Looking Forward

Currently Listening To: The Head and The Heart
So Proud: that I know these girls.

Hey guys, it's midterm week and I am tired right now. So tired. The thing is, I've never really been caught up in midterm week much before -- it seems to be the science-y and psychology-y people who have tests like that, whereas us English just have to write papers somteimes. At random times.. And while I only actually have one midterm (...which is a 12-page take home due Friday that I haven't started) I have a bunch of other things (ie. two lessons to teach) that are coincidentally this week (which is why I haven't started).

Let's just be honest: I was not expecting this much work second semester fourth year, especially when I'm taking less credits than ever before. I do not understand how this is happening.

But here's the good part:

One week from today, I will be in Charleston. Five of my housemates and I are going on a roadtrip adventure to Charleston and Hilton Head for spring break next week! (Sounds kind of like last spring break, you say? Well, you are right. Except, with more people. And we'll actually be staying the night in Chucktown.) Can't wait!

And two weeks from today, my BEST FRIEND will be here! I have already figured out which classes I am going to skip and which things we are going to do to have the best Cville weekend possible. Ahhh!

Cannot wait til I get to start enjoying these things.

[image via Pinterest]

Hey, I Just Met You...

I've been mildly obsessed with this song and video for the past 24 hours (just ask my roommate):

It just leaves me with so many questions: who is the mutual friend of Justin, Selena, Ashley and all those other I-guess-they-re-famous-but-I-don't-know-who-they-are people that convinced them all to do this? Who is Carly Rae Jenson? How is it possible that this song is so catchy? Should I be ashamed of liking it so much?

These and other questions have yet to be answered. And until then, this is basically on repeat. (...No shame?)

Hey Girl Hey

Currently Watching: The Prince of Egypt

This weekend, we had our Kaleh Retreat. Recently, I've been really blown away by community -- how important it is, how I'm part of such a wonderful one, how I can love all these people better because of the way they love me -- and Kaleh Retreat is just such a glorious way to be with, learn from and encourage all the girls in Agape.

I mean, just look at all these beautiful people I got to spend my Friday night with:

 

I loved answering their questions, painting my nails with them, and sleeping on a church floor (or chairs, actually) with them. I'm beyond grateful for this community I've been able to be a part of here in college!

P.S. Last year.

Thought Of The Day

Currently Listening To: the Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights soundtrack. At full volume.
Currently Reading: Igniting A Passion for Reading: Successful Strategies for Building Lifetime Readers by Steven L. Layne. (Ed school.)

[image via Pinterest]

Writing State of Mind

Currently Listening To: Born To Die, Lana Del Rey. (these are my faves)

"To sum it all up, if you want to write, if you want to create, you must be the most sublime fool that God ever turned out and sent rambling.

You must write every single day of your life.

You must read dreadful dumb books and glorious books, and let them wrestle in beautiful fights inside your head, vulgar one moment, brilliant the next.

You must lurk in libraries and climb the stacks like ladders to sniff books like perfumes and wear books like hats upon your crazy heads.

I wish you a wrestling match with your Creative Muse that will last a lifetime.

I wish craziness and foolishness and madness upon you.

May you live with hysteria, and out of it make fine stories - science fiction or otherwise.

Which finally means, may you be in love every day for the next 20,000 days. And out of that love, remake a world."

- Ray Bradbury

I didn't have my usual 3-hour practicum (observing and teaching in a high-school English classroom) today, so I've been spending my extra time working on a short story that's due Friday. Y'all, writing is a difficult task, something you just have to sit with and struggle with and always be polishing and tweaking; that brings out about twenty-seven emotions at one time within you. Grateful to our good friend Ray here for letting me know that I'm not crazy for feelings...or, actually, that maybe all writers are crazy.

[image via We Heart It]

SNOW!

Quote Love: "Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up." - Pablo Picasso

Well, weather, as I sat outside in just a cardigan yesterday, enjoying a vineyard and some friends, discussing the supposed forecast of a winter storm for today, I have to admit I doubted it wholeheartedly.

But you pulled through, despite the way I scoffed even this morning, and you gave us snow -- a consistent downfall since about 3pm, even. And I've been doing intermittent happy dances since then, because I look out the window at streets and trees and cars all doused in white and get excited all over again. (I guess there are some things that never grow old for this Africa MK.)

Oh, Virginia weather. You are just too full of surprises. And now I guess I shouldn't doubt you when you say you'll be back to 68° by Thursday*.


*What the heck, make up your mind already. And if you make up your mind for spring, now that we've had our one good snow, that'd be cool I guess.


[image via Pinterest]

Map Envy

Currently Listening To: Kill Your Heroes by Awolnation

This is what the area around my bed looks like (backwards, thanks to PhotoBooth):

And this is a picture my friend Kate shared with me the other day:

Wow. This wall is about 7658493 times more awesome than my lil $6 Wal-Mart map situation. And I kind of want it.

...Someday, it could happen.

[image source]

Today Is...

Dreary. 10 page paper. Faulkner. Starbucks. Dirty Chai. Rain hair.

P.S. This is what I have stuck in my head right now: 

...and it's making me feel kind of hipster.

Lovefest

Verse Love: "There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love. We, though, are going to love—love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first." 1 John 4:18-19, The Message

My Valentine's Day consisted of:

1. Spending 3 1/2 hours in a high school (for my practicum) where Lovefest was in full force, i.e. where high schoolers send each other candy/flowers/baskets/singing groups periodically throughout the class. It was like 482934 times as much as we ever had at my high school, and it was extremely entertaining. And

2. Babysitting. But the kind of babysitting where the kids are already asleep when I get there and I sit on the couch and eat ice cream and pretend to be doing some homework while really just watching Cupcake Wars. (We don't have cable, so things like Cupcake Wars is kind of exciting.)

And now I am about to eat midnight crepes courtesy of my housemates, and sit at a table so crowded with flowers and cookies that it's a little overwhelming.

How's your V-Day?

P.S. valentines-y things from last year! And one that made me chuckle this year.

[image via Pinterest]

Visiting Becky

Currently Listening To: Somebody That I Used To Know, Gotye 
Quote Love: "Today is mine. Tomorrow is none of my business. If I peer anxiously into the fog of the future, I will strain my spiritual eyes so that I will not see clearly what is required of me now." - Elisabeth Elliot

Yesterday, I drove to Lynchburg to visit my friend Becky.  

*

Becky and I go way back, to our Ethiopia days. We were neighbors and friends and her dad was my 6^th grade teacher, and now she is a freshman at Liberty. I have no idea why I have not gone to visit her before, seeing as Liberty is only an hour and twenty minutes away from me, according to GoogleMaps. (More like an hour in reality, which might account for me getting my first speeding ticket on the way home last night. Unfortunately.)

Anyway, y’all, it really was nice to see her. I think I’ve told you before how it can sometimes be easy to compartmentalize my Ethiopia history. So when I get the chance to talk with someone who knows, who’s been there – and who’s been there much more recently than I have, actually – it’s really refreshing. And hanging out with her was also a good reminder of just how hard that transition from life as a missionary kid overseas to life as a college kid in America is. It made me feel really grateful for the crazy community I take for granted now – and I really hope I was some sort of encouragement to Becky, who’s in the middle of that right now.

So grateful for glimpses of my history right now in my present. Speeding tickets and all.

*this picture was not taken at Liberty, becaue I cannot find my camera card reader to upload the one we did take. This was at Lake Babogaya the summer before last. (Oh, Babogaya, how I miss you.)

I Can Change The World

Currently Listening To: We Are Young, Fun ft. Janele Monáe (still)
Quote Love: "The whole universe interests me." - George Brecht

Just something to keep me grounded today...

...And to make y'all smile.

Also, Wednesday nights are a good place to be. Because I've made it through the busiest parts of my week class-wise, and from here on out, the week is downhill: no class til 6pm on Thursday, and just one on Fridays. And then weekend. (So let's do it!)

[image via Pinterest]

They're Here

Quote Love: "Books. People have no idea how beautiful books are. How they taste on your fingers. How bright everything is when you light it with words." - Rachel Kadish

TOMS ballet flats, y'all.

Oh, how I want them. Oh, how I wish they weren't $79.

P.S. My housemates and I might have just gotten stranded mid-Frosty run and had to call all the friends we have until someone (Emma Murphy, our hero) came to the rescue with jumper cables. It happens.

Sabbath

Currently Listening To: Death in His Grave, John MacMillan

If You Want to Laugh: watch this. (Especially if you like sloths.)

Agape, my Christian fellowship, has been doing some really cool things recently. Firstly, as of just last semester, we don't have staff and are entirely student-led -- but it has been crazy encouraging to see our group thrive nonetheless, to be reminded that it was never a surprise to God that this would be our situation, and to see Him come through so amazingly.

This past week, our large group ended with something different. Everyone had received an envelope on their way in, and in each envelope was a challenge -- something that would not be easy, but that is Biblical. During large group, we took ten minutes to pray individually about whether or not to even open the envelope, because in doing so we were committed to do whatever that challenge was.

My challenge is to take a Sabbath every week for the rest of the semester.

The neat thing is, this is something my housemates and I had already talked about wanting to start doing. So when I read the challenge, I was like, alright. I guess this is something that really is important, that I really need to do.

So here we are. The thing is, I don't really know how to take a Sabbath. I know it's a day of rest, and I know that Isaiah says this about it:

 “Keep the Sabbath day holy.
      Don’t pursue your own interests on that day,
   but enjoy the Sabbath
      and speak of it with delight as the LORD’s holy day.
   Honor the Sabbath in everything you do on that day,
      and don’t follow your own desires or talk idly.
  Then the LORD will be your delight.
      I will give you great honor
   and satisfy you with the inheritance I promised to your ancestor Jacob.
      I, the LORD, have spoken!”

[Isaiah 58:13-14]

 ...but what does that look like practically, on a given Sunday? I'd love your input or opinions, if you have any. Have any of you committed to taking a regular Sabbath before? What did it look like?

[image via Typographic Verses]

Thought Of The Day

Currently Listening To: All Your Life, The Band Perry

Sunny days couldn't last forever, y'all. It's dreary and cold out once more, I guess like February's supposed to be. But here's a little inspiration to remember in spite of it:

[image via Pinterest, quote by Albert Camus]

Good Things

Currently Watching: Beauty & the Beast

Good things this week:

1. We finally replaced our dilapated hanging rack with an actual wardrobe (because, of course, we don't have a closet in our room). Y'all, I don't think you understand the full implications of this, or just how amazing actually having a wardrobe is. Our hanging rack situation was so precarious that I hadn't even been able to hang up the dresses and skirts that I had brought to Kenya with me when I unpacked them. Ever since this moment, where it collapsed across the entire hallway and top of the stairs:

It's looked like this (propped against the wall on the left, if you can't tell):

 

But now, we have a wardrobe, and I have never been so excited to hang up my clothes before. (Here's hoping this feeling lasts.)

2. I went to Old Navy yesterday to buy a pair of plain black workout pants, and then found a shirt I wanted to buy as well. I didn't really need it, but I decided to buy it nonetheless. But then, when I went to pay, the lady told me the total and I was like excuse me? Y'all, the pants cost 47¢. FORTY-SEVEN CENTS. I do not even know how that is possible, but it completely justified my impulse purchase.

3. My bff is officially coming to visit me in March!!! I. can. not. wait. Especially because I have not seen her since October 2010 - far too long.

4. THE WEATHER has been strangely, wonderfully beautiful. Mid-sixties, y'all, in January. (And now February). It is such a beautiful sight to see your housemates sitting on the porch when you get home, and to join them and read out in the sunshine:

5. Making Tuesday the new Friday night. #fourthyear.

...Among other things. And it's not even the weekend yet! (But almost, really, in my life. Once Wednesday's through, it's all downhill.)

How is your week?