Well, as the instructions are to bullet your whole day for day 4, I had to wait until today to do it!
It wasn't the most exciting day, so I decided not to do it. Is that cheating? I guess if I have to cheat somewhere, this would be the place to do it, not in school or on my boyfriend. Haha.
Things I'd want to say to an ex...haha that's kind of personal. But it is my blog and few people read it. But really...what would I want to say? I don't even know...
I guess I'd say thanks for the good times, and I'm really grateful for everything I learned when we were together and also what I learned from our breakup. I hope you're enjoying where you're at and that you love the Lord first and foremost.\
[This is quite possibly the shortest post I've ever written!]
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Sunday, May 29, 2011
A Book You Love
I love reading. Really love it. Always have, always will. There are so many books that I love. My ultimate favorite book is (without meaning to sound cheesy or fake) the Bible. That book, and its Author, have completely changed me. But this isn't asking for my favorite, just one I love. I want to pick one that isn't the Bible in the off chance that I have readers (ha) who are looking for a good book to read to supplement their regular devotions. Passion and Purity by Elisabeth Elliot was, besides the Bible, the most life-changing book I've ever read.
It was a book full of challenging content. Elisabeth Elliot outlines her entire relationship leading up to marriage with her first husband, who was martyred after a few short years of marriage. There were so many twists in their relationship. They went to college together. At times, they didn't even live on the same continent. Jim Elliot thought he might be called to being singleness. Plus more. Their relationship was full of roller coasters. But through it all, God worked in their hearts. He used each of them to shape the other. He brought them both to a point where they were fully surrendered to His will. Then He blessed them by giving them the best gift possible after salvation, each other.
Through it all, Elisabeth shares her thoughts, struggles, temptations, victories, and journal entries. She is so transparent and reminds you time after time that the most important thing, the only thing, is to pursue Christ-likeness and devotion to Him. He will work everything out perfectly on His time.
Like I said, this book changed my life. It changed the way I view things, and it changed the way I think. She has countless tidbits of advice. When reading it, I wrote down so many of the things she said. I must have underlined almost half the book. Okay, slight exaggeration. But you get my point. It's an amazing read for women who love the Lord and want to win victory over their flesh. I recommend it to anyone and everyone.
It was a book full of challenging content. Elisabeth Elliot outlines her entire relationship leading up to marriage with her first husband, who was martyred after a few short years of marriage. There were so many twists in their relationship. They went to college together. At times, they didn't even live on the same continent. Jim Elliot thought he might be called to being singleness. Plus more. Their relationship was full of roller coasters. But through it all, God worked in their hearts. He used each of them to shape the other. He brought them both to a point where they were fully surrendered to His will. Then He blessed them by giving them the best gift possible after salvation, each other.
Through it all, Elisabeth shares her thoughts, struggles, temptations, victories, and journal entries. She is so transparent and reminds you time after time that the most important thing, the only thing, is to pursue Christ-likeness and devotion to Him. He will work everything out perfectly on His time.
Like I said, this book changed my life. It changed the way I view things, and it changed the way I think. She has countless tidbits of advice. When reading it, I wrote down so many of the things she said. I must have underlined almost half the book. Okay, slight exaggeration. But you get my point. It's an amazing read for women who love the Lord and want to win victory over their flesh. I recommend it to anyone and everyone.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Something I Feel Strongly About
Hmm...I feel strongly about many things. For instance, I feel strongly about red velvet cake - it's awesome. I also feel strongly about people not squeezing toothpaste from the bottom of the tube. Oh man, probably too strongly about that one. I feel strongly about fish (disgusting) and my dogs (love). But none of these things merit an entire blog post. But one thing I do feel strongly about that I can also write (probably too much) about is manipulation.
This semester one thing I have really begun to see how common it is. And how often I am tempted to be manipulative. This is something that I have by no means mastered. I see it a lot in myself too. Even in my relationship with Trevor I have seen myself try to manipulate him. Yikes! We have all seen manipulation. It is so subtle. But everyone, when they notice, hates it.
It's so easy, especially as women, to be manipulative. Girls manipulate their male peers (female too, but especially male) ALL THE TIME. There is something in females that likes to manipulate others for personal gain. There is something in males that makes them easy to manipulate and oblivious to it. I have seen it happen over and over again. I have watched many girls try to manipulate my boyfriend and other guy friends. It's more common than you think. Once you begin to notice it, you'll realize how common it is.
Ways I've seen manipulation:
-Making people feel guilty for doing something that was not wrong. This could be done by using specific tones, not just words. Example: saying things like "that is the most hurtful thing you could have done" or "oh don't worry, I'll just suffer while you have fun". I don't know how to give examples of tones or other nonverbal communication that manipulates, but I know it happens [weak, I know]. Even asking questions can become manipulative, if the purpose is to evoke feelings of guilt. [Being a teacher ed major, I must clarify: when a person in authority asks this, it is different.]
-Along with manipulative speech goes a "woe is me" attitude. We have ALL seen people who do this. They constantly complain about how hard their circumstances are. When you mention you had a hard day, they will often try to one-up it by saying why theirs was worse. They will only complain about their circumstances and never see the good in situations. Even when you try to point out the good, they have an excuse for why it's not good enough to outweigh the bad. This is to manipulate feelings of sympathy and empathy. It is so you feel bad for them. Maybe even so that you go out of your way to cheer them up.
-Flirting. Oh flirting, how annoying you are to me for so many reasons. This is one of them. Flirting is often used as a way to get the attention focused on yourself. Or to cause people to develop feelings for you that they might not otherwise. What really boils my blood is when people manipulate by flirting with someone who they don't like and never intend to pursue a relationship with.
-Dressing in a particular way can be manipulative. Here are examples of ways to dress to manipulate:
There are many other ways to manipulate. I have seen it 92537248637463 times, just last semester. But it bugs me. And I feel strongly about it. Just don't do it. I know I've been working on it, and definitely have a long way to go.
This semester one thing I have really begun to see how common it is. And how often I am tempted to be manipulative. This is something that I have by no means mastered. I see it a lot in myself too. Even in my relationship with Trevor I have seen myself try to manipulate him. Yikes! We have all seen manipulation. It is so subtle. But everyone, when they notice, hates it.
It's so easy, especially as women, to be manipulative. Girls manipulate their male peers (female too, but especially male) ALL THE TIME. There is something in females that likes to manipulate others for personal gain. There is something in males that makes them easy to manipulate and oblivious to it. I have seen it happen over and over again. I have watched many girls try to manipulate my boyfriend and other guy friends. It's more common than you think. Once you begin to notice it, you'll realize how common it is.
Ways I've seen manipulation:
-Making people feel guilty for doing something that was not wrong. This could be done by using specific tones, not just words. Example: saying things like "that is the most hurtful thing you could have done" or "oh don't worry, I'll just suffer while you have fun". I don't know how to give examples of tones or other nonverbal communication that manipulates, but I know it happens [weak, I know]. Even asking questions can become manipulative, if the purpose is to evoke feelings of guilt. [Being a teacher ed major, I must clarify: when a person in authority asks this, it is different.]
-Along with manipulative speech goes a "woe is me" attitude. We have ALL seen people who do this. They constantly complain about how hard their circumstances are. When you mention you had a hard day, they will often try to one-up it by saying why theirs was worse. They will only complain about their circumstances and never see the good in situations. Even when you try to point out the good, they have an excuse for why it's not good enough to outweigh the bad. This is to manipulate feelings of sympathy and empathy. It is so you feel bad for them. Maybe even so that you go out of your way to cheer them up.
-Flirting. Oh flirting, how annoying you are to me for so many reasons. This is one of them. Flirting is often used as a way to get the attention focused on yourself. Or to cause people to develop feelings for you that they might not otherwise. What really boils my blood is when people manipulate by flirting with someone who they don't like and never intend to pursue a relationship with.
-Dressing in a particular way can be manipulative. Here are examples of ways to dress to manipulate:
- Immodesty. Often people dress immodestly without meaning to. But often it's intentional. Here's how I see that as manipulative: Saying, "If I wear this, guys will notice how nice my figure/legs/etc is/are and really think I'm hot." It's really common, something every girl struggles with. Of course we want to be seen as attractive. As women, we appreciate beauty. So we want to be seen as beautiful. But drawing attention to your body can be a way to manipulate. *Disclaimer: I'm not saying that every person dressed immodestly is intentionally being manipulative.
- Dressing to impress. Dressing to impress is not always manipulative. The way we appear on the outside is important! Not the most important, but it is important. I am not saying dressing to look nice/appropriate for the situation is bad. I'm more saying "dressing to impress" as in "dressing to make others think certain things about me" is bad. The line can be thin and hard to find, but it is still there. I'm talking about this: waking up in the morning and dressing in a certain way so that a certain person/group of people (of the opposite gender) notice you and think of your appearance. It is not wrong to be attractive or to make yourself attractive. But when you try to invoke certain feelings (that should be based on more than appearance) by your appearance only, it can be manipulative.
There are many other ways to manipulate. I have seen it 92537248637463 times, just last semester. But it bugs me. And I feel strongly about it. Just don't do it. I know I've been working on it, and definitely have a long way to go.
Friday, May 27, 2011
5 Ways to Win My Heart
Here are five ways to win my heart:
1. Love the Lord first and foremost. From a heart that loves the Lord comes many good things -
encouragement, kind words, Scripture, loving others (I Corinthians 13 love), loving to serve, biblical
leadership, good work ethic, good relationships with others, wisdom and discretion, integrity, and so many
other things. But the most important is loving the Lord and being in His word. The more you know about
God, the more like Christ you become. Everything else will fall into place when you become like Him.
[This implies making Him a priority during every stage of life]
2. Love kids. Love old people. Love animals. Love teenagers. Love believers. Love the lost. Love
your parents. Love your siblings. Love my family. Love the "unloveable". Love like-minded people. Love people who love different things. Love enemies. Just be a lover.
Love sacrificially.
[Again, I Corinthians 13 kind of love - for everyone]
3. Have your own life and let me have mine. That's one thing I love about my relationship with
Trevor. We have so much fun together and love spending time with each other. But we also have our
own lives. He works plus has drill once a month, I'm pretty involved in my church, we both have lots of homework, he lives at home/I live in the dorms, we go to different churches. We have lots of mutual
friends but we also have our own.
[Be a {big} part of my life, but don't try to be my life]
4. Be funny. Make me laugh. But not at the expense of others. And don't have dirty humor. Even if I laugh at those things, I don't want to. There are other ways to be funny without being rude or crude. Also, don't
try too hard. That never impresses girls.
[It's not hard to make me laugh]
5. Be yourself. No matter who you are, be yourself.
[The right person will notice]
30 Day Challenge
Since it's summer and I have more time to write/blog, I hope to. Last night I was looking through different blogs of friends and other cool random websites, and I found this. It seemed like a good idea and a way to keep me writing - every day! I'll just post the picture, and then do today's in a new post. Hope you [if there are any "you"s reading this] enjoy!
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Finals Week
Yikes! It's already that time again. The time of year where college students drink obscene amounts of coffee and spend disgusting amounts of time in the library. Yep, it's final's week here at TMC. Crazy that the semester has flown by so quickly. But it has also seemed to drag. That's the way life is. Sometimes it crawls, sometimes it flies, but in the end, it just feels like it was only yesterday that [insert something big that happened forever ago] happened. That's how this semester feels.
I have already taken 2 finals prior to this week. Now I just have 3 left. This comes with both good news and bad news. The good news is that they're all on Tuesday. The bad news is that they're all on Tuesday. Yes, you read that correctly, it's both good and bad. I will be done with my sophomore year of college (wow...I still can't believe my undergrad career is basically half over) very soon. But having finals all on one day, early in the week, is proving to be a challenge. I have to work really hard and stay diligent the next few days and all will be well. Thankfully, today in college group Jake mentioned sleep and how it is a way to worship God. Sleep proves our weakness - without it, we can't function. It shows we are dependent on our good and loving Creator. [This is not to say that it's a time to slack off and be lazy..just no all-nighters.] I am reminded of the typical but tried and true verse, 2 Corinthians 12:9. It says, "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." Praise God for our apparent weakness, which showcases His abundant strength!
Also, the IBEXers are back...my friend Alyssa has returned! It was so good to see her again :)
I have already taken 2 finals prior to this week. Now I just have 3 left. This comes with both good news and bad news. The good news is that they're all on Tuesday. The bad news is that they're all on Tuesday. Yes, you read that correctly, it's both good and bad. I will be done with my sophomore year of college (wow...I still can't believe my undergrad career is basically half over) very soon. But having finals all on one day, early in the week, is proving to be a challenge. I have to work really hard and stay diligent the next few days and all will be well. Thankfully, today in college group Jake mentioned sleep and how it is a way to worship God. Sleep proves our weakness - without it, we can't function. It shows we are dependent on our good and loving Creator. [This is not to say that it's a time to slack off and be lazy..just no all-nighters.] I am reminded of the typical but tried and true verse, 2 Corinthians 12:9. It says, "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." Praise God for our apparent weakness, which showcases His abundant strength!
Also, the IBEXers are back...my friend Alyssa has returned! It was so good to see her again :)
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Life as of May 4, 2011
Wow. Life's been pretty crazy lately. School keeps me busy busy busy. But it's good. I still have time for social things, which has been nice. Even if "social things" means just spending the night in the library doing homework with friends.
Here's something you should know: I have a boyfriend. His name is Trevor and he's pretty awesome. I could keep going, but he'll probably read this and I know how he is about anything resembling a compliment, so for now I'll save it haha. Anyway, he's a Marine and it's pretty cool. I grew up having a huge respect for the Marines. My grandfather on my mom's side was one, and I remember he used to teach us the Marine's Hymn as he taught us how to swim in his pool. That was one of the first songs I ever learned, minus Sunday school songs of course. He died when I was in first grade, so those are some of my only memories of him. All that to say, it's really cool to be dating one now. Plus I just like him anyway :). Here's us on our first date (which was super fun).
Hmm, what else...well I'm still loving my major. It's pretty brutal sometimes, but I love learning about kids and how to manage a classroom. I've even enjoyed my PE and art classes, though I don't intend to ever teach PE. My art class has really helped me see the importance of integrating art into other disciplines as well. It uses the right side of the brain, when most of school uses the left side, so it gives the left side a break. Also, it's a new, more fun way of learning the same things. So that class has been extremely helpful.
This semester I have been meeting with an incredible lady, Meredith Ebner, once a week. She's been such an encouragement to me, and so helpful! It's nice to have someone a little bit older showing me the right and wrong ways about going about things. She's been extremely helpful in showing me how important honest and open communication is, and has shown me the importance and usefulness of always asking questions. I am so thankful for her.
Tonight is the last night of Awana...technically, last week was actually. Tonight is the awards ceremony, and the last time I'll see those 5 kids in that context. I'd say it's bittersweet, but really, it's all sad. Not only will I not see them for the summer, but my group is 2nd graders, so next year they will be in TNT. I'll also miss the other kids on our beloved green team...I'll miss Dylan, who always rolls up his pants and tells me they're shorts; Katie, who consistently ran in the opposite direction of everyone else, even after watching several people before her; Eleanor, who was often too shy to participate in games (as was I at her age); Ellie and Lily holding onto my legs and making me walk; playing "bubble gum bubble gum in a dish" so much that I never want to chew gum again; and so many more things. Mostly, I'll miss "Miss Abigail", Claire, Ben, Ellie, Madison, and Carter, and all of our good times together. Here's two pics, one of Ben and me, and one of our group playing bubble gum.
Last of all, yesterday Lindsay showed me these incredible pictures, taken by Suren Manvelyen. Here's a few of my favorites. These are closeups of eyes...real eyes. This is what a human eye looks like (still blown away, clearly).
Well, that's all for now. I must get ready and study for my last math test (ever?!). Hope you enjoyed :)
Here's something you should know: I have a boyfriend. His name is Trevor and he's pretty awesome. I could keep going, but he'll probably read this and I know how he is about anything resembling a compliment, so for now I'll save it haha. Anyway, he's a Marine and it's pretty cool. I grew up having a huge respect for the Marines. My grandfather on my mom's side was one, and I remember he used to teach us the Marine's Hymn as he taught us how to swim in his pool. That was one of the first songs I ever learned, minus Sunday school songs of course. He died when I was in first grade, so those are some of my only memories of him. All that to say, it's really cool to be dating one now. Plus I just like him anyway :). Here's us on our first date (which was super fun).
Hmm, what else...well I'm still loving my major. It's pretty brutal sometimes, but I love learning about kids and how to manage a classroom. I've even enjoyed my PE and art classes, though I don't intend to ever teach PE. My art class has really helped me see the importance of integrating art into other disciplines as well. It uses the right side of the brain, when most of school uses the left side, so it gives the left side a break. Also, it's a new, more fun way of learning the same things. So that class has been extremely helpful.
This semester I have been meeting with an incredible lady, Meredith Ebner, once a week. She's been such an encouragement to me, and so helpful! It's nice to have someone a little bit older showing me the right and wrong ways about going about things. She's been extremely helpful in showing me how important honest and open communication is, and has shown me the importance and usefulness of always asking questions. I am so thankful for her.
Tonight is the last night of Awana...technically, last week was actually. Tonight is the awards ceremony, and the last time I'll see those 5 kids in that context. I'd say it's bittersweet, but really, it's all sad. Not only will I not see them for the summer, but my group is 2nd graders, so next year they will be in TNT. I'll also miss the other kids on our beloved green team...I'll miss Dylan, who always rolls up his pants and tells me they're shorts; Katie, who consistently ran in the opposite direction of everyone else, even after watching several people before her; Eleanor, who was often too shy to participate in games (as was I at her age); Ellie and Lily holding onto my legs and making me walk; playing "bubble gum bubble gum in a dish" so much that I never want to chew gum again; and so many more things. Mostly, I'll miss "Miss Abigail", Claire, Ben, Ellie, Madison, and Carter, and all of our good times together. Here's two pics, one of Ben and me, and one of our group playing bubble gum.
Last of all, yesterday Lindsay showed me these incredible pictures, taken by Suren Manvelyen. Here's a few of my favorites. These are closeups of eyes...real eyes. This is what a human eye looks like (still blown away, clearly).
Well, that's all for now. I must get ready and study for my last math test (ever?!). Hope you enjoyed :)
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