My student worker position on campus is in the Educational Resource center: I teach freshmen how to write decent papers and I edit papers for people who already KNOW how to write. It is, in my opinion, one of the best jobs on campus. I'm aware this isn't a common thing for people who are working to help pay their way though college: plenty of my friends work jobs that are decent but not super enjoyable--there comes a point where you need a job and there just so happens to be a job open in the caf washing dishes. Nothing against dish washing (I do plenty of it; my apartment doesn't have a dishwasher) but it is not exactly exciting. So. I say all that to say that my job is actually very enjoyable. I am doing something I love (and can maybe even see myself doing long term). This means that I am blessed.

Tonight, however, is not ideal. I've got sinus congestion. My head hurts. In the words of the High School Musical song, my head is NOT "in the game." My mind is a million miles away from here. I was dreading coming into work tonight and, when 7:00 rolled around and the football players did not, I was relieved. But suspicious. I walked down from my office to the scheduling center. Lo and behold (and I truly believe this was a blessing from God), study hall has been cancelled.

This is small. This is simple. But this is an example of the overarching lesson God has been teaching me lately. He is in control. He takes care of me. He gives me what I need and even when my life is going crazy, he provides good things. My life is full of good things and I couldn't be more grateful.


Elizabeth

Fun

There's a mood shift you experience as you enter the second half of your college experience. Freshman year was fun--there's no other word for it. All my classes were incredibly easy and I spent a majority of my time hanging out in the cafeteria or McKinney's. I went to Dwarf House and goofed around and it was fun.

My sophomore year I started to get a little more serious about classes, but I still did a good bit of goofing off. Most of my free time was spent with friends and again, it was lots of fun.

This year is different. I'm more driven, less inwardly focused and more concerned with the future. Many of my friends are graduating and they're leading by example: what will I be doing in two years? Where will I be? What kind of plans do I have for myself? I'm still having fun, but the purpose is not the fun. The purpose is for what's coming next.

But it's still a lot of fun.

Professionalism and Oh-My-Goodness-Finals

I'm a student worker and on Tuesday nights from... now to 11:00, I work in the library in the Educational Resource Center. It's super legit, by which I mean I get to sit behind a desk, and answer questions and all kinds of awesomeness. No one has ever told the student workers, "Look, you need to dress up for this," but I've always assumed that a level of professionalism would be appropriate.

What does professionalism look like? I'm glad you asked, blog readers.

A professional would NEVER walk into the library barefoot with her shoes in her backback because they're leather and it's raining.

She'd be able to balance a takeout container AND a drink AND an umbrella WITHOUT spilling her sweet tea all down her arm and her shirt and her skirt.

A true professional would NEVER get caught in the rain and come in to work looking somewhat like a drowned rat.

Basically? I'm not a professional anything. :)

School is racing to a close, finals are looming, majors are changing, and nothing is the way I thought it was. Life would be easier if I were still in high school, when everything looked clear cut and simple, but it would be an illusion. I prefer the struggle--sweet tea and all.


Elizabeth

Field Trip!

I'd intended to make this post all thoughtful and metaphorical and poetic, but sometimes that kind of thing is beyond my capacities. Like right now.

Over the weekend, Dr. Strother took a group of twenty-ish preaching majors to the National Preaching Summit in Indianapolis, Indiana. We left Sunday morning (too early) and got back last night (too late). We heard great sermons, attended excellent workshops, and met preaching students from other schools in our fellowship. All in all, a great weekend, never mind the twenty-four hours spent in a school van.

So here's the point: if I had chosen to attend any other college besides (almost)Point University, I wouldn't have done that. I don't want to be a preacher; I'm taking preaching classes purely for self-indulgence. But even with that, I probably wouldn't have been allowed to take classes, much less major in, preaching at any other school within my religious tradition (not without a fight, at least).

For me, the best thing about (almost)Point University is that the administration, the staff, and the faculty are willing to educate me (fifty years ago, this would be somewhat shocking) (which I, personally, find shocking). I'm entering what has been a male-dominated field and it's incredible to be learning under professors who encourage me to do what I want to do and what God is leading me towards no matter whether he's leading me behind a pulpit or in front of a white board.

I guess that last bit was a bit poetic after all. :)

Elizabeth

Good Morning, Blog. It's Friday.

I'm not one of those people who's all, "Oh, Mondays suck. I'm so glad it's Friday." I knew a girl in high school who regularly exclaimed, "TGIF!" as if the rest of us should know what that meant (I had to google it) (is Google capitalized when it's a verb? Or does it sill count as a proper noun?).

And but so it's Friday and I must admit I'm happy about it.

Reasons I am Happy, A List
1. I'm going home without cleaning my dorm room. Yes, I'm avoiding the mess for at least the weekend. I'll clean on Sunday. Promise.
2. I finished two reflection papers and a book review with a total of 2,500 words. And I don't have another essay due until next Thursday!
3. This is not a good reason to be happy. Do as I say, not as I do. Behavior of this kind may result in cramps and failure. In rare instances, some people experienced nausea and rapid heart beat. I skipped class last night to be with a friend. And it. Was. Awesome. We haven't caught up lately and she needed to talk so I weighed my decisions and left class half-way through. I don't regret it. But you should NEVER skip class. Going to class is important. I promise.
4. Hello, uncharacteristically February weather. Please, come and stay for a while. Until June, you say? That's totally fine. Make yourself at home.
5. Making decisions, good or bad, really, is an important part of growing up and one I'm learning more about. Daily. I'm learning more about them daily.

I couldn't possibly stay inside to write a longer blog. I've got to skip town; get the heck out of Dodge. It's been real, and I plan to post a blog of substance soon, but, really. Who wants substance when the possibility for joy awaits us right outside? I'm going home.

Elizabeth

NextLevel

So. Not to ignore the elephant in the room (Hi, elephant!) but I've got bigger news.

Bigger news than the campus moving to WEST POINT, GEORGIA?!?!

Yes. Much bigger.

This weekend, Savannah Christian Church is hosting the NextLevel Leadership Conference and ACC... I mean, Point University.... I mean.... The school I attend brought a group of students and, based entirely on a whim, I signed up to come.

Now, to level with you, I don't see myself as a leader, exactly. I did leadership things in high school, but I went to a small school and most people in my activities (marching band, one act, academics, etc.) eventually became leaders their senior year by default. And I also don't see myself being led into a leadership position in my ministry.

So I wasn't entirely sure what I was meant to get out of this conference but I came, and I tried to keep an open mind.

So far (there's still several more events planned for tomorrow) I've thoroughly enjoyed myself. I went to several workshops today, we had several main worship sessions, and Savannah Christian Church showed us what they do as far as drama and the arts in worship. It's been really instructive, and, even though some of it's gone WAY over my head, I've been able to discuss what's going on with some older students who've had more experience with church leadership than I have.

All in all (I'm back at campus now, and fairly well exhausted) I'm glad I went. I took pages and pages of notes and feel very enthusiastic about applying all I've learned.

I guess that wasn't bigger than the campus moving. Let's just focus on that, shall we? :D

The World is Mine! (I Don't Know Anything)

In 2010 I...

...survived two semesters of college.

...attended the funeral of one of the best men I've ever known.

...made the best reference book purchase EVER.

...had more mind opening experiences than I ever wanted.

...watched the Olympics and made a snow family with friends.

...wrote two epically awesome songs.

...watched my favorite cousin get married in Minnesota

...and got eaten by massive Minnesotan mosquitoes.

...celebrated my best friend's 18th birthday extravaganza.

...ruined half my clothes painting a house

...and wore paint covered clothes long after they should have been thrown away.

...successfully and finally forgave two friends who hurt me very much.

...read. And read and read and read some more. :D

...wrote. Journals, essays, blogs, poems, text messages, with varying levels of time consumption.

...watched two friends go from friends to dating to engaged to married!

...changed my major.

...fell out of love

...and into friendship.

...made new friends.

...kept some old friends.

...started listening to lots of new music.

...went to my first seriously professional concert.

...preached one (1) really really awful sermon and two (2) decent sermons.

... overcommited myself (again) (by accident).

...met one of my favorite authors and made a complete idiot of myself, but got him to sign one of my books.

...became more comfortable being uncomfortable.

...realized that I'm a fairly normal human being.

...reveled in this fact.

...started volunteering at City of Refuge with their afterschool program.

...cried an acceptable amount for a young woman of my level of emotional maturity.

...turned twenty

...and was promptly reminded how young I really am.

...held my own in a discussion with an adult who wanted me to agree with him very badly.

...moved on and circled back around.

...laughed. Just a bit for good measure.

Elizabeth

Post-Thanksgiving Lunch (Turkey Sandwich)

Oh, what's this, Blog? Elizabeth is writing again when she ought to be doing homework? What's new?

But it's Thanksgiving, you say. Why would you have homework over Thanksgiving break?

I'm glad you asked, Blog. You see, Virginia, once you get to college, you'll think you have all this free time because you're in class for less than eight hours a day. But the workload will be far beyond what you expect and plan for. You'll start falling behind in your reading (of which there will be copious amounts), you won't keep up with all your assignments, and you will start disappointing your favorite teachers by bursting into tears when they look at you cross-eyed.

Do you speak from experience, Elizabeth?

Not at all. Why would you assume such a thing? At any rate, this, as I reminded my much beloved Charger staff, this is a working holiday. (It makes me feel very British to say that.) And because I ought to be working, I am blogging.

My father is giving me this look that says, "Elizabeth. You are a college student and I know you have homework. Why don't you put your laptop down and work on your homework? I think you'd be happier in the long run if you would stop fooling around on the internet and pick up that book you've been complaining about for so long." My father has very expressive looks.

Oh wait. He just picked up my book and began flipping through it. I bet he starts reading it next. Never fear. I have multiple books that require my attention over the break. I'd planned on doing some pleasure reading. That was a pipe dream. BUT!

But I wasn't joking when I said I had gobs of homework to do. I'd best get on that. It was lovely having lunch with you, Blog. Let's do it again soon, shall we?

Elizabeth

Crossing Over to the Dark Side

My friend, Rob, and I have a running joke that we're both just pretending to be college students. We keep each other updated on how well we're fooling the people watching us. But honestly, sometimes I don't really believe we're just kidding.

It's really easy for me to think, "Elizabeth, you were in high school like, yesterday. Nobody really believes you belong here. Go home to your mother." I turned 20 the other day, and I mean, I think that makes me an adult: my parents are no longer legally required to support me financially and I can do all kinds of things: get tattooed, buy cigarettes, vote, sign up for the army, get married without permission...

I feel like a child. I mean, like, today, I felt like a child: completely unable to handle myself. I forget I'm not perfect and I forget that I need to cut myself some slack. I focus on the fact that I forgot to go to the humanities study session (I'm the tutor) and forget that I did a fairly decent job on my sermon this morning.

If college is about finding out who you are, then I think I'm confused. Some days I feel posh and sophisticated and other days (like today) I'm afraid they'll realize I'm just pretending and make me go home.

Even this blog post: I feel like it's less than my usual, but I don't have a happy "let's think about the moral of this story" way to tie it into something positive. I feel sort of awful right now but Meg asked me to blog and so I have. Oh, I know. I'll share a Bible verse. How epically Christian is that? :P

"The Lord gives me strength and a song. He is my salvation."

Psalm 118:14

I guess the song I'm singing right now is A Song About An Anglerfish by Hank Green. Enjoy my irreverence.

Elizabeth

My Life, A List in Paragraph Form

So remember how last year I'd always write these really awesome (coughboringcough) blogs while doing my laundry and looking out the window of Upper Head? Yeah, we're back to that one. Only, now we're in Lower Head. There isn't a window, so the view isn't as good, but the vibrating washing machine is still making my back a little too hot for comfort, and I still have a limited amount of time before I have to be somewhere else, preferably in clothes a little nicer than what I'm currently wearing (shorts, sweatshirt, and bed head. Not that I just woke up or anything. No. For real. I've been up for ages).

The last time we spoke, I talked to you about Romans. This time, we're going to talk about something a little deeper: my health or lack thereof.

I went to the doctor this morning. I've had a sore throat for a few days now and I have to preach in class tomorrow morning and I need to be able to talk. My 8:00 class had a test so I went to that, then hightailed it over to Camp Creek Marketplace where there's a conveniently located urgent care facility. A very nice nurse, a long wait at the pharmacy, a strawberry fruit popsicle, and one missed class later, I have a weird pastel pink vaguely cherry-flavored liquid that made my tongue go numb and some type of pill thing that may or may not make me feel dizzy. If you see me stumbling around campus, that'll be why.

Being sick always makes me want to go home. Our doctor is super awesome and, well... My mom is at home. Don't you want your mom when you're sick? Especially in the face of pale pink cherry stuff. He had to mix it up himself. They don't even sell it like that.

What was it that we used to do at the end? Oh, yeah, I remember. :)

Video of the Blog: Funny, cute, sweet, and we're not just talking about the song. Mike Lombardo's one of my favorite new artists and if you don't giggle when you watch this, you're probably an alien. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJRn0lnpUzc&feature=channel

-Elizabeth

Romans

My Biblical interpretation class (required for all ACC students!) is working through Romans as sort of a "practice run" for Biblical interpretation in the real world. The first step (of like five thousand [Thanks, Mr. Huxford :P ]) is to read the book three times in three different translations. Each reading we're supposed to look for different facets of the book, and theoretically, it will help us understand Romans better.

Well. I generally have a solid trust in my teachers (Mr. Huxford more so than most, because he's brilliant), but yesterday afternoon, on my second read-through, I had some major doubts. I was plodding through chapter 8. None of it made any sense. None of it was sinking in, and completing the written work was torture akin to waterboarding.

So this afternoon, when a friend called and asked if we could work on the project together, it was all I could do to make myself say yes. We sat down together and began to talk it out.

I was amazed! It was like Paul was sitting across the table from us talking about faith, and how we're not justified by our works. Israel thought they were and they were right for a while, God had given them the covenant, but he took it away from them just like he can take it away from us. We've got to be careful to be worthy of the grace we've been given--it's a gift.

My friend said, "I never knew how it all fit together like this. I mean, it just fits!" It was a moment of beauty.

So basically, Mr. Huxford, my apologies for doubting you. You were right: Romans is a letter, meant to be read in its entirety, and not dissected. This isn't biology class.

Classes and Prohibited Items and Families, Oh My!

The last time we spoke, dear freshmen-to-be, we discussed packing, plugs (or lack thereof, as your case is), people, and privacy. I left you with the promise of more, coming up soon. Here is your (eagerly awaited, I'm sure) more.

I’m going to give you a basic rundown of The Way Things Work In Academia. Your degree program requires a certain number of hours—around 120, let’s say. You’ll either be a B.A—Bachelor of Arts—or a B.S—Bachelor of Science. B.A’s have a foreign language requirement, B.S’s don’t. That’s the only difference. Each class has a certain number of hours associated with it, determined by how many times a week you go and how long you stay once you’re there. A MWF class that meets for fifty minutes (8:00-8:50) will count for 3 credit hours. Likewise, a TR class from 9:00-10:15 is also 3 credit hours. Minors don’t count for anything once you graduate, so choose something you enjoy. Take your core classes first—get them out of the way with the people you came with and you’ll be happier later.

Probably in high school, especially if you took advanced placement classes, you got used to taking lots of notes, just hours and hours of lectures. That’s over. You won’t need a huge notebook for each class. The system I’ve settled on looks like this. Two divided subject notebooks-one for MWF and one for TR. One three ring binder with a divider for each class’s handouts and syllabuses. Grab the day’s notebook, the binder, any textbooks you might need and your backpack will be gallons lighter than if you’d chosen a binder for each class.

They don’t mean it when they say you can’t have a coffee maker/toaster/hot pot in the dorms. They just mean they don’t want to see it. They do mean you can’t have open candles but the same rule applies-if they don’t see it, it doesn’t exist. This is the only true rule: if they don’t see it, it doesn’t exist. Take note.

If you can move your bed up and down, you’ll be tempted to raise it as high as it will go. You think this is a good idea because of all the extra storage it will provide… but it’s not. You won’t be able to get up and down easily, leading to roommate laughter as you fling yourself upon your princess-and-the-pea-like bed only to slip and slide back to the floor. Also, the bed, if low enough to access easily, will provide seating. You don’t want your bed that high, I promise.

You will probably miss your family a bit, especially if you were close in high school. Talk on the phone as much as you feel comfortable with. Go home and visit them. Have them come visit you. No one will look down on you for being a natural, normal human being with natural, normal human attachments to the people who gave you life (and who, incidentally, are probably paying for your college experience). They miss you, too, and don’t particularly like it when you’re gone. Leaving you for the first (and second and third and fourth, etc.) time might be a little difficult for them. They might cry a little. This is okay, and expected. You might not cry then, but you will probably cry later. This is okay, too.

Ultimately the point I’m trying to make is that you're not going to do this college thing right the first time. Despite my (very accurate and very ineffective warning) you will bring too much stuff and not have any place to put it. You will spend the first week and a half eating nothing but ice cream and Froot Loops. You’ll probably miss class once or twice and you’ll probably get sick from the ice cream. College is a new experience, and you’ll make the mistakes, and you’ll learn from them and move on. Once you’ve moved on from the mistakes you’ll enjoy yourself immensely. I had more fun my first year of college than I did all throughout high school combined. I can’t wait to go back and I can’t wait to meet all of you. So stop and introduce yourself. I'll be the one with the smile. :)

Elizabeth

How to Survive College From One Who Knows

The first thing you should do, right from the moment you read this is to reevaluate your packing list. My older brother told me to do this and I scoffed at him. Although in my defense, he told me I would only need one towel. He is a boy and for all the girls who are worried, let me reassure you. You need at least two. But he’s basically right. The reasoning is thus—“I will be living at school for the next ____ months. I want to feel at home. I will bring ____ and that will make me feel at home.” But it won’t. Nothing will make you feel at home but time. Your books will not have sufficient shelving and they will remain unread. Your scrapbooking things will stay in their box, and your art supplies will remain untouched. So leave your four hundred page manuscript at home. This (very, very good) advice will be ignored and I accept that. But I had to try.

As far as what you do need, let me give you some practical suggestions. Bring a surge protector. Your dorm is very old and, as my mother says, was built before microwaves, refrigerators, laptops, cell phones, alarm clocks, lamps, blow dryers, and hair straighteners. As a side note, when my mother was enrolled in my current institute of higher learning, she slept in the room next to mine. Yes, I think it’s crazy, too. But that’s how old your dorm building will be. Back to the task at hand? There will not be enough plugs. Take note.

The only thing that will save you from the dread concrete block walls are posters and pictures. They hang best with those pull-to-remove-without-damaging-the-paint tabs. Invest, please. Sticky tack and hot glue are also good bets.

Curtains. For the first three weeks of school, my roommate and I fell asleep to the soporific glow of orange street lights. Then we bought some extra-thick curtains and it was better.

At least two coffee/tea mugs. You’ll want to share with your soon-to-be-but-not-yet friends and sometimes you just won’t want to wash the dirty one. These also double as bowls. Bring a plate, though. Coffee mugs don’t work well as plates.

Seriously consider investing in a rug—big enough to cover what’s already there, be it carpet or tile.

You will make friends, there’s no doubt about it. In fact, there will be nice, interesting, funny, fascinating, downright lovely people all around you 24-7! As any introvert knows, this is a recipe for disaster. Find a place you love and can go to be alone—the back corner of the library, the chapel between services, a tree, a gazebo—and make a point to go there regularly. How regularly? Once a day. Quiet time won’t happen in the dorm room and spiritual growth won’t happen without quiet time. “Elizabeth,” you scoff, “I’ll be fine. I won’t have to seek out alone time; I’ll be alone a lot. Making friends is hard.” Yes, it’s hard but you’ll do it and you’ll like it.

Let me reiterate, because it’s important: quiet time won’t happen in the dorm room. Not quiet time with God, not quiet time with your journal, not quiet time on the phone, not quiet time for sleeping. You’re living with some twenty-odd people all of whom have their own personality, schedule, and sense of what privacy means. The dorm will be loud. Very loud. Sometimes it will even be you being loud. It’s okay. But bring ear plugs, too. And don’t expect to get quiet in the dorm, not even after quiet hours. No one will enforce quiet hours, either.

Besides making time to be alone, the best thing you can do for your spiritual well-being is to find a church family. You’ve never been responsible for this choice before and it’s understandable to want to wander and explore a bit. But I wouldn’t wait too long to make a decision. Pick one and GO. Regularly—Sundays, Wednesdays, volunteer if you can, where ever you can. Nothing will make you feel more at home than having a regular church you attend. It will ground you and you’ll begin forming bonds with mature Christians. That can only be a good thing.

Coming Up Next: The Wonderful World of Academia; The Rules: What's Up With Those? and Welcome to College, Poor Little Freshman, Because it's Going to be a Long Year.

I remain, as always,

Yours,

Elizabeth :)

what life looks like, a list

*haven't got much time.

*only enough for bullet points and lower case letters.

*"this surprises me, too, trust me," says the grammar nazi.

*am i allowed to say the word nazi on this thing? oh well.

*i feel like e.e cumming. weird. he's a weird guy.

my life, a list

*finals. yikes. thanks, that's all.

*last night i took my philosophy final.

*garden! yay! organic gardening today at 2:30 with ryan eaton, who is crazyorganic, not the regular kind of organic. playing in the dirt=awesome. more awesome than whatever you're doing at 2:30 today. i promise you that.

*tonight i take my guitar final.

*tomorrow nothing happens.

*thursday i die.

*friday i am miraculously raised from the dead in order to go to my last preaching class and to play the smiling bear for all those folks who come to see the choir concert. i really do like choir, i promise. i will also remove a good deal of unnecessary stuff from my room.

*saturday, prom with best friend kamie.

*sunday, prom day two. yes, we have two full days of promming activities. we're just cool like that.

*monday, final.

*tuesday, final.

*wednesday, work. thursday, work.

*friday. hooray for my cousin nathan's graduation! hooray for my almost-cousin brianna's graduation! hooray for traveling to jbc! (they're getting married :) i am happy.)

*saturday. somehow, quiet miraculously, i am meant to be completely moved out, with all my stuff taken home, with my room cleaned and vacuumed (still the best word ever) and swept and empty. empty. when? i don't know. don't ask me, but it'll happen, as the administration will charge me $5 an hour after i'm meant to be out. yikes.

*sunday, DONE! so there. :)

In Which Elizabeth is Chagrined (Look it Up, Okay? Gosh.)

Who fails at blogging every day in April? I fail at blogging every day in April.

I feel like blogs where the writer promises to write more often and then complains about why writing more often is completely and categorically impossible because she has a crazy hard test in Life of Christ in the morning, and the end of school has multiple loose ends to be tied before she can pack and head home (oh, goodness, I need to think about packing), and how she's been really thinking about some different topics to write about but they just haven't materialized are totally bogus, don't you? (See what I did there? That was funny, wasn't it?)

I'm going to finish (because I really do have miles to go before I sleep) with a quote from the infamous Joseph Piette.

"I like my friends... and everyone." Okay? Okay.

Kierkegaard Pwns Your Spelling Bee

Once again, dear readers, I am sitting in the library with my mind full of lofty philosophical ideals. This time they're mostly relating to Kierkegaard. Yes, that is spelled right, although I know it doesn't look it. He's from Denmark. That's the way they do things there: with double "a's" in the middle of words. We have some double "a" words too, you know. Aardvark. So there.

Soren Kierkegaard (who is the topic of choice for my 7-10 page philosophy paper, due Monday night at 6:00) was mainly concerned with rebuffing the modern church's interpretation of Christianity. He said they had fallen away from their New Testament ideals, and I can dig him trying to get them to come back, because I fall away from my New Testament ideals sometimes, and I need to come back, too. But I never have to come back to some things because I never left them. Like what? Spelling.

That's right, readers. I, Elizabeth Reid, happen to be a top notch speller... Or, at least, my team captain, Rebecca Esquite, seems to think so. I'm signed up to spell for Upper Head in the Dorm Wars spelling bee. I feel...... nervous. I think Esquite assumed I can spell because I read a lot (and because I'm a nerd. Duh.) but I don't know how I'm going to do. I did really well at geography bees in elementary school. Does that count? Maybe I shouldn't admit this, but we're behind by a lot (i.e Upper Head is losing Dorm Wars). EDIT: And that was a lie. We're second in girl's dorms and I don't know what overall. But second is good.

I compete today at lunch. I will post again and report the results. Do you think they'll ask me to spell Kierkegaard? What about existentialism? Because I've got those down.

Elizabeth

This is our team motto: "Orange tigers, orange tigers. Rawr!!"

EDIT: 12:49 PM finds me the winner of the Dorm Wars spelling bee. Perhaps the above was just false modesty? Or perhaps my winning was luck. Oh, hey, I've got it. My false modesty insists it was luck. My winning word? Influenza. Which, in the typing thereof, I totally just misspelled. That's irony.

This Is My Face

This will be a quick post, as I have many other exciting and wonderful activities to accomplish today.

.....

That's a joke. I have homework. :)

Today is Monday, and I am sitting in the library talking to a friend of mine via text message about my, and I quote, "enchanting beauty." Have you ever seen me, blog readers? Sure, I'm pretty. I've got good things going for me, physically and otherwise. But enchantingly beautiful? I am not. I think he wants me to edit a paper for him. :D

At any rate, my enchanting beauty would rather be outside, talking to Jesus. Or in the cafeteria, talking to my friends. Or in my dorm, talking to the inside of my eyelids. But instead, like the good student I am, I sit in the library (near a window, so I can pretend I'm outside) and I begin my homework. I have a test tonight. A paper (a BIG paper) due next week. A sermon due on Monday. Consider my short post concluded.

Elizabeth

We haven't done this in a while, have we?

BEDA

I have two very important announcements.

Very Important Announcement Number One:

I have a challenge for my fellow blog writers, if anyone other than me reads other people's posts. This month of April, is BEDA, which stands for Blog Every Day in April. I think we should make a pledge (albeit several days late) to have at least one post up for every day in April. If I have to do it myself.... well. That's a risk I'm willing to take. On the plus side, my posts will probably shrink if I have to come up with something to say about my life every. Single. Day.

Okay, well, I guess that's it, you guys. Oh, what's that? What is my Very Important Announcement Number Two? Sorry, we're out of time. Come back tomorrow and see. No, for real. Come back and see tomorrow. (Have I ever mentioned? Cliff hangers are my favorite literary device.)

Elizabeth

Words from a Watchman

Like I've said before, I think Those In Charge are really looking for more physical and less metaphysical, but sometimes I have to indulge myself. I hope you, the readers, will indulge me, too.

Sometimes when I consider exactly where I am in my life (and where I could be, had it gone differently), I'm blown away with thankfulness. Yesterday I spent a lovely afternoon with Bryan and Robin Amick, an older married couple who are friends of mine. I sat in their sunlit living room, and talked about things which matter greatly and things which matter not at all. Blessing. They fed me cookies and took me shoe shopping (I don't have a car and so transportation is an issue). Blessing. We watched a movie and today they've let me take over their house again, and they're not even here. Blessing. Their mentorship. Blessing. Their house for a quiet day of writing and reflection. Blessing. Their example of how to grow up to be a good Christian couple. Blessing.

I was talking to an older student yesterday about silence and how much it's needed in order to have an intimate relationship with God. I complain a lot about the noise level in the dorms (it's sometimes hard to sleep) but this morning I was convicted about how much noise I make. Pointless chatter with my mother and my friends. Gossip and complaints (about the noise?). I do anything and everything to keep from being quiet--even when it would benefit my soul. I love solitude.... but not silence? I don't want to be afraid of hearing myself or of hearing God.

I've been thinking about the concept of abiding, actually. Warning, I'm about to get WAY nerdy on you, but I figure you won't care? Or if you do, you'll ignore it?

abide

2. to accept or submit to; suffer

3. to remain faithful (to)

4. to remain or continue

5. to dwell

7. to withstand or sustain; endure

I especially like 5 and 7. To dwell in God. To withstand or sustain; to endure. I feel like I'm a little young to feel like my faith is weathering the storm, but it's less a violent flood and more a dry spell where I'm having to seek God out.

It's that sort of constancy--regularity, really--I'm missing in my walk with God, and I honestly don't know how to get it. I'm too easily discouraged and I forget that I am abiding: "accepting, submitting, and remaining." Any ideas? Besides forcing prayer and meditation, which is happening today, in my silence and solitude.

I borrowed a book from my life of Christ teacher, Dr. Blackburn, called 2000 Years Of Prayer, which is pretty self-explanatory, as far as topic goes. I think I'll leave you with this, my prayer for today:

"As watchmen wait for the morning, so do our souls long for you, O Christ. Come with the dawning of day, and make yourself known to us in the breaking of bread; for you are our God for ever and ever. Amen."

Amen.

-Elizabeth

Trumpeting Prophecies

Honestly, Jamie-Grace, I feel the exact same way: my break isn't a break, but it is. I'm on break, but I'm completely stressing about what I need to have done when I get back to school. Observe the madness:

1. We need to have classes for fall semester picked out. Soon. Do you know how hard I've been trying NOT to think about next fall? Thanks a lot, registrar. It's so overwhelming. I've just scanned the list of classes being offered next year and if it's in my major, it's not for lowly sophomores, and between all this and the uncertainty of my career.... well. Moving on.

2. Can anybody say "Life of Christ test on the Wednesday we get back?" I guess what I said still applies: blogging is so much more appealing when I'm putting off something that really needs to get done. For the test, I'm memorizing Matthew 5:1-16, which is the Beatitudes plus a bit, which is what really needs to get done. Never mind checking facebook every five minutes (and ditto email), start memorizing, girlie.*

3. Dr. Strother is the man who never rests. I have an illustration due Monday morning at 8:00. It is the last one we have to write. EVER. That's a lie, but it's the last one assigned for this particular class, which is not a lie. He emailed my class and told us to have a "homiletic spring break." Just one question. What exactly does a homiletic spring break look like? Anyone? Anyone at all? No? Me, either.

Reasons Today is Awesome, a List

1. I watched Serenity, a movie based on the all too short Firefly series, on USA this morning.

2. I feel rested. I had the option to go back to sleep this morning but I didn't need to. Because I wasn't tired. Wow. Amazing, huh?

3. I'm meeting a friend for coffee this afternoon. Friends? Awesome. Coffee? Awesome. What more is there to justify?

Now, I need to put some socks on. My toes are cold. I leave you with a quote:

"The trumpet of a prophecy! O Wind,

If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?"**

The answer? No. It's not far behind, it's coming soon. Take hope, you winter weary travelers.

-Elizabeth

*Yes, sometimes I give myself third person pep talks.

**Bonus points if you can name that famous dead poet!