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