100 Resolutions for 2012

It seems as though I've started a tradition of making a list of 100 resolutions every two years. I have some lofty goals for 2012...I'm excited to see what the new year brings!

1. Learn to get up earlier to have more time getting ready in the morning
2. Attempt to become more of a morning person
3. Stop rushing and allow for adequate time to get to places on time
4. Try not to use my snooze button on a regular basis
5. Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables daily
6. Floss more often
7. Tour a winery
8. Go hiking on the Appalachian Trail
9. Visit Charleston and Savannah
10. Go to a concert
11. Buy McD’s gift cards to give to homeless people I drive by
12. Make something creative at Accidental Artist
13. Read Mere Christianity
14. Do my devotions at least 5 days a week for the month of January
15. Create a book list to read at least one fun book a month outside of my textbooks
16. Love and lead my bible study girls well
17. Finish our study of John
18. Learn how to live with more humility
19. Minimize my pride
20. Love worldly, worthless things less
21. Love Jesus more than anything else
22. Be more proactive in supporting local businesses
23. Be more aware of how to take care of the environment; stop wasting
24. Go to the farmers market at least once a month
25. Leave town for a solitude day at least once a semester
26. Learn to use my professional camera; take a camera class
27. Utilize my gym membership at FFL
28. Incorporate more strength training into my weekly workout routine
29. Run a half marathon in the spring
30. Run a marathon by the end of the year
31. Learn to speak more Ukrainian from my grandmother
32. Get a professional massage
33. Dance
34. Draw
35. Go stargazing
36. Go camping
37. Be proactive in my study habits to stay ahead and do well
38. Soak up new knowledge and experiences gained from my clinical rotations this spring and fall
39. Decrease my caffeine consumption
40. Become more integrated and involved at Integrity
41. Get involved in a bible study
42. Tithe monthly
43. Spend my money wisely; keep track of finances and savings
44. Be generous in my giving
45. Stay in touch with friends who live far away; send them snail mail
46. Take advice from those who are more experienced in life and wiser than me
47. Guard my heart
48. Stop looking in the mirror so much
49. Visit Little Washington
50. Take a trip to DC
51. Go skiing in Colorado
52. Save up for a new pair of skis
53. Take a road trip to Florida
54. Shop more at Whole Foods and The Fresh Market
55. Drink more green tea
56. Take multivitamins daily
57. Detox diet for two weeks to reform healthy eating habits
58. Eat less carbs and more lean soy protein, fish, and eggs
59. Live more simply
60. Create time for just me regularly in my busy schedule
61. Update the music on my iPod
62. Revamp my iTunes playlist
63. Keep my room more organized; tidy up once a week
64. Keep the apartment neat and clean by completing weekly chores
65. Have more hang out nights with my roommates
66. Keep my clothes put away and not scattered all over the floor
67. Utilize the clothes I already have into new outfits instead of buying new clothes
68. Volunteer at the Building Hope Community Life Center
69. Journal my thoughts
70. Do karaoke
71. Go a week without complaining
72. Donate blood
73. Improve my posture
74. Do more yoga and pilates
75. Try out a hot yoga class
76. Have someone buy me flowers
77. Go on a picnic
78. Eat dinner on the rooftop of Captain Ratty’s
79. Go see the gardens at Tryon Palace
80. Go yard sale shopping
81. Be intentional about the time I spend with my mentor
82. Expand my cooking abilities
83. Grow an herb garden
84. Go rock climbing at the rec
85. Learn more about college and professional sports teams
86. Go to an NBA game
87. Go to an NFL game
88. Learn to throw a football and frisbee better
89. Buy Settlers of Catan
90. Buy a one-shoulder dress
91. Stop wasting time on the computer
92. Become educated on the presidential candidates
93. Vote in the 2012 Presidential Election
94. Attempt to keep up with current events in the news
95. Stop overcommitting and wanting to do everything that I’m presented with
96. Master balance between PT school, Young Life, work and my social life
97. Prioritize
98. Love the people I love harder, stronger, better
99. Learn to speak less, listen more
100. “Love the Lord your God with ALL your heart with ALL your soul and with ALL your strength.” –Deut 6:5

A Year in Review

Skiing in CO.
23rd birthday.
Flying Pirate Half Marathon.
Getting into PT school.
Last semester of Conley Young Life.
Watching my Conley senior girls graduate.
Laura graduates nursing school.
Saying goodbye to sweet Young Life friends.
Ending my job at Peak Performance PT to start grad school.
Moving Grandma from Jersey to North Carolina.
Windy Gap Work Week.
Surviving my first summer in PT school.
Kayaking on the Tar River.
Best friend beach trip.
Family beach vacation.
Virginia Beach Rock n’ Roll Half Marathon.
ECU football.
Bachelorette weekend at Lake Norman.
Being a bridesmaid in Baird’s wedding.
Fall camp at Windy Gap.
Rosie goes to kitty heaven.
NC State Fair.
Getting through my second semester of PT school.
First Carolina Hurricanes game.
Skiing in Utah.

2 half marathons, 4 beautiful weddings, 2 semesters of PT school

It's been real. It's been fun. It's been real fun, 2011. What a wonderful year full of such great blessings. I'm excited for what 2012 will bring!

The Christmas Season

An Advent Prayer
by Henri Nouwen

Lord Jesus,


Master of both the light and the darkness,

send your Holy Spirit upon our preparations for Christmas.


We who have so much to do,

seek quiet spaces to hear your voice each day.


We who are anxious over many things,

look forward to your coming among us.

We who are blessed in so many ways,

long for the complete joy of your kingdom.


We whose hearts are heavy,

seek the joy of your presence.


We are your people,

walking in darkness, yet seeking light.


To you we say,

Come Lord Jesus….


Amen

Young Life Camp

Pitt County Young Life has ventured to SharpTop Cove this week, a beautiful Young Life camp nestled in the mtns of Jasper, Georgia. I have had the privilege of taking my high school friends there on two separate occasions. Although I am sad that I cannot be there this summer, I have been thrilled this summer to be on opposite end and faithfully praying for all of my sweet friends who are doing the Lord's work this summer either at Young Life camps, some other camps, or various missions trips. My friends have been blessed with some amazing opportunities! Each week my inbox has been filled with people giving updates and asking for prayers at camp and have found it such a JOY to be able to think of them and pray that the Lord would do a great work this summer. This whole rant came about because I was looking at a blog for YL leaders that had just posted about life at and after camp. They made me smile. I know you other YL leaders out there will smile when you read these, too:

“Your voice is gone because you screamed too much and had way too much fun.”

“You won't go anywhere without a Nalgene filled with ice water, a bandana, and your dog-eared bible.”

"Half of your clothes are missing because all of your kids borrowed them."

"You have a horrible 1-piece tan line after Pool Olympics."

"You drink coffee at leader meeting every NIGHT."

"The skit characters' one-liners end up in your daily conversation for weeks after you return."

"You wash your hair 3 times after Western night, but still wake up with flour from the carnival caked in your hair the next morning."

"You feel the wind in the clubroom from all the highschoolers standing up for Say-So."

"You have bruises in places you never knew you had until after the obstacles course"

“You can't start your day without Honey Nut Scooters and CoCo Roos.”

“Everything you own is somewhere between damp and soaking wet.”

“The first three minutes of your fifteen minutes of silence is spent trying to get that new Bieber song out of your head.”

“You get tendinitis in your elbow from those 27 holes of Frisbee golf you're playing each day.”

“You don't bother washing your feet in the shower, since the shower is actually a swamp puddle of mud, hair, and wet clothing.”

“You're wearing a braided bandana on your wrist from the craft cabin.“

“You begin expecting dessert at every meal...and wondering why your pants won't button by day 4.”

“The camp speaker doesn't walk out of club after his talk. No, he crowd surfs.”

“You realize there's over $10,000 worth of Chacos on property.”



“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from DEATH to LIFE.”
-John 5:24

L.o.v.e.

This is a little belated for Valentine's Day, but I'd like to share a poem I found in a church bathroom once. Funny, I know. I liked it so much I wrote it all down. We can all use a little more love in our lives. Sometimes I wonder, "What would it look like if I learned to really love?" I think the result would be pretty radical.

Love is giving with no thought of getting.
It is tenderness enfolding with strength to protect.
It is forgiveness without further thought of the thing given.
It is understanding the thing forgiven.
It is the understanding of human weakness with the knowledge of
the true man shining through.
It is quiet in the midst of turmoil.
It is trust in God with no thought of self.
It is the one altogether lovely, the light in the mother's eyes,
the glory in the sacrifice, the quiet assurance of protection.

It is the expectation of our Father's promise coming true.
It is the refusal to see anything but good in our fellow man.
It is the glory that comes with selflessness and the power that comes with
assurance of the Father's love for His children.
It is the voice that says "no" to our brother, though "yes"
might be more easily said.
It is the resistance to the world's lust and greed, thus becoming a positive
love of annihilation to error.

Love is the one thing no one can take from us,
The one thing we can give constantly and become
increasingly rich in the giving.
Love can take no offense, for it cannot know that which it does not
of itself conceive.
It cannot hurt or be hurt, for it is the purest reflection of God's good.
It is the one eternal, indestructible force for good.
It is the will of God: preparing, planning, proposing always
what is best for all His universe.

2011

So, I'm just a tad behind on starting off the new year of blogging...or really keeping up with it in general. Regardless, it has been a sweet season and I'm thoroughly enjoying my life and where I am right now. Work at the PT clinic and Starbucks, Young Life, great friends, and family are all such great blessings! I'm entering a busy month full of travels and DPT interviews hoping to get into grad school somewhere. If there is anything I have learned in my year after college it is that the Lord is faithful. I'm excited to see where this new year will bring!

It's already February but I'll share a few of my resolutions. Better late than never, right?:

*Run my 3rd half marathon
*Run a FULL marathon!
*Re-adapt a healthy diet
*Expand my cooking abilities
*Read Mere Christianity
*Re-read Knowing God
*Keep up with far-away friends (especially Baird, Kate, & Lacey)
*Learn more Spanish through the Rosetta Stone
*Get into PT school!!
*Start sketching again
*Prepare YL girls as the get ready for college
*Take campaigners girls on service project
*Solitude 1x/month
*Get a professional massage
*Go to Little Washington
*Visit Jockeys Ridge/Cape Hatteras
*Road trip to Wilmington to see Katie
*Road trip to ski (next weekend @ Wintergreen...so excited!)


"Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."
-Proverbs 16:3

Snooze

Anyone who knows me well knows that I am not a morning person. I'm actually pretty cranky before my morning cup of coffee. So, this week I made a new goal. Step one to becoming more of a morning person: to get up when my alarm rings the first time. That way I can have a more leisurely morning instead of rushing like I usually do. Several people have told me that putting goals in writing makes the more solid and attainable, so here is my attempt to do so.

So, yesterday I placed my phone alarm across the room so when I got up, I wouldn't snooze. And my morning went smoothly without my usual rushing because I'd rather get a few minutes more sleep.

Then today came along and I overslept and was 30 minutes late to work. I'd say I'm not doing to well with this idea of being a morning person. Third time is a charm? So, onto new exciting adventures as a morning person. We'll see how long this lasts...

The Necklace

One of our sweet committee ladies emailed out this story. I've read it before, but it's absolutely precious and I thought someone else might enjoy it as well. So here you go...

The necklace

The cheerful little girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them, a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box.

"Oh mommy please, Mommy.. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please?"

Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face.

"A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2.00. If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for yourself. Your birthday's only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma."

As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went to the neighbor and asked Mrs. McJames if she could pick dandelions for ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace.

Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere, Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.

Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night as he finished the story, he asked Jenny , "Do you love me?"

"Oh yes, daddy. You know that I love you."

"Then give me your pearls."
"Oh, daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess, the white horse from my collection , the one with the pink tail. Remember, daddy? The one you gave me. She's my very favorite."

"That's okay, Honey, daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.

About a week later, after the story time, Jenny 's daddy asked again, "Do you love me?"

"Daddy, you know I love you."

"Then give me your pearls."
"Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll.. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper."

"That's okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you."

And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss.

A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian style.

As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek.
" What is it, Jenny ? What 's the matter?"

Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. And when she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said, "Here, daddy; this is for you."

With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's daddy reached out with one hand to take the dime store necklace, and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny ...

He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her the genuine treasure. So it is, with our Heavenly Father. He is waiting for us to give up the cheap things in our lives so that he can give us beautiful treasures.

God will never take away something without giving you something better in its place.

Guy Watkins

Read this article:
http://reflector.com/news/pcmh-honors-great-guy-and-most-excellent-volunteer-42317

I had the honor of knowing this man for a short period. I didn't even realize half of how incredible he really was. And a large part of that was because of his humility. He always put other people before his own needs.

To imagine giving my life away to others, a pure act of selflessness on all accounts--that would be radical. Guy was radical. Am I capable of such things? I wonder.

I smile to think about Guy in his sweet smile, red-vest, and ever-present voluteer badge and think about how his life, his story, has so eloquently touched mine.


"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."
~Ephesians 4:2

Halfway

So, as previously stated, I will be terrible at regularly updating this thing. At the beginning of summer, I made a list of fun and exciting things to do while I'd be living in Greenville over the summer. Thinking I would have more time on my hands, I thought I might make a good dent in that list. Now halfway through the summer, about three of those things have been completed. Oh well, maybe the rest will come in the weeks left of summertime. :)

SUMMER TO-DO LIST:

*Get fresh produce at the Farmer’s Market [CHECK!]
*Check out antique stores downtown
*Go yard sale shopping
*Bike around town
*Kayak down the Tar River
*Rock climb in the rec
*Eat dinner on the rooftop of Captain Ratty’s
*Walk down by the water in Little Washington
*Eat oysters at Wimpy’s
*Go camping on the beach
*Go strawberry picking
*Take pictures of the gardens at Tryon Palace
*Jump off the tower at Green Springs [CHECK!]
*Run around at Goose Creek Park
*Visit Cape Hatteras
*Watch New Moon and Dear John [CHECK!]
*Get a professional back massage

Reminisce

I just spent the last 20 minutes re-reading over all of my previous posts. Where there are not many, it was invigorating to read about my life encounters since creating this blog. I've always been something of a journaler/list-maker/writer. One of my favorite things to do is to read back on the things I've written in my old journals and blogs to see where I've come since those times.

Just as a new stage in life is approaching with a whirlwind of excitement and newfound possibilities, I think it might be appropriate to start with my online journaling again so that in a years time I can look back and laugh to remember these times.

This is no promise, because many times before this I have said that I need to write more often. We'll see what happens from here. Hopefully there will be more life updates in the next post. For now it is 1:40am (yikes!) and I am heading to the beach tomorrow! Time for much-needed sleep.

Good Friday

Isaiah 53:2-6 (The Message)

The servant grew up before God—a scrawny seedling,
a scrubby plant in a parched field.
There was nothing attractive about him,
nothing to cause us to take a second look.
He was looked down on and passed over,
a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand.
One look at him and people turned away.
We looked down on him, thought he was scum.
But the fact is, it was our pains he carried—
our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us.
We thought he brought it on himself,
that God was punishing him for his own failures.
But it was our sins that did that to him,
that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins!
He took the punishment, and that made us whole.
Through his bruises we get healed.
We're all like sheep who've wandered off and gotten lost.
We've all done our own thing, gone our own way.
And God has piled all our sins, everything we've done wrong,
on him, on him.

2010

So beings February. It's been forever since I posted here. For a start, I'll post my resolutions list. And add one to say: #101. Journal my thoughts more.

1. Enjoy the power and beauty of my youth.
2. Reduce my caffeine addiction.
3. Drink more tea.
4. Take a multivitamin daily.
5. Buy more fresh and organic produce.
6. Floss.
7. Save money; spend wisely.
8. Enjoy my last semester as an undergraduate student.
9. Figure out my future plans (DPT school? A year off?).
10. Trust God with my future plans.
11. Discover how to live on my own.
12. Try to do my devotions daily.
13. Grow and challenge my faith everyday.
14. Love Christ more everyday.
15. Find a solid church in Greenville and stick with it.
16. Join a bible study.
17. Memorize one new verse each week.
18. Realize life is too short to stress over the little things.
19. Live more simply.
20. Get enough sleep most nights of the week.
21. Spend my free time wisely.
22. Save up for a new laptop.
23. Buy new sunglasses.
24. Get a professional massage.
25. Give freely.
26. Clean out my closet and donate to Goodwill.
27. Don’t take things for granted.
28. Read through my book list.
29. Read a book on a topic completely foreign to me.
30. Grow up a little more, but never forget my inner kid.
31. Go on a fun spontaneous adventure.
32. Be creative.
33. Stargaze.
34. Reminisce.
35. Go out for sushi often.
36. Guard my heart.
37. Enjoy being single.
38. Carefully welcome what might lie ahead.
39. Catch up with old friends.
40. Flourish my inner beauty.
41. Look into taking a martial arts or self defense class.
42. Lose 10 pounds by March 1st (family pact!).
43. Do more pilates and yoga.
44. Get rid of my low back pain.
45. Lift weights twice a week.
46. Stretch.
47. Run another half marathon in the spring.
48. Train for a marathon in the fall.
49. Travel somewhere exciting.
50. Spend quality time with the people I care about.
51. Tighten my tummy.
52. Get an “A” in Anatomy.
53. Learn at lot about PT as an intern at Peak Performance Physical Therapy.
54. Keep in touch with my friends who live far away.
55. Send a letter to Emily in the Czech Republic!
56. Email my best friend about my life more often.
57. Keep my room more organized.
58. Expand my vocabulary.
59. Learn to enunciate words more clearly and speak more slowly.
60. Laugh a lot.
61. Serve others willingly.
62. Go skiing (any takers?).
63. Go hunting for the first time.
64. Go rock climbing at the rec.
65. Go ice skating.
66. Go to the shooting range with Dad again.
67. Join ECU’s Figure Skating Club?
68. Cook more often.
69. Buy and try out a Neti Pot for when I get sick.
70. Stop wasting.
71. Don’t text and drive.
72. Buy McD’s coupons to give to homeless people that I drive by.
73. Learn how to do a cartwheel!
74. Eat lots of pomegranates.
75. Go out to an old field and take pictures.
76. Stop looking in the mirror so much.
77. Meet new kids at Conley every week.
78. Encourage and pour into the lives of my high school friends.
79. Contact work least 3 times each week.
80. Challenge and go deeper with my campaigners group.
81. Take my girls to the beach (maybe it won’t flood this time).
82. Update music on my iPod.
83. Journal my thoughts more often.
84. Buy a new sketchbook and fill it.
85. Remind myself often of the eternity that is coming my way one day.
86. Take advice from people more experienced than me.
87. Learn Ukrainian from my grandmother.
88. Learn about my grandmother’s life adventures.
89. Brush up on the Spanish I learned in high school.
90. Stop wasting so much time on my computer.
91. Attempt to keep up with current news.
92. Learn to throw a football well.
93. Watch more ESPN.
94. Be bold.
95. Love the people around me well.
96. Be joyful always.
97. Pray continually.
98. Give thanks in all circumstances.
99. Learn what it means to be “selfless.”
100. Live love.

His Timing

"In order for God to grow you, He must break you down… and it hurts sometimes. He places you in circumstances and trials not because He likes to see you suffer, but simply because He profoundly loves you enough to grow you. And when you feel like your happiness has been trumped by your sadness…hope wins in the end. God has proven Himself true to me again and again—all it takes is a little faith and a lot of patience. Every time you surmount a struggle, you have learned something… it may have been something simple or something completely unexpected and confounding, but you have finally grasped how to hit a homerun with the curveballs life throws at you. And the next time you face a similar situation, there is no hesitancy in your mind but rather complete confidence in God’s ability to bring hope to the rescue—maybe not in your timing, but in His, which, in the end, is the best timing."

As we get to know God,
we will learn to trust him more;
as we learn to trust him,
we will learn to love him more.
And as we learn to love him,
we won't love the world so much.

Summertime

It has been quite some time since I’ve posted last. There is no promise of more frequent posts; however, I thought an update was due.

Summer has quickly approached and with a whirlwind it’s quickly passing faster than I can keep up. I walked into a cloud of uncertainty this summer, not knowing whether I’d stay in Greenville or be at home in Raleigh. Turns out I’m in Raleigh for now, with the slim chance I’ll end up going back to Greenville. I think regardless I would have been happy, but I have to admit I’m content where I am. There’s just something special about being home. I’m still working at Starbucks and hanging out with friends about every chance I get. It’s nice to get a break from school and just chill. I need that solitude and fun in my life.

It’s a scary time in my life, too. As I’m approaching my senior year (….did you read that?! My SENIOR year!), my future is so undetermined and confusing. I know what I want but I have no certainty that what I want will actually happen. We can plan our lives out to the most intricate detail, but chances are that they will not go the way we expect them to. I guess that’s part of life—which is a really hard thing for such a planned, organized person as myself to deal with. But it’s been such a release for me to have to let go what I have planned for my life and trust that what God has for me is better, whatever that might be. With nothing to cling to, God has forced me to fully rely on his plan for my future. At this point I can plan no further, I’ve done all I can do.

All I can do is surrender. I suppose for now I will enjoy my summer and welcome whatever my future may hold for me when the time comes. Oh, sweet summertime.

21

Happy Birthday to me...

25 More Things

So, a while back on Facebook I posted "25 Things" random things about myself. Since then, in my absence of Facebook (I've abstained from it for Lent--which is really good for your free time. You should try it sometime.), I've kept thinking about more random things about my life. Thus, I will share a few more things:

I cannot do a cartwheel.

I hate watching myself in videos.

I hate hearing my own recorded voice.

I love colored shorts with picture icons on them.

I say I'm "musically challenged," but that doesn't mean that I don't like music! I'll listen to just about anything.

I don't get brain freezes.

I prefer a chocolate flavor over a fruit flavor any day.

My favorite flower is a pink stargazer lily. They remind me of when I was a flower girl my aunt's wedding.

I love watching other people dance.

I sleep with a pillow on my stomach.

I'm not one of those girls who has every detail of their wedding planned out. It hardly crosses my mind. When the time comes, I'll plan. For now, I'm letting God handle the plan.

I love plaid.

I’m intensely bothered by the sound of crying/whining children.

I think cadvers are really interesting. I can't wait to take gross anatomy in grad school.

I have two birthmarks: a small pink circle over my belly button and a red line along the side of my left foot.

I very much dislike casually being called “honey,” “sweetie,” “baby,” “sweetheart,” or anything of the like.

I love coffee table books.

Easter is my favorite holiday, not for pastels and bunnies, but for the celebration that my Savior has risen and that I worship a living God.

I love Carolina. GO HEELS!

Young Life is a huge part of my life. I wouldn't trade 10-15 extra hours of free time I would have each week if I wasn't a leader. I've been immensely blessed by my team, my fellow leaders, the community that supports me, my spiritual growth, and the relationships I've built with the beautiful, wonderful girls at Conley.

If you give me a jar of Nutella, it will disappear within a few days.

I have always found pathology extremely interesting. It's probably why I love House so much.

My favorite number in Spanish is 14 (catorce...what a beautiful word!).

I really like lighthouses...Cape Hatteras, especially.

I don't really like jeans. I prefer skirts, dresses, or shorts.

I originally said I didn't like olives. I tried them again recently and discovered they’re not that bad.

I love spicy food, but I can't tolerate much of it.

I took two years of figure skating in middle school. I quit figure skating for two years of art classes. I quit art classes for two years of track. I guess you could say I was "well-rounded."

I like cats much more than I like dogs.



The end.

Time for a Break

Spring break was such a restful time for me this year. I usually end up going home to Raleigh to work or travel to Jersey to see family instead of wasting way all my hard-earned money on some exotic trip (which would be incredible if funds allowed).

I was anticipating some fun adventure to arise during my week home but it ended up being plain and simple: work, friends, and family. But I think that’s exactly what I needed. I didn’t work too much, I got to sleep-in almost everyday, spent a ton of time with my Raleigh crew that I hardly see enough of, and shared precious time with my family. I never really get “homesick,” (after all Raleigh is only 1.5 hrs away from Greenville) but being home really made me appreciate and miss the wonderful community I have in Raleigh, which is equally, if not better, than the one I have at ECU.

Let me tell you, it’s been rough getting back into the swing of things this week. I have a huge midterm in Cell Phys Thursday that I’m not nearly prepared for. I definitely took the “break” part of spring break, so coming back to studying, early mornings, and Young Life club being thrown in my face the second I got back has taken a bit of time to get re-adjusted to. I’m ready for summer already, but I know I have my time to put in before I get there. Onto the second half of the semester we go! Oh boy.

Beautiful Stars

Anyone who knows me well knows of my fascination of stars, or really just the sky in general. I could star gaze for hours on end. Some of the most peaceful, enchanting moments of my life have been spent with my head tilted towards black sky filled with white sparkles. It’s mesmerizing and so beyond my mind to think of all the wonder that space holds. I absolutely love it!

Maybe this will reveal my inner “nerd,” but I’ll admit that I frequently check NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html.

For whatever reason, I feel compelled to share a few photos. Enjoy. :)

Mauna Kea Milky Way

The Eagle Nebula

Orion's Belt

The Great Carina Nebula

4th Picture

"Find the 4th picture in your 4th album and post it along with a short blurb about the picture. Then tag two people ."

Quinny tagged me and I need a break from studying for my Biomechanics test tomorrow, so here:

I was hoping for a more exciting picture, but this was the chosen one. Although the more I thought about it, this photo represents many significant memories of mine. This is me, Janie, and Kate. Kate and I were day camp counselors together at New Life Camp the summer of 2006. Janie was one of the hilarious girls in our huddle. I looked back to my Xanga to recall anything that happened that week. This is what I found:

i love working at day camp i love puppets trying to throw large dolls into basketball hoops i love crazy campers that say funny things and can't walk in straight lines i love having to take a camper to the infirmary every hour because they keep getting hurt i love swimming away from boys, fishing poles made out of sticks that don't catch fish, and paddle boats at swim time i love the fun, silly games we play during rec that make me feel like a kid again i love rock-paper-scissors, duck duck goose, four corners, and story time i love how the kids get excited over the smallest things, hearing their loud squeals and bubbly laughter, and seeing huge smiles plastered on their cute little faces i love watching God at work through everything we do at camp :) i could go on, but i'll just say there's lots of things i love about day camp. it's been a good week.

A huge smile crept onto my face after reading that. It brought back many memories from my years at New Life Camp. New Life Camp has been such a blessing in my life--all the way back to my own first year at day camp in '97, rededicating my life to the Lord at a campfire when I was 13, having a blast at teen week, being a CIT for four years, and visiting campfires each summer and being encouraged by the testimonies of childlike faith.

At Providence this morning, there was a celebration for missions. The man who represented missionaries from the US and carried the American flag was Mr. Bob, the camp director of New Life Camp, with his wife, Mrs. Debbie, following. It brought me much joy to see their smiling faces, remembering those weeks during my summers that have shaped my faith to this day. I greatly admire these people for their passion and dedication to the calling of Christians to "step out" in faith that the world may know Christ. It's neat to think that many of the things I learned at NLC have helped me to be the Young Life leader I am today. What nice memories to reflect on.

Time to get back to studying.

I tag Rachel and Lacey.