Bowling Is a Serious Sport, they didn't call me Gutter Girl for nothing!

This week has gone by fairly quickly! I am thankful for that! I am ready for the weekend to be here! I am still trying to get settled into my classes and figure out when I will do all of my assignments. There is, of course, a CRAZY amount of reading. If there wasn't, I wouldn't feel like I was going to Toccoa Falls College anymore. Even with 12 hours I have TONS and TONS to read. It's really kind of ridiculous. I think he professor get a little confused sometimes and assume you don't want to have time to do devotions, sleep, exercise, eat, etc...I always have to get settled and find ways to balance it all. I look back at when my schedule was filled with more and wonder how I even got it all done? Who knows...maybe I didn't have as much reading once upon a time.

This week has been good in a lot of ways. Tuesday night the girls in my house were all sitting around the table eating dinner. We were discussing things we had never done in Toccoa that MUST be done before we graduate and Hannah told us she had never been to Rose Lanes, Toccoa's bowling alley. Now, you have to understand something about this place. It is in an old building in the middle of nowhere on a back road in Toccoa. When you go into the place it is super small. There are usually older folks in there. And, they are TOCCOA old folks. Not to be harsh, but they are all the normal redneck stereotype. If you choose to get bumpers at Rose Lanes they consist of black plastic pvc pipe/gutter type objects that they simply roll into thte gutter. It's a little ridiculous.

According to Heather Price (my new room mate), Tuesdays just-so-happened to be $1.00 night! So, we decided to take a spur of the moment trip over to the bowling alley (even though I really should've been doing homework, I forfeited it for the time-being). When we got there we decided to put our names into the computer as different vegetables. I happened to be Squash, if you were wondering. The lady at the front desk told us it was "league night". We had no idea this would end up getting us in trouble. We started bowling normal but got a little bored. So, we decided to see how many different ways you could bowl. Heather Price says she has made it to about 30 different ways. lol. ANYWAYS...Heather is the first one up. She all of the sudden got down on the ground and angled herself with the ball and proceeds to HEAD BUTT the thing down the lane. It was rolling slower than I've ever seen a ball roll. We were all laughing. She was laughing so hard she was on the floor. The next thing we knew the lady came over and was glaring down at Heather telling her it was "League night and she couldn't have people laying on the floor. We needed to take bowling 'seriously'". haha. I have to say, this probably seemed really immature to everyone else there. But, sometimes it is fun to be stupid (as long as no one is getting hurt or you aren't doing something illegal or unbibilical...thought I would clarify).

Anyways, the rest of our time there we had to be "serious" about our bowling. It kind of ruined our fun! Lol. I guess the leaugers don't like people messing around.

Last night we went to see LOST. One of the professors here at school allows students to come watch the show on his big screen TV. It's nice. And, he is the Philosophy professor, so during commercials he pauses it and we discuss our "theories" on what is going to happen next and what everything means. haha. It's kind of nerdy. But, I do like the show. It's fun to get off campus for a little bit.

I have been doing homework in between all of this. No worries. lol.

I got accepted to Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX. I spoke with Southeastern. THe person on the phone had ZERO personality and I was thinking to myself, "I hope they aren't all this dead over there". It makes me laugh that they put someone like that in the ADMISSIONS office. COME ON, PEOPLE! Lol. Anyways, they said they are still putting all the files together and they will have to let me know when they get the files put together what their decision is. Then, I have to make a decision about where to go. Decisions don't come easy to me...so that should be fun!

Tomorrow night Jonathan's band is having a concert at a church in Lawerenceville. It is apparently with a couple different bands and it is called "Battle of the Bands". So, it is a competition apparently to see which band is the best. I talked my room mate into going with me.

God has been teaching me a lot lately. Especially today. And, I am overwhelmed and thankful today that HE has been on Earth as a human. I don't think I really think about that much. But, I am so grateful he understands what I go through in a real way. It's easy not to think about Jesus in the human sense. But, if he were never human, I guess I wouldn't feel like He could relate to me as much! I am really bad at getting out my thoughts on this for some reason. Maybe if I COULD share more details it'd make more sense!

Thus Far...

So, it's been a week since I moved into school and things are falling into place quite nicely! I have gotten settled in and pretty used to things.

The first week was kind of sad. Everyone in my house is busy, busy , busy this semester. Jonathan has three jobs. I hang out a lot by myself in the house. But, I have been doing my homework without any distractions. That has been about the only plus side. Our house constantly stays at about 62 degrees inside because they won't let us adjust our own heat. I have been walking around freezing to death.

My new room mate is amazing. I really couldn't have asked for a better one. I figured it would be really hard to have someone adjust to me for only one semester. I knew she was sad about her room mate leaving. I was sad about Meredith leaving. I mean, after getting used to the same person for so long it is really weird to be without them. But, Heather is really easy going. She doesn't even mind my noise maker. Which is nice. We have already gotten to talk to each other about all sorts of things. She is pretty open and I am too if you are that way towards me first. So, we have had some pretty good discussions.

We are still on the system where everyone cooks for each other. We had a new girl move in, so she decided to get on board. Since there are only five of us we only get to rotate for a week off every five weeks. But, it is nice to still have that going!

I have begun working out again at the YMCA and I even started using my Bender Ball! It is a hard workout too! MAN! But, hopefully with all of that combined I will lose my desired weight!

This past weekend I went to Buford and hung out with Sara. We went to the spa and got our massages. It was really nice! I definitely enjoyed it and wished it would never end! lol. It was a really good present!!! Afterwards Jonathan came over and we all played Guitar Hero. It was pretty fun! I enjoyed seeing them!

Our senior project has been decided and it looks like I will be researching and doing my presentation on Japan. It will be exciting to learn about a new place!

There isn't too much more to share really! I am still waiting on word from LTCF to say they got MJ's Christmas present! I hope it gets there soon!!!

Oh, I went to Wal-Mart last night and decided to look at the fish. They have the CUTEST looking goldfish I have ever seen. I honestly wanted to get one and put him in the tank with Bartleby. I was a little nervous though that he wouldn't like the new fish and kill it though. I am seriously contemplating buying him next week though when I go back. He was ADORABLE!!! What do you think? lol

The Beginning of the End.

Today was my first day of the semester. Since Meredith is gone to Russia this semester, me and Heather Price moved in to the big room. I definitely miss Meredith and Ashley around our house, but I don't miss our little cramped room that I just moved out of. I will have to take pictures and put them on here sometime. My new room is really big and I don't feel claustrophobic. I said "Goodbye" to bunk beds FOREVER!!! We also have a walk-in closet and our very own bathroom! It's so nice. Hannah took the liberty of decorating our house while we were gone with tons of posters and stuff. She has collected interesting posters from the past couple of years! That are really funny!

It took me all day yesterday to transfer my stuff from one room to another. But I am finally all cozy!Jonathan also built us this shelf and put it up for us to decorate. It's pretty cute!!

This is my schedule for the next semester:

Monday, Wednesday and Friday: Acts at 11:00 AM
Tuesday and Thursday: Film and Digital Photography at 8:30 AM, Cross-Cultural Story Telling at 12:30 PM, Senior Project at 2:00

I quickly reminded myself today of why I hate Tuesday/Thursday classes so much!!! They are too long for my attention span, and unfortunately I have three of them! I thought class would never end. It was horrible.

I don't think any of my classes will be boring this semester though (except for maybe Acts). I am excited about learning how to take better pictures. I have always enjoyed photography. The only sad part is that I have to wake up so early for an elective.

Cross-Cultural Story-telling does sound lame, doesn't it? However, it is not! I am super excited. It is basically a class all on how to share your faith stories and stories from the Bible to oral cultures and be interesting in doing it. I am going to love it! There are so many cultures that are oral. And, they take great pride in telling stories to one another. It would be a great thing to learn how to do! I know the IMB is really big on that!!!

Senior Project will be fun but also annoying. It is the second part to my senior paper. Bascially, we are split up into groups of four people each and we take an elected senior paper. We read up on the particular people group and then develop a strategy for reaching them for Christ and planting growing churches among them. Then we present it at the end of the semester to the Missions Department at our school. I just hate group projects. And, this is a never-ending group project! I just hope I get a good group!

It is looking like it will be a semester of some good classes! Our house feels a little empty without Ashley and MEredith though!

We are still all taking a night a week to cook for one another. I made corn bread for the first time tonight and was excited that it turned out well!

I was hoping for snow this morning but there was not any on the ground! I guess you don't get much when you live in Georgia, huh?

Oh...and on a different note I did have my birthday and I got a lot of good things! My parents were so generous and gave me a Garmin Nuvi GPS system. Something I am really excited about. IT's cute, red, and matches my car perfectly. I am horrible with directions so I am glad I have something to get me around. My sister got me a trip to the spa!!! It was so nice. She shouldn't have spent that money! But, I am looking forward to a day of hanging out and getting a massage! Jonathan wrote me a song, made me a book of our first correspondences when we met (they are HILARIOUS!) and took me out to eat and to a movie!

I didn't deserve any of it! I loved it all!!!

Here is a pictures of the day:



I went ahead and took some pictures of my room, they aren't too impressive. I figure a room is a room. You would just have to see where I have lived for the past three years to know how awesome it really is! Perhaps taking this photography class will teach me how to capture the "true essence" of the room or take pictures that show the "maximum beauty" of it! Lol. We'll see!

HERE I GO, NOTHING CAN STOP ME NOW!

I remember back to when I was graduating highschool. My entire senior year didn't feel any different. Sure, I got an hour for lunch where I could go off campus and enjoy McAllisters, or just hang out at Kevin's house. But, the reality that middle school/high school was about to truly be a thing of the past didn't really hit me until that night after graduation. It hit a little closer to home when I went off to college and actually moved into my dorm.

I remember being so scared when I first got to college. I really hated it at TFC for about the first two years. HA! I am not a big fan of EVERYTHING being new at once. The only time I have even remotely handled that well was this summer in the Philippines. And, even then, I had my fair share of ups and downs at first.

I am about to have my last first day of college EVER! It's a weird thought. I simply have one semester left. One measley semester that will be filled with classes like "photography" and "Cross-Cultural Story-telling". I only have four classes. TWo of them I didn't even have to have in order to graduate, but I had to take at least 12 hours to remain on-campus. To think, I could've only had 6 hours...but then, what would I have done with myself all semester?

This Christmas break has been needed in so many ways! I still don't feel caught up on sleep though. And, I am not going to lie: the last thing I want to do is go back to college. Don't get me wrong, I have amazing girls that I share a house with, and I am not sure what I would do with myself if I stayed home. There comes a point in all of my breaks where I start feeling like a complete bum and that I needed to do something more productive with my time!

I have finished most everything on my to-do list for Christmas break. I have applied to seminary, read four books (just for fun), hung out with friends, and even applied with the IMB for a consultant.

I feel like everything I have been working towards is becoming more real. When I walked down the aisle at church at the age of 15 and surrendered to full time ministry, I felt a little more concrete in what I was giving my life to. When I graduate highschool and moved to college and began my Cross-Cultural degree I began to feel even more like things were really coming together. However, when I stepped off of the plane in the Philippines this summer I really felt like,"THIS IS IT! This is my future. And I am not backing down". With college graduation just around the corner and my seminary applications in, I really feel like I'm growing up. God's calling on my life is ever-so-near in being fulfilled.

Yesterday I filled out a form online to get my own personal IMB consultant. This is someone who walks you through the process of becoming an IMB missionary. One might ask themselves, "Why do you have to have a consultant for such a thing?" In fact, four years ago I might have asked myself the same question! However, with missions in my nearer than distant future, I have come to realize being a career missionary with the IMB is nothing short of a mountain to climb! There are hoops you have to jump through, forms to fill out, years of preparation needed, etc... Don't get me wrong, because in my mind it is all completely worth it. But part of me stands at the top of one mountain wishing I could now begin what I am ever-so-eager to jump into!

With consultants and seminary coming into my life my future seems more real to me! I am seriously working my way to being a missionary. With this comes extreme excitement and a little hesitation. I know what I am called to do, and I won't back down. But naturally there is fear as I look over the steps ahead of me!

So, here I go...into my future. Things seem more real these days. I feel a little more grown up. With age comes reality, and sometimes it hits harder than you would like it to!

A New Year

Happy New Year (a couple days late). It has always been a hard thing for me to accept. A brand new year. Letting go of things has never been a strong point for me. And, usually, I hate the thought that everything great about that year is over now. Usually on New Year's Eve when the ball drops I end up shedding a few tears at another year gone by. This year I had just rushed in from a friend's wedding and was trying to make it back in time to see the ball drop. I watched the ball drop with Jonathan's family. And, like three minutes before it happened his dogs and family came rushing in the room. Also, my phone started going off. So, I actually missed the ball dropping this year. It didn't feel like New Years at all! I didn't shed a couple tears because it happened a little too fast. I am way too sentimental in life. I know it's a little stupid to cry on New Year Eve. But, that is part of who I am. I am very sentimental in nature.

This year has been a really amazing year for me. I look back over where God has taken me and I am amazed. I spent two months out of my year in the PHilippines, which in my opinion, was the best part of the year. God taught me a lot through that experience. Just last night I was telling my friend Nathan about some things that happened over there and I was amazed again at some of the things I went through that didn't even phase me. My friend Lizzy who I worked with some things summer said she felt like two different people. Like when she was in the Philippines she would tell people they were meeting "hard core Lizzy". I agree! I feel a little like I was a different version of myself over there. Not a bad version either, not at all. I wish I could be more of that hard core version in 2009.

I actually finally got the sponsorship package for MJ today. I got to read her story. It was sad and weird. I never got to hear her full story. It really made me sad. But, it also made me feel like I knew her a little bit better. The package described her as "vibrant and friendly" haha. I think that's one way to put it...lol

I had some great experiences living with the girls in my house! They are all really amazing women of God. They taught me so much. They let me cry in front of them, they ate my food, they were very supportive! I am really grateful for them. Because they served as a sounding board for my walk with Christ. It is so amazing to be able to have five people to ask for advice and know you are getting a solid answer. There were many nights when they prayed with me about different things.

This year also had some let downs. But, we won't dwell on those.

My life has been kind of different this year. In a good way. I feel a little bit more grown up for the first time in my life. I am going to be graduating COLLEGE this year. That seems so odd to me. Just yesterday I was moving in...I am also going to be moving to seminary. That is a big thing for me. I hate anything that is completely new!!! But, I am excited about it as well! I jus applied to two seminaries: Southeastern and Southwestern.

Some BIG EVENTS of this year:

1. Moving out of Oak Cottage. I loved the girls I lived with but hated the trailer. It was falling apart. And at my time of departure there were lady bugs attacking!

2. Going to the Philippines. I know I mention my time there in over abundance. But, it really was a HUGE thing for me. ANd, it was an amazing thing!!

3. Becoming Mary Jane Barte's education sponsor. She was my favorite little girl in the orphanage. I know you aren't supposed to have favorites, but I just couldn't help it! If you met her, you would understand!

4. Wrecking Girdie. This was a huge deal. But, God had a reason for doing it. And, it isn't a mistake that it happened only about a month after my trip to the Philippines and the very weekend I was speaking about what I had learned while I was over there! I do miss that car...

5. Deciding not to get a music minor. I will leave that one at that.

6. Finally letting go of some bitterness I had and mending some old friendships that needed to be mended.

7. Moving into Wildwood. It's been fun! PRAISE THE LORD, EAT A BISCUIT!!!! YOU GO GLEN COCO!

8. Finishing my 45 page Senior Paper!!!

9. Finally finding a church in Toccoa! (Don't even ask).

10. Seeing almost all of my friends get engaged or married. That is a really weird feeling!

11. I got to go to New York City for the first time. I got to see Wicked on Broadway!!!

12. I finally saw Les Miserables!

It's been a HUGE year for me. I can't imagine next year bringing more than this year brought! It was a good year. I am hoping this year will be even more productive and enjoyable.

I want to leave you with a story and then some pictures from all throughout my year.

Apparently when me and Jonathan are together we attract some realy weird comments from people. At the end of the semester we were walking to my car in the Wal-Mart parking lot. When we went inside the space beside my car was empty. However, when we came back out there stood a man in a plaid shirt and overalls, his beard was to the middle of his chest and his hair was turning white. He looked at Jonathan and said,"You better take good care of that, boy. She's right handsome". Apparently he was referring to me. I've never had someone call me handsome before...

About a week ago me and Jonathan were headed into a different Wal-Mart when we were greeted my a stone faced lady. She didn't change her expression, or even the inflection in her voice. Instead she looked at us walking in and said,"Hello, Welcome to Wal-Mart. You two make a LOVELY couple. Have a good day". It was sort of a weird greeting. Especially if you were to hear the tone in which she said it.

I am not sure if it is Wal-Mart or us....

Here are some pictures from my past year: