Presidental Nominees

I think that I will vote for this man because of how brilliant this ad is:



Also, I promise some Christmas Party Fun Pictures soon.

Merry Christams

Great news!!

If you are here to read my blog. . . great. But don't read my page today:

Read the great news here:

http://www.friendsofericvolz.com/updates.htm

:) I'm so thankful and praying for a safe and speedy release and trip back to Nashville for Christmas!

Almost. . .

24 hours from now I'll be 1/4 of the way home. It's been a really long last couple of days, and I have never been more excited for a break. Between 5 hour long power outages, canceled plans, food poisoning and other adventures. . I'm exhausted.

Also, I have the worst luck with cell phones. I have the same model phone as several other people I know. They drop it, keeps working, no problem. I drop it, the darn thing falls apart (ok, so it's not in pieces, but if I drop it again, it will be). Maybe I'm just that more thorough. Whatever. One more thing to make my week suck. :)

Bring on the road trip. :)

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Now playing: John Michael Montgomery - Hold On To Me
via FoxyTunes

Happy Christmas!

It won't be long and I'll be back in The South for the rest of the year. I've got mostly fun events between now and Sunday when I leave to go home. Here's the run down:

-Tonight my friend Jason and I are going to see "American Gangster". Also, I had dinner at a Hibachi grill with my practicum office staff.

-Tomorrow I have coffee with my friend Laura, lunch with my friend Peyton, and the Staff Council Banquet tomorrow night. In between I've got several AEW follow-up meetings and various other closing responsibilities.

-Friday evening I have two desert and wine socials. During the day I need to do some closing reports, start packing and doing laundry. (I just can't drive my dirty laundry 16+hours. Seems immoral.) Also, at some point I have to turn in my portfolio from this semester's practicum.

-Saturday will be spent doing my RA's closing walk-throughs, finishing my laundry/packing and my closing to do list.

-Sunday will be church, collecting my RA keys, finishing any closing things I didn't do Friday/Saturday. Sunday afternoon I check out with my supervisor. Then it's on the road.

In case your interested in what my driving route will look like here's a map, courtesy of Google:


View Larger Map
View Larger Map

A.- Is the starting location here in BCS. I'll drive through Waco to Dallas and on to Texarkana. I'm hoping to stop in Dallas and visit my friend Becky for a bit. That's still TBA. Requests for stops in Waco could also be accommodated.

B.- Is Texarkana, where I'll stop and spend the night at my usual hotel. My dad and I stopped at that particular hotel on our move to Texas. They had GREAT breakfast, which is why I always stop there. The last time I stopped by myself, it was so-so. Hopefully Monday A.M. it will be back to great condition.

C.- Is my favorite chicken place- McDougals in Hillsboro Village in Nashville. I will stop here and have chicken and beer with my friend Kristine. Hopefully I will also have coffee or ice cream with Holly. Then it's back on the road for three more hours.

D. Is my parent's home in Shelbyville. Sadly this will be the last time I'll be "home" until after I have graduated. Which, means that part of my three-ish weeks at home will be spent packing up my room. Who knows where I'm moving to in May. It may be easier for Mom and Dad to bring my stuff from KY here when they come for graduation for me to move to wherever. Therefore, it needs to be ready for them. Just in case.

Over the break I plan to:
-Read. A lot.
-Knit and/or crochet a lot
-Visit family and friends. Particularly some of my older neighbors
-Pack
-Prepare my presentations for RA training, SWACUHO and my poster presentation for SWACUHO
-Do some post Christmas shopping. Maybe in Nashville out the outlets?
-Sleep. In my bed. A lot.
-Watch football and basketball games with my dad and my grandpa. Probably eat frozen pizza with them at the same time.
-Hopefully see my nieces and nephews at Christmas
-Take my Mac to the shop to see why the battery doesn't like to stay charged.
-Make a paper-chain countdown of class days left. For my enjoyment and my cohort members.
-Go to the dentist.
-Finish my parent's Christmas shopping- more likely than not on the 22-24th. (By this I mean my mom will give me cash and/or her debit card and a shopping list of the left over needs for my cousins, nieces, nephew, and probably my brother's girlfriend this year. Dad will hand me some cash and/or his debit card with his list for my Mom's Christmas list. He will do this in front of her, but she will not notice. Mom's like that. (Kinda like me.) I will then drive all over Louisville trying to find what they needs. What they need will no doubt have been readily available up until the 21st, at which point they all vanish overnight. I will get laughed at by the sales people often. I will be told, "If you want something like that you really should shop earlier". Case in point- The Wii they got for my brother (AKA he got an envelope with the cash to buy it when they reappeared on the store shelves). . . and Dad's gift to mom- an electric picture frame. Which, he found in the first store he walked in on 12/24 last year, after I drove to every single electronics store, Target and Wal-Mart in Jefferson and Shelby counties. Seriously, every single one.) Really. I'm not bitter. I drink my Starbucks No-Fat, No-Whip Peppermint Mocha, listen to my ipod in the car, and am cheerful to the mean people at the stores. I accept it as my role as the middle child, only daughter, missionary, and saint. It's fun.

Wow, hope you enjoyed that tangent as much as I did. Ha ha.

That's all I can think of. :) It's been a good week, and I am so excited to see how life changes in the first half of next year. There is so much excitement and potential! :)

By the way- Keep praying for Ukraine. Still on the fence.

.peace and love.

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Now playing: *NSYNC - Home for Christmas
via FoxyTunes

Weighted. . .

. . .is certainly how I feel. I have had several different things on my mind in the last several days. I have wanted to write about them, but I have not been able to figure out where to start. Do I start with what is most pressing, or what requires most support from others? So, we'll see how this goes.

(Sculpture is "The Weight" by T.J. Hogan).

I am praying about going on a mission trip in May. I have the opportunity to go to Ukraine in the latter portion of May to work with a computer center and English Camps. (Read about Ukraine here). In college I was on the leadership team for a traveling worship choir. We were praying very intensely about where we should take our yearly tour and the Ukraine was heavy upon our hearts for that year. When it came down to deciding, we felt leading to go another direction, and ultimately we did not go to Ukraine. Missions in this country have never left my heart or mind, even though I have never been there.

Last week I was presented with the potential opportunity to be a part of a mission team to go in May. The timing of the trip could not be better- it's the last two weeks in May. This would be after I graduate and finish my assistantship, and before any potential new job would begin (most will start June 1 or July 1).

This would be growth experience for me, which I think is part of the reason I am apprehensive. First, it costs around $2500. I have never had to raise money for something like this, and am not sure my family would understand the need to. I worry that if I went, the money wouldn't come through. Which is certainly a lack of faith and not a good reason to decide not to go on a mission trip. Secondly, It would be a long plane ride and I can barely handle the 3 hour ride back to Kentucky. Planes scare me!

If I go on this trip, I know that it would mean the Power of God living and moving and doing "immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us" (Ephesians 3:20). That is terrifying, and exciting all at once! I am a doer and a striver, this would be outside of my abilities to do so.

During church today, I couldn't get Ukraine out of my head and started to think of things I could do to earn the money to go. I even mentally calculated how much I could save if I donated plasma every week and put the money in my money market account. In the midst of calculating interest percentages, God spoke to me and said, "It's not about you earning the money and working for it. It's about you trusting that if I want you there, I'll get you there".

And that, friends, is the root of my inner struggle. I have trust issues, and I am not sure that I am strong enough to trust God enough for this. In writing that I realize how utterly ridiculous that thought is. I am not strong enough. But it is not because of strength that we trust God. It is because of our weakness that we trust. Because in those times we are able to see so clearly our need for God.

"David also said to Solomon his son, 'Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished.'" -1 Chronicles 28:20

As if that weren't enough, we sang "In Christ Alone" today at church. The lyrics of that song were one of the ways that God broke through my heart this summer. It was not that I had stopped believing, but that I was not trusting Him as I needed to be. One beautiful summer night, this song was played at the Line Camp worship service. The lyrics brought tears to my eyes this morning like they did that night:

In Christ alone my hope is found; He is my light, my strength, my song; This cornerstone, this solid ground, Firm through the fiercest drought and storm. What heights of love, what depths of peace, When fears are stilled, when strivings cease! My comforter, my all in all— Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh, Fullness of God in helpless babe! This gift of love and righteousness, Scorned by the ones He came to save. Till on that cross as Jesus died, The wrath of God was satisfied; For ev'ry sin on Him was laid—Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay, Light of the world by darkness slain; Then bursting forth in glorious day, Up from the grave He rose again! And as He stands in victory, Sin's curse has lost its grip on me; For I am His and He is mine— Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death— This is the pow'r of Christ in me; From life's first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny. No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man, Can ever pluck me from His hand; Till He returns or calls me home— Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.

With that on my mind, I am weighed down with the decision to go or not. Perhaps this trip is the way that God will break the next layer of my heart and lead me to a place of deeper trust and faith. I ask that you would join me in prayer for this decision. I am claiming Romans 8:26 for this time,

"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express."

Relief

I'm finished! Today I turned in my journals about my practicum at Baylor. Then had my practicum class etiquette luncheon. Then, after a four course meal (which was GOOD) I am finished with my next to last semester!!

Now I just have to close my residence hall. I don't have a lot to do with that right now, so I'm really just hanging out until next weekend. Our residents must be out of their rooms by Thursday 12/13 at 5. If they need to stay until the weekend, they have to request an extended stay. All of those folks must be out by Saturday at 7 p.m. Then, my RA staff must check every single room and make sure they completed everything. Saturday night/Sunday morning I'll be checking them out which will mean walking through every single room with them. Then they are free to go on Sunday. After that, I check out with my supervisor around 4 p.m. on Sunday the 16th and then I am home free.

Literally. :)

I'm leaving on Sunday afternoon/evening for my drive home. I'm going to stop somewhere in the middle on Sunday and then continue the trek northeastward to the real south. I'm going to do dinner at my favorite chicken place- McDougals in Nashville with Kristine. Then I'll be home for Christmas!

I, in retrospect, cannot believe how quickly this semester has gone by. Also, the fact that when I graduate I'm going to have an actual job is starting to sink in. I'm excited about it, but at the same time, all I've ever known is school. I'm going to be a for-real adult- with rent, insurance, bills, and a 8/9-5ish job. Strange. But exciting!!

But, it's still 156 days until hooding. Between now and then there will be lots of interviews, a week in Boston, holiday parties and other important things. :)

I can't really think of a good way to end this. Sorry. It's pretty random as it is. So. Until next time- peace and love!

I'm so over with. . .

this school thing. this Town. Among other things. So, in light of procrastination, here are a few places I would rather be:

My Grandpa's Farm in KY with my family- All Pictured here.

My parents' house where cats do things like this. Please note- those cats are not related.



Hillsboro Village- Nuf Said.

This Chicken Place- Home of the Best Chicken Fingers. Ever. Hands Down. Plus, they have Woodchuck Cider on Tap.

This City- (Nashville)

This City (Dallas) and That Tower


This Town (Waco)

This quaint little country town (Independence, TX)

"Be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'" Hebrews 13.5

Guess I need to work on that.


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Now playing: Rob Blackledge - Broadway
via FoxyTunes

Pachelbel Rant

This might be one of my favorite videos. :) Enjoy!

Graduate Assistants - Thriller Dance

I was just procrastinating on my law paper and thought I'd post this video. It's from Line Camp this summer. :) Awwww the memories!

Creative Jucies

My senior year at Belmont I took what turned into one of my all-time favorite classes. It was titled "Theology and the Arts" and was taught in tandem by an art professor and one of the newest religion faculty members. Our class was all about the inspiration and connection between and behind theology and the arts. Our class had the privilege to study an exhibit at Cheekwood Gardens titled 100 Artists See God where 100 artists created art work relating to their interpretation of God.

One of our assignments for this class was to do something creative in response to one of the pieces in the show. We could do anything creative- write a song, draw a picture, prose, poetry, etc. I chose to write a prose work related to Marnie Weber's The Little Girl God. While I was cleaning today I found the grade copy and my professor's comments.

While I was reading the prose piece, I felt like I was reading someone else's writing. I thought I'd share it and the artwork that inspired it. I hate to hide it in my filing cabinet.

A Prose Work Inspired by Marnie Weber's The Little Girl God (pictured at left)

The house seemed so cold this morning as I woke to face the day. And facing the day was truly what it was. The time of being a little girl, free from the struggles of life seemed like a distant dream- much like prince charming when I was playing with my Barbie dolls as a child. When you are five years old the world seems so big, beautiful and good and you can hardly contain yourself from the excitement of wanting to grow up and experience it all. It didn’t seem to take very long for that disillusionment to start to fade as elementary school kids can be so mean, of which I was defiantly the worst. Childhood begins the times of materialism because whoever had the newest Barbie doll on the playground was the coolest kid. Unless it was one of the poorer children- then we would try to steal their toys. Maybe my life now is simply a pay back for the awful ways I tormented others as a child.


There is one image that reflection on my childhood always draws- it is the memory of the sweet, sweet summer. The vibrant blue sky is lit up with the sun and the only clouds in it are the big puffy ones that I have always wished I could lounge around on. My friends and I would spend days laying on our backs staring at them, watching them change shapes and form transforming into things that were familiar to us. It was the unfamiliar shapes that seemed the most fascinating to me. They were so fresh, mysterious and captivating; I wanted to be the one who someday named those shapes. There was so much mystery in life and the cloud shapes- I was fascinated and encouraged to unravel the mystery. It seems now as an adult that the more I unravel things, the more they seem to unveil more mystery and confusion. Nietzsche once said, “There are no facts, only interpretations.” As the child that lived in that summer day I would have never believed the person who told me that, but as an adult I seem to live in the haze that a fact-less world provides. One where everyone has an interpretation, so much so that I can’t even remember what mine own interpretation was.


There was no confusion on those summer days. No cloudiness. Only long, warm days filled with endless sunshine, the feeling of freshly cut grass through my bare feet and ending the day around the dinner table with a cold glass of ice tea, a plate of spaghetti and the sensation of the summer breeze being dispersed throughout the house by a ceiling fan. Life seemed so perfect and I hated it when those summer days would end. Sometimes I try to recreate that feeling of comfort and security in my own home, but the spaghetti never tastes right and as hard as I might try, my tea is never quite like Mom’s.


Nothing is like those long, country summer days, especially long summer days in the city. The summer days here consist of too much humidity that seems trapped around the sidewalk by the buildings that are so tall, if the sun were to make an appearance you would never know. Here the sun doesn’t shine, and there aren’t white puffy clouds. Instead the sky is a constant shade of gray, one that gets lighter and darker depending on whether it’s rainy or “clear”. The only cloud is one of fog and pollution. It’s no wonder that people who live in the city don’t seem to live as long- they have no fresh air, no warm memories. Just fog and gray.

Now as an adult the world not only seems foggy and confusing, it seems so cold, frozen and lifeless. Growing up in the heart of the “Bible-Belt” faith seemed so easy and God seemed so close. Now living in the heart of this city, God is not even an afterthought. It seems that the city isn’t even an afterthought of God’s. Maybe the reason the sky is so foggy and the world is so lonely is because God is so far removed. It’s a lot easier to believe in a god when life is easy, but life isn’t easy anymore and perhaps it never was. I look around as I walk from my apartment to work, and all around me are ardent examples of how removed God is from the world. I see shells of men begging for just enough change to buy a Big Mac. Where is the providential hand of God in that? Where is the love of God in the acts of violence that rip apart lives that have so much potential? I find myself struggling as I try to unravel these mysteries. For my family and friends back home the struggle seems to be nonexistent- they know God, love God and God knows and loves them. I do not know what to believe about the things of this world and I feel as though many people are simply blind to coldness like they are still in the egg state- comfortable, blind and obvious to anything outside of themselves.


The more that this mystery is opened, the more mystery there is. I’m not sure that the problem is completely that God has turned God’s back on the world and it’s pain, but perhaps the world has also turned its back on God. I really don’t know what the answer is. I think it’s all interpretations. But there is a large part of me that longs for those naive days of Barbie dolls and sweet tea. Even if I could go back, it would never be the same.


Disclaimer: While somethings are based upon real experiences- not all are. For example, I never stole anyone's Barbie Doll.

Turn it Off!!

Wow. Days like today remind me why having responsibility in my top strengths is a bad combination with OCD tenancies. I have this paper due tomorrow. It's my final project for my assessment class. When I think of assessment reports, my mind goes back to my Belmont days and my BURS research papers and presentations. So. . . I have been working on this elaborate literature review about living learning communities and first-generation students. I just got off the phone with a classmate and realized that it was not necessary. The paper is basically a reflection of what we did and what we learned. No literature review necessary. I'm such a loser!!! Granted, this information is necessary for a poster session at a conference in February, so really it's not that much overkill. But still, I could have written this paper on the plane rather than spending the entire time trying to do my overachiever version. I'm such a loser.



On a positive note- I was supposed to take my car in today to have her timing belt changed. I have been putting this off for about a month and a half since it's a pretty expensive operation. When I woke up this morning, I really felt like I should wait and take it next Monday. So I called the dealership to say that I would need to bring it in on Monday. Today, in the mail, I received a coupon for timing belts. It's $110 cheaper than what I would be paying if I had taken it today. Provision? Anyone?Since my recent posts have been more reflective in nature here's a run down of my life:- Thanksgiving break was great. I went home to KY. I ate a lot. Met my brother's girlfriend- she's really cool. Did black Friday shopping, which I found very fun and not as bad as everyone makes it out to be.




- Dad and I went to the UK/UT football game. I have been looking forward to that all semester because I was CONFIDENT that I would get to go to my first winning UK game. After 4 overtimes, two frozen feet, and a headache from the loud guy next to me, my streak (and UK's for that matter) continued. I did manage to get a picture of the UT player blocking what would have been the wining UK field goal: It's kinda cool, right? I was also on national t.v. Also kinda cool.

- I have my last assessment class tomorrow. Last law class on Tuesday. Last Practicum class on Wednesday. Then, only one more semester of classes. Praise the Lord. I need a long break from organized-classroom learning.

Well, that's all I have to keep me procrastinating from this paper. I need to write it so I can get up and work out in the AM. It's been a long time since Steph and I have gone, so 5:30 will come early.


disclaimer: I wrote this last night, but acidentally deleted it. So, thanks to my friend Kristine, it's back. The Assessment class- over. Paper- Check!

Above All Else. . .

"Above All Else, guard your heart,
for it is the wellspring of life."
-Proverbs 4:23

Lately this verse has been running through my head. Typically when that verse is cited it's in reference to romantic relationships. But lately I've been wondering, what does it really mean to guard your heart? Is that only about romance? Or is it about friendships? Discussions in class or at work?

I have realized in recent months, that I have been super cautious of my heart here. By that I mean, I have been careful not to step on toes, not to put myself too far out there. I know that my political and religious views are very different than most everyone that I am surrounded by. I know that I am called to be different. I have found myself struggling in that place, and choosing to live out of those convictions rather than voicing them always. I believe that actions speak louder than words, and I have tried to live that way. Knowing, that when I have tried to voice my faith, that voice has been reshaped and used by others for their own advantage. Which is often harmful to myself and others. That hurts. So- I'm guarded. Perhaps too guarded.

When does guarding your heart really turn into fakeness? I struggle with wondering if I am really being fake with those around me. I wonder if when I leave this place, if they will know what that something different about me was. Have I given all the Glory that I have been put in this place to give? Have I been living a life of true love that shows that there is a Driving Force behind the words I say, the way I act that is different from the rest? Or, out of fear disguised as guarding my heart, have I allowed the focus to stay here on earth, where it truly doesn't belong?

I wonder.

In a similar, but altogether different context, I ask- When does guarding your heart really mean being fearful to take the next step? When does guarding your heart prevent you from having the hard conversations that you really need to have? The conversations that truly could change and alter your life in amazing ways you would never imagine? When, out of fear disguised as guarding our hearts, do we avoid them? Or the silence. Too scared to break our hearts, or our reputations, that we remain guarded.

I wonder.

I do not know where the lines are. I do not know how to balance the wise guarding and the wise risking. The bittersweet fact is, scripture does not provide us with a formula to this balancing act. All I know is that I have been promised that the Holy Spirit is with me, and that, as long as I seek His face, He will guide my steps. And my hopes. So, perhaps sometimes He calls us to take a risk for the hopes that he has placed in our hearts. It's a balancing act. All of life is. I am confident I will never understand this side of heaven. I pray daily that will bring peace to my often restless heart. Until then, as I cautiously tread the tight rope between guarding and risk-taking, I remember this other Proverb:

"Better is open rebuke
Than hidden love"
-Proverbs 27:5

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Now playing: Andy Davis - Brown Eyes
via FoxyTunes

Christmas Season

I went shopping a few days ago for Christmas decorations and Christmas cards. I love sending Christmas cards to family members and friends. I prefer to send cards that wish a "Merry Christmas" and have a Christmas-related Bible verse inside. It took me a considerable amount of time to such "religious Christmas cards" in the Christmas section at Wal-mart. When I did find them, they were in a small section labeled "Religious Christmas Cards" and removed from the rest of the card selection by several aisles. Even within that small display, it still took me a while to find a plain, Christmas card that actually referred to the birth of Christ.

I cannot explain how frustrated that made me! I understand that Christmas is not the only holiday, religious or otherwise, celebrated during December. I am also fully aware that not everyone who celebrates Christmas is a Christian or even religious at all. However, it seems to me that every year Christmas is becoming more and more commercialized.

I believe that everyone who celebrates a holiday during this season should be able to find decorations or cards that are appropriate for the holiday they are celebrating. However, I hate that we have become so politically correct that we lose sight of the meaning behind the largest holiday in this time. Let us remember that the other holidays are either, a. not major holidays for that particular religion, or b. are non-religious based holidays that are not exclusive (but often inclusive) of Christmas.

I am sad that in our country we have lost a sense of the meaning of Christmas between the holiday-neutral cards and the fear of upsetting someone by celebrating a holiday that should be near to our hearts. I am not promoting that we don't allow the sales of non-religious Christmas cards (although, that seems a bit oxymoronic to me). I am saying though, that at the root of it all, Christmas is about Christ- His birth and what it means for each of us. It doesn't mean a time for us to get whatever we want from Target, but rather, it means true life, redemption, and koinonia. I hope that we never completely lose sight of that.

7 things. . .

Here are seven things you may or may not know about me. Tiff tagged me on this from her blog and I hope my things make it worth the tag!

1. I have auditioned for Jeopardy twice (most recently in February)

2. I really want to be a writer/editor of a magazine about faith, spirituality and vocation some day.

3. I like taking photographs, three of them have won awards in competitions.

4. I love brussel spouts!! I eat them 3-4 times a week, not kidding.

5. I really want to go to London, Italy and Ireland. But I'm terrified of flying so I'm not sure I could ever do the plane ride to Europe.

6. I am terrified of plane rides! Intellection is one of my strenghts on strengths quest, but that causes me to think too much! So every little bump turns into an engine falling of in my head. I fly early in the morning a lot of times so that I can just sleep.

7. I want a big family- 4-6 kids, 2-4 of which I want to adopt from either Ukraine/Moldova and/or Africa.

Now I tag:
Carrie
Grace
Kristine
Rachel
Lauren

Red Cup Season

The red cups at Starbucks mark the beginning of the holiday season in my mind. Today, I stopped on the way home from running errands at the local drive through Starbucks. I was delighted to find advertisement on the menu for the traditional holiday flair. I gave into the marketing and ordered a holiday drink. After completing the sale, I was greeted with my venti non-fat, no whip peppermint mocha in a bright red cup!

It amazes me how big a difference the color of my coffee cup makes in my attitude for the rest of the day. I love red cup season, I really do. Perhaps it's because I love the Christmas holiday season and all that it means. I love the emphasis on faith, on family and friends. Even though it is typically colder, and grayer physically, everything seems to be right with the world. It reminds me that even though the world and my life often seem crazy and hectic, there truly is a peace that reigns true through it all.

It's really easy for me to forget that peace in life, and even in the midst of the Christmas season. For that reason, here are some things I am thankful and/or hopeful about. I hope this will remind me and you when life gets hectic that joy and peace can be found within it all.

* Faith and redemption
* My rockstar RA staff
* Being within 180 days of graduating
* Being able to get my Masters degree
* Having more clarity about the possibility of a Ph.D in the future
* Finally being halfway good at scrabble
* Using technology to keep in touch with my friends far away
* Rekindling friendships with people who mean a lot to me
* The simplistic yet profound music of Dave Barnes, Matt Wertz, Andy Davis, Steven Clawson and Rob Blackledge
* Having a job that I enjoy
* The promise that I will always have a job that I enjoy
* Amazing friends! (Even when they all live outside of CS and sometimes the US)
* Time to read my favorite authors (Donald Miller and Elisabeth Elliot)
* Calling and passion
* Great family
* Dallas, the Reunion Tower, and the conversations had therein
* Enjoying a professional conference and feeling as though I actually fit there
* Encouragement
* Mentoring students and young women
* Loving and being loved
* Promise of a future and hope (Jer. 29:11)
* Learning to trust in hope (Romans 5:3-5)
* Small details and dreams falling into place (aka- a DOG!)
* My brother's health making changes in family relationships
* That my brother is ok
* Friends weddings
* Excitement, anticipation about this season and what God is going to do in the next few months!

This is a growing, evolving list that will always be missing something. I pray I would be made more aware of what I should be thankful for.

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Now playing: Rob Blackledge - One Step Away
via FoxyTunes

A New Leaf

I knew that this moment would come, but it has always felt so far in the future. I have been working with the purpose of this season and the ones to follow for a long time. Yet, it is oddly surreal being in this moment. I completed my first job application on Monday. The job search has officially begun! The spreadsheet has been started, and the emails about new posts have started to pour in. I delete most, but their presence is an increasing reminder that the season of graduate school is coming to a close (for now at least). My cohort is pictured here- It's hard to believe that I only have 184 days with them.

Additionally, we had our mock interviewing conference today. We were each paired up with three professionals throughout the division who worked in functional areas we plan to interview for. I have to say, that went MUCH better than I had anticipated. I interviewed for Orientation, Greek Life and Student Activities- two of the three I have not been involved in since undergrad. I left the "conference" with the reassurance that I would be able to get a job in any of those areas.

With that completed, I put the final touches on my resume (for the last time) tonight. Final copies of cover letters are in the final stages. I'm down to three assignments for class this semester. I am having a very difficult time staying focused right now. My mind is wondering about what is out there in the future. Every transition that I've made before, I've known where it is that I wanted to go. This time around, I know where my heart wants to be, and I'm praying things line up like they should.

Keep me in your prayers friends!

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Now playing: Kelly Clarkson - Breakaway
via FoxyTunes

Deminishing Stress Levels

20 days until I go home for Thanksgiving. 45 days until I'm home for Christmas. 98 days until Homecoming. 124 days until NASPA. 190 days until I have a Masters Degree (officially).

Baby Steps, friends, Baby Steps.

I just returned on Tuesday from the National Orientation Directors Association Conference (NODAC) in Dallas. The picture on the left is of the hotel where the conference was located (the big glass building). Additionally, the Reunion Tower (the big tower with a ball on top) is attached to the hotel. I have always been fascinated by the Reunion Tower every time I've driven through Dallas. Imagine my excitement when I actually got to go up in the tower and see it!! I spent about an hour and a half with one of my favorite people walking around the tower, checking out the city of Dallas and catching up on life. It was such a great night.

NODAC was great. I stayed at my good friend Becky's house and I was so grateful to be able to spend time catching up with her. Catching up with people seemed to be the theme of my days in Dallas. I was able to see my mentors from Belmont, Matt and Holly, and my friends from Baylor. I was actually sad to see the conference end because it meant that everyone had to go back home. :(

Then, after a brief stop in Waco to grab coffee and pick up a student, I headed back to College Station. I brought a Baylor student back to College Station with me and we had a great conversation about life and love in the car on the way back. Times like that truly feed my soul!!

So now I'm back and trying to get everything ready and completed before I leave for Dallas again on Saturday morning. This time I'll be going to the Southern Association of College Student Affairs conference (SACSA). I will be seeing some more old friends this weekend, at a different hotel in Dallas.

This past weekend was very refreshing and gave me a renewed since of hope about the future. I'm so excited to see where God leads me over the next few months. And, I'm grateful that there is starting to be a much brighter light at the end of the tunnel.

One other thing. . .

201 days until I have an off-campus apartment somewhere other than College Station with a dog and a bed with a headboard.

Maybe the apartment will be located in a city that has real trees that change colors in the fall. . .

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Now playing: Carrie Underwood - So Small
via FoxyTunes

Perspective

All the work I have to do this weekend (and this week because I have not been productive) means that by Friday I will be heading to Dallas and will be more than halfway finished with my law class. Halfway finished with law forever. Sweet.

Gotta keep truckin'

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Now playing: Keith Urban - Stupid Boy
via FoxyTunes

The Summary of My Life

Can be contained within one paper. Not so much within the paper itself, or the article it was based off of, but the blonde moment surrounding it. Last Thursday we had a quantitative article critique due in my assessment class. The assignment was to find an article, and critique it. I printed the article way ahead of time, and the paper was a short 2-3 pager. I turned it in, no sweat. My assessment professor's office is next door to my practicum office. Today I walk to work, and there on my door is a bright pink post-it that says:

"Sarah,

Come see me when you get a chance.

Darby"

I get really nervous when people write vague things like that, largely because I am scared to death I'm going to screw something up. I sit in my office waiting for her to come. 45 minutes later she gets back from lunch.

I nervously ask, "What did I do wrong?" . . .

Her: "Well . . .(pause) nothing"

Me: "Does my paper stink? It does doesn't it?"

Her: "Well I don't know because I haven't read your paper. . . .
(pause)"

Me: "oh"

Come to find out I had not read the assignment very clearly. The article was supposed to be from one of two journals. And I, unlike any other one of my 11 classmates, totally missed that. Even though, it was highlighted on my syllabus.

I felt like the biggest idiot. I was assured, at least one person does it every year. I am that one person. That really stinks for a OCD-perfectionist like myself. So, after apologizing profusely, she agrees to allow me re-write it. I am simultaneously relieved and stressed. I have basically less than 24 hours to re-write the paper and submit it before class tomorrow. If something horrible happens and I can't get it finished (i.e crisis in my hall) I get until Friday at 12. This is good because I don't have time to have this hanging over my head this weekend.

So, on the night I reserved for knocking out my law case study due Tuesday. I'm re-writing a paper that I finished over a week ago. I feel like a really competent grad student. (insert sarcastic look)

Here's why this stresses me out- my to-do list for next week:

• Law case study (10-12 pages) due Tuesday
• Law reading and Major Concept (we have a guest teacher. . . one of our Associate VPs, needless to say I need to know my shiznet)
• Revised Resume and Cover letter Due Wednesday
• Online Practicum class discussion Wednesday
• Reading and Major Concepts for Assessment due Thursday
• Leave Friday night for Dallas for a conference through the 30th. Which means: my Law Research Project (10-12 pages on freedom of expression and faculty/staff spirituality) that is due on the 30th, must be turned in by next Friday along with the accompanying major concept from that day's reading.
• Oh yeah, and National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week is next week. I'm on the planning committee so every day I have activities that I have to be at for that.
• Two days after I get back from the conference, one of my assessment projects is due. Luckily I basically finished that one on the plane ride back from KY. I need to proof read it and make sure I fully read the instructions.

So. . . needless to say, I'm buried in school work this weekend. Which is sad. But, I'm also on call for Res life which means I need to stick close to campus anyway. I would like to have all the assignments finished by Sunday night. I am going to work very hard to make it happen.

I also need to fit in donating plasma, getting my hair cut, and calling a couple of my favorite Belmont people to make sure they know I'm going to be in Dallas. I certainly don't want any of this school work hanging over my head since I want to be free to visit with my friends! There are so many folks I'm going to want to catch up with while I'm there. For me, NODAC is the light at the end of my tunnel. . . never thought I'd say that about a professional conference.

On a positive school note- I actually used my Law today, and knew what I was talking about! My brother is having some issues with one of his professors allowing him to make up work from when he was unconscious in ICU. She refuses to allow him to make up a speech he was supposed to give, told him she should have e-mailed her and suggested he drop the course. I remind you, he was unconscious in ICU at the time. How he would have e-mailed her, I'm not sure! Anyway, I explained to my mom that his medical condition is covered under ADA and that if he goes through the appropriate disabilities office she can't legally deny him reasonable accommodations. It was pretty neat.

Anyway, other than school, life has been good. I have 14 conduct cases scheduled for this week, but I'm actually starting to enjoy that process. 5 of them were guys who are involved in pranks with trash cans in my building. I loved assigning them community service of taking the trash out for the custodial staff every morning at 7 a.m. :) Hopefully they'll learn something from it!

Well, for me it's back to more case law. Once I finish printing off my articles for the case study, I need to do my assessment paper. Wish me luck. Say a few prayers. Feel free to distract ;)