Writers' Workshop [bear with me!]

In one of my education classes, we start off each class with around 20 minutes of writing time to write whatever we want. I had no idea what to write about when we did it for the first time yesterday, and I had no intentions of ever typing it up to put it on my blog... but now I've decided to. It's kind of long and wordy, so just bear with me if you're interested!

This is my first writers' workshop in my Elem Ed 528 class, and I am not entirely sure what I'm supposed to write about. I don't think it really matters, but I don't know whether it is supposed to be a journal or a creative writing log or what... so here goes nothing:

So far I am really disliking this semester. I am trying to have a better attitude towards it, but I don't enjoy night classes. This is mainly because I am tired and can't focus well at night. Plus they are nearly 3 hours, making it even more difficult to focus. 3/5 of my classes are at night and I have Young Life club on Monday nights. Thankfully I have no class on Fridays- that's a nice break!

It is so hard to believe that I am a senior in college! I'm taking 2 courses for graduate credit. Next year I will be interning, and then I'll be "out in the real world." It's both scary and exciting. More scary. If I didn't have hope and faith in God to guide me through these next years, I would definitely be really stressed out (more than I already am)- I'm just trying to constantly remind myself to trust in Him because He has an incredible plan... and that plan is not about me, but about glorifying Him. How humbling.

Remembering that really puts things into perspective. My life's purpose is to make much of Him- even if it's difficult at times. The purpose of my life is not for me to be happy... even though He does promise that all things will work together for my good if I believe in Him. I just never want to lose sight of the bigger picture (even though I am trying to learn to live in the small moments right now [shout out to my small group])- all too often I get caught up in thinking it's about me and wondering why I'm not happy.

In reality, I have no reason not to be happy- God has blessed me with incredible family and friends that love me well and so much more. My life is actually pretty wonderful, and He doesn't have to make it that way because IT'S NOT ABOUT ME.

I want my life to be about glorifying the Lord and furthering His kingdom. So what if it's difficult or uncomfortable sometimes- I've already received the greatest gift of all time and have the promise of eternal life in Paradise ahead of me.

Life here on Earth is short... so I need to be living it abundantly, and through Christ I can do that. God does impossible things in the lives of ordinary people. I want to wait expectantly for Him to do these things in and around me. He has already made me a new creation- brought me from death to life in Him. If He can do that, if He can save me, He can truly do anything. I believe that and want to live as if I do.

I definitely don't want this blog to feel neglected now that I have this new one... I typically don't like blogging when I don't have pictures, but I am terrible at taking my camera places. It's senior year, I need to get on it! Thank goodness for friends with nice cameras! :) They're just usually bad about putting the pictures on facebook so I can steal them...

Here are some recent ones:

we didn't even plan for this to be so cute!


so thankful to have this boy back in my life

Blog Numero Dos

Well... today I had to start a blog for my TPTE 486 class. Chelcie and I were the only ones that already had "just for fun" blogs... wow, that was embarrassing. We already had our little pictures and blogs we follow and... lots of Bible verses and "lovin' Jesus" About Me sections... and then when we created our new blog it all linked to that. Now I hope that doesn't sound like I'm the least bit ashamed of who I am because I'm certainly not. I love my Jesus and I want everyone to know. I just don't feel like this blog is super professional... so I'm having to make a few changes to my profile so that the other one DOES look professional and appropriate for class.

Last Thursday I added four classes and dropped three. Needless to say, I'm a little tiny bit unsure of what classes to take, what I need to be in, what classes are just a waste of my time... I just need 15 hours, people. And no Saturday classes, PLEASE. That has to be a joke that there even is such a thing.

Now to all (two) of my followers: Please feel free to NOT check out my other blog. It will probably be even more goofy than this one since I'm attempting to make it professional. However, if your heart so desires to find it and read it, please feel free to proofread it for me. I know I make a lot of mistakes on this one that Mom usually calls me out for, but I actually get points taken off on the other! Anyway, not only will the other one be goofier, it will also be... more boring.

Well...

School has started. And I already hate this semester. I'm going to try and just get all the complaining out this week and then be done for the rest of the semester. Yeah right. But really, I don't want to be constantly complaining. I have three night classes that are almost three hours. I also don't have much going on during the days at all, so I'm going to need to find something to entertain myself!

I was really looking forward to school starting (for the first time ever). I'm so glad to be back in my house, living with people my age. I LOVE my roommates and think as far as the living situation goes, it's going to be a great year. However, I feel like I'm going to miss out on a lot this semester because I am free when my friends are in class and they are hanging out at night when I'm in class.

Anyway, now I'm looking forward to a break again. Already. Two days in. Maybe once I get used to it, it will be okay.

Ohhhh and my adviser wants me to take a Saturday class. HA. No way.

Missing summer.



(miss you, Toree!!)

But loving hanging out with these people!


And living with these people is going to be wonderful!

Obsessed

Even though I've been slacking on doing my own blogging lately, I'm still obsessed with reading other people's!

Here are some excerpts that I loved from this blog post:

(you should read the whole thing, but in case you don't have time...)

"Respect is not free. Respect is earned. Grace is free, but grace and respect are different."

"Guys don’t hook up with girls they would marry. They marry the girls they get nervous around and are made to pursue."

I think I might have enjoyed reading Volume II for the guys even more. Good stuff, so check it out.