Gardens and Brick Houses

God is SO good! 

His blessings are undeserved.

He provides for me and knows exactly what I need. 

Today was such a breath of fresh air. I've had a lot of questions and doubts running through my head recently about why I'm here. But today most of them were blown away.

This morning I got up early to get to my internship on time. It was my first day working for Hatch....and I had planned on being early. But after problems getting a monthly pass and having to wait 15 minutes for my train...my plan failed. 

The view on the train was beautiful. I'm used to underground trains that don't have windows. Plus, it was another sunny day in London! Yay sun!! I was also able to see the suburbs from the train...it was nice to see more open space than huge buildings, people, and the constant hustle and bustle....and more green. :)

I met James, my new manager, at the station and he drove me to the house. (first time riding in a car over here....so weird getting in the passenger side and riding on the opposite side of the road...so weird!) Like most other houses here, the house was brick, quaint, and so cute! I got to meet his two young children...who were playing with imaginary light sabers when I came in the door. lol. :) James decided to start this graphic design company awhile ago and built his own studio in his backyard. So we went through their small backyard garden....trellises, with roses weaving in and around everything, covered the path to the studio. So lovely! I can't wait to see it in bloom in the spring!

He showed me the basics of what Hatch does and what I will be helping with. Then, after a short introductory session, he lent me his camera and sent me off to take pictures!! How awesome is that! The object was to try to find advertisements close to London landmarks like Big Ben, Buckingham, etc...and get them in the same frame with interesting angles. Tomorrow he is going to look at my photos, and then we are going to photoshop advertisements by Hatch over the ads in the photos as a practice exercise for me. My goodness!! This is like the "dream internship!"  I'm so excited to see what else I'll be doing and what stuff I will be able to put in my portfolio!!

So I tried to take photos of the Westminster area, then headed off to the London tower and bridge and did most of my photography there.

no idea what this is. lol

sigh....gorgeous

On Tower Bridge

ah London...you're like a massive heart attack

London Tower

Once it got too dark to continue, I hopped on the tube to go to a cheap grocery store off of the Brixton station called Iceland. On the way there, the station I was supposed to change trains on suddenly closed because a "person was under the train."

in other words....someone threw himself in front of a train

selfish form of suicide

...selfish in that it makes everyone riding the trains pay for their death. 

It's so sad...and from what I've heard, it's not an infrequent thing. :( 

And then, after I bought my groceries and was almost to the Vandon House, I saw a man in a shop doorway getting huddled up for the night. I had my groceries in hand, and could have given him something. But I was alone and kept walking. Sigh...my heart breaks when I see things like that. I just want to help.

 Taco casserole:

My first "real cooking challenge." 

had to make a second trip to the store to get a couple missing ingredients...but it turned out very nicely. Didn't taste like mom's...but it was still splendid. Now I just have leftovers to last me a week. lol!

~Merely Mortal

Hello, Mr. Sun. :)

Tomorrow morning I will have been in London for a full week!!

I thought I would be blogging before going to bed each night...but that hasn't happened. So let's recap the past four days. 

Thursday: 

woke up and checked my fb before going to breakfast...ooo, I have a message!...

from SARA telling me she's DATING DAVID!

My poor roommate had to listen to me GASP and then Babble nonsense throwing my hands in the air and bouncing on my bed before I could compose myself enough to tell her what made me suddenly become a retard. lol

sigh. It's about flipping time they got together! Geesh! I'm SO happy for my wonderful best friend and roommate. :) :)

I'm just slightly upset that I couldn't actually be there in person to find all this out. They just had to wait until I traveled to the other side of the world. sigh...lol, not that it matters. :)

So Anyways....

at that point whatever plans I had for the day kind of disappeared as I waited on my computer to hear any more news and details. haha...okay, I might be that crazy lunatic roommate...but I think being overseas and finding this out is a good excuse. 

I finally realized that by noon...it was only 6 a.m. in Pella and I wouldn't be getting anymore information anytime soon. lol. So I went out with some gals to get pastys. I should have taken a picture of one...but they are basically pastries...except instead of sweets, they are filled with meat and veggies. yumm. I need to try another one soon.

When they became fb official I started going ballistic because I still hadn't skyped with Sara. Kris was nice enough to skype with me so I could talk with Sara, who happened to be in his room with David. They probably thought I was exaggerating when I said that I would rather talk to them then see Wicked later...but I was being perfectly serious at the time. hah!

Talking with her did help me to calm down a bit, even though we didn't talk for very long...something about there being boys in the room and she had class...idk. ;)

That night we saw Wicked!!  SOOOO EXCELLENT!! I saw it a few years ago in Chicago, and if I had to compare the one in London to it...Chicago was probably my favorite, mainly because it was my first time seeing it. But the one in London was really good too!! It was nice to actually know the plot-line this time around as well. The British accents made it different too...especially when they sang.

Ah, Fiyero. *swoon* :) lol

inside the theater waiting for the show to start

the ladies all dress up for Wicked

hot chocolate after a cold walk back...lovely idea :)

 Friday:
We went to Birkbeck college for our British Experience Seminar and Contemporary Britain class. We just had an introductory and learned more about travel in London. 
They then gave us a tour of the college and gave us membership cards. With the membership we can sit in on classes, use their exercising facilities, and join clubs. I was excited to see a few Christian clubs (one called Agape!) and a Harry Potter club. haha! I don't actually know when they meet, but it would be interesting to attend and maybe see a Quidditch match. :) Not to mention all the handsome British lads and their awesome accents. No worries folks...I have strict orders from my father to not come home in a relationship unless it's Prince Harry. Plus, I HATE long distance relationships...he would have to be a very rich fellow to travel a lot and visit me in the States. hah!

In the afternoon they split us up into teams of two to four for a scavenger hunt around London. As tired as I was, I admit that it helped me to feel much more comfortable using the tube. I'm practically a pro now. :)
My feet were so sore, but we only managed to get lost once. Unfortunately, we were only missing one or two points to be one of the winning teams.

at a market nearby Vandon House

one of the many telephone booths

He was so thrilled to have a picture taken with us. We also forgot to ask if we could wear his hat...otherwise we would have gotten bonus points. Rats!

Hamleys Toy shop is HUGE! like 5 floors!

on the top of a double decker bus.

Saturday:

We went on an optional walking tour. 

It was windy and so cold! Seriously, I thought London was going to be in the 40's. Not weather feeling like 18 degrees! Hurry up and warm up London!!

St. Pauls was so beautiful and gigantic! I didn't get a good picture, but I will be back for sure. :) We also saw a lot of places related to Shakespeare and ended the tour (hands, ears, and toes frozen) at Borough Market. The group I was with decided they couldn't live without Starbucks and we meandered back through the brick lanes shivering so they could find one. sigh...lol. Then they wanted to browse through the market, but I was so cold and just wanted to come back to my warm bed...so I then took the tube, all by myself!!! haha! It was a big deal for me. :) I didn't get lost. 

I had to go to a different station to get off because the one closest to Vandon House was closed for the weekend. I ended up walking through crowds of tourists looking at Big Ben and the Westminster area. I was surprised at myself by how annoyed I was with these people. 

And I haven't even been here for a full week. 

Tsk tsk Amy, you can't call yourself a Londoner quite yet.

I spent the rest of the day warming up in bed. lol, chilled to the bone for sure.

Millennium Bridge....destroyed by the Death Eaters in the 5th Harry Potter movie. :)

 Today:

I went to Camden to meet Molly and Shawn, who were in London for the weekend!

On my way there a French lady stopped me to ask for directions. I guess that's a sign that I look like I belong here...haha! And I actually knew the answer to her question! I was so proud of myself. :)
It was SO GOOD to see friends from home.
Not gonna lie...homesickness set in last night, so it was a huge blessing to see them.
We walked around a couple markets, where I found a BEATLES RECORD (jump around for joy...I have wanted one since I got a record player!!!) and then went to Kings Cross Station to see platform 9 3/4...which was a total waste of time, in my opinion. Not because I didn't want to go...but because it was such a letdown. They just hung up a brick poster and stuck a tiny shopping cart in front of it....and it wasn't even next to the correct platform.
lol, oh well.
OH! But I did see the sun today!!! First time is hasn't been hidden by clouds since I've been here!

The tube. I have never seen it this empty of people.

The bogus Harry Potter tourist site

my beauties. Record and new scarf

After leaving the girls, I went shopping in Primark...a cheap clothing store. yea...I forgot that cheap also means poor quality. However, besides my trouble finding comfortable boots, I did come away with three shirts and a scarf for under 20 pounds.
AND....I was sick of shopping. ick...I'm not a shopper...unless it takes me less than two hours and I find things right away that I'm looking for.
I had planned on going to Hillsong church at 6, but remembered I needed groceries and the store was closing soon.

The dratted grocery store. meh, I'm still getting used to all these weird food brands, so finding things takes forever! I've been so spoiled...now I have to cook for myself. My eggchiladas turned out pretty good tonight, though!

Okay. So now that I've almost finished a full week here....allow me to express my thoughts.

I tried not to come here with expectations.

But you can't help that sometimes.

I think, somehow, I thought that being here would give me some sort of out-of-body experience

that London would "wow" me beyond belief

that I would stand amazed at everything I see. 

Maybe it's loneliness. Maybe it's the homesickness. Maybe it's because I don't have any close friends here to share these experiences with. Maybe it's culture shock...

...but I feel like my "dream come true" hasn't "come true."

if that makes sense at all...

They say to be "bored of London is to be bored of life."

And I'm not bored of it...I have hardly seen it!

but....

There's just something missing...

I hope I find it soon.

~Merely Mortal~

Mind the Gap :)

Ah yes, the long awaited post. I know some of you have been dying to read up. :)

I'M IN LONDON!!!

So much has already happened...and I haven't really had time to write. Plus, whenever I do have free time...I've just been exhausted.
Bloody Jet Lag.

Now. Let's start at the very beginning (A very good place to start).

Sunday we arrived again at the airport to discover that the guy changed all of our flights to go through Detroit...except for mine which had been changed to go through Minneapolis...go figure, just my luck. "Luckily", they were able to get that all sorted out so that I could still fly with the group. So after all of that flight delay/cancellations nonsense...we finally flew to Detroit. Then from Detroit to the London Heathrow airport.

The neato color changing tunnel at the Detroit airport

Amy and Megan on the moving sidewalk

 I actually did most of my crosswords and Sudoku puzzles while waiting at the airports. Plus I knew that the Detroit to London flight would be just over 7 hours and we would arrive at 7 am in London...so sleep was the main priority for this flight if at all possible (which proved to "not" be very possible). Shortly after we were in the air they fed us, which was surprisingly delicious! I even got tea with cream and sugar. :) We had small personal TV touch screens on the backs of the seats in front of us, and the movies were complementary with the flight. However, I wanted to try to sleep, so I didn't end up watching anything...also, I had the whole center row of seats to myself. :) Sleeping though, even after taking a sleeping pill, not so good. meh. Luckily they gave us breakfast...a nice banana and granola bar...towards the end of the flight to give us more energy.

yummy Airline pasta dinner

So after waiting half an hour when we landed at Heathrow, we got through customs...which wasn't scary at all despite what some might say. Just showed them my passport and travel card, answered a couple questions and I was in!

Taking the tube (underground train station) for the first time was an adventure. I would NOT recommend taking the tube during a business travel day when you have two suitcases to lug around and up stairs. We changed and got off at the right stations...the only part was how crowded it got as more people got on station after station. I felt bad because I took up so much room with my suitcases. We felt so "American." People here never dress down. Seriously, I've only seen one person wearing sweatpants since I've been here. They all dress like models or something...fashion hub! Also...boots boots boots for the ladies. They always look so classy...lol...we probably looked homeless to them. I realize now why boots are so popular though...keeps the bottoms of your pants dry as rainy as it is here. I haven't yet seen the sun. :( It's always so cloudy. But hey, I'd much rather have 40 degree rainy weather than be freezing at home.

"Mind the Gap" :) translation: watch your step. This is written all over the platforms and they say it on the speaker while you're taking the train every time the door is about to open or close. Very frequent. 

Lugging our suitcases up the stairs after exiting the station was definitely not fun. My arms are still a little sore. We quickly discovered that navigating the streets in London is much more difficult than back home.

Forget square blocks.

Diagonal streets criss-crossing every which way and one-ways scattered about. I'm so glad I don't have to drive! We find ourselves constantly looking the wrong direction when crossing the street too, since they drive on the "correct side of the road" (as Mark, our London directer calls it, lol).

We eventually found the Vandon House, got the keys to our room to put our suitcases, and immediately were thrown into orientation mode...since we got there a day later than everyone. We only ended up missing the first hour of orientation, but believe me...as much as the information overload was important, I would have rather been resting.
Information overload is not an exaggeration. Unfortunately I was half dead at that point and don't remember most of it. After lunch we went on a three hour walking tour around London. That woke me up a little bit. It was so beautiful. But I was tired and I don't remember where half the things were.

The London Tower

Tower Bridge ("A" London bridge...not "The London Bridge.")

This was exciting to me! This is where Henry Higgins meets Eliza Doolittle in the beginning scenes of My Fair Lady! I LOVE that movie!!

ah, the National Art Gallery. I hope to visit it sometime soon

my first glimpse of Big Ben

St. James Park has lots of birds and wildlife...including these insane gray squirrels. They are not afraid to jump on you or climb up your legs in any attempt to get food.

After returning to the Vandon House I met my roommate Mary (who is very nice...for those of you who were worried *wink wink*), unpacked my suitcase, and only managed to keep myself up until 8:00 before crashing.

the view from my room at night. There's a nice construction site right outside that is very noisy when it's light out. It'll be interesting to see how far they get on this project by the time we leave.

My bed is the one closest to the door.

we get our own bathroom with tiny shower!

honestly, I don't like the sinks. Two faucets for hot and cold are so annoying. You're either scorched or froze. Luckily the shower isn't like that. lol

I didn't sleep the greatest Monday night even though I went to bed at 8. I woke up at 11 and every hour after that it seems. Around 3 am I finally fell asleep for good and by 7 I was still super tired to get up and take a shower. Mmm...that tiny shower with water that smells like eggs. Fantastic. haha, we're so spoiled in America.

Tuesday morning we had a meeting all about Multiculturalism....which was basically no different from my Human Relations class I just took this past semester. meh...I didn't really learn anything new. It was just about how we need to be open to new things and realize where our assumptions come from as Americans...what is normal to think and what we should be cautious about....too long of a meeting over something that should be obvious if you ask me.
After the meeting I desperately needed food, a phone, and outlet adapter to charge my computer. So I went out into the great London all by myself!
AH! yes, by myself!
lol, it was fine but I was so worried about getting lost. I found myself holding tight to my bag (pickpockets you know) and trying not to look anyone in the eye. Apparently no one looks at each other when they walk...no one smiles and says hello to each other like we do in the States. Stranger Danger or something. Also, I don't see too many people on their phones all the time or texting as they walk.

It's so crazy being in the heart of London. There are shops, people, and cars everywhere you look. It's very overwhelming...you don't know where to go first and where to get the best deals. I'm most definitely a country girl, lol. I kind of just went into the first legit stores I saw and bought my stuff. My phone is a cheapo bit of rubbish...but it works and that's all I need. lol.

Let me tell ya...I miss WalMart....everything in one big store (with wide aisles) instead of having to hunt down individual shops for various items.

I had an academic advising meeting to talk about what classes I have and my internship. I guess my internship is in the suburbs of London and is based out of the owners home? idk, maybe I heard Beth wrong. The owner of Hatch Creations, my graphic design internship, has two younger children...so I'll get a deeper look into the family life of London than some of the others in the program. :) I can't wait!! Plus, I love kids!

Later that night I went on a group search for a grocery store (the continental breakfast is the only meal they provide for us, the rest is on our own unfortunately. My cooking skills will be much improved by the time I come home). It took us awhile to find a good one. Sainsburys. We got fairly close to Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, and the London Eye on our quest.

Westminster Abbey. They have church services at five on weeknights. I really want to go to one to see what it's like!

The grocery store is an adventure in itself! Narrow aisles, lots of people, new food brands, not knowing where to look for anything. A lot of the food is organic...no preservatives...so it expires fast. The eggs are even just out sitting on shelves! Odd. This means you can only buy small amounts at a time....and also why there were only baskets and no shopping carts and the checkout lanes are more like the 20 items lanes at WalMart. 

Small

and compact

just like everything in London....putting every inch of space to use.

That's something I've been amazed by, how they pack so much into such small areas. 

and the old brick buildings...they're beautiful. :)

I slept much better last night and today I didn't have any meetings, so it was just a relaxing free day. I spent a lot of it just reading through the program information and what not...figuring things out.  Then Megan Strait and I went "park hopping" haha! It probably wasn't a good time to be doing that, but oh well. It was drizzly and cold. My hands and ears were numb by the time we returned. But let me tell you...this rain coat is really coming in handy!!!

The entrance to St. James Park is close by and links to Green and Hyde parks. I have no idea how many miles we walked...but my legs are a little sore. The parks are beautiful! I felt like I was in a Jane Austen book on one of my "daily walks." haha! St. James has a pond with lots of ducks, birds, and geese...many not native to England...that you can feed.

"Feed the birds...tupence a bag." lol,  in my head most of the walk

Green park looked more traditional, not too many flowers...just a lot of green.
And Hyde park was probably my favorite....gardens galore! I can't wait till Spring time when it blooms!! lovely lovely.

so much green. mmm :)

Buckingham Palace!

We also discovered Buckingham Palace on our walk! I had no idea it was right next to Hyde park! So that was neat. I'm sure the parks will be places I frequent whenever I need to get away from all the hustle and bustle...or just to read a book. :) lol, simple delights. I'm more of a park person than a pub person.  I haven't been to a pub yet, in fact (they're all over the place and most everyone from the program has gone at least once)...not really my thing. I'm sure I'll probably go eventually though, more for the social atmosphere.
So yes, that was today's adventure...a two hour stroll through some parks. The bottoms of my pants (ahem...sorry..."trousers". In England "pants" mean "underwear") were soaked by the end of the walk...I really need to invest in some boots! :)
Plus, it was really nice to finally have a long one on one chat with someone. I've been missing that. :)

As far as British accents...I find myself thinking with one sometimes. I almost asked a question with a bit of an accent the other day on accident, I hope the worker at the store didn't think I was mocking him. oops

Anyways...it is now bedtime. 

Cheers!

Still....Waiting....Meh

I'm currently on a couch with the fireplace going, watching an Amanda Bynes movie, and eating Doves chocolates...in Renae's living room in Des Moines.
You thought I would be on a plane to London right now?...yea well, so did I.

It's been a loooong day.

Thank goodness for Gazette crosswords and Sudoku 

First the flight to Detroit was delayed one hour....after waiting at the airport for three hours and having two more changes to the departure time, the flight was canceled altogether. Minneapolis, our only other option, was sold out. GAAHH!!!

So...I will be flying out tomorrow, missing the welcome pub dinner in London and probably some of orientation on Monday morning.

But hey...that means I'll get to miss most of the ice breaker games. YES! I hate ice breakers.

Besides all the frustration...I'm surprisingly not as stressed as I normally am when all my plans and organization are thrown for a loop. :)

with the fam before they went home

the delayed flight crew. lol. Me, Megan, Renae, and Emily. I'm SO glad to have these girls with me.

So right now I'm waiting to hear from Miss Chelsea Bell to see if she got accepted to Moody Bible Institute....which I have no doubt she did. :)
Also, prayers for my old church and the pastor I grew up with. His last Sunday sermon at MCC is tomorrow. He and his wife Eloise have been huge blessings in my life. They will be missed. :)

Grey Ships

"New world - big horizon

Open your eyes and see it's true

New across the frightening

Waves of blue" 

~ David Wilcox

So, if my FB status worked, more of you might be reading this by now.

So here's a few things you should keep in mind when reading my writing:
I don't like comments.
I repeat: I don't like comments. So, comment if you must...but try to refrain. :)
I want this to feel more like a journal...and comments make me feel like I need to entertain.
However, although it is a journal...it is also a way for friends and family back home to keep up with my travels and adventures while I'm overseas...you just get the privilege of my other random thoughts as well. haha!
Lastly, I like to use a lot of :)'s, ....'s, and frequent lol's. No judging. :)

So.

The suitcases are packed. I've gone through their contents at least three times and my mind is still going through every little detail. Maybe I should take a sleeping pill to sleep tonight because I'm sure my brain is not going to shut up.

In 11 hours I will be in the truck with my Dad on the way to the Des Moines airport. Early afternoon I will be on the plane...and a skip and a hop later I will arrive in London around 7:45 Sunday morning.

Surreal?

Yes.

Can I handle all these emotions at once?

Maybe.

I mean...YES! :)

"Don't say...we have come now to the end. White shores are calling. You and I will meet again....and you'll be here in my arms, just sleeping. What can you see? on the horizon? Why do the white gulls call? Across the sea, a pale moon rises." Okay...maybe a little too dramatic of a song for the moment...lol

nights like tonight...

I'll probably sleep with Oo Oo

my childhood stuffed monkey :)

Comfort. Innocence. Security.

He doesn't get much lovin these days anyway.

In fact...mom found him stuffed between the wall and my bed last night...when she pulled him out I almost cried.

Why? who knows.

I guess the mixture of massive fear, exhilaration, excitement, and sadness from missing something and someones you haven't even left yet can make you act irrationally.

I have a good thing going here and people I love with all my heart.

When this girl loves...it's a fiercely loyal kind of love.

And I miss people I haven't even left yet.

I visited Central this past weekend and had a wonderful time with the bestest friends God could bless me with. At Monday night prayer, Nick told us to pray about the things we are scared about for this semester and pray that God will reveal a goal to us...something he is going to teach us this semester.
All the fears I've been pushing away about this trip came rushing to the foreground.
All the irrational, selfish fears that I have refused to acknowledge.
The fear that things will be vastly different when I return to the states. The fear of change...going into Europe...and coming home.
The fear that I will be alone....that I won't have solid deep life-sharing relationships in London. I desperately want one good friend that I can talk to about anything while I live over there...I fear that kindred spirit will not be found.
And...I fear that I will be forgotten and abandoned by those I love. That friends back home will be too busy to stay in touch. I did not realize this particular fear until Monday night.

It's good to remember that all these fears...are just lies. Just lies Satan weaves so that I don't trust my Protector. So with God's help, I choose to turn fear off.

I've been reading The Shack. I read half of it over the summer and put it aside when school started and I just picked it back up again this week...thinking I would finish it before leaving. lol...you can't just read a book like that so quickly...it needs to marinate in your thoughts...and for me...subconscious.  When I stopped reading it at the end of the summer I had just gotten to the point where Mack was about to walk on water with Jesus.
I have found that when I really quiet myself and listen to God, he speaks to me with pictures and images in my head. All this past semester I had an image of myself on the water with Jesus....three times.
The first vision I had was around the start of school. The sky was brilliant blue and sunny and I was on a lake with Jesus with vibrant greens on the shores. I wasn't just walking with Jesus on the water...we were dancing. My favorite part was when He would twirl me out and I'd throw out my arms and spin without getting dizzy on the water. It was a strange feeling...I felt the water on my feet, but not really....I just skidded along spinning and twirling with Jesus. Then I'd run back to Him and sit in front of Him in the middle of the lake and just ask Him questions. It was SPLENDID and I wanted to continue the vision laughing and dancing with my Savior.
The second vision happened during InterVarsity's Fall Conference. Except the scene was much different. It was still a happy vision, with me dancing with Jesus. But this time the sky was dark and down-pouring as the waves crashed around me...almost swallowing me whole at times as high as they were. But Jesus was with me and through the storm...He protected me.
The most recent vision I had was at the last Encounter of the semester that I attended...in fact...it snowed that night...the first snow in Pella of the semester. In this vision everything was white with a fresh thick layer of snow. I was alone in the middle of the white blanket and the sky was black...everything was so eerily still. Yes there was no wind and I was not cold. I walked alone in this snow wondering where I was and realized I was walking on some hard, almost slippery, surface. I bent down and wiped the snow away to see that what I was standing on was ice...the lake frozen over. Yet when I looked around me I couldn't see Jesus...but I could feel His presence.

How interesting God would allow me to see these things as I was preparing to cross an ocean for the first time in my life. To go overseas.

"but how do you step off a dock onto water? Do you jump as if you are landing on concrete, or do you step over the edge like you are getting out of a boat?...
'Will my feet get wet?' queried Mack.
'Of course, water is still wet.'
Again Mack looked down at the water and back at Jesus. 'Then why is this so hard for me?'
'Tell me what you are afraid of, Mack.'
'Well, let me see. What am I afraid of?' began Mack. 'Well, I am afraid of looking like an idiot. I am afraid that you are making fun of me and that I will sink like a rock. I imagine that -'
'Exactly,' Jesus interrupted. 'You imagine. Such a powerful ability, the imagination! That power alone makes you so like us. But without wisdom, imagination is a cruel taskmaster.'"

How interesting also, that an important scripture for me this past semester has been the story in John 4 when Jesus talks to the Samaritan woman at the well. Living water and a woman who is undeserving....but not in the eyes of Jesus.

If you ask me...I think God has been teaching me big time this past semester. Trust.


Sometimes leaving good things is the means of discovering Great things!
I know God has amazingly beautiful experiences for me in the next four months.

So TELL THEM THAT I'M DEFYING GRAVITY!! Kiss me goodbye I'm Defying Gravity...and You can't bring me down!!!

If you just read all that. Bravo! I hope not to write novels like that all the time...I've just had a lot on my mind the past couple of weeks since my last post. :)

Just a couple last quotes to think about from The Shack:

"Men never to evil so completely and cheerfully, as when they do it from a religious conviction." ~Blaise Pascal

"As well-intentioned as it might be, you know that religious machinery can chew up people!"

Bucket List

I'm in a writing mood.
And...I've always wanted to write a list of things I want to do.  So here it is...not the complete one...just things I can think of off the the top of my head. (Believe me, I have tons of time to dream up these things at work).

• Ride a horse. No, gallop on a horse. Preferably alone (no Wraiths chasing me, thank you) in a forested area/mountainous while wearing an elven dress with a bow on my back and sword at my waist. : ) Hey, a girl can dream.
• Go Kyaking
• Try "quality" sushi
• learn to Riverdance. lol...yes. Also, other dances: Bellydance (for my future husband only..haha), Irish jig, salsa, etc, and I want to get better at swing dancing. :)
• read all of the most known books on the Collegiate list of Classical Literature and have a room designated as the "library" in my future house
• sew a quilt
• learn how to play the violin/write enough original songs with my guitar to make a cd/basically just improve my musical skills...
• hold a real monkey :)
• have a huge garden and learn how to can my produce
• Be as good of a cook as my mother
• Own my own house and vehicle (...and hopefully get married to share the house...but this list is about things that I can do on my own....who knows, God might not have a man for me)
• learn to drive a motorcycle....a secret dream of mine...now not-so-secret. :)
• paint a mural (wall in my house someday)
• See the Taj Mahal (I don't really care about the rest of India...I've just always wanted to see this masterpiece of architecture)
• Since I'm traveling to Europe in two weeks and I know I'll visit Paris and Ireland while I'm there, I can cross that off the list (after the Taj Mahal...I think New Zealand is next on the list. So I can walk the LOTR trail. lol, I'm not kidding)
• I just want to travel...a lot!
• get laser eye surgery
• grow my hair out and cut it as many times as I can stand for Locks of Love
• get more physically fit. I'd like to be able to run at least five miles. :) (ok, some of you may think that is ridiculous considered I've been skinny all my life...and it is. But I'm not trying to loose weight.  I'm just one of those weirdos who actually enjoy that tight muscle sweaty clamminess after a good workout...mmm)
• organize a weeklong camping trip to Colorado (hopefully with my future family...if not...then with friends)
• I want to fly. Not in a machine.  And if skydiving/hang-gliding is the way to do that...well.... :)
• write a fantasy novel with my own illustrations. And publish it.
• I would love to sail on a pirate ship on the ocean :)
• read through the ENTIRE Bible. (but of course, it is classical literature...)
• sponsor a child and buy a girl out of human sex trafficking 
• build a treehouse with a swing on one of the branches (c'mon...I never got one as a kid. Plus...I want it to look like something from Lothlorien or Rivendell. Wow, my elf-love is really coming out in this entry)
• attend a service at Mars Hill, Rob Bell's church
• Baptize someone I helped lead to Christ

I'm sure there is more...but it is bedtime. :)

Nerf Gun War....dear brothers....sigh

Watching Goblet of Fire as I type this post:
me -"How can Harry go from liking an Asian to a Ginger?"
Andy -"Once you go Ginger, you can't go back."

I turned 21 on Tuesday. The day was not very eventful compared to past birthdays, of course. I took the day off of work, slept in, worked out, then Mom and I went to CR. I got some sweet new glasses with lions on the sides :) and then attempted to find some new black dress pants...no luck. Maurices, Younkers, JC Penny...fail.  We ate at Carlos O'Kelly's just so I could try a Margarita (okay, plus I'm a huge salsa and queso fan, and I LOVE fried ice cream with honey).  I don't understand what all the hype is about...I'd rather just keep getting flavored lemonades and sweet tea thank you very much.
And then as if I wasn't full enough from all that, the fam and I ate at Osaka, a Japanese steak grill for supper...my choice restaurant. Their yum yum sauce is divine!

So. Full!

Yesterday I was working out while watching my bro play some video game. I must have stepped wrong as I was jogging on the tread mill and went down. I never clip the safety thing to myself so that if I fall the machine will turn off...and I paid the price. Luckily I caught the arm rest thing and was able to pull my foot, caught between the wall and the still running belt, and myself back up. I don't know if I damaged the wall because Adam already put a hole in it, lol. Now, in this situation, I can either feel like a complete loser, or laugh at myself. So I laughed and finished my workout. But now I have a wound on my ankle...don't think I'll work out for a little while until it heals more. :/

 Haha...I love Fred and George Weasley.

I would totally be friends with them if they were real. And maybe marry one of them, if I could ever tell them apart. lol

So today the search continued for black dress pants. Dress Barn, Sears, Debs...nothin...(you would think that there would be pants out there that could fit a body like mine...yea, I thought that too. Wrong!!)....all the while I was grumbling on an empty stomach. You know those snickers commercials where the guys turn into divas when they're hungry. Well, I turn into Scrooge or something. Hungry monster plus not fitting pants equals Meltdown in the Mall! We raced to the nearest fast food. I don't think I've ever eaten a Tendercrisp from Burger King so fast in my life.
Feeling much better we went to Target and, already given up on finding black pants, I decided to just try a couple on. Hey Hey, Mossimo is my new favorite brand! I knew I loved Target for a reason!!! If the pants fit...BUY TWO!

"Oh...he just looks so....dashing." lol. Man, I wish Chelsea Bell were watching this with me right now. We're both die hard Harry Potter fans.

We discovered a new indie artist on the way back from shopping today. Her name is "Danielle ate the sandwich." She plays the ukulele and is positively quirky. :) Look her up on YouTube.

Two more weeks and then it's off to London town!
One more week working 10 hour days at the factory
then a weekend full of goodbyes at Central.

These are amazing and so healthy! I love basically all the flavors.

 "O eternal and everlasting God,
I presume to present myself this morning before Thy Divine Majesty, beseeching Thee to accept of my humble and hearty thanks...Direct my thoughts, words, and work, wash away my sins in the immaculate Blood of the Lamb, and purge my heart by Thy Holy Spirit...Daily frame me more and more into the likeness of Thy Son, Jesus Christ...Bless my family, friends and kindred, and unite us all in praising and glorifying Thee in all our works." -George Washington ("Monday Morning"....from a personal prayer book he wrote called Daily Sacrifice)

This and That

It's amazing how few times I write on here when I'm not procrastinating something. lol.

Basically Christmas break so far has been spent with family, working at the factory, and organizing my life (by that I mean all of the stuff in my room).
I felt the need to reorganize EVERYTHING. lol.
I like to save things...I'm not a pack-rat...but I save memorabilia like letters, notes others have given me, my own journals and sketches, papers and things from important events. Some objects I save because the event in which I obtained them are special to me...even if it is just a feather. :)
I have letters and little notes left by friends when I was having a rough day that I have saved and those people probably don't even know I still have them. I like to go back and read them sometimes...it makes me feel good all over again. :)
But it has come time to go through all that and really decide what should be thrown away...
and in this journey I have discovered things that I think are pretty cool.
Quotes. Old journal entries. This and that.
I thought I'd share some.

"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else." -C.S. Lewis

"To explain the conflict of Jesus being equal and lower than God at the same time is like a circle on a 2-dimensional plane telling the plane it is a sphere. But the plane keeps telling the circle it's not a sphere because all it can see is the sphere's outline; it can't comprehend what a 3-dimensional figure even is. In the same way we try to picture God. We know He is great but cannot image Him. So Jesus put himself lower as a 'plane'. He is equal to God, but lowered himself to try and help us understand." -something I heard a speaker say at CIY one year and wrote down.

In case that totally confused you...no worries...I'm a visual learner too

"When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us." -Helen Keller

"If I had a single flower for every time I think about you, I could walk forever in my garden" -Claudia Ghandi

"Moving on is simple, it's what you leave behind that makes it so difficult."

"So I'm sorry that I can't go on with you. And tonight may be a night I'll regret, but I'm already somebody's lover, he just hasn't found me yet."

"In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit." -Albert Schweitzer

"I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble." -Mother Theresa? maybe?

"Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow."

"One can never consent to creep when one feels and impulse to soar." 

"Many people know so little about what is beyond their short range of experience. They look within themselves and find nothing! Therefore they conclude that there is nothing outside themselves either." -hmm...maybe this one and the last two are Albert Einstein?

Anyways...I have much to write about but just haven't gotten around to it. I thought I'd write those quotes down fast before I forgot and threw them away...but I promise at least "most" of my next post's words will be my own. :)
Stay tuned for what I'm learning through the book Captivating. Then read a journal entry I wrote for my Composition class at Nebraska Christian College that my professor told me I should publish but never did. :D However, at the moment I need to sleep, no matter how sleepy I don't feel, in order to wake up at 5 am for work...meh.

Oh, and Happy New Year!
haha!! Ok, maybe one story before I go to bed. Today the sandwich maker at the Subway in Wal-Mart hit on me...again. (Yes, again...he probably doesn't remember me from the first time a few weeks ago. lol) Apparently my lack of eye contact and mumbly short answers to his attempt at conversation didn't clue him in that I wasn't interested.
He asked me how 2011 was going so far for me. I said "not much different," to which he replied "really!? Mine's been everything I dreamed it would be"
to which I let my "don't-even-try" guard down for a second and actually laughed.
Clever, Subway sandwich maker...clever.
...and then I sang "Larger than Life" by the Backstreet Boys in an animated fashion to my brother who was trying to eat his sandwich while we sat at a table with a good view of the Wal-Mart shoppers. Ha! :)

A little 90's indulgence is quite okay once in awhile, right? I'm not ashamed that this cd is currently in my car and I occasionally sing along to it as loud as I can

 Ooo, also
Lest I forget, I must inform my avid readers that Laser Eye Surgery is a possibility for me that is currently being considered. Who's excited and crossing her fingers?...THIS GIRL!

Okay, for reals.  Goodnight Neverland.
~Merely Mortal~