Bubble Wrap & Jesus.

I am SO alive.

2010-03-20T22:28:00.000-05:00

it's been too long...

Let's see...

1. I took a trip to urgent care today. I've been fighting tonsilitis for a couple weeks now and today I took a turn for the worse. My tonsils were so swollen I was having trouble breathing and swallowing. Oh crap. So, I went down to the urgent care and got the hookup with some steroids and some antibiotics. And now, I feel puffy, but I can breathe... worth it? I think so.

2. I'm moving to DC. Holy mother. I have way too much to do.

3. I just finished my first professional costume design in Dallas. A production called Binge by Thomas Ward, one of my professors at BU. I loved working with people I went to college with again in a professional capacity! It was GREAT!

4. I also just finished helping paint one of the biggest sets I've ever worked on. Word.

5. I'm graduating soon. Crap. But exciting. But nervewracking. But exciting. But scary... You get the idea...

OK... I'm sleepy... thanks for letting me catch you up. :)

I am NOT a musical fan.

2009-11-29T22:51:00.000-06:00

OK, OK... that's a lie... well, not a complete lie. I am not a musical fan in the sense that when I hear about a musical my little heart starts beating and I go look up the next city I can find the tour. However, to my dismay, I have really started to like a few musicals... and the problem is they suck me in with ONE song... ugh. Those songwriters.

OK, here are the musicals:
Next to Normal
Spring Awakening

Yep, that about does it for that list...

Here's the deal. I really like the MUSIC! And they both have these great rock kinda songs and they're FUN! AND they tell a story! IN THE SONG! Those songwriters...

I bet you're curious what the songs are, huh? Next to Normal has this great song called "I'm Alive" and I love it because of how multi-faceted it is. It's sung by the dead son in the show (maybe you should go check out a synopsis here). OK. Much better. Sung by the dead son, but I think we can all sort of relate to it. Really, go look up the lyrics. And listen to it. It's a catchy little thing.

From Spring Awakening comes a song called "The Bitch of Living" and I love it. Love it. Love it. Go look it up. Listen to it and relate. Because I think we all can...

Anyway, that's the extent of my musical dorkiness. :) Enjoy.

Art

2009-11-02T22:56:00.000-06:00

I fell in love with art. Again. I remembered why we need it and what it's done and what it's endured (especially those who create it). I love it, because it is that important. Let's take a look at some major things that have happened in the last 100 years:

-Ziegfeld Follies glorified the American girl.
-Irving Berlin wrote music for Ziegfeld... and also wrote: This is the Army. (1942) A look at life in the army. It starred over 300 actual American soldiers. It was later made into a movie. (You should Netflix it :))
- Fanny Brice was made famous.
-Show Boat was written by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein III and produced by Ziegfeld. It was a book musical.
-Bertolt Brecht made his mark on the theatre.
-The House of Un-American Activities Committee caused major turmoil for famous actors. Many were blacklisted. The community of artists was tested.
-The Group Theatre happened (1931-1940). Founders included Lee Strasburg, Stella Adler and Elia Kazan. It was strongly influenced by the Moscow Art Theatre (Stanislavsky's group).
-Clifford Odets worked with TGT. He wrote Waiting for Lefty, Awake and Sing and The Golden Boy.
-FDR's Works Progress Administration set up the Federal Theatre Project. It did over 1200 productions of 830 plays between 1935-1939. It employed more than 1000 people. They also produced what became known as Voodoo Macbeth.
-Jo Mielziner was BRILLIANT. He reminds me to search for ways to do things beautifully. He designed for: Death of a Salesman, The King and I, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Gypsy to name just a very very few.
-Boris Aronson and Ming Cho Lee both happened and are WONDERFUL designers.
-Oklahoma!, often referred to as the first American musical, changed the look of the musical show. It was the first fully integrated cast for a book musical.
-Stephen Sondheim, Kander and Ebb, Comden and Green, Bob Fosse, Hal Prince and Joseph Papp all happened.
-Existentialism and Absurdist theatre took the stage. Eugene Ionesco and Samuel Beckett both came of this.
-The first Othello with a black actor (not a white actor in blackface) was staged (1943-1945) with a record breaking 296 performances. The stars were Paul Robeson and Uta Hagen. Go read about this. I will NOT be able to do it justice and it's a story you should know. It should break your heart and make you love art, too.
-Lorraine Hansberry was the first woman to win a New York Drama Critics Award. She wrote A Raisin in the Sun and was amazing.

Love art. If for no other reason than it speaks to the heart of all people, love art.

My Heart

2009-10-19T02:41:00.001-05:00

Have you ever left a place and known that you have to get back to that place? That you left your heart there and nothing will stop you from getting back? That's DC to me... and I left my heart there this weekend. Talk about a weepy flight back...

and a month later...

2009-10-10T14:37:00.000-05:00

Today, I realized it's been a while. I haven't blogged in about a month. Not that I haven't had blog-worthy stuff going on, it's just hasn't been blog-appropriate... you know? Couple of the goings on:

the weather in Texas is fall-like. Every other day or so. This consistency of chill surprises most native Texans. And excites us. I broke out my tights today. :)

Speaking of tights. I had a substitute teacher when I was in 10th grade who was pretty old. He was a funny guy and we were talking about the prime of his youth: The Forties. He was telling us about the stockings they used to wear - the ones with the seams down the back. He thought those should come back in style. I also recently read Death of a Salesman. Hence stockings being on my mind. If you don't get it, go read the play. It'll be good for you.

I learned how to drape patterns yesterday. I also poked my finger with a needle. It hurt.

I'm exhausted. And ready to graduate.

I leave on Thursday night for Washington DC! I'm stoked!!! :)

Now, I must go work on a paper. Maybe I'll blog more soon... maybe...

weird

2009-09-10T13:20:00.000-05:00

I'm a senior in college. In my head, this means my classes should be challenging, homework should be mountainous, papers should take over my life, research should be what I eat, breathe and sleep, I should be painting at all hours of the day and I shouldn't have time to write this. This may be what it should mean, but it is not what it is. How sad. Actually, I'm bored. Out of my mind. I'm not being challenged. Even in my classes that I thought I would be, I'm not. I read the newspaper online for one class and read about a play a week for another with a few other pages interspersed. It's really not enough to really keep me busy. Oh, sure I paint and design, but that's not work, I love that.

in short: I'm bored. I need to focus and work really hard this semester, but there's no motivation. Really.

Maybe I can get that window painted now...

Just prepare to laugh. Either at or with me.

2009-09-08T00:31:00.000-05:00

Here's the rundown of my dating life thus far this year. Because, if you can't laugh at it, life is going to seem a lot longer than you'd like.

One couldn't handle a social situation to save his life. He told me education wasn't all that important and told me I'm spoiled. Which... I may be, but you don't tell me that. Especially when you're trying to date me and I go to college. A good college. And I'm a senior. Which means I want to be here.

The crying guy.

The guy who can't figure out the difference in feel, fill and full. He really wants to share his fillings with me... so either he wants to kiss me or tell me he liked me.... the constant guessing got old.

The guy who had the nerve to tell me women are only good for one thing. This reminded me that Dad always said, "Boys only want one thing." He was serious, but, fortunately, not about all boys.

The guy who likes to tell me how much he likes me and then asks if it's weird that he feels so much for me.

The guy who accidentally tells me he loves me all the time.

The firefighter. Letdown.

The roughneck who talked a lot while making out. You can't do both. Either conversation or kissing. Not both. Oh and he left a hickey. And by a, I mean five, obviously. Gross. We were over the next day.

Edward Scissorhands. If you don't know that story, maybe I can share sometime.

The Professor. From another university... I feel the need to qualify that. He was great.

Other. Also, good.

and a few that I won't mention... :)

Is it May yet?

2009-08-28T21:52:00.000-05:00

I'm really ready to graduate. This week has confirmed this for me. I have:

-had a prof make me cry.
-found the dumbest people in my classes.
-realized that I will have to deal with these people a lot.
-spent $43 on paintbrushes and $70 on Prismacolors. And I'm not done.
-fallen in and out of love with Chekhov. And maybe back in. Damn, Chekhov.
-skipped two classes (one with VERY solid reasoning).
-been bored out of my effing mind.
-had a lame Friday night.
-had NO time to blog, depsite my boredom.
-sat through no less than 5 boring lectures.

Did I mention this is only week 1? Awesome.

Um, May 15th, excuse me, can you get a move on? Please? I don't want to seem impatient or anything, but I'm ready to GO. Thanks.

Hello, senior year. How do YOU do?

2009-08-24T16:39:00.001-05:00

Well, I am official. I have filed my graduation card, I know my way around campus - which doesn't matter because all but one of my classes are in the same building-, I feel old, I don't know ANY of the names of the freshmen's names in the department, and, let's be honest, I may or may not EVER know them. I'm sitting at one of my favorite spots in the coffee house I spend too much time at, and I am currently researching Edward Gordon Craig and his work with the Moscow Art Theatre. I've been doing this forever... or at least it feels like that. I'm convinced I've been doing this for forever... and then it hits me: this is it. I have 9 months left of this thing. Then, I'm done. I'll be employed and not worried about the stacks of homework that are sitting in the chair next to me that I am currently politely ignoring. This time next year, I won't walk campus. I won't be going to welcome-back-these-are-the-new-policies meetings. There won't be Common Grounds waiting for me to get out of class and come take a seat and pour over research for hours. There won't be college, just life... and to be honest, as bright-eyed as the new kids are as they walk to their first ever class as a college student filled with fear and anticipation, I think I'm finally ready for it to be over. I've loved my time here and I'm so excited to be blessed by another two semesters here in this place that has been my home, but I'm ready to try new things and be surrounded by new people and new locations. So, today, on this last first day of school, Baylor, you've been good to me, let's have a good time this year. Be kind to the freshman - be gentle with their bright eyes. Be kind to the seniors who have mere months left to call you home before we become the next alum and we will love you back and fling our green and gold afar - to light the ways of time.

Follies

2009-08-19T15:20:00.000-05:00

Today is one of those awkward days that comes out of nowhere. I realized when I finally got up and left my house this morning that today was in fact move in day. There is really no worse two days at a college than move in day. It means that parents that don't know their way around campus are being guided by new students who have no idea where to go and all that equals mess:

[clueless parents + clueless student who is wound up sort of like a chihuahua on crack because, low and behold they are FINALLY LIVING ALONE (well, that's what they think)] x 1500 = chaos on campus for all who have any idea of the ease with which you are supposed to be able to navigate through the beloved campus we call home.

Part of me always wants to tell them to figure it out. The other part of me wants to help them, guide them, put them where they're supposed to be and let them settle in, tell them it will be ok and, no, college isn't as scary as you think it's going to be and the homework load is totally doable... if you aren't opposed to sleeping and showering at abnormal hours. But that's a different story. So, today, against the wishes of either of these parts, I slept, which was nice. Except that the people who are re-siding my apartment complex are, wait for it, STILL HERE. ALL THE DANG TIME. This causes me stress. I wish they would leave.

I then realized that I only have 5 days (and really only 4 days) left of my last summer in college. Sigh. But, as I realized this, I was driving with an ice cold cherry diet coke, the Kings of Leon on the radio, blue skies up above, and the thought of those last few sweet moments of summer. I think I'll buy strawberries to cling a little longer, although, the summer heat will stick around a little longer than any of us would really like.

I feel like maybe this is a little complain-y, but really it's just been a weird day. The next few days, if I'm lucky, will maybe get less weird, but really, I think life will just get crazier starting today.

love peace life

Mondays are the best day.

2009-08-17T15:39:00.000-05:00

I think I hate Mondays most of the time, but today, I was reminded why Monday really is the best day. It's that promise of something new. Last week was long and trying. There were things that I didn't want to happen that happened (without my permission, isn't that so like unwelcome things) and there were other things that were just frustrating. I think Friday or Saturday night I got in my car and drove my favorite drive in Waco at night and when I got home, there was another thing that happened and I finally, through bitter tears, asked desperately, "Why? God, can't I just get a break. Just one good thing? Please?" The rest of the weekend was pretty much the same, sprinkled with some nice surprises here and there, but basically the same thing. This morning was an odd mix of last week and new week. The same things that were worrying me over the weekend worried me this morning when I got up too early, but I went and saw the dadster and then went home, got caught up in a book the way only Faulkner can make me and then Roommate Katie came home. I love Roommate Katie. We decided that we would go to the bookstore and then to grab a quick lunch before we both had places to be. Monday became new as we settled back into an old relationship for one last semester. We drove down one of the main streets at BU and Journey came on the radio. (I'm borderline obsessed) We rocked out and laughed. I love that girl. Then, work came around (which, if you've read any previous post having to do with my job, you know the deep love I have for it... *vomit*... although, the professors are my heart and I love them). I was expecting a normal day, but, to my surprise, I had an email with more reassurance of a possible job in DC when I graduate. I cried. I'm not kidding. Cried. I'm not even in the fall of my senior year and A JOB!??!!!!??? NEW! I love Mondays! Mondays are the promise of future and new. The old week and even the weekend, whether good bad or just ugly, is past. And the new week is here. Rejoice in the new week. Be glad that God has given us new beginnings and new weeks. He has provided and given us all we need. Rejoice and be glad in Him.

Rachel Yamagata, Snoopy and Shredding and how they all affect my life.

2009-08-14T15:06:00.000-05:00

1. Rachel Yamagata came on my Pandora earlier... which brings me to my point. I would go absolutely CRAZY if I couldn't listen to music. Especially if I couldn't listen to music at work. So every day I thank Jesus for Pandora radio. And life is good.

2. I have a drawing of Snoopy that I drew on a post it on my computer at work. He makes me smile. Things like this are good. Now, I will say that, after this week, I am a little sad that I won't be working here after Friday. I really do love all the profs. They are so much fun and they make me laugh a lot with all of their quirks and such. I'm going to have to visit.

3. Shredding.
a. Shredding is messy and I have paper in my eye.
b. It takes a long time.
c. At least the person giving the to-be-shredded documents knew it was a pain and we could all laugh about it.
d. Due to this newfound lack of love I have found for shredding, I fail to understand the Enron and Watergate thing. Really, that was a LOT of shredding. C'mon.

I'm super excited today is Friday, more excited tomorrow is Saturday and even MORE excited that I can maybe sleep in tomorrow. Maybe...? Here's to hopin! I'm real ready for the weekend. Off to read and make snarky comments about another paper... at least he thinks they're entertaining. The comments. Not the papers. He likes the comments. :)

50

2009-08-13T10:56:00.000-05:00

Today, I post my fiftieth post. In honor of this rather small achievement, let's review some other great fifties.

Michelle Pfeiffer, Sharon Stone, and Fran Drescher.

Viggo Mortensen, my dad, and Mark Harmon have all hit fifty.

Hound Dog, Rock around the Clock, and I want to Hold Your Hand were all released in the fifties.

The Beatles. Enough said.

I Love Lucy was made popular in the Fifties.

The Cold War was still going hot in the 1950s.

Great things in the fifties. Much like this blog post :) Hope everyone has a great day. Mine should start looking up pretty soon...

The Edge Part 2

2009-08-12T10:32:00.000-05:00

I didn't know this was going to be a two-parter... So... woo hoo...? eh. Today, I am at another edge. The edge of losing it. Yesterday, I was bored OUT OF MY MIND for at least most of the day. However, this day, this Wednesday which will forever be known as (in your best announcer voice) WACKY WEDNESDAY, things are CRAZY. We have professors who are coming in for the first time and don't know where to go. We have those same profs needing all kinds of stuff... ie a phone, a computer, a desk, a chair. The essentials for an office. This is not difficult. Expcept, my boss is gone until, wait for it, this is where it gets really good, next Friday. The Friday before classes start. So, the poor student worker (aka me) is here ALONE to deal with all of this. Normally, this would be fine, except, this is where it gets even better, my boss, sweet thing (feel the sarcasm) didn't leave me instructions. For anything. At all. Neat, huh. People are coming in for Phi Alpha Theta cords and I had no idea where those were. People need to get students registered for classes, and I don't have the clearance for that. I barely have clearance to check the mail (OK, I have more clearance than that... but... you get what I'm saying). So, currently I'm a little stressed. I did, however, draw a picture of Snoopy to go on my computer... just to make me a little happier... :) Next Friday is my last day. I've never been so excited no to have a job in my life. Praise Jesus.

The Edge

2009-08-11T10:14:00.000-05:00

I am bored out of my mind at work... Yesterday, I at least had a few people come in to say "HELLO!" and hang out for a bit... but today, the most interaction I've gotten is one of the profs making fun of me for not being quite lucid at 9am and my boss calling to see what her calendar said about some date two weeks ago. I live on the edge. All this to say, the working world has given me very little to blog about, which is way unfortunate. I mean, there are a couple things, but they're those stories that wait 8-10 months to come out and then they're way funnier anyway. You know the ones, right? Like that time I had a boy over to my parents' house when I was 18 and we made out in the living room. My parents were out of town with my sister and the opportunity just seemed so right. (sorry, ma) I never did anything EVER in high school... I mean, I was 45 minutes late for curfew ONE TIME, but I didn't even live as close to the edge as I live now, and I'm STILL a few neighborhoods away from the edge. I mean, really the closest I got to the edge in my younger days was weed eating the edge of the yard. Seriously. Sad. However, I have moved a little closer. I'm not a coke-head, but I have a good drug-free time - it's a good balance. All this to say, I'm so bored at work. Nothing is going on... I might shred some documents later (in a very non-Enron type way) or check the mail. Really. I need some excitement today. ASAP.

Deep in the Heart of Texas. (Clap clap clap clap)

2009-08-05T12:20:00.000-05:00

I love Texas. A lot. The fact that not only can I escape to the beach, but I can escape into the beautiful Hill Country and be on the river makes Texas near and dear to my heart. However, Texas, I got a bone to pick with you: It is so dadgum hot. For real. I was in the Hill Country last week where it was warm, but not unbearable. I came back to the Wac (hello, Central Texas, where you can drive for hours in ANY direction and, guess what, still be in the Great State) this past weekend, and parked my car harmlessly in front of my apartment complex. Where there is no shade (that stuff is a HOT commodity). Apparently, there was a Dr. Pepper (aka God's chosen drink) left in my backseat. And, two days later, it had blown up. I'm not exaggerating at all. It BLEW up. The top of the can came clean off, like a can opener had been taken to it. What the heck. Are you joking. That means it was stinking hot. Now, let me tell you the real reason this bothers me. Well, both reasons. 1) I love scarves. When it's 105 in the shade, the weather is not cooperating with this obsession. It's an issue. All I want to do is wear a scarf. They're fun. They make it look like you put lots of effort into getting dressed. Perfect. I tried to wear one with a tank top earlier this summer and ended up using it to wipe sweat off of me instead of the wonderful fashion statement that it should have been. Sad. 2) In the Hill Country this past Thursday, I was wearing, wait for it... A pair of shorts, a LONG SLEEVE SHIRT, a PULLOVER and a tshirt underneath all that, and guess what! I WAS STILL CHILLY! At like one in the afternoon! Granted, it was raining, but in Waco, if it rains and the temp is already at 100 something, it just adds humidity to the ridiculous heat. gross. So, Texas, here's the deal. Just be like the Hill Country all over the place. My life would be so much happier. Thank you. Another option... Baylor, move to the Hill Country! What are you waiting for??? Let's get it together! :)

Roommates.

2009-08-04T19:54:00.001-05:00

First, this is a picture of camp. I would like to go back, so I think that I will. In October. With my small group fam. We are excited. A random note, since I haven't posted a picture in a while.

Tonight, I realized what the worst part is about having as many roommates as I do. (there's five of us) The living room... and not for the reason you think. I can handle the sharing and the terrible pillow covers (that are finally being replaced... holla!)that I didn't pick out. It's that I'm real in love with this couch... and it's not mine. AND there's this pillow that I love. It's this round feather pillow. I wish it wasn't pink, but my goodness it's comfy. And these couches... well, really, I'm slightly more attached to one than the other... oh goodness... this couch. It's the size of a twin bed. If I sit all the way to the back only my feet and ankles hang off the edge (and I'm not even that short!). Oh, it's wonderful. The problem is the moving in May thing. I want to take both this pillow and the couch with me. I can claim emotional attachment, but I don't know if they'll fall for it. So, until then, I will cherish each lazy moment with my pillow/couch combo. And I will love them until I move... and maybe, just maybe, my roommates will see that the breakup of this wonderful relationship would break my poor heart... Maybe...?

antsy.

2009-08-02T09:22:00.000-05:00

I'm antsy for the start of something. Or to revisit places.

river rat

2009-07-29T11:46:00.000-05:00

Life is good on the river this week. Things are great and being pretty much unplugged from the world has been WONDERFUL. If you ever get the chance to have no cell and basically no internet for a week, take it. Seriously, do it. Best thing ever. Sometimes I forget how much I love Texas until I get to places like this. :)

Realizations on a Saturday

2009-07-25T15:43:00.000-05:00

Today was one of those sad realization days. I hate to pack. HATE it. I know you may be thinking that is a strong word, but let me explain this abhorrence (it feels better to use big words. It might be a defense mechanism, but now, you think I'm a smarty pants, and who hates that?). I'm in college. I try to do laundry once a month. Maybe. If I get around to it, then it gets done. I collect t shirts. This is why I am able to do this wonderful, wonderful procrastination. It actually makes me second guess my diesire to one day have children. I hear from Moms (including my dear lovely mother) that laundry NEVER ends when you have children. So, get me an industrial washer. I don't care if we live in a box, I want minimal load, people! MINIMAL! Do you hear me??? Or a man who enjoys laundry. Like my uncle. Maybe we'll just let my uncle move in. That would solve my problem.

Anyway, enough about laundry. Let's talk about packing and why I hate it. I hate it because packing leads to cleaning. Possibly the ONE thing I hate more than laundry. But both of these things lead to cool trips, which is where I'm going tomorrow. On a cool trip. But I still have to fold and refold clothes to make sure they get packed just so that way I can find my dang underwear on Monday morning when I HAVE to get to breakfast in 10 minutes. Oy. So packing. I think the only thing worse than packing is unpacking because (and this explains the initial rant) that leads to laundry... lots and lots and lots of laundry.

see you guys in a week! Have a lovely time!

PS- It is 1:30 in the morning. I leave in 7 hours and what am I doing??? PACKING!!! ugh... packing. However, I love compression sacks. love them. Am obsessed with them.

Oh my precious family.

2009-07-23T16:00:00.000-05:00

I am very independent. Seriously. Ask any of the boys who try to date me (I say this like there's a lot... OK, ask any of the 4 boys who have tried to date me). Oh heck, ask my parents. They will tell you ALL about it. Or show you embarrassing home movies. Or tell you lots and lots and lots of stories. Lots. (They'll also tell you I'm brilliant and that I'm the most beautiful, smartest, most fun kid around, besides my sister. I guess she's fun, too. Also, we're both hilarious... but probably only mostly to us. My family. Oh, and some of our friends. The ones who know my dad. AKA Jefe.) (GEEZ! That was a long parenthetical thought...). But, man, I love my family... though the independence factor has been wonderful, I appreciate them more and more all the time. What's funny to me about my lovely little family is the hilarity and difference that we all bring to the table. My sister, brother and I haven't changed from the time we were hanging out in the womb. Obviously, we've matured... sort of. Maybe not at all. We are EXACTLY as we were in the womb, possibly. My baby sister is shy (HA!!). She claims to be around new people. I don't really buy that my sister is shy (I'm also the master of rhymes.) - I usually don't get to talk if she's around. Which isn't a bad thing. She is just really chatty. My sister is the sibling that makes me laugh at the most random things. She's a great storyteller. In person. She usually has me rolling on the floor laughing. She has this little attitude that will knock you over if you're not careful. Then there's my brother. He has a quiet humor to him. He has the one liners. I swear he's learned this from Jefe (his step dad, my dad). Jefe is BRILLIANT. And quiet. And hilarious. But you have to catch it. His funny little things come out when only one person is looking and there one time deals. Then there's my mom. She's a ball of energy. She usually keeps the rest of us going. She does things that are funny. But her little funny quirks are sight jokes. You know, the ones you have to see. She makes faces. Or listens intently to the story you're telling (well, the one my sister is telling) and the faces and little asides my mom puts in will probably make you pee your pants. HILARIOUS. So, I come from a funny family. We're all really odd. We do strange things. My sister sings to her dogs. Popular songs with their names in them. We think the neighbors can probably hear her and we hope he laughs. She gets that from my mom.

So you may be wondering why I'm posting this. Well, I love them and I wanted to tell you about them.

school days. school days.

2009-07-22T19:03:00.000-05:00

I had to drop the class I'm taking this session... which was surprisingly hard. Not the process; that was extremely easy. It was more of an emotional difficulty. I have this huge gap in my day now where school once was. As a 21 year old college student, most of every day is spent doing school. I wake up go to class, go to class, go to class, go to crew, grab a quick something, and then settle in to do homework the rest of the night. I hang out with other college students. I live less than a block from campus. I am a college student. Today, I had a sick realization: Who am I outside these walls (which really are quite lovely)? I noticed today that I introduce myself as "Maggie, a senior theatre major at BU." It's like "Jonah, guy who was eaten by whale. Also, messenger from YHWH." It's who you are. Then, I realized, in 10 months, it's all over. No more. Finito. Fin. End. This makes me nervous. Now, I realize that I have other things going on in my life, but what do I do if I'm not studying for a class? What do I do if I don't have a paper to write? Where else is my time spent if it's not at a table studying or in a classroom or a studio? This is also a very cool thing for college seniors - it demands (more nerve-racking than inviting) that you figure out, at least a little, who you are. So, now, with this afternoon and not actually being a student for the next 5 weeks, and no other something to tell me what my role currently is, I must face head-on the scariest opponent of them all: myself and side-kick, inter workings.

Love.

2009-07-22T01:36:00.000-05:00

I've been sick, so I haven't really gotten out much... so... No pictures lately... dang. BUT I was asked an interesting question which sparked a blog post. I was asked, "What else do you love?" in response to my "I LOVE LILIES!" reply to an earlier question...

So, I love...

-Jesus. Which sounds like such a cliche, but I speak truth. Not only Him, but my life after He came into it.

-My fam and friends. I lump them together, because sometimes it's hard to tell where one ends and the other begins.

-My roommates. Even though sometimes we get on each other's nerves, I love them.

-Fish. Preferably in an aquarium and not touching me.

-Reading. Reading. Reading. And my parents for instilling this in me as a wee one.

-Painting. Photography. Art.

-Walking. Anywhere and everywhere. I wish it wasn't so dang hot in Tejas.

-Thinking. About what something really means. And art. And philosophy. And love. And theology. I love to think.

-Phone calls with dear friends... especially when the conversation goes sort of like this:

*Intense laughter and a little crying* "Omigosh! Maggie! You are NOT funny!! Tell your new boy that you are NOT funny!" (A few minutes later) "Maggie, in all seriousness, would you consider dating a midget?"

-Flowers. Especially happy flowers.

-Snuggling. Cuddling. Being kissed. Kissing.

-Warm towels right out of the dryer.

-People.

-Music boxes.

-Toms.

-Friend's artwork.

-Scarves. It's an obsession, really.

-Music.

-Clear blue water. My favorite blue t shirt. My panda in the pocket t shirt. Coffee. Studying.

-People who read this. Often. :)

sick day

2009-07-15T19:24:00.000-05:00

I'm sick today... being an adult and being sick is not as much fun as being a kid and being sick. I mean, it's not fun anyway, but at least when you're a kiddo, mom is there to help you. All that to say, I'm on the bored side of things... I've watched a couple movies (and by that I mean, I fell asleep in the middle of both), took a quiz for a class, and taken several naps. I really want to go photograph tonight, but obviously my temperature that's currently rivaling that of Texas summer highs, is not allowing that to happen... Thus begins my blog of my favorite pictures :) OH! And ebay has a site called World of Good,get it ebay.

photographers need headshots.

2009-07-12T15:36:00.000-05:00

ummm...

2009-07-12T01:39:00.000-05:00

I've got pictures. lots and lots of pictures. Will post tomorrow. Promise.

all about the music

2009-07-08T22:34:00.001-05:00

L is for the way you Look at me.

2009-07-08T01:33:00.000-05:00

le quatrième

2009-07-06T12:14:00.000-05:00

alive.

2009-07-06T03:41:00.000-05:00

I promise, I'm alive... I've been gone, but I have PICTURES from my weekend long adventure... They'll be up later today/tomorrow... however you look at it...

love peace life

laughter

2009-07-01T16:34:00.000-05:00

Laughter. My sister and her fiance. My friend and photog partner. My sister.

love.

2009-06-29T23:58:00.000-05:00

my baby sister and her fiance. we did some engagement shots in Waco this evening.

cheater.

2009-06-29T01:31:00.001-05:00

I took this last night...

more photo 365

2009-06-27T19:51:00.001-05:00

As promised...

2009-06-27T00:02:00.001-05:00

love peace life

Fail

2009-06-26T13:51:00.000-05:00

So, I already failed this photo 365 thing... I'll put two up tonight to make up for it... :) Promise.

love peace life
mh

something old for something new

2009-06-25T00:16:00.000-05:00

Photo 365 part 1. This is part of the set of The Dazzle at Baylor University Theatre. My photog partner and I were hired to do the photo call stuff so tonight we went and played with cameras and the scenery. I love the old piano...

102

2009-06-24T16:48:00.000-05:00

You may be curious as to why that specific number is in the title line... let me tell you. It is the temperature in this lovely town today. Ridiculous. You know, 8... oh heck, even 9 months out of the year, I love Texas, and normally we don't get highs like that until July. However, this year, we are receiving this wonderful gift of hot hot heat in June. The middle of June. Awesome. All this to say, I am so grateful for A/C. For real.

I was re-reading Jonah last night before I went to sleep. It's such a great story and there's so much in it. You should read it again... with the eyes of someone on the other side of 8. It was a great story then about a whale eating a man, but on the other side, it's a beautiful narrative - providence, obedience, God loving us enough to show us what's best, being reminded that it's not about us, but completely about Him. Think about it a little. I feel like Jonah most days... Go read it.

In further Wednesday news, I am considering writing a list of things to do before I die - a bucket list, if you will. I'm not sure what to put on this bucket list. Ideas? ALSO, I'm thinking about starting a photo 365 project, but it feels like it would be intense. I'm not sure if I would be able to update it ever day either. Maybe a photo 52 project...? No. I will try this photo 365 thing. I will chronicle my senior year of college (I love college...), my eventual move, and my possible trip to China. Starting tonight... Does photo 365 count if you're working a photography gig? This week, it totally does. So look for exciting pictures coming your way soon! :) Maybe this means I'll post twice today...

love peace life.
mh

Excitement.

2009-06-23T22:19:00.000-05:00

Professionally, this week has been AWESOME. A company asked for my resume AND I got a photography gig. Beyond excited.

Also, I realized today that I only have a couple weeks left of Astronomy. There has been an ongoing project in this class to make it fun for me (or at least mildly entertaining...): I am making a playlist for the planets. That's right. A planetary playlist. Awesome. Here's the rundown:

1. Go Outside (Robbie Seay Band)
2. Sun - A Shining Star (Atomic)
3. Mercury - Hot and Cold (Katy Perry)
4. Venus - Under Pressure (Queen)
5. Earth - Home (Phil Wickham)
6. Moon - Bad Moon Rising (CCR)
7. Mars - Diamonds and Rust (Joan Baez)
8. Jupiter - Rock You Like a Hurricane (The Scorpions)
9. Uranus - Blue (Eiffel 65)
10. Neptune - Under the Sea
11. Pluto - Come Sail Away (Styx)
12. Drops of Jupiter (Train)
13. Champagne Supernova (Oasis)

But can you tell me why these songs? ;)

love peace life.

something calm.

2009-06-22T23:56:00.000-05:00

Case of the Mondays

2009-06-22T10:09:00.000-05:00

Today is Monday. It's one of those Mondays when I don't want to be in class... oh wait... It was a weekend at the lake, which, I'm sure, feeds into this whole I don't want to be HERE. Here's my thought on why...

Sunburn. I am sunburned. On some lake weekends, I don't come back sunburned and Monday isn't so bad. When I do have a sunburn, however, I am constantly reminded of where I was over the weekend. On the lake. In my swimsuit, I wasn't as hot or itchy, because it has the lines that are now burned on me. Monday morning comes around and I have to put on legitimate clothes, and they kinda hurt. Then, my hair is fixed and not in a ponytail... and the sunburn.

Currently, instead of floating on a raft in the lake and soaking up the sun, drink in one hand, book in the other, I am in a fluorescent-lit room, looking at the screen, listening to Dwighty P and the slow hum of the fluorescent lights. All reminding me that the week has only barely started.

Of course, Monday brings opportunity and freshness. That's amazing.

Day of Boredom.

2009-06-18T11:02:00.000-05:00

It is barely 11am. I'm ready for at least 11:15. I'd prefer 5, but I'll take what I can get.

I'm in astronomy, the summer class and I'm job searching/blogging/building the rockinest playlist ever. (Jared, don't be upset). One of Saturn's moons has a dirty black region, who knew. And Ice is the rock. I am the walrus. Whoa.

OK. It's hot, and I know some of you reading this live north of the lovely state of Tejas (which I love, but about 3 months of the year, the heat gets me), so go outside and enjoy the summer weather (that won't give you heat stroke). I will head outside and melt... I wonder if that would get me out of class. Probably not. Dwighty P would just use me as some sort of example of mush or something...

Today

2009-06-16T16:10:00.000-05:00

Is tuesday. God is good, but this week is kinda lame.

This week seems to be going by painfully slow. Even my bosses have peaced out of here for a couple days, which has left me to my own devices in the office... basically, I'm bored. You'd think, working at a university, I'd have tons of fun at my fingertips, but you'd be wrong. All the fun I can think of would probably get me fired. Did I mention that I work at a private Christian school? Awesome... So this has been possibly the most boring week ever. Yesterday, the most work I did was open letters for a prof. Just open them, I didn't take anything out, I just made sure he could get to them without having to actually open them. I'm not sure if that chalks up to a fail or win. It was just lame. I'm really hoping one of the profs gives another test so I can maybe grade that...! Wow. I live on the edge.

Did I mention I'm taking astronomy this summer? I am. It's been... I'm ready to be done with basics, which is probably good, since I'm a senior. Today, I learned about the planets. I think it's all mildly interesting, but... it's class in June.

So here's a breakdown... for those interested.

1. Mercury is close to the sun. And sort of tiny.

2. Venus has pancake volcanoes.

3. Earth. It has a molten core. The layer of the earth that we actually walk (the crust) is only about 10km thick... or thin. When I was little, the teachers unknowingly had me convinced that I was going to be one day struck with lava when it came out of the extremely thin crust layer... I'm imaginative as an adult, I was WAY more so as a child.

4. Mars. It may have had life at one point or another. maybe. It's red. Because it's rusting. Really, the color comes from Iron Oxide. Thus ends the terrestrial planets... now for the Jovian Planets.

5. Jupiter. It is super bright and WAY huge. It's more than twice as massive as all the other planets COMBINED. OMG. The bands that it looks like it has come from the wind patterns and it's red spot is really just a hurricane that's been RAGING for 300years. NBD.

6. Saturn is large with rings. If you look through a telescope, you can see the rings. Nifty, huh?

7. Uranus was discovered in 1781 by Herschel and is the first one to have been in modern times. Originally, it was called Georgium Sidus, but after King George went a little tyrannical, it got a name change. Uranus is the earliest supreme being in Greek mythology - a personification of the sky. It has lots of moons.

8. Neptune is blue... and by far the coolest looking planet... at least that's what I think. It's the picture at the beginning. Galileo thought Neptune was just a star when he saw it in 1613 near Jupiter. It radiates more than twice as much energy as it receives from the sun. Whoa.

9. The Planetoids. poor Pluto. Pluto was named by a nine year old. Pluto is the god of the underworld (she was clearly a VERY happy child). It was discovered in the 1930s by accident and thought to disrupt the orbit of Neptune... but, um, it's tiny. Tinier than our moon or Io, Europa or Ganymede (three of the moons of Jupiter).

All this too say, how AWESOME is God. He completely did all of this and it's so perfectly constructed and such a mystery. It's pretty neat. So, in the words of Robbie Seay, "Go outside. Praise the God who mapped the stars out in the sky."

Love Peace Life.

Photography.

2009-06-15T13:11:00.000-05:00

Today, I have realized that, for a photographer, I take very few pictures of everyday things. You know, friends making dinner, people hanging out on the porch in the evening, trips to the lake... everyday occurrences. We remember to take the pictures at the beach and at the theme parks, but we forget to capture the moments in between. The everything is perfect in that 15 seconds because you are where you should be and you feel so blessed. God has given us the little moments. I forget to capture those, but aren't those the times we want our grandchildren to know. Not only were we happy the few times that we went to the beach, we laughed on Friday nights and we were in stitches on Thursdays. We danced together on Monday afternoons and we went to the park to enjoy God on Tuesday. Wednesday we were surrounded by community and Sunday we were spontaneous. Let's capture those moments. Candid and real. Completely God-given.

Love Peace Life.

Language.

2009-06-08T12:02:00.000-05:00

Language is such a weird thing. We deem words "bad" and others uplifting... when really it's all about the attitude behind them. I was in a directing class last year (both semesters, because I'm hardcore like that...?) and we talked about using language for the sake of using it vs using language to build a character or make the audience intentionally a little uncomfy. What was so much more interesting was the thought put into the silence. We directed several silent scenes in which we had to tell a story without words. THEY WERE CRAZY. I think those made more impact than the words... which got me thinking. Silence is sometimes not so golden.

Think with me on this for just a moment. We are called to love each other and live peacefully, right? We are to act in kindness to one another. I started thinking about the whole language thing. Is it better to keep silent?

Sometimes, I think it completely appropriate to hold your tongue (an art at which I am only now becoming better), but some of us humankind have this awful habit of ignoring each other. We just don't speak, or respond. It can be the worst punishment dealt. The lack of answers is sometimes incredibly hard to swallow. I think we think we're doing everyone a service by ignoring them, but that silence can lash like words cannot. You can tell entire stories in silence (don't believe me? go watch a Pixar short. They're brilliant at it) and we forget this. Sometimes what we don't say is so much heavier than what we do say.

I encourage you then, to be careful with your words, whether you are using them or letting the silence hit your fellow human, neighbor, if you will (I mean, we are working on the basis of scripture), like a ton of bricks. Love your neighbor as yourself, and I doubt that silence is the response that you want. Rise above that and respond in love, that doesn't mean you can't have disagreements, but work through them. Keep the spirit of unity through the bond of peace and walk in the manner which you are called (Eph 4) and we are called to walk in love, for that is obedience (2 John).

LOVE peace life.

2009-05-31T12:18:00.000-05:00

Check out more of my photography at my flickr. And, while you're at it, spread the love... and maybe hire me. I love doing photography.

love peace life - capturing them all.

Old Friends.

2009-05-27T12:50:00.000-05:00

Last night was one of those nights where in the midst of it I just knew that life was so good. I was walking down the dtown streets of the Wac (we like to keep it classy) with two friends, while the boys (also some of my best friends) were walking behind us - there to assure our safe delivery at the next POI. Things to be thankful for:

-conversation over woodchuck cider
-sharing secrets on a Tuesday night
-Walking
-having people who know you
-having amazing friends
-love
-being in college
-acting like we're in college
-humor
-humor in what could be awkward situations
-laughter

love peace life

Summer.

2009-05-21T12:30:00.000-05:00

Ah... summer. God is good.

flickr.com/photos/emeiche.

Rebellion.

2009-05-07T17:31:00.000-05:00

My body has gone into complete rebellion... OK, maybe not complete rebellion, but pretty close. I'm exhausted from this semester. In just the past two weeks, I have missed only 3 days of being at the theatre. (Read: we have been BUSY!) I'm also sore. I'm not sure why. I have been up way too late the past few nights and it feels like the habit is forming again. Not ok. I did find out today that Opa's (this great place in Fburg) sells meat in the HEB here. I feel like I knew this already, but was reminded and I'm pretty excited about it.

I'm so thankful for days like today. I got to sit up at my friend's office and hash out theology. Awesome. Now, I'm getting ready for dinner with a couple friend's. Life is good. I'm ready for summer.

4 days...

I had this great epiphany today.

2009-05-06T02:01:00.000-05:00

I was sitting behind a sound board, which, if you know me at all, is weird... sort of. Not so much that I was sitting behind a board, but that it was a sound board was the weird part. And, not that I was in the booth, because, I spend a good chunk of time in the 2-ish that we have, but the sound part. I'm not a sound technician. At all. Praise God that all I had to do was make sure the volume was good and that the play button went at the right time. Holla.

So, I'm sitting at this sound board and all the sudden, it hit me. I'd rather be there than anywhere else. Not necessarily behind the sound board (not really my forte), but I would rather be in the booth, in a theatre, watching a stage, moving/hanging/fixing/focusing lighting instruments, praising God for art than be anywhere else.

I had a conversation with a friend of mine, a graduating senior, last night at the last big departmental thing, and we started talking about what we wanted to do with our lives. We both agreed theatre, whatever we were doing had to involve theatre. There's nothing else for me. I love it. I love being in rehearsals all the time. I love painting into the late hours. I love being in the shop for hours. I love taking apart lighting equipment... and putting it back together. I love sitting with friends and inspiring each other, telling each other about projects, loving art together, creating together, getting one step closer to being better at our craft together. I love it.

So, praise God that He has given me not only the passion, but the means to be able to do what I do. That's what it's all about right. "where passion meets need"... and who doesn't need art?

Endings are usually sad.

2009-04-28T19:39:00.000-05:00

Today, I realized that I have to graduate in one year. What is normally a joyous celebration for a high school student is a traumatizing one for a college student. I realize that I have a while, but the hyperventilation is real. SO REAL... AH! Okay, recent thoughts:

-Holy poo. You mean, I have to pay for stuff?!
-JOB! I have to FIND A JOB???
-I still want a pony, how is it that I'm 21?
-I finally found the perfect Margarita, now I have to move... wa waaa.
-Hey, economy, pick it up a little. I need a job...
-Hey, Jesus, burning bush? Road map? Something?

So in the next 13 months I will decide several things:

1. What do I want to be when I grow up?
2. Where do I want to live?
3. Roommate or no roommate?

Among other things... but, like a friend once said, not knowing is half the fun, right? :)

Challah.
mh

Sovereign God

2009-04-26T22:34:00.000-05:00

We're going through Joshua right now... well, hitting some lessons in Joshua (it's sort of a big one...) and this morning was particularly interesting to me. We talked about obedience, using Joshua 6&7. Basically obedience being an act of worship and the fruit of worship and God being glorified through our obedience. I love the picture of those that are passionately following Christ to choose Him when they are hurting. "God is enough... You are the strength of my heart." This world fails us, but we are obedient to God and He is faithful. AWESOME, and I mean be in AWE of God.

The part that hit me was this, and it's paraphrased a little:
It may not be my plan, but it is God's plan. He is doing it by His pleasure to make His name great, not my own. This might not be how I would do it, but it's how God is doing it - for His glory.

Praise God for being faithful.

This was sort of stream of conscientiousness...Oh and, I know I told you a funny post was coming, AK... but... you're gonna have to deal a little longer, sweet thing. ;)

Strong and Courageous. Do Not Be Afraid.

2009-04-19T14:24:00.000-05:00

God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. -John Piper.

It's not about what I have. It is completely about the relationship I have with Jesus.

When was the last time you stopped and thought, "Jesus is the most satisfying part of my life. He is the strength of my heart. I desire nothing above Him"?

Psalm 73:25-26
Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

What if we all die to ourselves and are made ALIVE in CHRIST? How different would our world look? Let Jesus get a hold of your life. Let Him shake things up for you. Let Him be in control. Let God be the author and perfecter. The Maker of the universe is concerned with the smallest detail of your life. He is intricately involved with every step that you take. He loves you that much. Be obedient. Choose God. Choose life. What are you living for if you aren't living for Christ? What's the point if you're only living to die? What if you started living for Christ? Daily gave Him your whole life... how radically different would your life be?

Love. Peace. Life.

Yes, I'm certain that it happens all the time.

2009-04-19T01:48:00.000-05:00

Leave.

2009-04-18T00:13:00.000-05:00

I want to challenge you. Stop letting life just happen to you and around you. Waiting for the perfect moment for something and waiting for the perfect circumstance is sort of... fruitless. The perfect circumstances may never happen. The stars may never line up just like you think they should and God may not tell you in a burning bush, but good things are there and available. Sometimes they're inconvenient, but so worth it in the end. We were never promised ease, but I think in the end, when we get to sit on our porches and tell stories about the "good ol' days", it will all be worth it. The heartache and all. It all comes together to tell beautiful stories of who we are and who God is. If we let God get a hold of our box that we put our life in, let Him really shake it up, let Him do with it what He wants, how much more glorious will life be? SO MUCH! Sometimes, we look at things and think "Impossible." That's when God calls us to have courage. What if Joshua had though that the Battle of Jericho was impossible? What if Peter had thought walking onthe water was impossible? What if David waited until he thought the circumstances were perfect? What a beautiful picture of our God we have when all of these crazy things just come together. Just let God be God. He's better at it than we are, anyway...

Love. Peace. Life.

Jesus and Bubble Wrap.

2009-04-15T20:43:00.000-05:00

So I randomly decided to go to the grocery store one weekend night. Well, I guess it wasn’t completely random since I didn’t have a lot in the way of food at my apartment and who shops during the week? So, I went to the grocery store. I needed some of the usual stuff – bread, milk, stuff to eat for dinner… I also needed some not usual stuff – packing tape and bubble wrap. So I picked up a roll of each, got my produce and went to check out. The bubble wrap is an awkward length so it didn’t quite fit into a bag and just sort of hung out. Cool. Well, I went outside and the wind had picked up and it was considerably colder than when I went it. So I had like seven bags on my arm and I started walking to my car, the next thing you know, the wind catches the bubble wrap and it’s off across the parking lot. Now, there is absolutely no way that I would chase down something in the parking lot (it’s also not normally an ENTIRE roll of bubble wrap), but I need this bubble wrap so I can ship some coffee to Maryland. I turned into that girl. The one who runs across the parking lot looking like a total dork trying to catch bubble wrap. I finally get the bubble wrap, look up to see if there’s anyone watching, realize I don’t really care, since I paid for the bubble wrap and it’s only right that I get to take it home and finally get to my car. I start driving home… Okay, I was totally already writing this in my head… so I was driving home and there’s this huge bolt of lightening and I think “God is SO AWESOME!”

Now you may ask, how in the world are these two things related, but don’t you worry, I have it under control. Let me explain:

We go through our lives, needing random things like bubble wrap for one reason or another. We feel like we need something for this or that. Then the wind catches it and we have to chase it down. We run through the parking lot. We look awkward. We try too hard. Then we finally have it on our possession, and we have to send it to Maryland! We worked so hard to have it for all of ten minutes! I feel like we do this with so many parts of our lives. In the process, we completely forget to CLING TO JESUS! And, really, that’s what we’re meant to do, right? We have this great and perfect love in front of us, and we want something else. We want that boy or girl. We want that trip. That job. Those friends. That degree. Instead of clinging to Jesus like our lives depend on it (because, let’s be honest, they do).

You're the God of this city

2008-06-19T21:36:00.000-05:00

Couple of things really been on my heart this week.

First, I went to Pittsburgh last week with a group of my high schoolers for mission trip and it totally messed up my life... We participated in The Pittsburgh Project (www.pittsburghproject.com) and it was incredible. Scripture tells us that in order to serve Jesus, we have to serve the least of these. It's true. I got to see the face of Jesus in the homeowner (and the kiddos) I got to serve last week. I was blown away. I don't even know if I can put into words all the things that God put right in front of me. I really have the desire to work with urban youth now, and I'm working on planning another trip to Pittsburgh to learn more about what they do and how can I take that to another city. I think the other thing that hit me was the "theme" song of the week - God of this City:

You're the God of this city, You're the King of these people

You're the Lord of this nation, You are

You're the Light in this darkness, You're the Hope to the hopeless

You're the Peace to the restless, You are

There is no one like our God, there is no one like our God

For greater things have yet to come, and greater things are still to be done in this city

Greater things have yet to come, and greater things are still to be done in this city

Greater things have yet to come, and greater things are still to be done here

"God Of This City" led by Chris Tomlin and written by Bluetree

I love it. It speaks truth. Pittsburgh is one of the coolest places I have ever been. It isn't full of ancient places or huge cathedrals and tons of other churches, but the Body of Christ is alive there. God is working! Praise Him! So I want to go back and learn more and serve more and bring that back to Waco.

I'm also reading Shane Claiborne's Irresistible Revolution which will also mess up your whole life... and I read it along with going to Pittsburgh. Whoa. I was content being where I was, and now I know that I'm not doing the very thing which I have been called to do. I have been called to serve and live as brothers and sisters. Acts 2 tells us this:

⁴²They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. ⁴⁴All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. ⁴⁶Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

I fully believe that in order to be the Church we must be committed to living in community. I have this thought that if we do this, we will see God move in ways that will blow our minds. This is my challenge. I think we can do it.

I want to be committed to these things. I want to be committed to the Body in a new way... not when I come back in the Fall or when I leave school, but NOW. I'm seeing the Lord change me and this is just one way...

Ask me about Pittsburgh (I would love to talk more about it!) and I definitely have a ton of pictures posted (check 'em out!). And this is starting to get wordy... more soon.

Just give me Jesus.

Today, I conquered a fear.

2008-06-06T16:39:00.000-05:00

Today I went to Lake Travis to go cliff jumping (and also rock climbing... but...) and I was all for it. Then I got there and looked down. omg. are you joking? I wanted to jump so bad. I just couldn't. So finally, after a lot of encouragement from one of the guys with us and my boss, I did it. It was incredible. Of course the first time, I did not pencil on my way in and now have some bruising, but the next time, I totally did pencil (not the chair) and it was incredible. First of all, I was on this beautiful lake totally surrounded by the wonder of God and getting to hang out with some of our youth. On top of that, I did something that I didn't think I could. AMAZING. I also tried a little rock climbing. This wasn't like rock climbing at the SLC at all though... it was on a real rock. Crazy. I'm not great at it, but I enjoyed it and would really like to do it again.

In other news, God is amazing. Taking care of my little needs and teaching me to rely on Him for everything. Which is so great. We have an awesome God. I'm totally in love with the Hill Country and would live here forever. No joke. Plus, the best part is that I love my job! It is so great! The kids are awesome and my boss is incredible. I get to work with great people doing a job I honestly love. I can't wait to do this with my whole life... I kinda don't want to leave at the end of the summer. I want to finish school and do this. I love being a minister and help kids out and be with people who are all striving for the same things. It's great! I couldn't have been in a better place!

I will try to keep this updated as much as possible, promise. Also, if you could be praying for our mission trip, that would be fantastic! We are leaving on Sunday (really early) and flying to Pittsburgh to take part in the Pittsburgh Project. Pray that we all learn and touch people's lives all in the name of Jesus. Also, please pray that God captivates us all this summer. He is amazing and He can daily captivate our hearts... if we allow Him to! So do it! Be adventurous and fall in love with God every day! It's awesome!

Soon... Love God, Love others.

Mags