Praying for Mr. Right/Miss Right

     I have been praying for my future husband for a couple of years now. Not for me to get him, but for him. I figure he's about my age, probably a little older or maybe even younger, who knows. He's probably either in college still or just starting out in business.
     So I pray for him. I pray that God would use him to win lost souls for Jesus. I pray that he would be blessed in school or his job, whichever it is, and that God would give him wisdom and understanding. I pray that God would keep him from evil and cause him to study and love the Bible. And sometimes I do ask God to hurry up *wink* but I really do want the Lord's timing. I know for me, I want to already be in the habit of praying for my man whenever God brings us together, so I'm trying to get started now:)    
     And what's cool is the Lord puts things on my heart sometimes to pray specifically about, and I know He's just letting me know about things that my special guy needs at that moment or in that day. For instance, one time I felt impressed by the Lord to pray for my guy's safety, and it was like that all day long. So I prayed. And I'm sure the Lord was protecting him from something, although I have no idea what it was. Another time I really felt that I should pray for God to give him wisdom about a situation, whatever it might be. So I did. And what's really amazing is that I get the biggest blessing from praying for my man. I don't even know his name yet. But it's so fun because I know I get to be his help meet now, before we even know each other! I've been working on that whole "doing her husband good and not evil ALL the days of her life" thing from Proverbs 31.

I don't say all this to toot my own horn (beep beep! haha just kidding!!), but as a challenge to people my age. So! *drumroll*

I challenge you to start today and pray for your future spouse. Pray for whatever you think they need. Wisdom, safety, health, God's blessing, or anything else that comes to mind. You'll be amazed by the blessing you get from praying for him or her. So try it! Make it your New Year's Resolution if you want to!



Leah

Encouragement

Isn't it amazing how God just reaches down and gives you the best encouragement at the exact moment you need it? It's pretty stunning that he chooses to be involved in the little details of my life. I mean, in the big picture, I'm really not significant at all. And yet. The God who always was and always will be, Yahweh, the creator, the God who came to earth and died in my place - he genuinely cares about me.

Who thinks that's awesome? Can I get a show of hands? :)



Leah

Post #150!

     Yay for keeping a blog going! It's hard to find time to do it but so far it's working out. So! For blog number 150, I'm going to talk about fashion. Yes, fashion.

     Christians, especially homeschooled Christians, act like what we wear either doesn't matter or shouldn't. I mean, God looks at the heart right? Everything else is just shallow and superficial. Here's the problem with that. The same verse that says God looks at the heart also says man looks on the outward appearance. (I Sam. 16:7 in case you were wondering) I'm all for looking at someone's heart, but the fact is that people judge you by your outward appearance. And you know what? You do it too. Before you start screaming about how you're not judgmental like that (and for the record, Jesus was/is judgmental), imagine this:

      You're in Wal-Mart and you notice a kid walking toward you. He has long, stringy black hair, 4-6 piercings in each ear, two studs in his lip, and one in his eyebrow. His clothes are baggy and all black, and he has a chain or two swinging from his pockets.

Now tell me you didn't just judge that kid.

You did, and you know it.

     You probably thought something like, "What a freak." Or, "Why do people dress like that? That's so weird." Or maybe, "What kind of lousy parents does he have?"

     What you wear matters, plain and simple. If you dress like a slob, what does that say about your heart? If you wear tight, barely-there, immodest clothes (this goes for guys AND girls, considering the trend in guys' clothes these days), what does that say about the Savior you claim to know?

     It says he doesn't make much of a difference. And if he doesn't make a difference, who cares? Why bother with this whole Christianity thing anyway?

     I'm not saying you need to wear heels or a tie to go grocery shopping, but you should clean up and wear clothes that fit and look halfway decent. Baggy is not the same as modestly loose-fitting, ladies. Lose the grunge, guys. Dress like you belong to the King of Kings, or stop saying that you know him, because it gives him a bad reputation when you look trashy and sloppy and you claim his name. The Bible says to "Abstain from all appearance of evil." (I Thess. 5:22) That includes what you wear.

That's my two cents, anyway.




Leah

Disclaimer: this is not reflective of anything I am now feeling or have ever felt. I just think the song is hilarious.














And I'm not really sure why the video is larger than my text box. But listen anyway. It's awesome.


Leah

On Being a Lady

I see so few ladies anymore. I'm not talking about members of the female gender; I'm talking about real ladies. Women like my mom. I will never forget my mom saying to me when I was about four years old, "Being a woman doesn't make you a lady." I didn't understand what she meant at the time, but now I do. Another time she told me, "Ladies don't smoke." And, "Ladies dress modestly." I still didn't really understand what she meant, but I knew from the way she said it that I wanted to be a lady, whatever that was. Then one time I asked her, "Mama, are you a lady?" She laughed and said, "I sure hope so."

 

So . . . what IS a lady? Or what is a lady NOT?

 

I think being a lady does NOT mean:

- dressing immodestly

- being a flirt

- making girl-drama

 

I think being a lady DOES mean:

- being feminine (but not necessarily girly) and modest in dress, actions, and attitude. Attitude is 90% of modesty.

- being genuinely caring, but not causing/continuing drama

- letting men be gentlemen without acting like a helpless wallflower

 

 

What do YOU think being a lady means and why?

 

 

 

Leah

 

Back in the blogging world.

But not for long. Finals start Monday and I'm going to be so glad when they're over. Gag me.

So in my life I have been:
- Studying, as always.
- Reading about natural healing.
- Studying vaccines. I am NEVER getting my children vaccinated. Oh my word. It's so incredibly dangerous and it doesn't even protect against the disease! Not even a little!
- Working. Actually NOT working, because I haven't had any work to do all week. I show up at the office and sit there reading about herbs and vaccines all day. But as my friend Kristina likes to remind me, if they weren't paying me to do nothing, they'd be paying someone else to do nothing, so it might as well be me.
- Reading "Diet and Heart Disease." Very interesting, even if the print IS tiny.

And that's basically it. Going to church, of course, and class, naturally. And once in a while I even see people!

And my story for tonight is that I was walking back from the Dining Common and this stupid girl kept bumping into her BF on purpose and then walking all over the grass. Which we are not allowed to do (either one) and HOW FREAKING EASY are those rules to follow?? Really kids?? Can we be slightly mature for like five seconds? So I told her to get off the grass. And her BF (who I'm pretty sure I could out arm-wrestle) turned around to me and said in his most rebellious and snotty way that we're supposed to confront others in love and I had an attitude problem. Well ya darned right I had an attitude problem. Stupid freshmen. So I told him (not in so many words) that he could stuff it and since they agreed to follow the rules, why don't the two of them quit acting like they're five. He was not amused. Twit.

So I've decided that I do not like boys other than my little brother who are under the age of 22. At least. Nah, I take it back there's like 4 that I like. Maybe.


Leah



P.S. I have another good story from today which was HILARIOUS and I'm just waiting for pictures. Stay tuned:D

I think Hitch is one of the funniest movies ever. I wish it didn't have the yucky stuff in it. But oh my word that movie is so darn funny.

Today . . .

I am thankful to be a Christian. I hope you know Jesus. If you don't, let me know and I'll tell you all about him:)



Leah

He Always Knows.

Lately I've really been struggling with discouragement - it's really hard to keep thinking and doing the things I do when it seems like other people here don't care at all and their lives are fine and sometimes better. Like the KJV thing. No one else here cares, at least not anyone I've met, and it sure seems like they're doing fine and love the Lord. Or the dating thing. It doesn't look like casual dating is really hurting these people that much. But I've never done it because I always said it's practicing for divorce instead of life-long marriage and somehow I'm still the one that's alone while EVERY OTHER PERSON in this blessed school is dating or almost-dating someone. And every day somebody else gets engaged. I mean, why keep holding out on these things I thought were really important when no one else does and their lives are just fine? It's really frustrating and EXTREMELY discouraging.
So today it all came crashing down and I cried like ten times and finally I told the Lord that I need encouragement right now or I'm just going to quit trying. So I'm in the music library attempting to concentrate on homework (big success obviously, since I'm blogging) and I put my iTunes on shuffle, and what comes on? Guess. Go ahead.




"Oh, the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus."




I put my head down and cried for the eleventh time since 9:00 this morning and thanked the Lord for listening. He always knows. Even when I think he doesn't.




Leah

The joys of having a vehicle

Last night I was out running some errands with my friend Kat, and the last place we went was Wal-mart. When we came out I noticed there was some fluid on the ground, but it was sorta in between my car and the car next to me, and nothing ever goes wrong with my car, so I didn't think much of it. We were coming back on campus and had just stopped at a stop sign when I thought I saw smoke coming out of my engine. Pfft Leah, you worry too much, I blissfully thought. Pulling away from the stop sign, I glanced down at my temperature gauge. Which was pegging. Like any calm, independent, capable female, I freaked out. I pulled over to the side of the road and turned the car off. After which smoke began pouring from my engine. I called my brother because it was too late to call my dad (he turns into a pumpkin at 8:30pm) and he calmly asked me what color the smoke was. It's, uh, I think it's gray, I sputtered, not being completely sure because it was pitch black outside. Then you're probably out of water, he pronounced. Oh good. He asked if I had seen any fluid on the ground and I explained the Wal-mart scenario. He said I probably have a crack in one of my hoses somewhere and I should take it to get fixed. Except it's not drivable right now, so I have to get it towed, and . . . hear that gasping, sucking sound? It's my bank account.

But! On the upside, I broke down on campus, in a safe place, and not out in this sketchy city, I wasn't alone, my uncle lives ten minutes away, and I found a place that will tow it for $55. Awesome. So hopefully today I'll be able to get it fixed. We shall see!


Leah

I AM EXTREMELY FRUSTRATED WITH MY UNIVERSITY RIGHT NOW.











*huff*

No Take-Backs

Today I went to chapel and Dr. Berg was speaking. Sometimes he tends to focus a little too much on the human perspective of things, so I was a little disappointed that he was the speaker today. I mean really, guys, can we stop making it sound like it's so miserable to be a Christian? Because it's not that bad. I mean, as good as the world gets doesn't even compare to what we have. *gets off soapbox*

 

But he said something in chapel today that really stuck with me. He said, "Give all your worries to God - no take-backs." I immediately had a flashback to when I was five or six years old, and there was a swing set in our backyard with two Coveted White Swings. And whenever Mom sent us outside to play, we all raced to get one of the Coveted White Swings. Usually Mike and Deb won. Mike because he was fastest and Deborah because she'd shove you over to get it. Only one time I got it. (haHA!) After I got thoroughly bored with swinging (which took about 27 hours. I was obsessed), out of the goodness of my five-or-six-year-old heart, I offered the Coveted White Swing to my sister Abbie. She jumped on and went swinging away. Only about 10 minutes later, I wanted it back. So I, quite reasonably, told her to get off because I wanted to swing again. She promptly whined, "Heeeeeeey! No take-backs!" And because she has magic tears Mom made me let her have it. At least that's the story I'm telling.

 The point is that once you give someone something, it's theirs. It's mean and rude to take it back. But we do it to God all the time, don't we? I have a particular worry which I shall not name, and I do the give-it-take-it-give-it-take-it routine about 42 times a day. And I think God must get exasperated with me sometimes and just feel like saying, "Well lemme HAVE it already, willya?" Or like Abbie, "Heeeeeeeey! No take-backs!" Hmm. Since he's got that whole all-powerful thing going on, I guess I should quit taking my worries back, huh. I'll give it a try and let you know how it goes.

 

 

Leah

Carl Flesch = evil.

Carl Flesch (for those of you who are not string players) is a guy who invented a method for learning to play scales and arpeggios on stringed instruments. Only I think that's all he ever did, because his fingerings don't work in real symphonies. I have played eight or ten major symphonies, three operas, and 12-15 preludes to operas, combined with around 20 smaller works for orchestra, and that's on top of all my solo pieces that I've done. And I've never, that's correct, NEVER used Flesch fingerings for anything I've played. So why the heck are all the violin teachers so flippin' stuck on it? Do they not know how to teach shifting or something? >:( Grr. HATE CARL FLESCH. Boo. That is all.




Leah

And P.S. macs = win. PCs = fail.

Watch this:

Black Conservatives Rebut Tea Party Racism Claims

Because it's quite intelligent and interesting.

Hooray for educated and articulate people of every color.




Leah

Life Update

Class: Still stressful but getting better a little at a time. I might slap the next person who talks about how easy GAs have it though.

 

Work: I actually have WORK to do now, but I'm kind of frustrated . . . I feel like I never do something right the first time. I'm praying about it and trying to figure out how to make this work. I don't really understand their expectations though, and when I talked to my supervisor about it, she tried to explain and didn't make any sense. Still confused. The thing is that no one really knows what the expectations for this position ARE. So . . .

 

Social life: Slightly more existent than a month ago. Meaning I actually see people outside of class and work now. It's a great new concept for me.

 

Violin: I'm not taking lessons next semester and I think orchestra is pretty much out of reach forever for me. My hands hurt too much. I've already had my cry about it. I'm just never going to play at a professional level again. Imagine being suffocated slowly and that's what this feels like for me. Horrible, isn't it. Yes, I'm really upset.

 

Voice/Choir: I may be taking voice lessons next semester. We shall see. I'm taking choir again, but if they put me in Lyric next fall I'm going to drop it. I'm not doing it for another whole year if I'm not going to move up. I'm here to advance in musicianship, not take up space. If I'm not getting anywhere, what's the point?

 

Church: I haven't been much this month because of campus church 2x, and then I was away one weekend, and now I'm sick. Hopefully they won't forget my name by the time I get to go back. I do love TBC.

 

Devos: Just hit the New Testament. I tell you what, reading about Jesus is so much sweeter after all the downer prophets:) I mean, he's pretty stellar anyway. But in contrast to the rigidity of the Law, the freedom he offered really stands out. It's pretty incredible what he's done for us.

 

And that's about it!

Leah

 

 

Sorry . . .

 . . . but this won't be very inspiring. I am sick. Like with a cold. I hate being sick.


Alrighty, I'm done with complaining.


Yesterday we had our White Glove inspection, which I assume I passed because no one has told me otherwise. I spent most of the morning cleaning, and then spent the whole afternoon in the music library researching for my paper and performance notes for my Middle Ages Music class. That class is taking over my life. Oh well. I've got a good start for my paper and I'm almost done with the performance notes, so that's good. Other than that I got ahead on my Bible quizzes (we can take all the ones for the whole unit whenever we want to) and then at 5:30 we got kicked out of the dorm for the actual inspection. So naturally, I went to Chipotle.
See this?

That, my friends, is bliss in a tortilla.

Black beans, spicy chicken, sour cream, cheese, and lettuce. In a tortilla. And chips and guac, obviously. It's amazing. Hold on, I have to go get a towel to mop up the drool.


Alright I'm back.


So I went to Chipotle for dinner, read some in Preparing to be a Help Meet, and came back. And watched 10 Things I Hate About You. It has some yucky stuff in it, sadly. But other than that, that movie is hilarious. The one-liners just make me crack up every time. What can I say? I loved Heath Ledger before he went and did that disgusting Brokeback Mountain garbage.

Today I'm going to campus church so I don't get all the little old people at TBC sick. Which is sort of a bummer because I hate going to campus church. It's really uptight and not one of those preachers trusts the Bible. *eyeroll* But on the upside, Men's Glee is singing in campus church this morning, including my friend Brandon, so that'll be cool to see him.

And that's pretty much all that's going on my in life currently. I'm getting good grades so far! And this afternoon I'm going to plan classes for the second semester. Party. Adios for now!



Leah

Out of a Horrible Pit

     One of the news stories in the past few months that I've been following is the story about those Chilean miners that were trapped underground. It's pretty crazy, isn't it? Stuck under there for days on end before anyone even knew if they were alive, and then - we found out that they WERE still alive. That in itself is a miracle. But then to survive for two months down there, and come out of it with so few physical injuries, safely delivered to their families again - well, that's just the mercy of God. It's pretty amazing.

 

     The thought popped into my head today that we're all sort of like those miners. We were stuck, with absolutely no way out, unless God intervened. We were trapped in the awful mine of our own sin, and it caved in on us. But God . . . those are two of the sweetest words in the whole Bible, I think. But God. He saw our desperate need and rescued us. Psalm 40:2 says "He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings." I don't know about you, but seeing those women crying and hugging their husbands again really made this verse come alive for me. He really has brought me up out of a horrible pit. I'm really thankful to be a Christian.

Leah

Not Just Waiting

     Being 22, and single, I do tend to think about getting married a lot. Especially here, because people at this school are SO couples-minded. If you don't have a boyfriend, well, you must be rebelling against God or something, since he hasn't blessed you that way. Or there's something wrong with you. (Or maybe you haven't met a man you respected enough to date/court/whatever yet. No wait. That CAN'T be it.) 

     But the idea of just waiting for Mr. Right to magically come along and conveniently notice me for no good reason while I'm sitting around on my behind doesn't really sound that great to me. I'd rather be actively waiting, as in preparing and that sort of thing. So I'm rereading Preparing to be a Help Meet (Debi Pearl) and enjoying it just as much as I did the first time, only this time, I decided that I'm going to take her suggestions for preparing literally (as much as I can). Some of them won't work - I can't just drop school and work and help another family with kids out for a week. I don't have a kitchen so I can't cook meals for a family for a week. But there are some that work. The first thing I'm taking on is my mouth (and if you know me . . . pray, haha), specifically, complaining. I'm not a whiny complainer, which I think is why I let myself get away with it. But I do tend to focus on the negative side of things. So I'm working on stopping the complaining first up. Because really, how unattractive is a complainer?! And my mom always says the way to stop complaining is to be thankful, so every time I complain I'm going to find three things to be thankful for about the situation. I've got about 4 people (the people I hang out with the most) helping me (AKA putting the smackdown on me when I complain) and I'm looking up Bible verses on it so we shall see how this goes. I'll let you know:)

 

 

Leah

Fashion, or the lack thereof.

     In the last year or two, I've become really interested in fashion. It's funny because I always was proud of the fact that I don't follow trends - I STILL don't follow trends, really. I hate skinny jeans and jeggings with a passion. I think platform heels look stupid. And I REALLY REALLY DESPISE the nerd glasses that people (whose vision is perfectly fine) are wearing as a fashion statement. The only statement THAT makes is that you have bad fashion.

 

*huff*

 

     Anyway. So I've become really interested in fashion. But somehow that interest has completely escaped SO many people at this blessed school. For instance:

 

     Girls here regularly wear a skirt that is too short to "check" (too short to be in dress code) with a longer skirt underneath it. As in TWO SKIRTS AT THE SAME TIME. It's so wrong! Why?! And the boys here seem to think that pants that are four inches too short are somehow . . . attractive? Yeah . . . I don't get it either. Add to that the girls with the "poured in" look and boys with tight pants and this campus is a fashion DISASTER. Prints and stripes do not go together, kids!! I'm thinking I need to have a fashion seminar. Not to make the boys metro or anything, just to give people guidelines for what looks nice and what looks trashy, since it's obvious that not a whole lot of people understand that concept. *eyeroll*

 

So.

 

Here are Stacy London and Clinton Kelly's four rules for interest in an outfit:

1. Color

2. Texture

3. Pattern

4. Shine

 

First, color. If you wear clothes that are all the color of old oatmeal, guess what you look like. Old oatmeal. Change it up. Mix a neutral with a bright accent color. It's why black, white, and red looks so cool.

Texture: Rock the snake-skin bag. Wear a suede blazer. Texture adds interest. Don't go crazy like wearing a feather boa to class or anything. But texture is fun. Try some.

Pattern: Pinstripes, guys. They're awesome. 'Nuff said. Ladies: prints and stripes together ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE. STOP. One pattern at a time, please!

Shine: Metallic shoes are so hot right now, girls. Boys: please do not wear metallic shoes. But a nice silk tie is appreciated.

 

And rules for looking nice in general:

1. Cut

2. Fit

3. Style

 

Cut: If you're short, don't wear skirts to the middle of your shin thinking it'll make you look taller. As a matter of fact, NO ONE should wear skirts that length. Yuck. Knee length looks good on everyone. And A-line. And unless you're Ashley Olsen skinny (which I do hope you're not - gross) pencil skirts are not a great plan. Plus they're almost always too tight andtight skirts are disgusting and immodest. This week I saw a girl with a skirt so tight it worked itself up while she was walking and she had to keep pulling it down.

 

Now that's attractive.

 

*eyeroll*

 

     Anyway, off the too-tight soapbox. Basically, wear clothes that are cut close to the body but NOT tight. You can look good without painting clothes on. GROSS. And pants should be straight down. As in skinny jeans do not fit the bill. They don't fit your behind either, for that matter. So please do not wear them. Ever. For any reason.

Fit: NOT TIGHT. BOYS. Stop with the tight pants! EEW. SO not attractive at. all. And girls, if your clothes are so tight it affects your breathing, please chill out and get a bigger size. Being a size 10 is not the end of the world, you know. Actually, it's pretty awesome. Seriously though. Enough with the gross/tight clothes. And don't you dare complain about the guys staring when you're dressed like a tramp.

Style: Everyone has a personal style. Just don't make yours say Sleaze or HiI'mPoor. Goodwill has decent clothes so you have no excuse.

 

And as my dear Lydia always says, there's a difference between dressing attractively and dressing to attract. Dress attractively. PLEASE.

 

 

 

Leah

Self-designated BJU Fashion Consultant

 

 

P.S. Two skirts at a time? REALLY?!?!

I love letters.

Yesterday I finally checked my mailbox (I only do it once a week-ish) and I had three letters! I love letters - I mean it's obviously communication from friends, but it's also because writing letters takes time. Sometimes a lot of it, depending on how long of a letter you write! :) It's just nice to know that my friends cared enough to not just facebook or email me, but send a real letter.

 So I've been writing back and forth with two of my friends - they're sisters. I just love Kelce and Kori. Kelce is a older and a little closer to my age, but Kori is like a second younger sister. It's fun though because even though Kelce and I are 5 years apart (she's younger . . . I'm old haha) we go through some of the same things. It's fun to encourage each other about that stuff - boy stuff, reading our Bibles, trusting the Lord, etc. and then see each other grow. She really is one of my best friends. And Kori - I'm always telling her to straighten up and fix her attitude (hey, she's 15) and she's getting so much better! I just love her.

 

Do you write letters, emails, or use facebook the most? Who was the last person you got a real letter from?

 

 

Leah

Life Update

I found out yesterday that I had a major research project due tomorrow, so I spent basically all afternoon/evening yesterday in the library finding sources and stuff on Medieval Liturgical drama. Doesn't that sound thrilling? Actually it's kind of cool. I mean those were the days when you could get burned at the stake for writing something the pope didn't like, and the only lasting music was written for the Catholic church. But the church's music was already set in stone, pretty much. And somehow the musicians found a way to be creative anyway. It's kind of cool.

 

In other news, I'm actually able to spend a little time with my friends these days. I have no idea how with all the work I have, but I think God speeds up my work so I don't die from lack of human contact. He's good like that.

 

I still don't have any work at work. I'm going to talk to my supervisor on Friday if things don't change.

 

I'm practicing almost every day now and my hands only hurt a little. I'm doing a lot of exercises and stretches to keep it from getting bad, and so far things are ok. I think my teacher believes there's actually a problem now, after a major cramp in my lesson. Turd. I wanted to say, "I TOLD YOU SO!" But I didn't. But. I have decided that I will not hurt myself to make her happy. Ever. It's not like I have anything to prove.

 

And I really miss cooking.

 

That doesn't have anything to do with anything else I've written. I just do.

 

And also I'm planning something super fun and exciting but I'll tell you about it after it actually happens. And there shall be pictures.

 

 

 

Leah

The thing is, I agree with this.

Yes, I admit it. I'm a terrible feminist. I think most women would be better off if they'd quit complaining, honor their husbands, and just cook the man dinner with a smile. Be happy he picked you. Be thankful you have a kitchen to cook in and food to make your man. Smile and give him a big hug when he walks in after work. Tell him you missed him that day. Be so smiley and happy to see him that he doesn't even see another woman. Tell everybody about what a great man God gave you and how much he loves you. Find the good and quit your whining about the not-so-good. 

After all, you could be single and lonely.

Leah

The POD + random scarf nonsense

Since you know you love hearing about my life, here's the POD for today (that's Plan Of the Day for you non-military slobs):

 

Work

Class

Work

Lunch with my music ed girls (the only weekday I sit down for lunch - I look forward to it all week!)

Music library to do homework

More homework

Homework (are you sensing a pattern here?)

Dinner with my friend Brooke, after 3 weeks of trying to find a time

Gazebo for the Wind Band concert

Hostessing at the men's soccer game: AKA policing skanky couples and preventing purpling.

 

Wait! I didn't explain purpling!

 

Ok.

 

It's a very simple concept, actually. Boys are blue, right? And girls are pink. And when pink and blue touch, it makes purple. *Twilight Zone music* NO PURPLE ALLOWED.

 

But purple IS my favorite color. I wonder what that says about me.

 

Hee hee.

 

JK.

 

  And after hostessing I'm going to come back to my room, shower as fast as humanly possible, fall asleep, and not get up till I feel like it. So there.

  Tomorrow I plan on getting my homework done and going to the park. I might even watch a movie. Yay for free time! If I get my homework done! I hope so! Really really!

 

  In other news, I'm pretty sure I have mold in my room and it's giving me headaches. Hooray. Hopefully in December I will be moving out into one of the apartments. Maybe they won't have mold.

 

Then again, this is the South.

 

And BTW I have cute scarves.

 

That's completely unrelated to anything I've said in this post. But who cares? I love scarves. I think I have 17 or something like that. It's kind of a problem. Wait no it's not. Scarves are never a problem. I'm rambling. Time to quit.

 

 

Leah

 

 

New Favorite

I've discovered a new album I love. Mark Burchfield, Peaceful Easy Feeling. It's really cool. Take a listen.



Leah

I have writer's block.

So this blog is kind of lame. But hey, I've blogged two days in a row, so that counts for something, right? I'm currently sitting in the snack shop on campus, watching Auburn lose badly to South Carolina. Hooray. In other news, I babysat my two hilarious cousins this morning, Gus, and Lainey. And they. Are. CUTE. We had a lovely time playing in the yard and drawing on the driveway with sidewalk chalk. And then we went inside and watched Lady and the Tramp II, and while they did that I attempted to stomach more of my lousy textbook for music ed. Oh my word that book is boring. And confusing. So after that I made the kids lunch and then my aunt got back from work. I left and went back to campus, where I've been studying/doing homework since 1:00. Yes, it's after 9. I did stop for 45 minutes to eat dinner. And the worst part is I still have to do more junk tomorrow. GAG ME. I have to research the medieval church's sequence. As in the musical sequence. Because I'm doing a 15-minute presentation on it in class a week from Tuesday. And my classmates have no concept of returning books so other people can use them, so I do everything WAY in advance for that class. It's good times. And I've been studying like crazy for my Bible test on Monday, because the teacher told us that the average for the first test is around 83 and I am NOT getting an 83. Not happening. It's not rocket science.

And the first Artist Series is on Tuesday. I don't have a date but that's cool, dating is awkward anyway. I suppose I'll have to get over that feeling at some point, huh. And Taylor Lautner boy knows who I am now. I reintroduced myself to him one time when we were in the food line at the same time. Yay. Nothing like rice and beans to bring people together.
Ok. Enough randomness for one night. I'm going to sleep so I will have energy to do yet more homework and studying tomorrow. Isn't my life exciting?



Leah

Just in case you haven't felt awkward today . . .

 . . . let me help you out.

He doesn't even have sugar in his tank! Crazy! 

Anyway that's Brandon. He's . . . interesting. Ha. No he's fun. He says things like "WOMEN." And "FEMALES." a lot. 

Well. 

MEN. Haha!

Leah

Warning: Woman with Security Issues (wait . . . that's all of us)

I'm reading a book called "Be Confident in your Creation," by Nathan D. Thomas. It's basically about how we should be confident in our lives and who we are because that's when God can use us the best. I'm really enjoying it and I feel like I've learned a lot.

 

The subtitle of the book is "Rejoice in Who You Are." Now, I freely admit that I've always had trouble with that. I've always seen myself as too skinny, too tall, too nerdy, too outspoken . . . you name it. I mean, my sisters were the pretty girls, Abbie always makes people laugh, and people gravitate to her. Especially kids. Deborah is everyone's helper; the dependable one who always gives good advice. I'm just the musician. Great. That's helpful. Super spiritual there. But all through this book he's talking about rejoicing in who you are, and it's been a real challenge to me. At the end, he says at one point, "You are who you are and that is exactly what God wants you to be." When I read that it was like God took me by the shoulders and shook me awake. My first thought was, "Really?" And just as clearly as if he said it out loud, he answered me, "REALLY!"  But all my life I've heard people say things like, "God loves you too much to leave you the way you are," and somehow that translated in my mind as, "God doesn't like me the way I am, so he's going to change me until I'm good enough." I know that sounds stupid but that's really the way I've subconsciously thought all this time. No wonder my self-esteem sucks. So I pretend that I never have days where I feel completely insecure about basically everything, and people think I'm super confident. Add that to my list of screw-ups. But he's saying that God wants me to be me. Not the fake-confident me, but the real me. Obviously I should choose not to sin. That'd be great. But even when I screw up (which is often) he still likes me. He likes me.

 

Even after reading that and thinking about it, it's hard to believe it. I mean, GOD, as in perfectly holy and righteous and true and all that, is really ok with me, the girl who has world-class PMS, attitude problems, and sometimes acts like a really pathetic excuse for a Christian? He likes me?  He wants me to be me? It sounds kind of too good to be true. Like yeah right, God. Funny. But there's a part of me that thinks it is true. I mean, he did make me like this. It's not like he ever screws up.

So I'm still sort of processing it and thinking about it. I'll let you know if I decide anything:)

Leah

A day in pictures

My day started by going to have the geeks look at my computer because the CD drive thingie wasn't working right. But naturally, it was fine once we were there. *eyeroll*

Deb sent me a picture of Jonathan. He's so darn cute! I love this kid!

We learned that people at the local ice cream place don't discriminate based on spelling abilities (or lack thereof).

And there was a beautiful sunset.

The end.

Leah

A Visit from Daddy and Aesthetic Experience.

My daddy's here! I haven't seen him since June so it is super exciting. And he brought me presents too! An iron, three formal dresses I was having altered back home, another blanket, and My Mother's Pumpkin Bread. Ok if you've never had it, you're deprived. If you want the recipe just ask me and I'll post it. It's amazing. So anyway I'm super excited because 1. I get to see my dad, 2. he's fixing my car, 3. Now I have something to wear to Artist Series in a week and a half, 4. PUMPKIN BREAD.

So that's that.

In other news, I'm reading a book by an idiot for my music ed class. This guy says he's going to show the great awesome value of music, and then he says that music is primarily valuable because it's a human activity.

Well thanks, Captain Obvious.

DUH. Ya THINK it's a human activity? What a moron. So he spends three chapters bashing aesthetic experience (which I agree with 75% of the time, not all the time) and then contrasts that with a stupid idea. If music is just an activity, why is it any more valuable than, say, brushing your teeth? That's a human activity. And how is dumbing music down like that supposed to help advocate it in schools? *eyeroll*

Loser.

Anyway I'm done for the night. I'm going to go eat some chips and salsa in honor of my little brother and then go to bed. Hurray for adequate sleep!



Leah

Thursday life update.

It's THURSDAY and I haven't blogged??? What IS this??? I mean, how will people survive without hearing about my life???

Ha.

Ok I'm done now.

Here's your daily dose of drivel.

1. I'm sick of spelling templates at work.

2. I love my Bible teacher, even if he is slightly ignorant about Bible history.

3. My co-worker Brian is the funniest person ever.

4. I still can't figure out why my pictures from Hong Kong won't upload. I'm getting a chip reader.

5. I'm the Lyric Choir VP! Go team!

6. My Uncle J is the greatest. He's a chiropractor and adjusts me. For free. I love it. I feel so much better than I have in a long time. Years, I think. I need to live near him my whole life, I decided.

7. The textbook for my medieval music class is AW. FUL. So bad it's beyond being described. Hard to understand (nigh impossible) and so freaking boring it's incredible. How music that interesting can be described in such boring and yet such hard-to-understand ways is beyond me.

8. My music ed professor is crazy. But he makes class a blast.

9. I miss my Hong Kong kids. They're my babies:( And I'd really just like to get them all together and hug them all one more time.

10. 8 hours of sleep does wonders for my energy level. I found that out when I tried it on Tuesday. It was pretty sweet. Try it and let me know what you think.



Leah

My new favorite!

Yesterday something really amazing happened.

Are you ready for this?

I found a Panera gift card in my purse with $10(!!!!!!!) on it!!!!! That is so exciting!!! So naturally, I ditched campus food and went to Panera for breakfast. I had a cinnamon crunch bagel, toasted and with butter. MmmMMM. And I also had this:

   That's a mango smoothie, kids. And it's amazing. Delish. It's my new favorite. I'm a big fan of anything mango flavored anyhow, but this really is exceptional. Go try it. Tell me what you think.

Yesterday I was a good little girl. I got so much darn homework done it was crazy. I did some of it at the local Firestone, while they were trying to figure out why my car gets 230 miles to a tank of gas all of a sudden instead of the 370 it used to get. And they found nothing. LAME. After that, I popped in the mall for my favorite makeup:

   Bare Minerals is not paying me to say this. But their makeup is everything they claim it is. It's amazing, doesn't make you look "painted," and is all around awesome. I highly recommend it. You should go in and let them match your skin tone though so you get the right shade. They're seriously experts about this stuff.

 So after that I went to Starbucks with friends Hope and Joy, and we all got coffee and sat there doing homework and mooching internet. It was pretty sweet. So my goal today is to be as productive as yesterday. 

Hey! Don't laugh! It could happen!

Leah

A play, a pirate, and Taylor Lautner.

Not in that order.


Yesterday night I decided to go to a production of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night on campus. I heard the players had done a good job with it and this was their last performance, so I decided to go. I'm a fan of Shakespeare anyway. It's so twisted and cool. So Hope and Joy and I went together, and while we were standing in line, Hope grabbed my arm all of sudden and squeaked out, "RIGHT THERE." and pointed. I looked where she was pointing and all I saw was this old guy walking toward us. "What's right there?" "RIGHT THERE!" She said again. "WHAT'S RIGHT TH-" "PATCH THE PIRATE."

And at this point I almost passed out.

See, Patch the Pirate is basically my childhood hero, more or less. His real name is Ron Hamilton, and he lives and works around my university. He writes and records stories for kids, all based on this made-up character named Patch the Pirate. He had cancer in his eye in his 30s, so the doctors had to take his eye out. They gave him a cool patch to wear over the missing eye, so the kids at his church started calling him Patch. Anyway so I've listened to those stories on cassette (am I old or what?) and CD since I was 4 and he's basically my hero. And I was hoping I'd get to meet him while I'm here but I didn't have my hopes up or anything.

Back to the standing in line.

I waited for about two seconds and then I told Hope and Joy, "I'm going to go talk to him." So I did. I walked right up to him (he's shorter than I thought) and said, "Are you Ron Hamilton?" And he laughed and said, "Well yes, yes I am!" I almost passed out again. The only thing I could think was "Oh my gosh my sisters are never going to believe this!" But I said, "Oh wow! I've been listening to Patch the Pirate since I was four, I think. I've always wished I could meet you!" He laughed again and held out his hand. "Well," he said, "I'm Patch the Pirate. What's your name?" "I'm Leah." "Nice to meet you Leah." "Nice to meet you too!" Then he said, "If you remember some of my sailors, I'm here with Princess. (Princess is his daughter Megan) I've got to go find her. Bye!"

At which point I went back to my friends and said about 20 times, "I can't believe I just met Patch the Pirate."

*big breath*

Most exciting thing at school, by far.

Here's a picture (a really lousy one), in case you live under a rock and don't know who Patch the Pirate is.

Other than that yesterday I went to class and work, and the choir picnic. The picnic was TONS of fun. We played a bunch of games, ate awesome barbecue, and sang (because we're in choir and that's how we roll). And when we sat down to dinner I ended up with a couple people from Chorale, one of whom was Miah. WOW. Best looking man I've ever met IN. MY. LIFE. He looks like Taylor Lautner only way hotter. I almost died right. there. Have you ever met someone who's so good looking it's hard to talk to them? Well that's how this guy was. Except he was really nice and totally normal. Shocking, I know. He's a grad student too (2 points), majoring in Organizational Communication (I have no idea what that means), and he's in his first year, like me (2 more points).

Did I say this kid was really good looking?

Well he was.

Really really.


Ok I'm done now.

Maybe.




Leah

The Great Moody Beta.

Commodore is moody.

I think he's PMSing.

He is MY fish, after all. He won't eat, he doesn't even want to swim. Poor 'lil guy just sits there most of the time.

Actually, he's building a bubble-nest. I don't know if that's the technical term or not, but it means he's looking for Mrs. Commodore and he's making the bubble nest to put the eggs in.

Sorry buddy. You'll be waiting a lifetime. No beta babies for me.

Wanna see?

That's him, sulking moodily underneath the bubble nest.

Here's a close-up. In case you're super excited about my depressed fish.

See? Toldja I'm exciting.

HA.




Leah

Meaningless drivel for your reading pleasure.

Well I'm just so darn exciting, huh.




Ha! I can't even say that with a straight face!

So here's what happened today. In the super-non-exciting life of Leah.

I woke up and found about 50 ants all over my sink. Since facilities management was just in here three days ago, I was just a LITTLE not happy about that. So I called them again and smashed every one of the buggers and then washed them down the sink.

Dang bugs.


I went to work, class, work, lunch, class, violin lesson (before which I cried because I was so darned stressed out and sick of bugs all over my room), work, grab n' go dinner, off to Uncle Jared's (chiropractor) to get adjusted, and back to my room.

Where I'm sitting now, blogging about my super-non-exciting life.

And putting off homework.

And munching an apple.

Like I said. Super-non-exciting.

Oh I forgot! My friend Britt saw me in the Fine Arts Building today when I was having my stress-bugs-cryfest, and gave me a big hug and came over to my room when I got back from Uncle Jared's just to talk and catch up. I haven't seen her since April, so it was really nice. Plus she's like the sweetest person ever and she makes me feel better. It's almost like having a sister here. Almost.

In other news, I'm taking my car to get worked on this Saturday. It has really bad gas mileage all of a sudden, and doesn't want to go over 45mph, and I'm pretty sure the two front tires are leaking.

ilovebeinganadultilovebeinganadultilovebeinganadultilovebeinganadult...


I'll just keep saying that till I forget how much this is going to cost. K?

On the real upside, I have my window open, it's about 70 degrees outside, not humid, and I can hear the cicadas talking in the tree outside my window. It makes me happy. :)

Now I'm going to stop procrastinating and do theology homework. Joy.


Leah

In a handy list format.

1. I'd like to slap the person who thought it would be a good idea to have a fire drill for my dorm in the middle of the night. Seriously. The most inconsiderate people in this city work for BJU Public Safety.

2. My classes are amazing and Dr. Turner (music ed) is my favorite.

3. I got a fishie! His name is Commodore Bartholomew:)

He's a beta, in case you can't tell. And he's moody right now because it's his wife-hunting season, apparently, and he's building a bubble nest but there's no Mrs. Commodore, thankfully. No fish babies for me. Anyways.

4. I'm exhausted. Going to bed now.

5. Goodnight.




Leah

LOATHE (except the endorphins)

I hate exercise.

I know. I went to Pilates for like a year with the Mother Ship. And it was lovely, except for the planks, which I hate. Good exercise, but fun because it was in a class, my mom went with me, you know. Girls are social. Deal with it.

But now I'm at school and there's no Pilates class with Mom to go to. LAME. I know I need to exercise, as much as I loathe sweat in general, so I decided I'm just going to make myself do it. Yesterday friend Hope and I dragged our sorry, out-of-shape behinds to the gym and went running/speed walking around the indoor track. Two miles later, I still hated exercise, but the endorphins make me want to do it again.

I'm a glutton for punishment.

Gag.

But I'm going back tonight. Like I said, glutton for punishment. Someday I'll be one of those cool athletic girls that runs twelve miles before breaking a sweat with her iPod blaring the whole time.
Right now I'm not that girl. But I'm working on it.

Off to the gym!



Leah

Streaming consciousness on school.

Well my Bible class is 600 million tons of work. But. The first quiz went quite well. I only got one wrong! And I think my Medieval Music class is going to be AWESOME. The teacher thinks a lot like me, honestly. And we get to sing Medieval music! For class credit! My music ed class is also going to be trainloads of work, but this IS a graduate degree, so what was I expecting? I'm not really sure. Anyway. I was a little disappointed by being put in Lyric Choir, because the quality of the ensemble is just plain lower than what I can do. But. I think maybe if I do my token semester there and really work hard and rock the audition next time I might get moved up. Hey, at least I'm not in freshman choir. And my choir teacher is AWESOME! SO nice but he doesn't let us get away with stupid mistakes (any mistakes, actually) which I'm very happy about. The choir in general needs a kick in the behind about diction, but I think he'll get us in line. Hopefully I can get back in the swing of things and focus on vocal technique again.
And violin lessons! They have me down for a 25-minute lesson! What is THAT garbage?? i can't even legitimately warm up in 25 minutes! I'm going to talk to the teacher and see if I can get a longer lesson. I mean seriously. What a waste of time. LAME.
In other news, I actually like Wednesday night church services at my church here. It's a new experience for me, and I rather like it.

That's all for now kids!


Leah

The Latest Song Lyrics Upon Which to Cogitate

I just like using that word. :)


I could not do without thee
O Savior of the lost,
whose precious blood redeemed me
at such tremendous cost.
thy righteousness, thy pardon
thy precious blood, must be
my only hope and comfort,
my glory and my plea.

I could not do without thee,
I cannot stand alone,
I have no strength or goodness,
no wisdom of my own;
but thou, beloved Savior,
art all in all to me,
and weakness will be power
if leaning hard on thee.

I could not do without thee,
for O the way is long,
and I am often weary,
and sigh replaces song:
how could I do without thee?
I do not know the way;
thou knowest, and thou leadest,
and wilt not let me stray.

I could not do without thee,
O Jesus, Savior dear;
e'en when my eyes are holden,
I know that thou art near.
How dreary and how lonely
this changeful life would be,
without the sweet communion,
the secret rest with thee!

I could not do without thee;
no other friend can read
the spirit's strange deep longings,
interpreting its need;
no human heart could enter
each dim recess of mine,
and soothe, and hush, and calm it,
O blessèd Lord, but thine.

I could not do without thee,
for years are fleeting fast,
and soon in solemn oneness
the river must be passed;
but thou wilt never leave me,
and though the waves roll high,
I know thou wilt be near me,
and whisper, "It is I."

My "job"

I read for a living.

Actually, I'm a graduate assistant, and I'm technically the person in charge of music. But there's no work for music right now. In theory I'd be helping the math team, but they don't need help. I asked science, spelling, history, and foreign language and no one needs help.

I did water the office plants yesterday.

Since there's nothing to do, I'm reading. They call it "product familiarization." Not kidding. As in, "She's getting familiar with our books by reading them on company time." Really. It sounds awesome but actually I'm bored to death. I've read a book of Bob Jones Sr.'s sermons, a really uptight-sounding book by his grandson's wife (way too much "Do this; don't do that." nonsense.), and a biography of Amy Carmichael. Now I'm reading a book on Martin Luther.

I may get two years' worth of theology just from my job, at this rate.

So work is a little slow right now. But Hope and Joy are coming tomorrow (the people, not the virtues) so that's just all kinds of exciting. And a kid from Tennessee is coming too - Kathryn - that I just found out about yesterday! Sweet! And school starts next week too! Yay! I'm excited to get back to class, as weird as that sounds. I think I'm like my dad in that way - I'd be a perpetual college student if it were possible. But anyway. Hopefully I'll remember to take first-day-of-school pictures. We shall see. And if my camera ever straightens up and quits being stupid I'll post pictures from Hong Kong AND school. Won't that be lovely.


Leah

The Joys of Free Chiropractic Adjustments

Doesn't that sound like an old person talking? Well apparently my body's old. Anyway, in the lovely city in which I now live, my uncle is a chiropractor, and a really good one too! So when I complained that my back/neck were hurting, he told me to come on down for an adjustment. A free one.


God bless that man.


So I did. And he took some x-rays, informed me that I need some serious work, and has me scheduled for adjustments 3x a week for the next four weeks. Then we'll go to twice a week for a few, then once a week, every two weeks, then once a month.

This would be really expensive if we weren't related and he wasn't awesome.

But we are related and he is awesome.

Score one for Uncle Jared.

So today I went for round 2 and it is definitely helping. He said sometimes it gets worse before it gets better, and that's true for my lower back but my neck is feeling pretty darn good! Yay for not hurting! Plus he has this whole philosophy of natural health with which I completely agree, so we get along pretty well:)

My life is so thrilling, huh. But if you knew how much my back and neck have been hurting you'd be excited too:) Have you ever tried chiropractic care? What did you think?



Leah

Back to School. Joy.

It's no secret that I never wanted to do my master's degree. Four years of school was fine. So when my dad suggested it in the middle of my junior year (WORST YEAR OF. MY. LIFE.) I completely rejected the idea. No Dad, it's cool, I think I'm pretty much done after my bachelor's, k? K good. Well my dad isn't the lie-down-and-take-no-for-an-answer kind of guy, and he kept bugging me about it. All I wanted was for him to just leave me alone about it! Gosh! And then. God laughed at my plans and changed them once again. The good states to teach in (AKA the ones I want to teach in) all require a master's degree. LAME. So I ate a humble sandwich, told my dad I was going to grad school, and started looking. It came down to two schools that I loved - UTexas at Austin, and Bob Jones University. I know. SO opposite. UTA is huge, one of the biggest schools in America, and BJU is tiny, with just over 4,000 students. BJU is a Christian school, UTA isn't. UTA is in Texas, BJU is in South Carolina. Could they be more different? But I really liked both of them. This was the deciding factor for me: I wanted a Christian perspective. Now I am NOT talking about the hyper-spiritual nonsense you get in most Christian colleges, where they act like being a Christian is license to do things poorly and under-par. No. BJU is quality education, accredited (a big deal for me), and just happens to want to honor God with everything they do. Their philosophy is that the best way to do that would be to do things well. I agree. Jerry Falwell used to say that if it's Christian, it should be better. How true. So I decided that BJU was my first choice, went through auditions and grad interviews, applied for grad assistantships, and waited. And waited. Hooray for getting accepted! And then I was kind of choking because where the HECK am I going to get $34,000? That's what grad school at BJU is going to cost. AND on top of that I had just decided to go on a very expensive missions trip this summer, because I really felt that God wanted me to. But it was over $4,000! Wouldn't it be better to save money and stay home? I struggled for a while. But God doesn't lead where he doesn't provide, so I stuck with it and determined that I'd go. Like he always does, God provided. I have an assistantship at school that will more than pay for tuition, room, and board. I'll be working while I'm in school, which is kind of a new thing for me, but I think I can do it:) So now I'm here at BJ, working full-time till school starts, and trying to keep my tendinitis under control so I can actually DO this degree. That'd be nice.

So auditions are next weekend, and I'm practicing for the choir one. Here's hoping choirs here are less political then my undergrad, and I can actually get into a choir where I'll be challenged:) I'll let you know next week:)


Leah

I'm Back!

I'm back in the lovely land of vegetables, wheat bread, and non-smokers. I love it. Every time I leave America, I'm really thankful for it when I come home. So here are the highlights of my summer.

- Bootcamp (all around. It's amazing. Just go.)

- Standing at the top of Victoria Peak in Hong Kong

- Seeing Anne Frank's house in the Netherlands

- 9 people were saved, including one on our team

- Cooking entire meals with a rice cooker

- Naming our three rats (Fred, Jezebel, and Ahab)

- Catching/killing Jezebel

- Being told I use chopsticks like a Chinaman

- Watching the team members grow in the Lord and follow him

- Carrie's famous phrase: "MISH IT."

- Drew's morning greeting (MORNIN' EVERYBODY!)

- Lauran's Random Facts/Edward Scissorhands obsession

- Dickering over prices in Ladies' Street (seriously, why don't we do this in America? It's so fun!)

- Finally getting a letter from my mom in Hong Kong

- Witnessing at HK's only mosque, and almost getting punched. Keyword: almost

- Praying in a circle for the last time at Debrief

2010 Hong Kong team, I will never forget you. You made this summer one of the best of my life. I love you all.


Leah


P.S. 2011 teams are posted! Take a look here. You know you want to.

So long, world!

I'm leaving in the morning! Suuuuuuuper excited! And by "morning," I mean leaving my house at 4:30AM. Gag. But. It IS for the best summer missions organization EVER so I think it'll be ok. In other news, pretty please pray for me because I hurt my back, it's killing me, walking makes it worse, and I'm going to do A LOT of walking at the Lord's Bootcamp in lovely ol' Merritt Island. So prayers would be much appreciated. And! If you ever wanna watch the evening Rally (AWESOME) then click here and watch beginning at 7:15ish EST. Mmmk? Have a great summer - I know I will! Talk to you all again in August!



Leah

P.S. This is one of the leaders on my team - Andy. He's the one with the level in this picture:)

Well today was exciting.

Today I was planning to go visit my grandparents, who live about an hour and a half away. But my car has been screwing up six ways from Sunday, so first the Mother Ship and I went to Advance Auto Parts to get a new battery. First the nice tattooed man tested the old battery for us and announced that it was operating at 1/5 its normal power.

Oh.

So that's why my car doesn't want to start.

K. Roger that.

So I put a $94 battery in the thing. Actually I got Tattooed Man to put it in. Which he did for free, bless his heart. This battery is on top of paying $89 to fix the window. When they disconnected the wires to the mirrors by accident. So now I gotta go get that fixed as well. And get a new timing belt, because it's a '97 and we still have the original one in there. And I gotta get a new water pump. *gasp* *choke* *sucking noise* Hear that? That's my bank account.

So Leah, why do you have to get a new water pump outta the blue like this?

So glad you asked.

Well, Little Silver Baby has been overheating quite a bit lately. Mostly when I sit in traffic. So I turn the car off till we start moving, or pull over and turn it off if I can, or turn the heat on high and pray. It's great. Today I sat through two traffic lights on the way home from my grandparents' house and the needle was 3/4 of the way up the little gauge thingie so I called my dad and cried and pulled in a Chick-fil-a to let it cool off. Thank the Lord for a safe place to sit and wait. After about 30 minutes I went and started it while on the phone with Padre and prayed the whole way home. It's a wonder I didn't wreck from watching the temperature gauge.
Padre said it needs a new water pump, hence the new addition to my car bills. I hate being an adult. Gag me. Bills stink.

So today was almighty exciting. Ha. Spare me the thrill.

Can I have a boring life please? A dull life sounds so good right now.




Leah

Fantastic.

My sister (who I share a room with) is sick. Again. What are the odds of me NOT getting this before I go on the missions trip? *sigh* Not good. Well you know what the cure for bad odds is. Pray. So I'm going to pray and I'll let you know what happens.


Leah

But I thought I was done with homework!

To be a leader at Teen Missions International, you have to complete quite a bit of homework. There are ten worksheets for "The Way of the Cross" book, seven for the "Seven Deadly Sins" (btw I don't believe in the 7 deadly sins and neither does TMI . . . they're just useful to study for leadership purposes), and two for "Pseudo-Discipleship." Oh, and you have to memorize 50 Bible verses. It's easier for me because I've been before, so the verses are still up there, I just gotta do a little refresher course. The homework is pretty time-consuming, but I've gotten a lot out of it. Talk about convicting . . . I have some serious praying to do this coming week! Just FYI I won't have internet access or my cell phone while I'm gone, so I'll be MIA for a while, starting next Friday. Check back in mid-August:) I'll post lots of lovely blogs about the trip and graduate school (which I start the day I come home. What was I thinking?).

While I'm gone, would you pray for the team? Here we are:

Andy
Carrie
Leah
Unknown Mystery Male Leader
Daniel
Drew
Emily
Isaac
Jake
Scot
Caileigh
Taylor
Lauran
Anna
Gloria

Pray for safety and health, and for souls to be saved. Luggage not being lost would be awesome too:) Thank you!

Leah

This is a terrible blog post.

I think I am the worst blogger on earth. Actually I'm just a teacher and have no life. Plus trying to prep for this missions trip takes up the free time I don't have. At least, those are my excuses. I'm going to try to blog after my dear friend Janna's wedding on Saturday. Going to see the grandparents on Monday! Woo! And then Tuesday Moose and friend Joy and possibly the Artist and I are going to Busch Gardens! Party party! Wednesday I'm getting a massage (praise the Lord!) and Thursday I'm going to pack all day and finish my leader homework for Teen Missions. And Friday I'm off to bootcamp! Wahoo! So excited! And! Random thought addition! Punkin' started a blog, so go check it out here! Need more exclamation points, anyone?!



Leah

Back from the beach!

Saturday morning my mom and younger sister and I drove 3 hours to the beach. The boys are doing manly things in Washington state, so we decided we'd go do girly things at the beach while they're gone. So we did. We laid out in the sun, swam in the ocean, got sand in EVERYTHING, and I got burned, as always. And I saw dolphins for the first time in my life! The only downer was that there was a wedding reception at our hotel Saturday night and they played REALLY loud music until almost midnight. Other than that it was great. Well, minus the sunburn. But I really enjoyed it and it was super relaxing. Yay. :)


Leah