Say whaaaa????

IT SNOWED AGAIN THIS WEEKEND....


HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?!



Ok, freakout is over.  But, seriously...it is the middle of April and it is still snowing up here...thankfully it wasn't much of a dumping, just enough to make us all break out at least a few layers if we just couldn't make ourselves bust out the coats again.


I know...I know...I know............I...know...   I'm way over due for a posting.  I do apologize.  TIGS, y'all, TIGS.


BUT!  I found out this week that I received a little fellowship/grant that I had applied for earlier in the semester, which means that my trip to the Southwestern Research Station this summer is definitely a go (which is a good thing, since they already accepted me for a two week course, yippee!!!)!

Things on the grad school front have been, more than cRaZy...wow, how does one even describe...?

I definitely don't have the mental power to try and put it eloquently, so, here's the reader's digest version:

• It's crazy
• I often wonder why I ever thought this was a good idea
• It is no longer unusual for me to be in the lab until 10pm or later...
• Dinner?  What's that?
• Sleep?  I don't think you know how to speak English...
• Showers?  Overrated...definitely
• What?  You find it odd that the majority of us have taken up long distance running and do this at least every other day?  I told you things are crazy here...that includes the people
• Wait...you mean to tell me that you do not often tell someone about something that happened to you this morning only to realize a few minutes later that you just told them about yesterday's morning...?  Hmmm...you must not be from around here.
• What's a weekend?  Again, I'm not so positive we're speaking the same language.

Yeah...TIGS, 'nuff said.

Anywho, things really are going well, just beyond busy.

My church is such an incredible blessing - solid teaching, solid people who truly try to live out their faith and hold one another accountable in love, beautiful small groups (mine's the best, of course...!) - the Father is definitely glorified here  :)

OK, kiddies...now that you all know that I am still alive and breathing, I'm off to bed.  Tomorrow is a running day!  =)

Shalom!
~MW

Joy, Joy, Joy!

Hello, all.

I know it's been forever, or so it seems, since I last updated, but...well, you know the next line: TIGS!  Even when classes aren't in session, there is SOOOO much to do!

Last week was wonderful in that respect, though - I didn't have any classes to worry about and I got to just work in the lab and meet with SW and figure out where we are going just what I am doing over the next 2.5yrs (yes, that sounds like a long time...but when you have the to-do list that I have, it seems like that is absolutely NO way I will get all of it done - I will, don't you fret..).  I've decided!  I'm doing a monograph for my thesis work!!  I'll do a post a little later on about what a monograph treatment is.  It's the part of taxonomy/systematics that I love, I'll just say that for now.  All in all, it was a great week.  And I closed it feeling satisfied and accomplished...it's been a while since I've felt like that at the end of a work week.

The 3-day weekend that followed that productive week was pretty grand, as well.  The first half of Saturday was full of Skyping and relaxing, the second half consisted of a ton of fun with Meg and Markster.  Markster picked me up and we grabbed Meg.  We grabbed some lunch at the Mall of America (seriously, there's like a bazillion restaurants in there...and we had some stuff to return and some gift cards to try to spend).  While at the MoA we saw this epicness:

The WHOLE ENTIRE thing was made of LEGOs...I. Want. One!

After running around MoA we continued on our path to REI so The Markster and I could procure our new parkas followed by the 3 of us trying on the most ridiculous winter hats in the clearance bin...oh man...we should have taken pictures.  It. Was. Epic.  And!  We all came away with a new hat that made each of us rather cheery.  After running home to let Jakers out the three of us went back to Meg's to work on....drum rooooooolllllll.....A GINGERBREAD HOUSE!!!  SO FUN!  The house had been constructed a few days earlier and the decorating had begun, but the bug dorks tricked that house oooooout!

Markster working hard on the roof.

 Meg and Markster working hard on adding our Harmonia infestation...that's right we are true dorks and added the tell-tale sign of fall/winter to the lovely little gingerbread house by adding and infestation of ladybird beetles - epic.

Ta-da!!  I was in charge of the icicles and filling in the gaps on the roof - I'm not gonna lie, I'm way impressed with my icicles...like, considered for a split second that I should change careers and be a gingerbread house decorator or something  :)

 See all those little pink clusters?  Those are our little Harmonia!!!  It looks just like a real infestation!  Little aggregations and all!

We didn't finish the backside of the house, the front and sides look pretty darn awesome, we think!

Sunday was a nice chill day...Skypage, church...it was a pretty good day.  I was especially blessed at church Sunday night, and it was wonderful.

Monday was awesome!!  We bug dorks plus a few other friends made brunch and had an absolutely lovely time together.  Everyone brought something to share with the group and we all just sat around with some nice folksy music in the background while we chatted, ate some delish food, sipped on coffee/tea/mimosas...mmmmmhmm!  We closed out our brunch time with some Strong Bad and Teen Girl Squad.  It was glorious.

Post brunch, was positively delightful, as well.  The Markster, Meg, Christine and myself went back to REI so I could exchange my parka for a different size - the sleeves were like half-way up my arms when I put the hood up on the first one...that's something I definitely should have checked at the store.  Oh well, REI makes it super easy for co-op members to make returns/exchanges.  We next ventured to a Starbucks for some coffee (we were all spent) and freaking awesome conversation.  Man, I love these kids so much!  After a couple hours there we went to TJMaxx so Meg could make a return and decided to kickoff our semester with a steakhouse dinner at Timber Lodge.  Oh my goodness, y'all, it was amazingly delicious.  And!  They messed up my order so they brought us a ginormous piece of whipped cheesecake.  Ummm...amazingly tasty.  Soooo grood  :)  We really had an awesome Martin Luther King, Jr. Day...it was incredible.  I can't wait to continue building and strengthening my relationships with my bug dorks here...seriously, such blessings to my life.

Week one (or rather, the first 4 days) of semester two was pretty decent, all-in-all.  Nothing went wrong or poorly...always a nice way to start a semester.  I made some more headway on my semester docket as far as what I need to do for my research/thesis stuffs - I still have a lot to do for this semester yet, but I'll get there.  Classes will be quite enjoyable, I think...just a lot of work...and I mean a LOT of work.  My museum studies - practices course will be especially heavy on the work load.  Yikes...papers and projects due every week!  Most of which require going to museums and writing papers and things about exhibits, pieces, etc...time consuming, to say the least.  Not hard or tedious, just time consuming...busy work.  I am excited to have an excuse to get out and see the museums around the area, though, that will be nice.  Time is just so lacking...oi vey...I so need more hours in the day or another day in the week...something, anything!

I'm trying to remember if there was anything super important that happened this week, or if it everything was just same ol' same ol' in the land of grad school...hmmm.  Well, I'll let you know later if I forgot anything.  Oh, we had our first Pig's Eye of the semester tonight.  I left pretty early, I'm just beat - I've fallen into another bought with insomnia...yay, no sleep!  No worries, though.  This happens from time to time, and it always passes with time..sometimes it takes a few months, but it hasn't killed me yet!

Ok, enough about school and work.  I'm sure you're all familiar with my friend Katy, over in Africa, who I've mentioned a number of times.  Well, if you aren't pay her a visit - her blogging is honest, fun, colorful, exciting, broken for the Lord, encouraging, pretty much just all around awesome.  One of her resolutions was to find joy in every day, whether it be in the little things or in big things.  I really like this idea - I think it will serve to help keep each day in perspective; so, even though I'm a few weeks behind, it's never too late to start, right?  I'll start with last Saturday.

Saturday, 15 Jan 2011:  (<-- it's still really weird for me to write 2011) Fun adventures around town with a couple of my favorite bug dorks.

Sunday, 16 Jan 2011:  Made some new friends at church - a lovely young family with two little boys.  Such a blessing!!

Monday, 17 Jan 2011:  Beautiful, real conversation with 3 of my absolute favorite bug dorks.  SUCH A BLESSING!!

Tuesday, 18 Jan 2011:  Meg and I trying to keep our snickers below audibility during insect behavior...it's going to be a gooooood semester  ;)

Wednesday, 19 Jan 2011:  DAY ONE OF INSECT TAXONOMY!!!!!!!!!!  This class = me.  Oh!  And lunch with some of the bug dorks I hadn't seen since being back.  Oh!!  And surviving the campus connector bus!  (I totally felt like a freshman all over again...)

Thursday, 20 Jan 2011:  First Frenatae meeting of the semester = seeing just about eeeeveryone I hadn't connected with since the break.  I love them  :)  Plus, departmental potluck lunch day...so grood.

Friday, 21 Jan 2011:  Catch up chat on the phone with SW...I am so blessed with two incredibly amazing advisors.  Like, really.  SW + RH = advisors extraordinaire  :)

So, yeah...it was a super blessed week, full of joy, joy, joy  :)

And now, my loves, I am off to bed.  Lots to do tomorrow before Meg's big start of the semester potluck bash tomorrow night.  And so, I will leave you with this:

My sleepy, super, super spoiled Jakers dog  :)

Praying all is well in your worlds.

Much love!

Shalom!

~MW

P.S. - it is officially cold, y'all.  This morning it was -18 degrees F...without wind chill...neeeeeeat!

Whew! Home for the holidays!

Heavens what a whirlwind of a week it has been (ok...an almost week)!

My lovely friend Judy took me to the airport circa 5:30am Saturday morning, and my was I glad I asked that she pick me up around 5!  Checking my bag was no trouble at all...but TSA...eesh, that took ages.  It really wasn't that bad, and surprisingly everyone was rather cheery - even with it being so ridiculously early in the morning.  I was one of the *lucky* travelers to get to go through one of those fancy new scanning machines...I don't really know how I feel about them.  It's quick and painless so it's not all that awkward during the actual scanning process.  And, if the example images TSA puts up are accurate, then I really don't think there's any issue with them.  But...who knows, really?  Well, enough about TSA.  I made it to my gate in plenty of time and even got to do a little leisurely reading!  Say, what?!  Got on the plane and took a snooze on the very smooth little flight - we made way good time!  I actually sat next to a Minnesotan who had never been on a plane before!  It was fun to get to chat with him and get his take on flying.  His general consensus: It's kinda fun...but doesn't feel as fast as I thought it would. 

Setting foot on sweet DFW ground was wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.  It was absolutely wonderful to get picked up by my faja and to head home to my sweet, sweet family.  Oh how I have missed them!

We've been having a pretty wonderful time thus far.  Lots of hang time, movies, CHUY'S!!, birthday celebrations, churching, and, sadly, finishing up final projects for the semester...but it is all done now!

****HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DADDY!!!!  So sorry I didn't get to put up a birthday blog for you...but, I loved spending the day with you!  LOOOOOVE YOU!!*****

I've loved getting to visit with my family and so many wonderful, wonderful people.  Oh how blessed I am.  And I can't wait to see more and more of you as the next week or so unfolds!!

I have lots of fun updates to share, but for now I am going to close.  It. is. time. for. bed!!

Praying you all have a wonderfully blessed Christmas remembering the birth of our precious, precious Savior.

Shalom, and blessings to you!
~MW

O, Give Thanks to the Lord, for He is Good...

...and His Steadfast Love Endures Forever. ~Ps. 118:1

Thanksgiving. What is it?
* A time to remember
* A time to share
* A time for family and friends - old and new
* A time to feel closer to the people you love, even if they are far away
* A time to give thanks and praise to our Heavenly Daddy for all that He has so graciously blessed our lives with.

That list can go on and on, but I think it sums up Thanksgiving pretty well, at least for the nutshell version.

I was a little nervous about how I would handle this Thanksgiving, being in a new place and incredibly far away from my family and closest friends. I initially thought I would have to spend it alone, and that made me sad, as I am used to spending the day with my Daddy and little brothers.

The boys and I always start the day off with our "Turkey Day Tiff" over watching football or the Macy's Parade as I'm getting things started in the kitchen. I looove, love, LOVE the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and since I have been in charge of running the kitchen on Thanksgiving for as long as I can remember I always win ("Do you want your Thanksgiving Feast or do you want to watch football in the den?? Your choice!") and the punks begrudgingly trot off to the formal living room to watch their football games between 9 and noon (and then I try to convince them to let me watch the dog show...that one doesn't always work...we often come to an agreement to flip back and forth and they usually let me watch the groups that I am particularly interested in...like the sporting groups and herding groups - all the fun ones! Those are usually the ones they secretly want to watch too, so I think that's why they "let" me watch those ones all the way through...shhhh, don't tell!)...Pops usually makes rounds - 'cause he's awesome and likes football AND the parade and loves all of his kiddos, 'cause he's the best dad ever - yep, sorry, my dad is the best and there's no changing my mind on this one :)

I did miss spending my day in the kitchen this year, even though by the time everything is ready I am usually beyond exhausted, have a killer headache, feel like my back is going to explode, and want my feet to be cut off (yay, tile floors...)...yes, inspite of all of that I still missed it. Quite a bit. I did get to make a dessert for Thanksgiving this year and help out with my Minnesota family's kitchen adventures, though - so my kitchen time wasn't totally in the red. Whew!

So...what did I do for Thanksgiving this year?? I was beyond blessed to spend the day with SW and her beautiful, beautiful family. Oh man, they are so great. I am actually taking her husband's (BZ) class this semester, so it was fun to get to interact with him outside of class. He and their two boys are pretty big hunters so we had lots of fun meats to nibble on AND BZ sent me and some of his grad students (who also joined us for the day) home with some gorgeous venison steaks - WIN! AND, SW sent me home with a pumpkin bread loaf!!! DE-LISH!

We really had a lovely day. I got to their lovely home around 1pm with Jakers in-tow. We did some doggy introductions upon our arrival. Jake and Chip got along pretty well, but Zeke wasn't too thrilled with Jake. I think they would have done well running around the back yard together to get the pecking orders established, but we opted to just do crate rotations with the pups. Chip lucked out and got to hangout with whomever of the other two dogs got to run free - so he had a grrrrreat day. Jake really enjoyed all the love he got from the 16 or so people who were there for the day. I did learn, however, that I really need to work on his jumping...oh man, he was trying to steal everyone's food out of their hands! Fortunately they were pretty much all dog people so it didn't really phase them any. But, I now have another project to work on with him. It was great fun to watch him and Chip run around together in the back yard, too - I love watching him play with other dogs. So fun!

It was a lot of fun hanging out with BZ's grad students. My TA for BZ's class was with us too, which was a lot of fun - I've enjoyed chatting with him after classes and such, so it was nice to visit with him outside of class as well. SW and BZ's family was pretty fun as well, and my sopapilla cheesecake was a huge hit! I definitely had to share the recipe before they all left. Yay, Texas desserts making it to the Frozen Tundra!! :)

After everyone left I hung out with SW and BZ's two boys for a little bit. Hanging out with them really made me miss my little bros, but it was huge blessing to get to visit with them. They are super kids. One is a senior in high school, the other is in junior high, so they are just a touch younger than my baby brothers, respectively. I really hope I get to know them better as the school year progresses - I'm hoping to be able to go to some of their extra curricular events and such too...I way miss getting to do go to my brothers' events.

I finally decided to pack up my pup and head home around 9:30 last night. They helped me cart Jake's humongo crate (it's the one we used for Joshua's sweet golden retriever before she passed...so it's a bit large for my stumpy cow dog, but it works) out to my car and SW sent me off with a great hug and kiss on the cheek. I seriously almost started crying on my way home last night, my heart was so full.

I have been so incredibly blessed this Thanksgiving, by the people here in the FT and by all of you back home who have made sure to remind me that you care and that I am still a part of your lives. Thank you all so much for that.

It was hard being away from family, but it was great being a part of a different kind of family up here. And having snow on the ground for Thanksgiving is something I can't even begin to remember the last time I experienced - it was pretty awesome.

Basically, God is good and hasn't let me forget how much He loves me and has shown me how He knows exactly how to take care of me when I need a little extra help here and there.

I pray you all had a truly blessed Thanksgiving, and I can't wait to see all of my Texans in less than a month!

Shalom!
~MW

P.S. - Way to BTHO t.u. yesterday, Ags! So, so proud to be an Aggie - I. love. my. school!

And so another week begins...

Well my happy readers, how are ya? I know it's been a bit of a spell since I last updated and left y'all hangin' quite a bit by not updating while my darling Ricci was here, but, I'm sorry, we were just having too much fun for me to stop and update :)

We had SO, so much fun, though. I cannot even begin to express to you how wonderful it was to have her bright smiling face here, next to me, in the the FT. It was absolutely wonderful. But seeing her definitely made me miss her, my other Texas loves, and Texas in general, even more. Just a little sting of a reminder that I am missing out on so much being here. But it was totally worth it, even though I lost it Saturday night. I couldn't help it, y'all, I just miss her like none other.

We had a blast though. Here's what we did!

Thursday:
- Collected her from the airport, complete with screams...yup, just like in the movies, it does happen in real life ;)
- Spent some time resting at home...did some laundry
- Went to lunch at Princess Garden Chinese Restaurant (pretty good!!)
- Went to campus...I had class, she played in my cubbie!
- Ran some errands
- Cooked a Mexican Feast!!! Even if it was just Spanish rice and enchiladas...it was still epic
- Shared a lovely evening together on the couch

Friday:
- Went to campus for a lab conference call that didn't happen...sad day.
- Went to Target to make sure there wasn't anything we needed for our event of the afternoon
- Met SW for lunch and went to Mim's. YUM!!
- Ran home to gather our stuffs and hit the road for our mini roadtrip!
- Made it to our destination and met....drum roll, please....MCKMAMA!!!!!! So surreal.
- Hung out with her and her camera for about an hour (I feel like enough of you have stumbled upon these now that I can share them with you here - we had a BLAST!)
- Made the hour or so trek back to the Twin Cities, had some leftover enchiladas and rice, and settled into the couch for another evening of awesome...just chillin' and munchin' on yummies :)

Saturday:
- Went to see Desi at her garage sale...test drove her Subaru...no big deal (<---y'all can start praying about that if you please...)
- Met Miss Megan for lunch at Mickey's Dining Car. Umm, probably one of the most fun experiences ever. I loved watching my best friend here in the FT meet my bestie from TX...so great!
- Miss Ricci and I stopped off at home for a few and made our way to Pine Tree Apple Orchard. I think our discovery of Caribou Coffee and the scenic drive itself were our favorite parts...oh, and the people watching, of course!
- After that we hit up the Mall of America...yuuuup, two weekends in a row for me, kids. Trust me, I am not making this a habit. We had a fun time strolling around. I way enjoyed watching Ricci geek about about the William Sonoma store...priceless.
- We then went home...where she packed, I cried, we ate good food, we enjoyed each others company, and just soaked in the last few hours we had together before I had to send her on home to J-Hump and TX.

Sunday:
- Got up early...got dressed...piled into the car
- Drove to the airport
- Said a quick goodbye so as to not start crying right there on the curb
- She walked to security...I drove home, where I cried some more

Sunday was a rough day for me...I cried a lot that day. I wasn't expecting that at all. I've been extra weepy, in general, since then. I just miss home.

Today marks 2 months of my being here...and not in TX. Really? It's only been two months?? I have 34 more to go?? Oh geesh. Mmmk, time to buckle up and take a deep breath and dive-in to this, I reckon.

On a brighter note, though, I think I have found a church home!!! I think I mentioned it last weekend...I hope I did, but I can't remember right now. Anywho, I went to the same church two weeks in a row! And. It. Was. Awesome! Last night I met a sweet, sweet family who invited me over for dinner - I went tonight!! It was so wonderful! Such a sweet time of fellowship. They sent me home with leftovers!!! I just love their sweet daughter...I'm thinking I may have just adopted a little sister - YAY! She's in 8th grade, and just the sweetest girl. I really enjoyed them and they made me feel right at home. Thank you Jesus for granting me sweet fellowship and renewal through this body of believers.

And with that, my loves, I'm going to close. I need to go finish a reading for class tomorrow and hit the hay.

Love and miss you all. Praying you are growing in the Lord and His love.
Shalom!
~MW

P.S. - B introduced me to this band yesterday: Gungor...they are way good. I highly recommend you check them out.
P.P.S. - I feel like y'all need to see this...it's a little taste of my life here. This is a real commercial that they play on TV here:

Yes, yes, I know...

****SEE EDIT AT END!!****

...It has been way too long since I last updated and I promised you all an update on the Minnesota trip, and, and, and...I know... So, here goes! Hold on to your horsies, kiddies - a fast and furious ride, this entry will be. {Haha, do you like how I just intertwined prairie with The Fast & The Furious with Starwars...blissfully awesome}

Minnesota! {Now to lovingly be referred to as The Frozen Tundra}
So, most of you are up to date on the fact that I went to Minnesota for The U's prospective grad student "Welcome Weekend" a few weeks ago. Now for how awesomely God moved over the course of 2.16 days {Exact enough for you??}:

* I arrive at the airport circa 8:30/8:45pm to be greeted by one of the faculty members {who also happens to be the woman I have been corresponding with and dying to work with...let's call her Lep} with a hug. Yes, a hug!! How awesome is that?! For those of you who know me in "real life" you know how much of a hug person I am. For those of you who only know me via the interwebs...I LOVE HUGS...like, seriously. I could hug people all day and it would never get old. So, if you ever need a hug, I'm your gal! ;) Anyways, back to the story...

* From the airport I am shuttled around the sleepy "town" to my host's apartment. I was kind of nervous about staying with an ento student who I didn't know...cause, if any of you know any ento students, well, then you know that we can be a little, er...odd. Haha. But, fortunately, Robin was absolutely delightful. A lifelong Minnesotan {I guess I should find out if that's what they are really called...haha}, a non-ento undergrad degree, and a current ento PhD student - we got along quite nicely. So that was another blessing to ease my nerves a bit.

* Day one of the "Welcome Weekend" began with a meet & greet amongst the other students who were there interviewing {I was like 2min late, because the bus was running late, and I missed all of the introductions...I felt so small!!}. Then we were presented with a talk on the Ento Department and the program itself - you know one of those selling presentations: here's our awesome history, what we are doing now, and why you should come here...cause we're that awesome. In all honesty, it was pretty interesting and nicely executed. Oh man, then they showed us their insect collection/museum!!! We all nerded-out hardcore...this thing is immaculate and HUGE!! They said it's the 2nd largest collection in the US, either on a university campus or overall...I can't remember which one it was exactly...either way, that's amazing - and it was SO COOL!

* Now begins day one of interviews. To my pleasant surprise it was all a double-sided interview. Not only was the department and it's faculty interviewing us as candidates for their program, but we were also interviewing them to see if they really were as awesome as we thought, basically. I met with 7...yes, 7 professors in one day. 7! Each meeting was about 30min long...and they became increasingly more exhausting. Saying the same thing about yourself over and over again and trying to be just as excited about it each time and then asking the same questions and hearing what that many people study and what they are involved in and what they do outside of research/teaching....geeeeeez! It was an incredible experience, but just as incredibly exhausting.

* Highlights of day one: That afternoon I met with...hmm, let's call him Tricho. Anywho, we were having an awesome visit and then he asks me if Lep has talked to me about him being a co-advisor for me. No...she hasn't mentioned that. He goes on to explain that he would like to advise me alongside Lep so that when she is detained by her 20billion other commitments I will still have someone on hand to provide guidance in my research should I need it. And that he was very excited to work with me throughout the next few years if I didn't object. I - was - dumbfounded. Totally in awe that professors have been discussing me and that not one, but TWO professors want to advise me. Wait, what?? Is this real life?! Um, yeah...it totally happened. In all honesty, I'm still in shock. I of course did not and do not object to this! What a blessing! Having more than one major professor can be a bad thing, but in this situation it will be awesome. Oh yeah...and dinner was spectacular...I already have a new
{though pricey!!} addiction, haha.

* Day two was a bit more chill - thank the Lord! I was totally wiped after day one. But, day two was by far the most exciting: Lep and I finally got to sit down one-on-one (well, with the inclusion of her recently graduated PhD student) and discuss my/our future as far as the next few years are concerned.

{Side-note: the few weeks leading up to my trip to MN were insane. I had really started to doubt what my motives for going to grad school were: Is this something I am just wanting to do so that I can say, "I have my master's in Entomology..."; or is this something that am following after the Lord in, in an effort to glorify Him with my life? I was wondering if maybe I shouldn't just go get my teaching certification and just head straight into teaching after my awesome experience subbing at PCA... Overall, I was very confused and was pleading with the Lord to grant me some inkling of direction, clarity, anything. I mean, I would have been happy with as little as a weird feeling, or something as minuscule as that. I was trusting in the knowledge of God's never failing faithfulness (yes, I know that is a rather redundant and repetitive statement, but it was intentional) that He would grant me some sort of something during my time in MN. Not only did He grant me an inkling, but He handed me a silver platter...all I had to do was accept it. How's that for a teaser?!}

So, we get to visiting, she shows me her lab, and all that jazz, and things are going smoothly. Then we get to talking about the grant, which includes talking about the project. Let me just say this: I'm jealous of myself, haha! No, but really, this project is beyond cool and I have huge opportunities to experience some once-in-a-lifetime things while I work on it. I'm stoked. {I'll fill you all in on some more specifics of the project later on...} So, I'm getting very excited as she is describing the history behind the project and everything it entails, and then she says this to me, "Now, I'd like to propose something else to you... {At this point God whispered, pretty loudly, to be honest, "Listen closely, Heather...this is important. Listen."} What would you say to getting a minor in Museum Studies while you are here?" Intrigued, I respond, "Sounds interesting...what all would that entail?" "For you, you would get a minor with an emphasis on education. So, you would take classes geared towards creating and implementing educational outreach programs through the museum setting. And, you would also take some curatorial classes just to learn the basics behind maintaining and building collections. There is also a built-in semester-long {I think that's how long she said it is} internship at one of the museums here in town {there are a ton of museums there}...most likely working on a current or developing a new outreach program with the staff...." OH MY BUSINESS!!! Are you kidding me?! Did she really just ask me if I wanted to learn how to be an outreach educator AND get experience doing that as class credit!??! HECK YES I WANT TO MINOR IN MUSEUM STUDIES WITH AN EMPHASIS ON EDUCATION!!!!!!! If you can't tell I'm beyond being ridiculously excited about this unreal opportunity God just dropped in my lap. That silver platter I mentioned above...I definitely accepted it. I wish I could have recorded my souls reaction for all of you as Lep was telling me about an opportunity to obtain an insane foundation for entering the education world. I was dancing with the Holy Spirit - haha, it was amazing. Needless to say, God granted me, ever so graciously, the direction and clarity I needed to know that He has indeed prepared this path for me. I cannot wait to see how He grows me throughout my time at The U. I'll be there for about 3yrs...yikes, that's a lot of intense winters in The Frozen Tundra, haha. Not too shabby - I'm excited to go on this adventure with my Heavenly Daddy. It's gonna be off the heezy fo sheezy! I mean, don't get me wrong, it's going to be beyond challenging, but it will all be so worth it. I'm stiz-oked!

So, that was Minnesota!

Of late! So...lately I have been working on some senior pictures with the J-Man. It has been SO fun! Mostly because it has given me a good excuse to spend time with my lil bro, and secondly because B loaned me his Rebel to play around with...soooo nice - I'm gettin' one! Haha. I'm in editing mode right now...it's pretty fun! I'll throw some up when I have more processed.

A rant! Haha, this is about to be another hold on to your horses moment, get excited. I'm not sure how many of you saw my post on Easter & Chocolate, but this is along those lines... My dear friend J-Hump, husband to my lovely Ricci of The Humphrey Happenings and Sweet like Spice, posted a ROCKIN' update to his blog Josh's Projects and Plans. {Do you think I included enough links in those two sentences?? Haha.} Each and every one of you needs to go read it - Christian or not. We all really need to stop and think about what we are purchasing, where it is coming from, how it is being made/processed, and whose hands are making/processing these things we are purchasing. I'll keep my ranting to a min so you can spend more time reading through J-Hump's...he executed his rant beautifully.

{Side note: For any of you guys out there who are desiring to be real men as opposed to the commonality found in our culture today of men being chick-dudes (© Butch Smith), I would encourage you to bookmark/follow Josh's Projects and Plans, as he is planning on addressing this issue on a weekly basis - it's going to be intense, y'all. But I can honestly tell you that Josh is a good man to seek counsel from in this area - living up to being a true man of God is something he definitely strives for.}

Oh, and back to the rant real quick, if any of you are looking for places to get good foods in an honest and raw way, check out this site for farms/ranches in your area: Slow Food.



Ok, I have officially spent too much time at the computer today...so now I will close. I feel like I'm forgetting to tell you about something or to talk about something, though...hmmm... Well, my beloved readers, if I remember I'll throw in an edit on this post or, most likely, devote a whole post to whatever it was I'm forgetting. That's all for now!

Shalom!
~MW



EDIT: I remembered what I was going to tell you all about earlier!! I kind of started to in my rant, but never really explained it...wooops! Anywho, I was going to tell you all about the lovely Ricci's new project/shop Sweet Like Spice. She has started making her darling camera strap covers to SELL! Guys, I know you might not be as pumped about this as us ladies might be, but hey...if you have a photographer mom, sister, friend, gf, fiance, wife...makes a great a gift! Hop on over tell her hello! Like I said, she's just getting started so show her some love and bear with her as she gets everything up and running. Also, if you act quickly there is a giveaway happening for one of Ricci's creations through Palermo Photography. Check it out!!

Ahhhh...contentment

***See EDIT at bottom***

So, it's Tuesday...not to crazy of a day, just another day...

But, today was positively wonderful. Pourquoi? Because, my dear ones, I was blessed to have an absolutely delightful lunch date with Miss Susie. Miss Susie is one of my greatest role models when it comes to living as a woman of God. She teaches the Reflections class at my church, and taught me when the same class when I was in high school. Reflections is, in a way, and for lack of a better term, a "charm course" for young women growing up in faith. It teaches girls to see themselves as daughters of the King, and to love the qualities and gifts He has given us as individuals. It also teaches how to act and present yourself as a poised and appropriate lady, when it comes to dress, hygiene, make-up, and some basic home presentation tips, as well. It's quite a rigorous course, but a lot of fun and a great period of learning - and Miss Susie has a wonderful gift that allows her to relate to junior high and high school aged girls. Anyways, I absolutely adore this woman and respect her more than I can describe to you here. She and I have been trying to get together to have a lunch/coffee date for the last 5 years or so...we finally did it! We went to Chuy's...yumm :) We talked and talked and talked, for a good two hours or so. It was so wonderful! We talked about some trials we've had, joys, "plans," and general chit-chat and catching up - it's hard to really catch up when you only have a few minutes here and there on Sundays/Wednesdays. Pure joy to simply visit with her.

Oh my gosh. Did anyone see Live! with Regis and Kelly today? Martin Short was co-hosting with Kelly and, wow - it was probably one of my favorite episodes of that show. I'm almost tempted to say Mr. Short should be Kelly's new co-host! Ok...I know that's asking a lot, and I do adore Regis, but Martin was so funny, yo! For example, they were discussing reality TV and Martin says this: I get bored with the celebration of ignorance...read a book. Brilliant; my thoughts exactly, Mr. Short!! How awesome that he said that, though! I was beaming with agreement.

I got to read more this afternoon and took a 2.5hr nap...I use that term loosely, for it was quite noisy in my house...my dad is loud :/ But it was still nice to just lay. I was super tired for some reason.

Tonight we had a committee meeting for the youth group's Valentine's Day Dinner Fundraiser thing-a-ma-bobber...I like being able to help out and it's nice to be treated as and thought of as an adult in the congregation that I "grew-up" in. After our little meeting it was down the hall to Bible study - we finished the book of Esther! Next week we decided we are going to start working our way through I Samuel - yay! One of my favorites.

And that, lovelies, was pretty much my day. Oh! One more thing before I forget: for all you crafty/nesty readers, take a gander at Nesting Place's newest blog. She has an awesome give-away going on, and if you don't like what she has up for grabs the website she's partnered with for this one is AwEsOmE!! Super great deals for scrapbooking/crafting/nesting in general :)

***EDIT: So...I goofed last night and totally left out about half of my shout-out paragraph...woops! The site with the scrapbooky stuff giveaway is The Idea Room, Nesting Place was a Daysprings giveaway, equally as awesome, I just totally left out the part about The Idea Room which was to correspond with the awesome site peachycheap.com, which has all the scrapbooking steals. So, there ya go...my baaad!***


With that, I'm off. Nighty-night.

Shalom,
~MW

Let us Give Thanks...

...to the Lord for He is Good... (1Chron. 16:34)

Wow. Thanksgiving 2009 has arrived (well, in less than 2hrs it will). I cannot believe another year has come and gone. So much has happened in a years time and I have SO much to be thankful for. I don't even know where to begin. I think I will tackle this list-wise {yes, Humphrey Happenings, I'm copying your format...love you!}:

1. The selfless compassion, mercy, and love of my beautiful Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. {I wish everyone could know and understand how awesome He is and the indescribable peace and life-change that comes with truly knowing Him...ask me about it sometime!}

2. Music {I would probably go a little cray-cray without it.}

3. BigBoy {I don't know what I would do without those cuddle moments with him...and his occasional frisky moods where he actually PLAYS **WHAT?!?!**}

4. My amazing friends {You all know who you are; you were there when I felt most alone and when I felt most surrounded; when I was most saddened, and most overjoyed; you have simply been there when I needed encouragement or a wake-up smack upside the head - I love you all dearly.}

5. My family {You have given me the tools to become the woman I am today; your unending support will always mean the world to me.}

6. Chocolate {nuff said}

7. Honey Nut Cheerios/Toasty-Os {Heaven in a bowl of soy milk? I think yes.}

8. Cornelius!! {Even when you get sick, I am still ever so thankful every time you feel up to carting me around town, across the state, or across states}

9. Little Bubba and Tevye {Y'all kids are cool in my book}

10. Black licorice {Call me crazy, I think it's divine}

11. Sopapilla cheesecake

12. Layne's {Oh I will miss those delicious strips and sauce...}

13. Texas A&M University {Yeah, I said it, but seriously without this place my life would be nowhere near as amazing as it is}

14. Festive decorating {I so cannot wait to have own "nest" to festive-ify}

15. Missions

16. Child sponsorship

17. Grimm {The beloved four-legged friend of the Humphrey Happenings gang...I so love being "Fun Aunt Heather"!}

18. Spending hours in the kitchen {Seriously, some nights I just decide to not go to bed and bake or cook something instead...seriously.}

19. Blogging

20. Pictures {I will be a better photographer before I'm 25...running out of time, yikes!}

21. Arts & Crafts {Especially if it's gifts for other peoples...just makes my heart glad.}

22. Gardening/Potting plants {Something about it is just amazingly soothing to me}

23. Hiking around the great outdoors {This includes camping - I love getting dirty and feeling alive, there is absolutely nothing like it.}

24. Sitting with my family around me {The oldest of my two younger brothers is currently crashed on the loveseat next to me, with BigBoy wedged between us - this is absolute perfection.}

25. Discussing the love of Jesus with my siblings and friends {Especially when they get it!}

26. Candles...candles...and more candles.

27. Glade plug-ins Lavender-Vanilla {Smells like my home}

28. Tobias {My parents' newest four-legged family member...probably the most precious dachshund ever - I'm just saying...I'm totally stealing him when I move to the Land of 10,000 Lakes...shhh!! Don't tell my parents!!!}

29. The jokes on the wrappers of Laffy Taffy which provided for a much needed study break for me and Alyssa.

30. Firelight digital short {This can brighten ANYone's day.}

31. My damask laptop sleeve {It makes me ridiculously happy...maybe too happy...}

32. Dates with Mrs. Humphrey {Someone call the vet!!}

33. Living Hope {My walk would not be growing, strengthening, and moving the way it is now without the incredible preaching of truth, example, accountability, and genuine love exhibited there - such a glorious blessing to my life.}

34. Fireside Chai Tea {Gypsy Teas...woah dang, it's like Christmas in your mouth!!}

35. Elf {Need I say more??}

36. The EVER APPROACHING day of GRADUATION!!!

37. PJ pants {There's just something about them}

38. Prayer {Speechless}

39. Breakaway Ministries {Life changing}

40. Mountain Biking {More specifically having the privilege to learn in Rachel's class and getting to know her and her heart for the Lord over the course of this semester - I can't believe it's over!}

41. Winter weather/snow {I'll be with you soon!!}

42. Long phone calls with far-away friends {So amazingly wonderful}

43. Pea Coats {Especially if they are of the plum plaid genre - yum}

44. "Affordable" airfare

45. Long drives by myself *without a working radio* that force me to think and talk to God.

46. Decorator tables {The possibilities are endless!}

47. Being 4.5 essay questions away from being done with my course-by-correspondence!

48. Healing.

49. Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade {I cannot wait.}

50. Having time to sit and reflect on the blessings of life and sharing them with whomever desires to read them {I love reading other lists like this because they remind me of the little things I sometimes forget to be thankful for}

Well all, tomorrow calls for some early rising as I will be spending the entire day in the kitchen **WHOOP!** preparing a killer Thanksgiving Day Feast - don't you worry, I will document it and share it with you at some point. I'm trying some new recipes this year, too, so I'll let you know how those go.

Blessings and love to you all!
~MW

Hmmm...

Hello, all.

So, this weekend has been a strange one...really good great, but strange...

Friday I dropped off Cornelius at Aggieland Automotive to see if maybe they can figure out what's wrong with my little dude and get him back in tip-top shape for a fairly reasonable price... *gulp* After that I got to talk with my dear friend Sam for quite a while, it was a good catch-up chat, and found out that he might be able to swing down to Indianapolis for a quick visit while I'm there in December - it would be really fun to get to visit with him in person for the first time in almost 2yrs...wow, we've kept up with each other for nearly 2 years after spending a mere 5 days together...blows my mind when I think about that. But that was great and then I went to the movies with B, Tara, and their friends Nate and Becca (we saw Men Who Stare at Goats...it was dumb...nuff said), and grabbed some Spoons following a quick jaunt around the Sam's Club parking lot in a cart...yes, that's right it happened, and it was glorious :)

Saturday I did some stuffs around the apartment and went to MugWalls with Alyssa to work on grad school apps (WAY more difficult than one might expect...oh essays...) for a few hours. After that I ran to campus in Dave (Ricci's sweet Explorer; we've developed quite the little bond over the last week and a half or so), grabbed my bike and went to Jimmy's for our bi-weekly bike cleaning session - always good times. Once we were satisfied with out work we ran my bike back to campus and went over to a fellow mountain biking buddy's house. Tyler (our buddy) had been smoking a brisket all day and wanted to share the wealth - it was DELICIOUS!!! And it was his first one!! I was impressed, like for serious. We had a good time hanging out with him, met some of his friends and the girlfriend. After we were all done chowin' down we were chillin' in the living room and in bursts Jeff Marshall...what?! Yes, Jeff just so happens to be one of Tyler's roommates!! What are the odds?? So I went and had a little chat with him - he was all bummed 'cause he had a poor day at the deer lease...seeing as how it was opening day of deer season he was pretty upset he didn't get anything, especially that 8-pointer who's antlers were inside his ears...poor Jeff. Dropped Jimmy off and headed back to the apartment where I watched Management with Lindsey, David, and Lindsey's sister Kelly and their cousin Tiffany. It was a good little flick.

Today (Sunday) has been a good day, as well. Church was really great - worship was off the chain today...total and complete sincerity and humility in that building, for sure. Butch's message was a good one, too. We've been working our way through Matthew 5, and when I say working our way through, I mean really digging into it...like, taking 3-5 verses a week. Yeah, it's amazing. Today we talked about integrity (Matt 5:31-37) - ranging from marital integrity to oaths. Basically it was addressing how in today's world a person's word really doesn't mean anything anymore because we have all found ways to wiggle our way out of doing something we say we are going to do, or on the flip side do something we say we won't... It was good to be reminded, like it says in those verses, that we are to let our yes simply be yes, and our no be a simple no...none of this finger's crossed, or "cross my heart, hope to die" business... I then made my way over to the Humphrey home and took a gander at their newly put-together guest room - it is truly lovely. They did a fantastic job at making it welcoming and giving it a warm, safe feeling. (I'll be visiting after graduation, for sure!) We had lunch, and had a really wonderful visit talking about, as Josh puts it, "real things" :) I just love them, they are truly a blessing in my life...not only are they wonderful company, but they are an amazing example of what it means to walk in the Lord in everything, and they are so willing to give, whether it's simply inviting me for lunch or dinner or, on a larger scale, lending me Dave until Cornelius is up and running again... I definitely thank God for them all the time.

Post-Humphrey time is where things got really weird for me today. I've been very tense all afternoon about something and I'm not quite sure what it is...I have an inkling, but that can't be the only thing that is putting me in this funk. Lately I've really been struggling with the pain of the events surrounding me and Marcos, as it is November again and the 2nd (two years ago...wow) is when we re-committed to try and make things work, and then everything after that just got worse and worse....leading into my spell with depression...yeah, that was a fun Christmas...not! It's not that I want him back - yes, I miss what we had, I won't lie - but more that it still just plain hurts. I gave him my whole heart and he broke it, so badly that I wasn't sure those little shards would ever fit back together again. I've been doing a lot of evaluating of everything that has happened throughout my time in college over the course of this semester, and how different things have turned out from what I had planned/imagined. Once sophomore year rolled around I always imagined having Marcos and rest of the Ybarra family at my graduation and just still having them all playing the roles they were playing in my life over two years ago...I imagined graduating with everyone from my class, instead of walking after the majority of them all...I imagined that I would be getting ready to go, or starting vet school right now...I certainly never imagined not really having a post-graduation plan - I mean I have ideas about grad school working out, but otherwise, I got nothin'...I imagined I would be engaged and planning a wedding or at least nearing that point (this really isn't something I'm struggling with, just something I thought would have happened the way things were sophomore year)...I imagined I would have more of an idea of who I am... It's all just very humbling to think about, ya know? Recognizing that no matter how much we all plan for things to happen a certain way in our lives, we never have any true control - it's always, always God who has the final say. That's something Ben talked about at Breakaway on Tuesday: how James reminds us that it is literally walking in sin to have the audacity to say that "I will be doing this or that tomorrow...in a month...in two years..." Yeah, that is definitely something I do all the time. I'm a planner - I'm a sinner. I don't leave everything in the hands of God, I don't consult Him in everything I do. Everything. Hmm, that was a slight digression, but a good one...back to this afternoon. I've been on the verge of tears since about 4, and I can't figure out if it's the Marcos thing or something else or a combination of things. It's very weird. I have the worst tension headache, I can't hold my attention on anything to save my life, I'm just a mess - and I have no idea why or about what. Talk about frustrating. I've been feeling very alone this afternoon, too...it's all so WEIRD!! I've had a pretty flawless weekend, and so I just don't understand what the deal is... I think I'm going to finish reviewing my trees for tomorrow and go spend some one-on-one time with my Heavenly Daddy. I need His clarity and comfort today. I need to be reminded that I am dearly loved by Him who watches every moment of my life and knows every hair on my head, every hurt and joy in my heart, every fear, everything. Yeah, I'm off to do that.

Love you all dearly.
Shalom,
~MW

Troubled on some issues of the spirit...

Initially today was like any other Sunday, got up (later than planned), got ready for church, headed of to my dear Living Hope, worshiped and gleaned pearls of wisdom from the wise Butch, chatted with a few peeps, then headed back home for a lazy afternoon (I decided that if I start calling the apartment home more it will begin to feel more like a home and less like a temporary place of living...I think it will work). Took a nap that, of course, lasted way too long then headed up to Living Hope for this month's membership informational class.

I've been going to Living Hope for about a semester and all summer long and I really feel like the Lord wants me there for the remainder of my time in CS. So, naturally I felt it would be wise and fair to Living Hope members that I look into membership for this next semester. I'd heard that college students are generally allowed to hold a dual membership with Living Hope and their original Home church at "home" and this is what I had planned to do. As I was sitting in the class my heart was over-joyed as I listened to Butch talk to a room full of prospective members about how real and active the family at Living Hope is. Then he got to the becoming a member part, and here is where I am struggling.

So, here's a little background info I feel is essential to the understanding of this story. I was raised in the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, and that is where my firm belief remains. Why am I currently attending a Baptist church, you might ask? When I initially moved to CS I, of course, started attending the University Lutheran Chapel, but after a semester of faithful attendance there I felt like the Lord didn't want me there. Me, being vehicle-less tagged along with friends to their churches that next (spring) semester and ended up attending Grace Bible Church from then up until two semesters ago when I felt like the Lord was calling me to find a church where I could better reach my full potential as a servant for Him, working with a group of people with the desires I have to reach people here and now. With that Angela and I tried out Living Hope. In all honesty, I really, really didn't like it the first time I attended and didn't go back for the rest of that fall semester. Spring rolled around and I was still at Grace, because I needed to be somewhere even if it didn't "fit" ***side-note: please try to understand what I am meaning to say and not what I am actually saying when I say things like "fit" and the like, I'm not all that articulate today***. I felt the Lord tugging me back to Living Hope, and I was like, "Lord! I didn't like it there...they talked during the sermon! I'm a Lutheran, we don't do things like that..." I, somewhat be-grudgingly, gave in to His call and went to Living Hope again. Surprisingly, this time I liked it and the interaction during the sermon didn't distract me like it did the first time I went, "...hmm," I though. Long story short, I have been faithfully attending ever since. But I am still a Lutheran when it comes to theology - therein seems to lie the "problem."

So, Lutherans and Baptists don't agree when it comes to a few theological issues like infant baptism. I was baptized on April 4th, 1987 and I consider that to be the day that the Lord's Spirit entered my soul and began working within me and growing me into the believer I am today. I do not believe that simply because someone was baptized as an infant and didn't "make that decision" themselves that they are being disobedient to the Lord's will. Why? Because I don't think we, as humans, can put limits on God, also, I do not believe that "conversion" (not that being baptized is point of conversion) is a decision, but rather the Holy Spirit working a life and spirit change within you. If it were a decision, wouldn't that be a work? Anyways, back to baptism. My baptism, though it was over 22 years ago, is one of the most defining moments of my life and I cling to that day when my faith begins to falter. Also, why can't children and infants have the gifts of baptism (forgiveness of sins, rescue from death and the devil, eternal salvation to those who believe - Mark 16:16)?? Acts 2:37-39 tells us that baptism is for all ages: "And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself."" Who are we to say who the Lord does and does not call to Himself simply because those of us baptized as infants didn't decide to get baptized of our own accord? This last passage says that anyone who is baptized receives the gift of the Holy Spirit...And I firmly believe that the Lord breathed His Spirit and created me a new creation the day I was baptized. Also, infants have cognition, the Bible even tells us so, Luke 1:41-44. I don't say any of this in a self-righteous tone or to be disrespectful to Butch or to try to prove his teaching/belief wrong, theology is one of those things within the Body of Christ that the Devil definitely uses to create rifts and chaos in the fellowship of the Body. I am simply laying my beliefs and my struggle (below) out there.

But the whole point of this is that now I don't know what to do about Living Hope. I love it there and that is where I feel the Lord wants me for this next semester, but I thought He would want me to be a full member...unless I am baptized by submersion I can't be a member at Living Hope, and my being re-baptized would mean that I believe my baptism as an infant was null and void and I certainly do NOT believe that, at all. Really, I suppose I need to sit down with Butch and talk with him about it. I know I can be involved in a HOPE group without being a member, but I would like to be on a ministry team as well, and I don't know if I can do that without being a member. Unfortunately Butch will be out of town for the next 2wks, just my luck :) So, I suppose it will have to wait 'til he gets back from Africa. Oy, theology... Ah, well, it will all get figured out, I'm sure, I just wanted to be a member and start getting involved with things now. Bummer.

I've been kind of in a funk all afternoon since then. A lot of it has to do with Lindsey not being here all day after staying at David's last night...they came back for about an hour and then left again and I don't know when I'll see her again, she's not coming home again tonight...I miss my roomz :(

BUT! Angela and Mika come tomorrow!!!! SO exciting. I cannot wait to see them - it will be a good week :)

That's all for now, lovelies, I think I am going to go try to make some sort of sauce with some blueberries and strawberries I have before they go bad...

Blessings and Peace to you!

~MW

Ah, Wednesdays...

Today was another day. I'm still an insomniac so it's been a little difficult to be pumped about much at all...I'm exhausted, but can't sleep - I love life! I really do love life, it's just tricky right now. But, I started my sleeping meds up again last night, so hopefully come next week I will be sleeping like a baby again. That's the bad thing about non-habit-forming, it takes a while to kick in. But that's OK. I have a very gracious boss who allows me to come in late when these goings ons occur in my life - thank God for him!

On a brighter note, today was the Baptism and Watermelon Fellowship Night at Living Hope! I wish I had been peppier to enjoy the mingling and meeting of a bazillion new people, mostly courtesy of the lovely Humphreys, but alas I was rather dull for conversation. However it was wonderful to see the Lord working tonight. My friend Travis got baptized tonight, so that was awesome to witness.

Came home to an empty apartment, which was kind of surprising as my roommate officially moved in today, but she came back a bit later with a bunch of our buddies, so it was nice to see all of them, especially the newly pronounce Mr. and Mrs. Cargill! Love them.

Well, my dear ones, that's all for now.

Lots of love and blessings to you all. I'm off to medicate and hopefully get some sleep tonight.

~MW

Ah, the blogger world

...how I have missed you!

It's probably been about 4yrs since I officially had a blog I kept up with (micro-blogging doesn't count). I figure now is a good time to start back up again, seeing as how I am entering a new stage in my life: my victory half-lap! Yes, yes, I am about to start my final semester at Texas A&M University, home of the Fightin' Texas Aggies. A-Whoop! This semester will be like none other, I guarantee you that much. 90% of my community base of the last 4 years has graduated and moved on...that means that 10% that is left is about to become very important and that 90% that is gone is already sorely missed. While my "family" seems to have diminished here in Aggieland over the past 2-3 months of the summer, the doors are wide open to add in new members and become even closer with the remaining original members. Those that are gone are no less important to me than they were while here, but now we must suffer the remainder of our lives with indirect communication... Has anyone noticed that it almost seems more difficult to keep in touch with people with these seemingly endless forms of communication? I mean, there is the "classic" facebook, email/gmail, facebook chat, google chat, blackberry messenger, aim is still around, skype/skype chat, twitter, various blogging communities, and of course texting, phone calls, and the beautiful yet increasingly more expensive snail-mail........and that isn't even a fully exhaustive list, it is however quite exhausting to review! It almost seems that the more methods of communication we have the longer we contemplate the HOW to communicate with one another, as opposed to contemplating the WHO to communicate with. Very odd, this plugged-in world we live in - very odd, indeed. (Don't get me wrong, I'm, sadly, completely plugged-in, but when you stop and really think about how extensively we are all hooked up to electronics, it really is exhaustingly terrifying!)

Anyways, as I was saying, this will be a semester like none-other. I've decided that this semester I am going to be much more involved with my newly found church family. After 2 1/2 years of attending a lovely church here with my lovely college roommates I made the decision to search for a smaller congregation made up of members who hold one another accountable and are not afraid to call out a fellow brother/sister out of love and concern for their spiritual health. I found that at Living Hope last semester. While I have maintained a fairly low profile for about a semester I am now convinced that this congregation is the place the Lord wants to grow me in my final semester at A&M. I have already gleaned immense knowledge and understanding over the course of the last semester and this summer, and I am excited to finish out the "Genuine" series and to see what Butch has in store for us as the year progresses. The emphasis on family and oneness at Living Hope is an absolutely beautiful image at what Christ described the Church to be. The sense of true brotherhood I see and feel at LH reminds me so much of the descriptions you see in the New Testament from Peter and Paul, etc. People taking care of people in earthly and spiritual ways. I am truly blessed to have found this home.

School will be different as well. My main classes focus on the plant kingdom, as opposed to the animal kingdom...a little bit of a change for me, but an exciting one, none-the-less. I love plants!!! I mean, I only have about 5 or 6 in my apartment right now, but I love them! And, one of them I have had for over 6years - oh how I love my little money tree. Talking about my plants reminds me of the common phrase "stop and smell the roses." When you really do stop, even just for a moment or two, and look at the greens and reds and blues and yellows and purples, etc. all around us on this marvelous planet, it truly is amazing! I'm fairly certain that the majority of us take the plant world for granted, as something that will always be there, and we never have to worry about losing...even in droughts, it seems that plants are just expected to be around. Funny how we get used to having things and forget about how important and precious they really are. But I was talking about school!! Hmmm...yeah, it's gonna be a lot of plants! I'm excited.

Welp, it is late. I am tired. Work will be here before I know it (yay...). I'm off to bed!

Cheers!
~H.