Day Two: Vienna

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Today was mostly a travel day, but we did get to experience some of Vienna this evening. Our plane from London to Vienna was delayed for almost an hour because of fog, so we arrived here around 4pm. A taxi took us from the airport to our hotel, a Best Western, of all places. It’s much nicer than any Best Western in the States I’ve stayed in. The picture above is of our room, complete with mints on the pillow. It’s not directly in downtown, but it is on a quiet street near the center of the city. Everything around here looks to be a hundred years old! Mozart stayed in this very building several times. How cool is that?! (Of course, it wasn’t a Best Western then.) We checked in our hotel, freshened up a bit, and asked the front desk where a good place to eat supper was. They recommended Leopold’s, so that’s where we headed. It was a short 10 minute walk. On the way, we came across a Christmas Market. They are all over the place this time of the year. There are all sorts of booths and vendors, selling everything from glass ornaments to wooden musical instruments. We meandered through on our way to the restaurant. Supper was very good. Each of us tried something typical of the area- four cheese gnocchi, Wiener schnitzel (“Wien” is Vienna in German.), goulash, and Christmas goose. All of it was very good. On the way back to the hotel, we browsed through the market. All-in-all, it was only a small taste of Vienna, and I hope to see much more tomorrow.

All of us are exhausted. The time difference and jet lag are catching up with me. London is six hours ahead and Austria seven. I went to bed around 11 pm last night and woke up probably around 2 am and couldn’t go back to sleep. I am hoping to get more sleep tonight. I don’t know if that’ll happen, ‘because it’s 7 pm and I could go to sleep right now. It’s probably a good idea to stay up a little longer, however.

My dad is watching TV, which is mostly in German. They just showed a Coca-Cola Christmas commercial in German. It still amazes me how Americans think we are so different from everyone else. The more I travel, the more it seems as if people everywhere are essentially the same. I know we don’t think about it that way. It’s interesting though. I absolutely love to travel! Even if I have to deal with waking up hungry at 3 am. :)

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Day One: Camberley

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Our family trip has begun! We left Houston this afternoon (well, yesterday really) around 4 pm. The 8 hour flight into the UK was pretty uneventful, aside from some pretty loud and tipsy guys sitting behind us. I watched a movie, read, and slept the rest of the way. London greeted us with its typical winter weather-cloudy, dark, and rainy. We got through customs with no problems and a taxi met us to take us to Camberley. I was so glad to see my dad! Since we arrived in London before 7 am local time, we ate some breakfast after arriving at the house. A lovely English breakfast of scones and hot tea! :) The food isn't all that great in the UK, but breakfast is the exception. We slept most of the afternoon, and now we're packing and getting ready for our flight into Vienna tomorrow morning. I am so excited to be here with my family! Since we can't all live together in the same state, I guess this is an acceptable compromise-for now at least. No way would I want it to be this way long term. Updates to follow!

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The End

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Finally, the end of an incredibly long and hard semester has come. I am so thankful to have it all behind me. Not all of it was bad. I had some pretty awesome times with The Girls, went to some great football games, and learned a lot along the way. Would I like to repeat the semester? Absolutely NOT. I was so glad to finish my 5 finals and 1 paper, and only had to pull a few all nighters to get there. I am exhausted, but very happy with the product of all my long hours of classes and studying. I, for the first time in my educational career, made all A's. I don't feel bad for tooting my own horn because this never happens to me! It made a great end to the semester and beginning of the holidays. I am really looking forward to spending a whole month with my family. I've missed everyone so much. I'm going to take time to refocus also. Spend some time away from the computer, facebook, and my cell phone. Read a book for fun! Oh, how I have missed reading for pleasure. I plan to devour every book I can get my hands on in the next few weeks.

So as I prepare to spend some great times with my family, I thank God for everything he has given me. My family and I are so blessed. I have some truly incredible people in my life. And I want to take this time to say thanks for everyone who has been reading my blog all along. Thanks for the kind words of encouragement. I love you all!

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Amish?

I just finished watching the movie "Saving Sara Cain." It's a great movie about a single woman living in Portland. Her sister dies, leaving her four kids in her guardianship. The catch is that her sister was, and her nieces and nephews are Amish. I loved this movie. It was sad, but a great story. I haven't cried during a movie in a long time.

So I began thinking about the Amish way of life. I don't really know that much about it, but I do know that they value a plain or "simple" life. I almost wonder if it would be a better way of life. They are void of all the clutter that seems to plague our lives and really live a life that is, in my opinion, closer to God. I'm not saying that you have to be Amish to be close to God, but there are fewer obstacles. I'm not naive enough to think that they don't have problems. Every way of life has problems associated with it. I just wonder what it would be like. It would be very hard work, but I know it would be rewarding. It would be neat to at least experience it.

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Country Is...

...the sound of the wind shuffling through the trees. It is the sound of laughter coming from the kitchen, the place where everyone gathers. Country is the creaking front porch swing mixed with the clink of ice in a glass of sweet tea. The crunch of fall leaves underfoot, and the soothing sound of crickets at night are the sounds of the country. The country is someone older and wiser telling you stories about "the good ol' days."

Country is the smell of rain after a summer shower. It is the crisp fragrance of fresh cut grass in the summer, and the smell of leaves burning in the fall. Country is waking up to the smell of bacon, eggs, grits, biscuits, and coffee. Country is fresh air and newly plowed ground.

Country is feel of grass under bare feet. Country is a warm hug from someone you love. It is the feel of a spring breeze bringing with it a subtle hint of summer. Country is riding in the back of a pick-up truck, letting the wind blow across your face and through your hair. It is homemade quilts and bonfires keeping you warm in the winter. Country is a child's sweet kiss on your cheek. Country is cold dirt between your fingers.

Country is the taste of fried chicken on Sunday after church. It's the taste of blueberries picked right off the bush. Country is the sweet taste of honeysuckle. Country is sweet iced tea on a hot, humid summer afternoon. It is the taste of a ripe, still warm from the sun, homegrown tomato.

Country is seeing your family often. Country is watching the sun rise and set every day. It is children's smiles and lover's kisses. Country is 200 year old live oak trees. It is being in the middle of nowhere and finding yourself there. It is looking as far as you can see, and seeing nothing but God's creation all around you. Country is colorful quilts, beautiful flowers, and loving people.

I know there is more that I didn't include, but this is a taste of what country is to me.

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Some of my Favorite Songs

Here's a sampling of lyrics from my favorite songs at the moment.

The Show- Lenka

I'm just a little bit caught in the middle
Life is a maze, and love is a riddle
I don't know where to go
Can't do it alone
I've tried, but i don't know why

I'm just a little girl lost in the moment
I'm so scared but i don't show it
I can't figure it out
It's bringing me down
I know, I've got to let it go
And just enjoy the show


Too Much Rain-Paul McCartney

Laugh when your eyes are burning
Smile when your heart is filled with pain
Sigh as you brush away your sorrow
Make a vow that it's not gonna happen again
It's not right in one life too much rain

You know the wheels keep turning
Why do the tears run down your face?
We used to hide away our feelings
But for now tell yourself it won't happen again

Snatched Away

Seems as if whenever something is going good in life, it gets snatched away. Why does that always happen? One moment, you are relishing this new and wonderful thing, and everything is going great. Life is good. You're happy, content. And then it's snatched away. But not so far that you can't see it anymore, just far enough that it is out of your reach. Like someone dangling a carrot in front of your face. It's always there in the back of your mind, showing up at the worst possible times in the form of memories or other painful reminders. Why do the good things have to be taken away? Maybe because there is something better waiting? If so, why not just skip the "good" and go straight for the "better"? What purpose did it serve? It's so incredibly aggrivating. The things that are "gone" keep showing up, dangling in my face, and I can't have them. I'm tired of learning "life lessons." I don't want to look back and say to myself, "Well, I learned alot from that mess" again. Is that knowledge worth the pain? I want to find that place where instead I say to myself, "This is what I've been waiting on for so long! It's finally here!" Will I ever get to that place? I find myself wanting what I've lost. I can't see the future, only the past, and I want that happiness and contentment that I had previously. Sure, there may be something even better around the corner, but there's no way I can see it. What if I missed what was "around the corner" and it's now behind me? I'm pretty sure that logic is screwed up somehow, but I can't help but entertain those thoughts.

All those lines that people feed you are just bologna. (And yes, I had to sing the Oscar Meyer song in my head to spell it right.) "You're young, you've got plenty of time." Time is never promised to anyone. "You'll figure it out." Sure, but how many mistakes and heartache will I have to endure to "figure it out" only to find that I'll never have it all figured out?

Please consider all of this rhetorical. Ranting, if you will. It's the product of a long week and a sleepless night.

Another Saturday

Another Saturday has come and (almost) gone. It was a good day to be a Bulldog. I woke up at 11 am (a bit early for me on a Saturday). I went to the MSU vs Arkansas football game. I have to be honest, I really thought we were going to get stomped into the ground...again. We haven't beaten Arkansas in 10 years! But...I love conjunctions like this one...WE WON!!! It was the best game so far this year. Even better 'cause it was the last home game. It got really close there in the last 10 seconds, but thanks to a horrible field goal attempt by the Hogs, we avoided a tie. I was right at the edge of the student section when the game ended. If the students stormed the field, I was going to be in the middle of it. Sadly, no one took the first leap. Probably because the first one over the rail gets arrested... Someone really needs to take one for the team. I want to storm the field sometime during my college career. After that, I went to the basketball game. We played some team I've never heard of and beat them by 40 points or so. So that was fun. :)



It is COLD here. The past few nights have been in the 20s. I love cold weather! Hats, scarves, hot chocolate, fleece blankets...amazing! The leaves have all changed color and are falling now. I love this time of year. Here's an interesting picture of "The Half and Half Tree" on campus. It's the same tree, but half of the leaves are green, half are yellow. It stays this way until they all fall off. Pretty cool, huh?

Out of Sight, Out of Mind

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Is it true, or just a convenient excuse?

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Take Me There

I heard this song on the radio this afternoon. If I find this guy, I'll have found the one.

Take Me There by Rascal Flatts

There's a place in your heart nobody's been

Take me there

Things nobody knows, not even your friends

Take me there

Tell me about your mama, your daddy, your hometown

Show me around, I want to see it all

Don't leave anything out

I wanna know everything about you then

And I want to go down every road you've been

Where your hopes and dreams and wishes live

Where you keep the rest of your life hid

I want to know the girl behind that pretty stare

Take me there

Your first real kiss, your first true love

You were scared

Show me where you learned about life,

Spent your summer nights without a care

I wanna roll down Main Street, the back roads,

Like you did when you were a kid,

What made you who you are

Tell me what your story is

Do You Really Know Me?

I feel as if people really don't see the real me. I know that's rather cliche, but it's true sometimes. I know that my family knows me best, and they do see who I am, but it's because they try; they want to see me as I am. Lately it seems as if certain people are constantly misunderstanding, misrepresenting, and underestimating me.

I was telling a friend how good it was to have spent a weekend in rural Mississippi, a place that was similar to where I grew up. That person made the comment that they never thought of me as a country girl, only seeing my nice shoes and clothes. I guess it didn't occur to them that the majority of time we spent together was in church... I remarked that I was quite the country girl, and then something was said that I cannot get out of my mind. Basically, they could see me being "country" when it was fun, but not "when it mattered." I wasn't sure what to make of that. I know that I have it within myself to thrive in a rural area especially when it matters. That is where my heart is, and where it will always remain, regardless of where I actually end up living. It caught me off guard that they didn't know me any better than that, even after months of "getting to know each other better." I really think it's because they thought they knew everything about me already, and was just looking for confirmation of what they assumed. It just doesn't work that way. I'm not going to spend my time defending how I actually am against what they assume. And you know what they say about assuming...

It saddens me that people are only interesting in getting to know others in a two-dimensional way. They only see the parts of that person they encounter personally. For example, if you meet someone through a class, they only know the academic side of you. I doubt they think about other dimensions of your personality. There is so much more to a person than what you can see or encounter at a specific time. There are emotions, memories, past experiences, connections with other people, and so much more. None of those things are two-dimensional. You have to take all the dimensions of a person into consideration when you're trying to get to know someone better. Don't make assumptions based on what you've seen. Ask questions, listen to stories, look at the other people that are important to them, a truly strive to know them better.

How can I describe myself with just words? I am more than words; I am a smile, a look, a laugh, a touch. How other people might describe me, I do not know. I can only tell you what I see in myself, what I feel.

Bittersweet Tears

My grandmother passed away over the weekend, and the funeral was yesterday. I was sad, of course, when my mother called to tell us, but the last few years, and especially the summer, were really rough for her. She had Alzheimer's and didn't really recognize anyone anymore. I know that she was a Christian, and I'm glad she's in heaven now. I try to remember the good memories I have of my grandmother. She and I would make cookies together when I was little. When she walked out of the room, I would steal some cookie dough out of the bowl with my finger. She was a great cook. I remember Christmases and Thanksgivings spent at her house. She was also a great seamstress and quilter. I have several quilts she made for me. We would also spend time outside, walking and looking at all the flowers she had planted. I remember those things from my childhood. I would love to learn to quilt so that I can carry that on.

Needless to say, the week has been exhausting. Between school, and travelling, and family I was utterly tired. I drove alot in the past week, while my sister slept in the front seat. No fair! But I did kind of insist on driving... :) Seeing family was good, but I'm sure you know what it's like when everyone gets together. I have a crazy family.

I was thinking as I was driving yesterday. Driving is one of the best places to think. It's too bad you can't blog in the car. I think of great things to write about when I'm driving, but forget them when I get to a computer. Maybe I need to get a voice recorder or something... Anyhow, back to what I was thinking about. It seems to be all around me, everywhere I turn- people are getting divorced, or breaking up. It's really sad. It brings to my mind several questions: How can two people love each other (or seem to love each other) and one day end it all? Did they love each other to begin with? And, most importantly, how can I keep this from happening to me? Just something I've been thinking about.

Remember When...

Tonight I am in a very reflective mood. Memories of childhood have come to the surface. I have so many great memories! Luckily, many of those memories were captured on film. I've been sitting by the fireplace looking at old picture albums. I think I'll scan and post some pictures on here soon. I spent the weekend in rural Mississippi. It was so nice to be back in the sticks. It was very similar to where I grew up, and I think that's a part of the reason I've been remembering things. I love pictures!

Waffles, Spaghetti, and the Like

I'm sitting in my usual spot, with not much to do (well, I could be studying, but I did that last night and this morning, and I sucessfully completed my first of four tests for the week, so I really just want to bask in the glow of having that first test completed) so I thought I'd write. I would be reading, but in my rush to get out the door this morning, I forgot to grab my book. Speaking of, the book I'm reading is called "Single Men are Like Waffles, Single Women are like Spaghetti." I highly recommend it! It has some really insightful concepts in it. The whole premise of the book is to point out the differences in how men and women think, react, and process life. Most of it is stuff you know, but don't think about. At least that's the way it was for me. Men comparmentalize (hence the waffle) and women connect everything in life together (hence the spaghetti). There is another version of the book that isn't specifically for singles, but since I am single myself, I chose this one. It's got lots of advice on dating, working with, and being friends with the opposite sex. I'm going to let all my friends borrow it, if they want to. So good!

I've tried to read more this semester than I usually do. Normally, I don't read anything that isn't school related, because I'll get caught up in reading for pleasure instead of doing schoolwork. But this semester, I've tried to replace watching tv and movies with reading, and it's turned out pretty well so far. I also read before I go to bed. I can read for pleasure late at night, because if I don't comprehend everything I read, I can re-read it, and I won't be tested on it the next day. Not so for school reading. I absolutely love to read. There are so many great books out there. My favorite genre is probably christian fiction- mostly suspense/romance/mystery. I also enjoy reading books like the one mentioned above. Books that get me thinking about important things in life. So, if you have a good book recommendation, leave me a comment. I'd love to hear them.

Going into the week, I thought that it would be pretty much the most terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week ever. I had 4 tests+my regular homework. YUCK! It hasn't been so bad thus far however. I took my trig test about 2 hours ago, and that turned out much, much better than I expected. I have two tests tomorrow, back to back, that I have to study a good bit for-Spanish and Psychology. Psych won't be so bad, but I need to study alot for Spanish; lots of nit picky things to remember. And last but not least, my Small Group Communication test on Friday. Yuck, a test on Friday. Oh well. It won't be terrible. So, because I'm processing this overload in small pieces, I'm not freaking out about it.

I just got an email that my 11 o'clock class is cancelled tomorrow. Hooray!!! :) More time to slee-I mean study, of course...

Presently

It has been impressed upon me recently, in many different ways, the importance of living in the present. You may be thinking to yourself, or even saying it out loud to your computer screen, "Duh." But if you really stop to think about it, how many of us live in the present, in the here and now? I know that I don't. Throughout my life there has always been that element of "If I can only..." When I was a child it was "If I can only get to high school, then I'll be able to do lots of cool things." When I got to high school, it became "If I can only get to graduation, and I'll be in college and out of this high school dramafest." In college, it became "If I can only get through with school, and start my career" or "If I can only meet the right guy, and have my perfect dream life." Who knows what it will morph into after college. Maybe you have the opposite problem, like I had a few years ago. It was all about the past--"If it could only be like it was when..." My point is this-how often do you pass by opportunities today because you're looking too far ahead or too far behind to see them? There is absolutely nothing that we can do to change the past or to predict the future, but we can change the present. Look for the blessings that God gives you today. Look for opportunities that God provides for you today. Thank God for simple things in a day, like sunshine, a breeze, or a kind word from a friend. Live for today. Make changes today. Be thankful for today. Remember the past, plan for the future, and live in the present.

Today I was walking on the drill field, and heard someone yelling. It was a guy standing on the retaining wall that circles the flag pole in the middle of the drill field. He was yelling at the top of his lungs. I rolled my eyes as I passed by, thinking to myself, "Cool weather is coming and bringing the crazies with it." Every year, different people go to the middle of the drill field and "preach" aka yell Jesus at people. Even the Christians I know think they're crazy and annoying. But as I walked by, I began to listen to what he was saying. I couldn't hear every word, but from what I did hear, I didn't disagree with what the guy was saying-or rather, yelling. He was saying that God gave up his only son, just so you can go to heaven, that God loves you, and desires that none should perish (quoting scripture). I realized that I didn't disagree with his message, just his method of delivery. I walked by fellow classmates and heard this phrase several times: "And then I heard 'Jesus'..." Basically what they were saying was that they stopped to listen, or they were curious about what all the commotion was, until they heard him say 'Jesus.' After that, they discounted him as another religious nut who was condemning people to hell. I started thinking about that phrase "And then I heard 'Jesus.'" Instead of yelling "Jesus loves you!" in people's faces, what if we lived "Jesus loves you"? What if our kindness, love, and humility showed the love of Christ to everyone we come across day-to-day? Would they instead say "And then I saw Jesus..." or "And then I experienced Jesus..."? How would the rest of their sentence-the rest of their lives-change? If people could see Jesus in us, instead of just hear it, how many more lives would be touched? True witnessing to me is not walking up to some random person walking down the side walk and telling them in rapid fire mode "God loves you and he sent Jesus to die for you so you can live forever and ever with him in heaven and have a more fulfilling and wonderful life do you want to receive Jesus in your heart right now I can pray with you and you can know for sure that you're going to heaven if you died at this very moment!" How effective is that? I would freak out if someone did that to me, and I'm a Christian! True witnessing to me is going out of your way to demonstrate love to the people you are around, developing relationships, and showing how Christ has made you different. How are you going to show Christ's love to someone today? How am I going to show Christ's love to someone today?

Gone

She told him she'd rather fix her makeup
Than try to fix what's going on
But the problem keeps on calling
Even with the cellphone gone
She told him that she believes in living
Bigger than she's living now
But her world keeps spinning backwards
And upsidedown

Don't say so long, and throw yourself wrong
Don't spend today away
Cuz today will soon be

Gone, like yesterday is gone,
Like history is
Gone, just try and prove me wrong
And pretend like you're immortal

She said "He said live like no tomorrow"
Every day we borrow
Brings us one step closer to the edge (infinity)
Where's your treasure, where's your hope
If you get the world and lose your soul
She pretends like she pretends like she's immortal

Don't say so long
You're not that far gone
This could be your big chance to makeup
Today will soon be

Gone, like yeterday is gone,
Like history is gone,
The world keeps spinning on,
Your going going gone,
Like summer break is gone,
Like saturday is gone
Just try and prove me wrong
You pretend like your immortal your immortal

We are not infinite
We are not permanent
Nothing's immediate
We're so confident
In our accomplishments
Look at our decadence

Gone, like Frank Sinatra
Like Elvis and his mom
Like AL Pacino's cash nothing lasts in this life
My highschool dreams are gone
My childhood sweets are gone
Life is a day that doesn't last for long

Life is more than money
Time was never money
Time was never cash,
Life is still more than girls
Life is more than hundred dollar bills
And roto-tom fills
Life's more than fame and rock and roll and thrills
All the riches of the kings end up in wills
We got information in the information age
But do we know what life is
Outside of our convenient Lexus cages
She said "He said live like no tomorrow"
Every moment that we borrow
Brings us closer to the God who's not short of cash
Hey Bono i'm glad you asked
Life is still worth living, life is still worth living
-Switchfoot

Sonnet 116

Sonnet 116

William Shakespeare

*

Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love

Which alters when it alteration finds,

Or bends with the remover to remove:

O no! it is an ever-fixed mark

That looks on tempests and is never shaken;

It is the star to every wandering bark,

Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.

Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks

Within his bending sickle's compass come;

Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,

But bears it out even to the edge of doom:

If this be error and upon me proved,

I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

*

The Dawg House

I got out of Trig early, so I'm chillin in my usual Monday/Wednesday spot a bit early today. They're playing the MSU radio station too loud today, but I'll try to drown it out with some music of my own. I'm eating lunch-well, trying to. I think I've tried every way possible to bring a pb&j sandwich to eat for lunch, and it just doesn't work. The jelly gets everywhere. Today was my last attempt; I put it in a tortilla. Yes-I have been in Texas too long... Chick-Fil-A was really calling my name today, but I refrained. They need a room on campus just for naps. They could have one room for girls, one for guys. They wouldn't even need beds, just comfy couches. The library is a pretty good place, but the couches are almost always occupied. I'm so sleepy today. One more class to go, and then I can go home and nap! I'm kinda nervous about the class though cause we get our spanish tests back... [crosses fingers]

The weekend was pretty good. Three of us went to Jackson on Friday night to hear Lifehouse in concert. They were good, as always, but the concert was only a little over an hour. That was the shortest concert I've ever been to. Guess that's what you get for a $5 concert at the fair. They were much better in Starkville earlier this year, but the tickets were more expensive, and we couldn't take pictures. However, we were standing right, and I mean right, in front of the bass player. So close that when he tripped on his cord and almost fell, he could have smushed us flat. We're still telling that story months later. "Remember the time the bass player almost killed us?" "Oh yeah! That was awesome!" I wonder if he remembers that...probably not.

We had a home game Saturday afternoon against No. 13 Vanderbilt. I have to confess that I didn't think we would win. Vanderbilt was undefeated this season so far, 5-0. Our ranking was, well, significantly less impressive. But, notice that I said Vandy WAS undefeated. We broke their winning streak! It was the best football game I've been to in a while (apart form the Alabama game last year. Everyone's still talking about that 100+ yard run for a td). We just played better football, and that's all there was to it. It wasn't that we won because of a fluke, or because they sucked worse that we did. We actually showed up. I was so proud of our Bulldogs! Now, keep it up guys!

Honey, I'm Home

I'm back from fall break. Just came home from the airport. It was a long, tiring, and melancholy 2 hours, and I came home to an empty house. I'm glad I have dogs, or it would have been really depressing. This is one night where I wish it would storm. I could use some thunder and lightning right about now. The weekend was...insightful, difficult, wonderful, reassuring-all at the same time. There are so many things going through my head, it's hard to iron all the wrinkles out. Good thoughts, hopeful thoughts, sad thoughts, and difficult thoughts. God has been dealing with me for a while, but it just seemed to hit home over the weekend. Someone this weekend said that whenever you have an encounter with God, you're effected, different, changed. I definitely feel effected.

• Sometimes I think finality is more difficult than uncertainty...

I'm reading an amazing book right now, called The Shack by WM. Paul Young. It's a really great book so far. Even though it's fiction, it reveals some amazing things about God, us, and our relationship with the Trinity. I won't say too much about it until I finish, but this book has already given me much insight. I cannot wait to post some of the quotations from this book that have absolutely stopped me in my tracks.

• "It's not always the harshest words that bring us understanding, Sometimes it's the quiet things, said or left unsaid" -From the song "That Old Man" by Tim Grimm

On A Downhill Slide

On a good note, I got my car back! Good as new. And all cleaned up too. I picked it up from the shop, and very cautiously drove it back home. I will most assuredly be more careful driving now.

Last night was a good night. I watched a good movie and had a good conversation on the phone. I slept well, and when I got up this morning (after hitting the snooze about 3 times) I was feeling good, and decently hopeful about the day. I'm really looking forward to the weekend and can't wait til it gets here, but I'm trying not to let the rest of the days pass me by. Many blessings can be contained in a single day. Anyway, I was almost late to class but wound up arriving right on time. Good start to the morning, I think. Things have started going downhill though. I had an awkward conversation (which was kind of frustrating, cause neither of us said what we were really thinking), and then a troubling email. Definitely enough to bring a good mood down a notch. I have a group meeting at 4, so I wasn't exactly thrilled about staying on campus for an extra two hours. I'm trying not to have a bad day...we'll see how well that works out.

I bought a bluegrass cd yesterday that has lots of hymns on it. I love to listen to and sing hymns. The music is beautiful and the lyrics poignant. One line of the hymn "When I Survey The Wondrous Cross" has been stuck in my head since I heard it last night: "Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all." That part of the last verse just jumps out at me when I listen to it. Just about gives me chill bumps. It almost seems to tie together with what I was talking about in one of my previous posts. Still something I'm thinking about...

How hard it is to really stay connected with people has really been impressed upon me lately. How many times I've taken people and relationships for granted. When you see someone every day, you don't really think about working to keep that relationship going. It's easy to just talk and feel as if you're close. It's when you have to maintain relationships where the person isn't right next to you, not present in your day-to-day life. Friendships, family relationships, and dating relationships. And it doesn't have to be someone who is miles and miles away. It can be someone who is next door, but you just don't run into them every day. It takes work to spend time with someone, to involve them in your life, and be involved in theirs. It can be done, however, if both are willing to designate time and effort. I know I don't set aside enough time for people sometimes. I get "busy." I put that in quotation because how many times have we used that one word as a catch-all excuse in our lives? Everyone is busy! If you're not, then you probably should be. Working and staying busy is part of a good work ethic. We need work to be a part of our lives. So how can you stay connected with people even though you're "busy?" I think it takes getting your priorities straight and honest-to-goodness effort. With some relationships, I've got it all straight. I set aside time for that person, and without meaning to, effectively cut off everyone else. Sometimes things are so lopsided in my life. I'll do great in one area, but lack greatly in another. Life is such a tightrope walk. Even an inch in one direction or the other and you wind up on the floor.

Fall is on it's way. The leaves are starting to fall and the air has a bit of a bite in it (try saying that five times fast). Fall is my favorite time of year. I love the weather-and the clothes that I get to wear. :)

It just occurred to me that this is my first October post. So Happy October!