School has been busy–life has been busy. I am looking forward to spring break starting at the end of the week. So many things have gone on during the last week or so; God is good. My brother and his girlfriend are progressing in their relationship. It has been neat to watch God grow both of them through this. However, with them becoming ‘official’ I am back to being more of a loner. I still do things with them but it is not the same – and I knew it wouldn’t be – which makes things interesting at times.
Campus Preview was this past weekend–it was amazing. My bro came and surprised me which absolutely made my entire weekend! I had a grand time being with him, showing him around campus, and hanging out. My brother is amazing. I am glad he was able to come. Quality time with siblings is the BEST!
Mattress-surfing has become a new hobby here at school. We have perfect stairs for it and lots of extra mattresses. None of us are very good at it yet but we are working on perfecting the art and figuring out the best ways to surf down the quickest. What makes it even more fun is the fact that since we have cameras in the stairwells we are constantly trying to come up with new ways to entertain the people who are stationed at the front desk monitoring the cameras. It is grand fun.
This weekend I got asked to Spring Banquet. I was somewhat surprised as I really didn’t think I would get asked. I feel honored and am excited about banquet but I do not understand why some people get all crazy about it. To me, it is just banquet – one night out of the year. It is not worth causing so much drama about it. I do think it will be an enjoyable time though and I am looking forward to it.
School is going well, but as I have said, I can’t wait until spring break. Everyone thinks I am crazy but I can’t wait for spring break so that I can knock out a few major school projects. I am looking forward to the time I have to just relax and work on homework without worrying about having to get up early, go to class, and even work to the extent I have been working. Yes, I am so excited for the break. God is good. :)
The awkward moment when someone recognizes who you are from your picture on the school website.
After building my snowman I went to work, when I came back this is what I found. Poor Mrs. Bootsy had taken a tumble (apparently it is dangerous to stand on one’s hands for hours on end). It was a saddening sight and the only thing left to cheer one up is the knowledge that I at least was able to build such a wonderful snowman to begin with. I now have fulfilled my quota for the year (although I still would love to have more snow to build more snow things). I shall always remember Mrs. Bootsy and the fun that we had making her. Great memories.
There was snow, I built my snowman. My quota has now been reached – it has been a tradition for pretty much forever that I build at least one snowman a year. This year’s model is featured upside-down and is a hit with everyone! Mrs. Bootsy rocks!
During Friday chapel, our speaker spoke on God being the potter and us being the clay; and how God molds and shapes us into the people He wants us to be. It was an incredible message and I appreciate a lot of what the speaker had to say. Having a potter’s wheel and clay up there on the plateform and forming a pot while he spoke helped the message hit home all the more. It has given me much food for thought.
Yesterday, as I was looking through some of my files on my computer, I stumbled across a journal I had written several months ago on this very subject. Because it is relavant to the topic and because it is an issue I have been struggling with a bit lately (God’s will and trust) I will share it.
“Here I stand—a vessel ready to be used by God, but all so often I hear myself saying things like: Here, God, take me, mold me, turn me into the vessel that You want me to be. But wait, don’t use me like that. I don’t want to go through the pain of being shaped into something else. Do with me as You wish, but please don’t take me out of my comfort-zone. Why is it that I have the desire to be something more for God–something that looks more like Christ–yet I am not willing to go through the process of being changed by Him? I am the clay; God is the potter Who is ready to turn me into something beautiful. Yet, when He starts to form me, I question His will. Why are you shaping me like this, God? I don’t want to look like this; I want to look like those vessels over there. But God, in His infinite wisdom, doesn’t give me what I request; instead, He assures me that He knows best and that I can trust Him even if I don’t understand what He is currently doing in my life.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.”
The other night, the guys posted a video on facebook in which they were able to fit 12 people into their tiny bathroom (size pictured above). The girls decided that they guys needed to be challenged and tried it ourselves. You can watch the video, 19 Girls in One Bathroom? Oh, Yes, We Did!, by clicking here. Some people take a walk, eat food, or get on facebook as a study break, we just try to fit as many people as we can into a small space. I stayed up waaay past my bedtime because of this but it was so totally worth it. Yay for crazy things you do at college!!
That awkward moment went a guy comes in to work and tries to hit on you by telling you that you look like Madonna.
Last night there were two home basketball games and, since I am a loyal student, I attended both. The first game was the girls’ basketball game for which I got drafted to run the video camera. I am the type of fan who likes to be down on the floor cheering on the team but I figured I could help out, right? It wasn’t five minutes after the game had started before I decided that I really did not like running the camera. It was awkward and I had to be quiet and stay focused.
As the evening progressed and I got more comfortable with the camera it wasn’t quite as bad but I still decided that it is not my most favorite job in the world. I was thankful that I could be back down in the stands shouting and cheering for the guys’ game after that. If I get asked to run the camera again I may do it, but I still don’t care for it too much.
Living in the new dorms has been amazing. No more smelly sink, rickety bed, or having to share a bathroom. The carpets are beautiful and the the windows are huge. In a sense, it feels as if I am living in a hotel room. Things like: key cards to get into the room, a personal bathroom, and the window curtains definitely give it this air. But after setting up the room it can be masked fairly well–now it just looks like we live perminitely (can’t spell that word to save my life…) IN a hotel room instead of just visiting for a night or two. It has definitely bee interesting to walk in other girl’s rooms and to see how they have decorated their rooms. We were told that we are not allowed to move the beds but we can move the desks around. Yay!
Another interesting element is that the guys now reside beneath us. As our dean of students stated the other night, we have taken two drastically different worlds and stacked them. It has been strange having the guys walking up the same stairwell as us girls–we are so used to segregation! The guys aren’t allowed past their floors but the girls still have to walk up past those 2 guys floors (but we get a perk, we are allowed to use the elevator!! although stairs are always faster so I never use it..).
Since our two worlds are stacked noise bleeds over into the other floors as well–this creates an interesting atmosphere. For instance, last night, as I was laying in bed, I heard a whole group of male voices singing beneath me. It made me smile yet it also made me aware that noise does travel.
Yet another interesting feature is that each room have an intercom which is connected directly to the front desk. However, it has quickly been discovered that this is not a private line. Any time anyone uses the intercom the whole conversation can be faintly heard coming out of everyone’s intercom device mounted to their walls. Last night was a perfect example of this when one of the guys was talking to whoever was working the front desk last night.
These differences and changes might take a little to get used to but all in all, I think I’m really going to like these new dorms. They are a huge blessing to this school and definitely an item to be praising God for each and every day. God is good whether or not He would have provided these new dorms but I am sure grateful He saw fit to bless this school in this way. Now it is our job to make sure that we manage these dorms well and that God gets all the glory for what He has done. Thank you God!!!!
