Disneyland.

"The happiest place on earth" rings true of this lovely little amusement park once again. I say "little" because D-land is small, people. It's like a little baby. But when it's beautiful, as it was yesterday, it feels teeny tiny because of the crowds. But it's always worth it. It's worth the sore feet (with turf toe flair-ups), sore muscles, extreme exhaustion, sad bank accounts, calories, stress of going through crowds, preparation, loss of time for homework, etc. It's sensory overload for each of the five senses. You're constantly bombarded with the sounds, smells, sights, tastes, and feelings of the rides and of people inevitably bumping into you (often while they're blowing up Instagram with all their artsy pics). But it all works together and it's magical.

Yesterday I spent 13 hours in the park with many of my girlfriends. It was so much fun to get to be with most of my good friends for a good part of the day. There were some that I didn't get to hang out with and some I didn't get to see, but for the most part, I saw everyone! I wanted to do things that I hadn't done in a while and just take some of the sights in and enjoy things other than the fast rides all the time. This trip I was able to see a show, Billy and the Hillbillies, eat places I hadn't eaten before, enjoy a ride on the train with Meredith and Melissa and their 2 year old daughters Karis and Felicity, respectively, and other things like that, as well as ride on the classics like Indiana Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain, and Splash Mountain. We rode Star Tours and someone forgot their dramamine and felt sick for a while, so she had to miss out on rides for a bit (me). But it was perfect because that's when I met up with Meredith and Jake and everyone else for dinner and a slower experience of the park. I also learned how much work it is for parents of young children to make a day like that enjoyable for their kids. Parents do so much more than we realize.

Unfortunately we completely missed Toon Town, but on the plus side I didn't even get the chance to have my elbow stuck in the fence, and that's always a blessing. As I mentioned, I got to hang out with a bunch of my friends. The group varied throughout the day and it was perfect that way. In the early afternoon, we got our fast passes for Space Mountain - for 830-930 pm! Totally insane right?! Well, we decided to wait until after the fireworks display rather than miss them for a ride we could just do after. Don't get me wrong, nobody does fireworks like Disney. Nobody. But man, did that show last forever! We just wanted to get on that ride like nobody's business, and eventually did. Here's what I learned from both Space & Splash Mountain: I'm not one of those people who can take funny pictures for the camera. I'm too scared to actually succeed, and the result is less than glamorous.

The older I get, the fewer pictures I take. Yesterday I took six. And not many of them turned out great. And one of them was of an elephant on Jungle Tours because I wanted to show it to Holly. I'd love to post pics on here of my day, but I really can't use much of what I have. Maybe I will later, and maybe I'll include pics that my friends took. All in all though, it was a great day! I already am looking forward to Disney Day next spring!

What Makes Me Happy

This semester has so far been incredible. There are constantly new and exciting things happening. God has been so gracious to allow me to find such enjoyment in my life. Because there's always fun things going on, I think I'm going to start a new label, all about what makes me happy. I don't want to ever force it, or quench it when it feels like I should share something, so I'm not going to post on a strict schedule.

Here's what's made me happy these past few days:

• Great weekend spent in Orange County with my grandma
• Going to Menchie's and 5 Guys with Sarah and Erin on Sunday night after church and having this really interesting conversation with these two guys on purity/love/marriage
• Disney day is coming - 3 more days!! I can't wait (seriously, every 5 minutes I gush about it)
• Buying makeup online (which may be a bad idea? we'll soon find out)
• Unexpected little phone convo with my little sister Holly
• Finding a new awesome restaurant - Pita Pit - and enjoying it with some sweet girls from my small group
• Children's Lit reading
• Getting out of class early - at least once class each day this week so far
• Going to Meredith's for lunch with other college girls at PBC - so much fun, and we even made these:

Wow

What a weekend. Well..what a last several days. So very much has happened, mostly in my head but also real life things, and I can't even begin to process it all. I was able to spend the weekend at my grandma's house in Orange County and that was a nice break. But the last few days of last week and then tonight have been full of so many interesting things. My mind has been going constantly and doesn't always know what to think. I've felt pretty much every emotion imaginable in the last several days. For the most part I've been able to control them but there have been times where they've controlled me. I'm so very thankful that God is constant because I (as well as every other single person) am not. I constantly change and fail and have to start over. But God is not like that. He is so faithful. The God who spoke the universe into existence; who flooded the earth and protected 8 people in an ark that, left to itself, would have been smashed to smithereens; who parted the Red Sea; who opened the earth and let it swallow thousands of people; who sent His Son to die the most horrible, gruesome, painful, humiliating death possible, and then raise Him up three days later; is the same God today. He is in control of the universe. He is able to work in my life despite my mistakes and failures. He is so faithful and kind to forgive me for the hundreds of times I sin - every day.

Looking into the future, I realize I have no idea what it holds. But I do know who holds my future. And that is why I am not worried one bit about what will happen.

I know this post is all over the place. There's just so much going on it can be overwhelming. Things are so great right now and look like they'll only be improving for a while. I hope I haven't seemed upset. There are just so many things going on and I thought maybe you'd like to know.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I John 4:7-12

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.

listen.

My Jesus I Love Thee.

Selah.

No other explanation needed.

Little Update

Hello!! I have not written that much recently for a couple reasons. I have been pretty busy with the start of a new semester. For some reason, it takes me a couple weeks to get acclimated, and once I have my routine down, I have more free time for things like writing. Then this week would've been perfect to write, but I got sick. I had a cold, but it was seriously the worst I've felt in years. My head had built-up pressure for days before I got sick, and that continued throughout the rest of my sickness and has outlasted the other symptoms. I missed classes, my small group, and meeting with Meredith on account of being sick, which just doesn't happen. The skin on my face was extremely dry - putting anything but moisturizer on it - soap, cleanser, makeup, tissues (ps I used approx. 453297), burned. So as you might be able to tell, I slept a lot. I couldn't concentrate well on my homework, so I had to spend a lot of time making all of it up.

The week was an average week for me, despite being sick. Which means it was pretty amazing. All the chapels this week were incredible. Awana (which I meant to only go to for the first part and then leave because I still didn't feel well at all...but then forgot to leave...can you tell I love it?) was incredible. It was the last night for one of the boys on the Yellow Team (sad) but it ended well for him because we won first place! Which if you're a part of Sparks at PBC you know we never win, haha. It's also sad because he's one of our stars...not that winning matters at all ;).

Thursday I went to lunch with my sweet friend Becca at Urbane Cafe. I'd never been, but I'll definitely go back. It was perfect because the food was great but the company was better. She is seriously one of the sweetest, most fun, funny people I know. That night I had Old Testament Survey. I sat in the back with Brooke, and we were able to catch up and talk about our families and our semesters and things, and it was really nice. She is one of my oldest friends, and is the kind of friend where you can pick up where you left off.

Then Friday we had our discipleship group/Bible study thing, and that was awesome. Mrs. Tatlock spoke on the fact that we are the "fragrance of Christ" and what that means - it's so cool. Then after that, Lizzie stayed for dinner. And so did 3 of the Brooks' friends, because they were going to have a ultimate frisbee night with their homeschool group that night. So the dinnertime total that night was 14. Which is the record, at least since I've been here. Later Friday night I had a long, great conversation with Courtney. We both had things to accomplish, but it was one of those conversations that just happened, and it was really good. I am so bless to have a godly, wise, encouraging roommate. Her entire family is just incredible. I love living with them. It's so much fun, and it's new and different every day.

Yesterday I had brunch in the caf with Courtney, Nick, and Bekah. Earlier in the week, Courtney had asked Bekah (her youngest sister) if she wanted to eat brunch together in the caf (because Bekah loves eating in there). Bekah asked if anyone else was coming, and then asked if Nick and I could join, too. So we did. And it was a blast!

Today was a one-service Sunday at PBC. It was Pastor Scott/the Ardavanis family's farewell Sunday. He preached a powerful sermon, and then several people spoke about the influence their family has been on their lives. Afterward there was cake on the grass, and I got to spend some time with Meredith which was nice.

I have been studying I Peter for my Principles of Personal Bible Study class. It's such a great, great, great book to study. Not even exaggerating. It's incredible. I'm so thankful to be learning these invaluable study methods that I can use the rest of my life. Also, we have to memorize 6 verses from the book of our choice. It's tough to choose though, because there are so many good ones in there! But I'm starting to narrow it down, thankfully.

 This is Courtney, my roommate, and the most recent pic I have of the two of us.

Which is sad, because it's almost a year old!

She was dressed as a pirate for Disney dinner in the caf.

This is me with all the Brooks kids.

Last year around Easter, Court invited me to come dye eggs with her fam, so I did.

I have never seen so many eggs get dyed, and never seen them done so creatively.

L-R: TJ (who looks overjoyed), Katherine, Courtney, me, Sarah, Billy, with Bekah and Jimmy in the front.


*Please excuse my overuse of the word "incredible". Apparently it's my favorite word?

Abraham Lincoln

I'm reading Lincoln: A Photobiography by Russell Freedman, and let me tell you...Abraham Lincoln was an extremely fascinating man. Notice I didn't call him "Abe"...he hated it. I'm reading it for Children's Lit (of course...what else do I read for these days?), and can see the value it would have in a classroom. If you are ever wanting to learn a little bit more about the history of the US or its presidents, this is a good book to pick up.

2 Years!

Well, everyone, I have some news.

I have officially been blogging for 2 years now!

It's crazy it's been so long! Time sure flies.

The last two years have included some of my best and hardest times.

I have grown and changed so much since I began blogging.

I've seen that God alone is constant and everything else can change.

He is so good to repeatedly pour out His love on such an undeserving person.

I'm thankful for what He's brought me from, and look forward to the growth He will cause in the future.

Whether you've just started reading or have been around from the beginning, thank you. I hope you've enjoyed it so far. I also hope and pray that everyone who sees my blog sees my God, who He is and what He's done. 

A Choice

I'm sick today. Miserable is more like it. I just have a typical head cold, but it's a nasty little guy. Bad enough that I left my California Past and Present class after our quiz, and I never miss class. When I'm sick, I'm very susceptible to something else - whining/discontentment/having a pity party. It's way easier to be selfish when I'm sick (not that it's ever hard to be selfish). But I was reminded today of something my junior high teacher commented on my blog a while back. She said, "Laurie, we can worship or whine...that is the only choice." Um...WOW. So today, while I'm sick, this is what I'm reminded of. I can use my sickness as a chance to have a little pity party. Or I can use it to glorify my Lord. Those are my two options. Though it'll be hard, today I'm choosing to worship. Pray for me, as this is not an easy endeavor!

Have a great week everyone! May it be full of blessings and victories.

February 2, 2012

It feels to me as if I haven't written in either of my blogs (if you are new, yes, I have two, and yes, I'm aware that this might make me more of a nerd) much at all recently. But I looked back and apparently I have. But I haven't been writing much when I do write (which in truth is less frequently). Anyway.. Just wanted to apologize for the lack of posts with depth lately; I've been pretty busy and don't have a lot of time to just sit and write. I will soon, just not quite yet. But know this - the Lord is doing a lot of work in my life right now! He doesn't always bring growth through trials (which I experienced last semester). He also brings growth through the careful study of His Word. Through teaching me how to study the Bible, He is also teaching me so much about Himself. My heart is overflowing with gratitude for who He is and what He's done, both at the cross and in my daily life.

"Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You
There is no greater thing
You're my all, You're the best,
You're my joy, my righteousness
And I love you, Lord"
-Graham Kendrick
(for words to the entire song, click here.