flying by...

Airports

2007-03-13T22:01:00.000-07:00

Oh man, today was quite the eventful day.
To spare you the lengthliness of my story, I'll give you the summarized version:
- Wake up
-Doctor's office w/ Aunt and Cousins
-Drive to Airport
-Dad calls, flight delayed for an hour due to storms all over TX.
-Go home
-Go to Airport
-Stand in long lines to receive our military pass
-Mean people work at the airport
-Dad calls- flight cancelled
-WHAT??!
-Dad calls again, rents a car with another soldier
-After waiting for about 5 hours, I was finally able to pick up my dad!!

Today seemed like it would never end. I think it was definitely a lesson on patience. But he's here, and he's asleep! Our family feels complete with him.

Tomorrow will bring many joyful moments and I am so excited!!! :)

"I'll do it later...."

2007-03-12T11:13:00.000-07:00

I have a really bad habit of procrastinating. I blame it on college, but I think I've had it since before college. I've been given a list of chores to do (and it's not even that big of a list- vacuuming is not that hard), and yet I still haven't done it since I woke up at 7. (I know, 7 am is quite early for a Spring Break- I think my mom is trying to convince herself that her daughter is a morning person) Hopefully, after I finish posting this, I will vacuum, because we all know that the sole purpose of this post is procrastination. :)

My dad called today and told me that he should be getting in around noon tomorrow. I'm excited! It seems as if the day keeps dragging on!

I haven't done much else today. I really should clean. :( Hopefully once this summer arrives, I won't have too much cleaning to do... it's going to be my last summer living at home. That's kind of strange to think about! I'm excited about it, too, though. :)

"Bluebird Blogs"... Simply Amazing.

2007-03-11T16:07:00.000-07:00

Well, I can definitely say a huge thanks to Susie, designer at Bluebird Blogs! She is so nice and wonderful at what she does! :) My blog design won't be up for a couple of days, but I can assure you that I love it a whole lot! :) If you ever want to have your blog designed, go straight to Bluebird Blogs!

:) Spring Break

2007-03-10T13:54:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I forget why I have this blog at all- to keep in touch with friends, to remember random events in my life, and of course, for fun.

I always associate my Spring Break with my first steps of becoming a Christian. This week, 6 years ago, I was seeking anything I could find that would tell me more about God. It's pretty cool. :) I finally became a Christian a few weeks after that. It's always fun to think about.

Aside from that Spring Break, I think that this Spring Break is probably going to be one of the best for me. My dad is coming home for his 2 week leave, and I plan on enjoying every second of my time with home. We only have 1 more day!

He says he already has a list of meals he wants us to make, and that includes some that I have learned after having my own oven! :) I'm pretty excited about that.

Other than that, my mom and I have just been busy preparing the little things for him. We're making sure that his plants look good, and of course, his truck.

I'm also trying to get some homework done. I have a presentation to give on Flannery O'Connor the Monday night I get back. I'm not excited about that at all! :( It's okay though, I'm pretty good at working under pressure.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Spring Break!!

Nonsensical randomness...

2007-03-08T08:05:00.000-08:00

I apologize if my posts have made no sense at all lately... including this one.

I am pretty much finished with school work right now. I only have one thing left, and it's a multicultural breakfast on Friday. Our country is Germany, which is pretty fun!

Jenn (roommate) and I have been going to the Daily Grind the past couple nights because or our new love for Tazo Chai Frozen Milk Tea (is that what it's called?). I am not a huge fan of buying tea, but oh man... I recommend this one! Plus, the coffee shop is just a ton of fun. I have known this guy that works there since my freshman year. His name is Leonard, although he sometimes calls himself "Dr. Love" for his matchmaking skills. Well, he served in Vietnam and is just a cool guy. Anyways, he pretty much gave us the best compliment I've ever heard the other night. We were on the topic of singleness (come on now, he is Dr. Love), and he told us, "There's no way you girls will be single for the rest of your lives- you're too pretty." For some reason, I just needed to hear that. Sometimes it's pretty believable that I became a nun in my sleep or something!

Oh and I have a small prayer request for myself. Lately I have been tossing things back and forth in my head that I'd really rather not toss back and forth in my head (sorry for that redundancy). It's nothing bad, I just really don't want to be thinking about these things. I feel like they're annoying, and they serve no use to me.

2 days- Spring Break! Dad's Leave-5 days!

2007-03-07T08:07:00.000-08:00

I am so excited about this break. I don't think it has really hit me yet that I'm going to see my dad soon! :) I think it's just been different because I'm not living in SA, and so I feel like I'm the one gone sometimes. I'm just excited about seeing him though. I can't wait until the day he finally returns and we can all be a family together (well, in Texas atleast) amd life will go back to somewhat normal. That will be nice.

So, yeah. School has been going good. I'm regularly busy, that sometimes when I find myself actually sitting down and doing something that wasn't planned, I freak out a little. I am learning to cherish my sleep.

I took a test this morning that was pretty easy, and now I'm going to transcribe a poem into the phonetic alphabet. Plus babysitting, plus reading for Linguistics...

Overwhelmed? I hope not. Maybe I'm becoming numb to it all.

Oh Spring Break :)

Give Me a Break!

2007-03-04T13:21:00.000-08:00

No, I don't mean that in a negative way ;) Latel, I haven't been spending my Saturday's in any other way but studying, but I gave myself a huge break yesterday and joined our college group for our "mystery road trip". I'm horrible at figuring out surprises... I knew that we would go to a ropes course- and that's just what we did! We all drove up to Georgetown and really bonded as a group, which is good because I can feel our comunity getting closer. Everyone in our group is really gettng to know eachother, and it's nice to have. It seems like it's so much harder to find in college when everyone is kind of "on their own road". I hope that I continue to have a good community once I graduate :)

Well, a couple years ago when I worked at Camp Buckner, I got certified for ropes course. I hope you can imagine me climbing up 30-40 ft. poles and setting up ropes course sets, tying knots, attaching harness', all of that. Well, whenever I worked at CB, I was absolutely terrified of the "Pamper Pole". I did it once, and that was it. I didn't want anymore of it. It was fun to brag about, but it was my least favorite. You had to climb to the tope of a pole, stand up on it and jump off. That's one of the hardest things to do because you are pretty much focusing on jumping/falling. On every other one, you are trying to avoid that.

Well, guess which set we did yesterday with our group? Yep. The Pamper Pole. My biggest fear. But I did it. I stayed on top of that pole deciding what I wanted to do for a good, long while. Everyone was saying encouraging words, and finally, I jumped off. The best part is when you're coming down- it's just something about the adrenaline, but I still can't believe that I was that scared. Golly :) Oh, and all of the girls did it, too. 2 of our guys didn't. Just goes to show.... haha just kidding!

Guatemala!

2007-03-01T16:28:00.000-08:00

So some of the best news ever happened today! :) If you didn't know, my parents have kind of been against the idea of me going on missions out of the country. This has been a big deal to me ever since I entered college because there are so many opportunities available to me. I never felt called to any specific country, but the idea was always in the back of my mind. Well, this year, at UMHB's annual Missions Emphasis Week, two missionaries came that had done 10 years on the mission field in Guatemala, and they still go back. It was a cute little couple, probably in their fifties, and I loved them. Well, they spoke in Spanish the whole time because they were presenting in my Spanish class. Before they came, I was expecting to be bored out of my mind because despite my 7 years of some form of Spanish class, I still don't know that much. I understood everything they said. I even talked back. This made me so happy. My heart broke for the Guatemalan community because they live a very poor lifestyle, and their water system is full of bacteria. They are in constant need of donations for things that we so often take for granted- clothes, purified water systems, food, education, even a church to fellowship and worship in.

Ever since that class, Guatemala had been on my mind, and slowly began growing on my heart. I had mentioned it to my mom in small talk, just trying to gain her insight on it sometime last semester. She had said that I could go if my dad approved. Well, it took me forever to work up the courage to ask my dad, and I finally did today. I was going to wait until he came home to ask him, but I felt the time was today on his phone call. I had mentioned a shirt that I had bought in support of the Omega Kids mission team from Baylor that is going to Guatemala this Spring Break. I told him what it was raising money for and what there trip was about. He said he thought it was a great idea and then I mentioned that I wanted to go next year. He said "You should! It sounds neat, and it's your last Spring Break."

I was speechless.

I couldn't believe that he had just said what I never thought he would say. Ever since we hung up the phone, I can't stop thinking about it. I don't know if I will be going through Omega Kids, but I'm pretty sure I will. If not, I am thinking of going through Buckner, who also owns the camp I worked at 2 summers ago. This is SUCH exciting news! :) I will continue to update you with news on a future trip that I am so excited about!

Isaiah 61
1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners, [a]
2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,

3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor.

4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.

5 Aliens will shepherd your flocks;
foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.

6 And you will be called priests of the LORD,
you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth of nations,
and in their riches you will boast.

7 Instead of their shame
my people will receive a double portion,
and instead of disgrace
they will rejoice in their inheritance;
and so they will inherit a double portion in their land,
and everlasting joy will be theirs.

8 "For I, the LORD, love justice;
I hate robbery and iniquity.
In my faithfulness I will reward them
and make an everlasting covenant with them.

9 Their descendants will be known among the nations
and their offspring among the peoples.
All who see them will acknowledge
that they are a people the LORD has blessed."

10 I delight greatly in the LORD;
my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up
and a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise
spring up before all nations.

Some thoughts just running through my head...

2007-02-27T20:25:00.000-08:00

At my small group tonight that I meet with each week, I couldn't sort my thoughts. I haven't been able to sort my thoughts. I'm one of those people that wants answers to questions- clear, distinct answers. I am not getting those answers right now. For some reason tonight, after reading a portion of the sermon on the mount with our group, I felt the need to just be still. I realized that I go throughout my day as a pretty cheerful person (lately). I have been making it a point to try to encourage those around me. I have been going out of my way to meet with people and enjoy time with friends. I have been doing all of these things, and while they may be good, they are not when I haven't found the time to just be still. As I walked back to my apartment tonight, I looked up at the stars and the moon, and everything in me wanted to be somewhere else. My life is not bad at all- I am very blessed. But when I forget about being still, and meeting with Him like I do with my friends, with study groups, with text books... it dawns on me all at once that I am not investing enough of my time in Him. I go throughout my day trying to please Him, talking about Him, thinking of Him... these are all good things. But what about spending just as much time meeting with Him?

Tonight Shawn passed out a list of questions that she found online, and I think they are very important to ask:
1. Am I investing in myself?
2. Am I genuinely interested in others?
3. Am I doing what I love doing and loving what I do?
4. Am I staying in my strength zone?
5. Am I investing my time with the right people?
6. Am I taking others to a higher level? (mission)
7. Am I taking care of today?
8. Am I taking time to think?
9. Am I developing leaders?
10. Am I pleasing God?

None of these things are possible if I'm not on the same page as my awesome Father in Heaven. If I try to accomplish these things... I fail. I feel miserable. Because during the midst of me not spending as much time with Him as I should, I begin to try to do the other things without Him. I begin to live in a way that suggests I don't need Him.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." - Matthew 5:2 (the first beatitude)

So I want to seek His face. I want Him to be my fuel. If He's not, then what I am doing is all in vain.

I never really write a whole lot about this, and I'm sorry to be so transparent, but I want to begin writing things on here that could be of encouragement to you. I want to call them "devotionals", but I don't know if this post would be considered that or not. I hope that this was encouraging to you- maybe you could recognize some of the same characteristics and need for change in your life. I pray that in any way, my words will spur you to chase after our King.

Car... again?!

2007-02-27T06:41:00.000-08:00

Okay, so without going into too much detail (simply because I don't really want to dwell on this as much as I can), my car is having problems again. I'm taking it to the mechanic today, and I'm beginning to wonder if these series of problems is actually a hint that my car is about to die. I don't know, and I can't think like that- right? If you read this, please pray about this. I don't know how much money I can spend on this, especially since I have to take summer school.

Adventures in Townsend Memorial Library (and other UMHB spots)

2007-02-24T01:16:00.000-08:00

So today Lauren and I did our usual weekend activity and went to the library to work on school work. No, I'm not joking, this has actually become a routine for us. Luckily, to keep our sanity, we shook it up a little and decided to document our adventures by photograph. So, while we don't normally do our homework while roaming all around the library, we figured it'd make for a good blog post! :)Today I kissed Orlando Bloom because he likes to read... :)

Lauren is trapped!

I've got school spirit, yes I do, I've got school spirit, how about you?!

There are so many things to do in a library... Lauren takes lessons in fencing :)

I "remember the Alamo" with a smile :)

Lauren learns survivor skills... just in case.

She is sooo excited about reading!

It's quicksand! Wait... quickbook?!

Way cool picture- good photography skills, Lauren!

I'm sure this girl is just as excited about reading, too...

I am excited!

2007-02-23T18:57:00.000-08:00

This has been a wonderful week :)

God has just been reminding me exactly why I'm even in the education field. Let me share with you... About a week or so ago I was having huge doubts about my major. Nothing seemed to be going right, and of course there were some battles in my head. You know, the "You'll never be good at it" kind of thoughts. I even considered changing my major... to communications! My basis for this decision was only because I would save money and graduate a semester early. (I know, but I was on the extreme of 'I hate school right now!') I don't know if it's wrong to have these thoughts sometimes, like when you're up really ate and you just want to be in bed... but I'm pretty positive it's wrong when it's all you think for about 2 days straight. School had gotten that hard. I was mainly doubting because I was not even enjoying my Literature class- the one class any English major should enjoy. I wasn't thinking of the fact that I wasn't putting nearly as much effort into this class as I could have. So that was last week. It was not fun at all. Well... this week, it's as if God was like, "Krista, what have I called you to do?!" Well, let me tell you what I know. I know that God has called me to work with children, big or small. I know that God has called me to do this in different settings. I also know that I have a huge imagination and I often get far too much ahead of myself.. with thoughts of, "I can go to seminary and be a children's minister, I can go work as a camp director, I can teach, I can teach and go to seminary...." My brain seems to think at a speed that is not healthy, because with these thoughts come a desire for it to happen right now. So I forget the present and it's dire effect on the future. Well, this week... God has been confirming to me that I am in the right major. On a test that I was hoping to make a B in, I earned a 91. In a class where I wasn't understanding anything, everything began making sense. In classes that used to bore me, God has used to ignite a fire of passion for what I am learning. God has reminded me that teaching in itself is it's own mission field, and has endless possibilities. I have even compared public schools to communist countries... and something about not being allowed to tell children about Jesus makes it even more exciting to me that I will (and I will) find ways to. I am going to purposely choose books that will remind children of Jesus and get my foot in the door. I am so excited about the future, but for the first time in a long time, I am excited also about the present. I am learning valuable techniques and life lessons. I am learning the importance of a career that I often forget. I am excited!

91!

2007-02-22T16:46:00.000-08:00

If you've talked to me recently, you know that one of my hardest, yet most enjoyable class has been Linguistics. Last week we took our first test and I was having so much anxiety about the test. Well, I went in and I was conifident that I passed it with atleast a C, hopefully a B. Well ,if you've guessed from the title of the post, I was totally surprised that I made the second highest grade in the class- a 91! I was so excited that I knew I had to blog about it. It's so easy to forget that studying pays off when it seems as if you do it all the time. :) So, moral of the story: study!! :)

Attention!

2007-02-19T18:37:00.000-08:00

Attention all non-blogger friends!!

+ 10 Points to Rachel for finally jumping onto the Blogger Bandwagon! I highly recommend you follow her lead, and get on! :) If you don't have one... you're missing out. Plus, I'd put you on my link list! :)

Oh, and by the way.. what are we going to do in a year when we are almost all graduated?? I know, crazy thought to think about... I know we will still call each other, but trust me- blogger is a great way to keep up with the little things.

Oh, and Lauren B., I'm gonna have to see pictures of kids somehow!! :) (You know I'm kidding!)

A love for music and reading...

2007-02-18T14:09:00.000-08:00

+ = WONDERFUL! :)

Can you guess which music I am listening to as I read?

Well, if you didn't guess Pride and Prejudice Soundtrack by Dario Marianelli, then you have not been keeping up. ;)

I have a pretty big test tomorrow night, and so I'm re-reading some of our short stories in American Literature. I think I have come to the conclusion that Theodore Dreiser writes very eloquently. It's as if the words are jumping off the page and taking the shape that they would be if it were all real. It's like dreaming while awake. :)

Or maybe the P&P Soundtrack just has the effect on me.... Either way, I am very much enjoying myself right now! :)

Weekends are one of my favorite things..

2007-02-17T09:27:00.000-08:00

After a long, somewhat tough, week... I am enjoying the weekend. While I do have to study, I'm also finding time for myself to have some fun. I have a pretty big test on Monday in American Literature, but it's okay :)

Yesterday, Lauren B. and I went to a bunch of little shops and tried on cute little clothes.

I'm also very excited about an upcoming blog design by Susie at Bluebird Blogs. :) It should be done soon!! :)I've yet to decide on a color scheme from the many I am thinking of...

Okay, well it's time to enjoy lunch with a good friend and hen get some serious studying done! :)

Weekends are amazing!

2007-02-09T14:10:00.000-08:00

This week was like finals week, only it felt a little worse than that. I had 3 tests in a row! :) I don't even think my finals are like that this semester. Anyways, I made it out, and now I plan on enjoying my weekend! :) MLC has a retreat tonight, which I'm excited about! We'll play games, act out osme skits, read the Word, worship, and eat some breakfast that all the boys are making. That should be interesting! haha ;)

So, I hope everyone else has a wonderful weekend! :)

Prayer of St. Francis

2007-02-06T07:57:00.000-08:00

I pretty much love this:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.