So, here I am, more than halfway through my second semester of college, and already I have worked my way through most of a large pile of paperwork. I have been preparing for two things in the next year. One, I will be starting nursing clinicals next spring. Two, I will be studying abroad in the fall.
Both are really exciting to me. Of course, now that I am more than halfway finished with the paperwork involved, I have more room to be excited. But I am especially excited for studying abroad, courtesy of the orientation meetings required.
Tonight's orientation session was focused around growing in our faith while studying abroad. They wanted us to think about what the dominant religious group was in our country, some lifestyle differences, new ideas or social issues, preparing for a support network and being salt and light in our country. I'm going to be studying in Jerusalem, Israel (apparently the college is on Mount Zion!). That gives me three religions, three cultures, three groups of people to identify with. Nevertheless, I am excited.
Then we had to think about practical ideas to "engage and grow our faith". Stuff like getting plugged in, not focusing on the community back home, getting involved in small groups, finding a mentor, continuing daily devotionals, and engaging the religions in the community. And journaling. O, I love journaling. Having a journal and writing in it faithfully is one of my loves. I brought most of my journals with me to college because I love going back through to look at them. Recently I finished a journal and began a new one that my sister gave to me for my birthday. :) I have also come to love writing in cursive in them. It's so pleasant and enjoyable. I love it.
Besides the point. I am recording in writing that I am going to 1) get a camera over the summer 2) start a blog specifically for my experience in Israel. I like having a place to record stuff like that (I write a lot in a personal journal, which means I don't need to write here as much to think about stuff, but for Israel I would want you all to hear about it all), and I want there to be a place for other students preparing to study abroad in Israel. I want there to be a place where people can go to step into my shoes for a few months, and see the Holy Land through my eyes. I plan on taking lots of beautiful pictures, especially of flowers (I love flowers. I took tons of pictures last year on Dad's and my trip to the Grand Canyon. (I suppose I should supply a post with details and pictures? Haha, one year later...)). I love taking pictures. It's just that I don't have a good camera... (I have my cell phone, but I hardly think that counts. I've gotten a few good pictures from my old-new phone, but others were just pixalated and terrible)
So right now the next step is getting the last piece of my application together, and sending it off. It must seem presumptuous for me to be making plans about what I'm going to do while there, before I've been accepted, but I'm pretty certain of my acceptance. It's just a matter of getting the materials in, and letting them know when my passport arrives.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Fruit Loops and the Future
In the past week and a half, I have been introduced to the joys of Craig's List. It started with a kayak. Last Tuesday I got the sudden inspiration to go kayak-shopping on Craig's List in the hopes I could find an inexpensive, good kayak and equipment. While I was struck by my failure in timing, as I did not have a mode of transportation to GET the kayak, I did find that I enjoyed perusing Craig's List.
Now my downfall.
It's a very good thing that I do not have a house or a truck, because I have seen some really cool (and random) things on Craig's List, that, if I had a place to put the things, I would probably run out and get. Here's my collection of cool things and random ones.
Sleigh Bed. I always have loved sleigh beds because they just look cool. There's one that is about $500, but I really like it. It's very pretty.
Fabric. This is a good thing, since it would end up being less expensive than Joann's.
Free stuff:
Firewood! Free firewood is excellent in winter! Too bad I don't have a fireplace to burn it...
Couches. You wouldn't believe how many couches are stated as, "You bring the truck to haul it, it's yours."
TV's. Too bad I don't watch TV that often (though I do watch movies...!)
Whirlpool tub.
Fruit Loops. O.o
While all of this is just plain silly to look at, it makes me think of the future. I think about graduating from college and finding a place to live. Some of this stuff would be really great.
In CCC, we are on the Community unit. So, yesterday, we talked about neighborhood communities and I realized that there is a huge difference between the neighborhoods of today and the neighbors of today that I see in my head.
You see, I remember what life was like when I was a kid. I remember playing with the neighborhood kids, playing baseball in the col-de-sac even though I was terrible at it. I remember gathering a group of kids to go down to play at the creek. Because of those memories, I think of being able to let my kids do the same things one day.
But neighborhoods have changed. They are no longer safe for kids to play in the street. I don't know if I would feel comfortable letting my child just run around outside as long as he was in for dinner. Perhaps that is just that I am more aware of the dangers of life, but perhaps there is some value in my fear - that life is very different now than when I grew up.
It's weird for me to say that. I'm barely an adult. But childhood seems eons ago. And, with my little life experience, the time I remember was more than half my lifetime ago. Who can forget being 7 or 8? Who can forget the joys of being 9, 10, or 11? (Adolescence pretty much started kicking in at 12). But the truth of the matter is that I am not 7 anymore, so I do not think like a 7-year-old anymore. I cannot see the world through my young, innocent eyes anymore. That does not mean I should stop looking for it. It just means we should be careful.
In the past few weeks, I have taken to thinking about things I want in the future rather than just avoiding them altogether. In this way, I can confront those things rather than letting them hang out inside of me, secretly wishing they could come out. So, with this, I think about things I want with regards to where I will live and where I raise my children. I realize that some of them are very valid things to wish for, and some of them are not. Some of them are just silly thoughts, while some are serious concerns. I weed out the unnecessary things, so that, if they do not happen, I will have already thought about it. This does not mean I do not still want them to happen. I have dreams. But I should not be crushed if the less important wishes do not happen.
Because, in the end, it does not matter if I live in the suburb I have grown up in or in the country. The community, however, does matter with regards to raising a family. It does not matter if I have a hammock in the backyard or a swing on the porch. It does matter that I am prepared to make memories, no matter where.
Other things are materialistic and silly. I can dream, sure, but I'm part of God's kingdom, and His kingdom is not materialistic. I shall have to pry some of these dreams away from my fingers in the days to come.
I hope that this blog post is not too convoluted. I tend to let my mind wander when writing, so some of this might make no sense. I just let my fingers and thoughts flow. Please bring me in line if I don't make sense. :)
This is Sarah, signing off.
Now my downfall.
It's a very good thing that I do not have a house or a truck, because I have seen some really cool (and random) things on Craig's List, that, if I had a place to put the things, I would probably run out and get. Here's my collection of cool things and random ones.
Sleigh Bed. I always have loved sleigh beds because they just look cool. There's one that is about $500, but I really like it. It's very pretty.
Fabric. This is a good thing, since it would end up being less expensive than Joann's.
Free stuff:
Firewood! Free firewood is excellent in winter! Too bad I don't have a fireplace to burn it...
Couches. You wouldn't believe how many couches are stated as, "You bring the truck to haul it, it's yours."
TV's. Too bad I don't watch TV that often (though I do watch movies...!)
Whirlpool tub.
Fruit Loops. O.o
While all of this is just plain silly to look at, it makes me think of the future. I think about graduating from college and finding a place to live. Some of this stuff would be really great.
In CCC, we are on the Community unit. So, yesterday, we talked about neighborhood communities and I realized that there is a huge difference between the neighborhoods of today and the neighbors of today that I see in my head.
You see, I remember what life was like when I was a kid. I remember playing with the neighborhood kids, playing baseball in the col-de-sac even though I was terrible at it. I remember gathering a group of kids to go down to play at the creek. Because of those memories, I think of being able to let my kids do the same things one day.
But neighborhoods have changed. They are no longer safe for kids to play in the street. I don't know if I would feel comfortable letting my child just run around outside as long as he was in for dinner. Perhaps that is just that I am more aware of the dangers of life, but perhaps there is some value in my fear - that life is very different now than when I grew up.
It's weird for me to say that. I'm barely an adult. But childhood seems eons ago. And, with my little life experience, the time I remember was more than half my lifetime ago. Who can forget being 7 or 8? Who can forget the joys of being 9, 10, or 11? (Adolescence pretty much started kicking in at 12). But the truth of the matter is that I am not 7 anymore, so I do not think like a 7-year-old anymore. I cannot see the world through my young, innocent eyes anymore. That does not mean I should stop looking for it. It just means we should be careful.
In the past few weeks, I have taken to thinking about things I want in the future rather than just avoiding them altogether. In this way, I can confront those things rather than letting them hang out inside of me, secretly wishing they could come out. So, with this, I think about things I want with regards to where I will live and where I raise my children. I realize that some of them are very valid things to wish for, and some of them are not. Some of them are just silly thoughts, while some are serious concerns. I weed out the unnecessary things, so that, if they do not happen, I will have already thought about it. This does not mean I do not still want them to happen. I have dreams. But I should not be crushed if the less important wishes do not happen.
Because, in the end, it does not matter if I live in the suburb I have grown up in or in the country. The community, however, does matter with regards to raising a family. It does not matter if I have a hammock in the backyard or a swing on the porch. It does matter that I am prepared to make memories, no matter where.
Other things are materialistic and silly. I can dream, sure, but I'm part of God's kingdom, and His kingdom is not materialistic. I shall have to pry some of these dreams away from my fingers in the days to come.
I hope that this blog post is not too convoluted. I tend to let my mind wander when writing, so some of this might make no sense. I just let my fingers and thoughts flow. Please bring me in line if I don't make sense. :)
This is Sarah, signing off.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Hello March
This is gonna be a real quick update on things in general, since I need to finish getting ready for today.
Last week, I had a plethora of tests and projects, and I've gotten grades back for many of them. Most of them are pretty good!
On Monday, I had a wonderful late-night discussion with the couple who leads the Loft team here. I'm still sorting out things from that conversation, but at least I'm not quite as confused as before. :)
As part of my morning devotions, I've been reading chapters from Eric Ludy's The Bravehearted Gospel. It's a fantastic book, and I will likely write a few posts on it in the near future.
Today is tomato soup day in the dining hall! Hehe, that might not be a big thing, but I LOVE tomato soup, and the dining hall only served it two or three times during the fall. I just hope I'll be able to keep it down...
Which leads me to a small prayer request. Yesterday I woke up with an upset stomach that has continued into today. I didn't sleep well last night because I was so uncomfortable. I've been doing my best to nibble on saltines and sip water, but they're not working as well as I would like. The small appetite I still do have is only present when I'm lying down, which makes meals a little difficult in the dining hall. By the time I get there for lunch, I think I could probably recline a little bit over some chairs since it won't be as crowded, but I'm nervous about being able to keep food down today. And due to my restless night, on top of being nauseous, I am also tired, hungry, and have a headache. It really stinks being hungry and nauseated at the same time... >_>
So I would appreciate a few prayers for health and school if you can spare them. :)
Last week, I had a plethora of tests and projects, and I've gotten grades back for many of them. Most of them are pretty good!
On Monday, I had a wonderful late-night discussion with the couple who leads the Loft team here. I'm still sorting out things from that conversation, but at least I'm not quite as confused as before. :)
As part of my morning devotions, I've been reading chapters from Eric Ludy's The Bravehearted Gospel. It's a fantastic book, and I will likely write a few posts on it in the near future.
Today is tomato soup day in the dining hall! Hehe, that might not be a big thing, but I LOVE tomato soup, and the dining hall only served it two or three times during the fall. I just hope I'll be able to keep it down...
Which leads me to a small prayer request. Yesterday I woke up with an upset stomach that has continued into today. I didn't sleep well last night because I was so uncomfortable. I've been doing my best to nibble on saltines and sip water, but they're not working as well as I would like. The small appetite I still do have is only present when I'm lying down, which makes meals a little difficult in the dining hall. By the time I get there for lunch, I think I could probably recline a little bit over some chairs since it won't be as crowded, but I'm nervous about being able to keep food down today. And due to my restless night, on top of being nauseous, I am also tired, hungry, and have a headache. It really stinks being hungry and nauseated at the same time... >_>
So I would appreciate a few prayers for health and school if you can spare them. :)
Monday, February 20, 2012
Gems for Friends
"Life long friends are life's true gems."
When I was about thirteen, I went over to a friend's house to help her clean her room. In the process of cleaning, we found best friend necklaces that had the above quote on them, right beneath a little tiny glass or plastic jewel. I fell in love with it immediately, and took to wearing it a lot. Even when that friend and I weren't as close, I still loved the necklace, for the quote sang true in my heart. "Life long friends are life's true gems."
Even though the gem fell out of the necklace about a year ago, and I don't wear it as much anymore, I still think about it.
Over the eighteen years I have experienced on this earth, I have had a lot of friends. I don't remember many from early childhood, as I have not talked to them since then, but there are even more whom I consider true friends, and still talk to sometimes. Some friends I have lost, some have fallen off the face of the earth for now, and some are closer than sisters (or brothers). Some friends I have known from childhood, and some I have only been friends with for a few months or a year.
When you get into a friendship, you never know where it will take you.
I don't get to talk to a dear, dear friend of mine very much anymore because we're both in college, in different places, and we have some different interests now than when we were children. We had plans to grow up together, and work together, and be friends FOREVER. But the deepest hopes and dreams - the ones we dreamed of when we were seven - those are the ones that have not changed a bit. So still we can talk together, dreamily remember years long ago (ten years is a long time), and imagine the future though we might not live right next door to each other as we dreamed. We met when we were seven, both children of single parents involved in the small group at church.
Still another friend, I lost and found about three months ago. I met her in middle school; we were both outcasts. We became best friends, and then she moved away. I missed her so much. When it seemed like she fell off the face of the earth, I mourned for the loss of our friendship. Three months ago, I finally stumbled upon a way to contact her again. I am still waiting for a response to tell me that I was not a fool for dreaming of finding her again, but that's what I have been doing for the past five years. Waiting. Another five months won't make a difference.
There is, of course, the friendship of my dear sister. We've had rocky moments - much more than I'd care to admit or look back upon. But she is still my sister. I still love to listen to what's going on in her life, and I love to share what's going on in mine. We laugh together, sing together, play piano together and share dreams together. Although we no longer write stories over Duplos or Legos, we do share silly moments of dreams or the randomest thoughts. I met her long before I could really remember her. I can't imagine life without her. She has laughed with joy at my most joyful moments, and any moment I cry, she is ready to storm off and beat the pulp out of whoever dared to hurt her dearest sister (you have been sufficiently warned ;) ). She sometimes finds herself at a stalemate between my desires and our parents' desires, but we ... how can I describe it? God has given us sistership of blood, yes, but also of our hearts. If I could ever say I was one with a dear sister, it would be the sister of my blood. She has a heart of gold, to outshine many a gem. Even a diamond, dear one.
I was meaning for this blog post to go in a different way. Oh well.
I have many other gems in my crown too. My dear roommates (they drive me crazy at times, but most times I just love them, their crazy awesome selves), the wonderful girls I have met here at school through various acquaintances, the women of the dance team... oh there are so many. (To the boys: Yes, I am friends with you, or you probably wouldn't be reading this blog. But there's a difference between my girls and you guys. You are my guy friends. These young women are sisters of my heart, and gems in my crown.)
But today I had another gem of a friend visit me at school. I have only known her a little over a year, but it doesn't seem that way. They say that common grounds bond people more than common roots do. A year after meeting her, we realized how common our grounds truly were. And though the grounds are rather difficult to travel, because we are in the same place, we can support each other. Neither one is on the other side yet, so we hold fast. We shall not cross this river alone. Nay, with the Lord by our side, He has given us a cord of three.
The fact of the matter is that the Lord makes lots of cords of three. We're all woven together into this great braid. And great braids are much, much more strong than the single cords we start out as.
When I was about thirteen, I went over to a friend's house to help her clean her room. In the process of cleaning, we found best friend necklaces that had the above quote on them, right beneath a little tiny glass or plastic jewel. I fell in love with it immediately, and took to wearing it a lot. Even when that friend and I weren't as close, I still loved the necklace, for the quote sang true in my heart. "Life long friends are life's true gems."
Even though the gem fell out of the necklace about a year ago, and I don't wear it as much anymore, I still think about it.
Over the eighteen years I have experienced on this earth, I have had a lot of friends. I don't remember many from early childhood, as I have not talked to them since then, but there are even more whom I consider true friends, and still talk to sometimes. Some friends I have lost, some have fallen off the face of the earth for now, and some are closer than sisters (or brothers). Some friends I have known from childhood, and some I have only been friends with for a few months or a year.
When you get into a friendship, you never know where it will take you.
I don't get to talk to a dear, dear friend of mine very much anymore because we're both in college, in different places, and we have some different interests now than when we were children. We had plans to grow up together, and work together, and be friends FOREVER. But the deepest hopes and dreams - the ones we dreamed of when we were seven - those are the ones that have not changed a bit. So still we can talk together, dreamily remember years long ago (ten years is a long time), and imagine the future though we might not live right next door to each other as we dreamed. We met when we were seven, both children of single parents involved in the small group at church.
Still another friend, I lost and found about three months ago. I met her in middle school; we were both outcasts. We became best friends, and then she moved away. I missed her so much. When it seemed like she fell off the face of the earth, I mourned for the loss of our friendship. Three months ago, I finally stumbled upon a way to contact her again. I am still waiting for a response to tell me that I was not a fool for dreaming of finding her again, but that's what I have been doing for the past five years. Waiting. Another five months won't make a difference.
There is, of course, the friendship of my dear sister. We've had rocky moments - much more than I'd care to admit or look back upon. But she is still my sister. I still love to listen to what's going on in her life, and I love to share what's going on in mine. We laugh together, sing together, play piano together and share dreams together. Although we no longer write stories over Duplos or Legos, we do share silly moments of dreams or the randomest thoughts. I met her long before I could really remember her. I can't imagine life without her. She has laughed with joy at my most joyful moments, and any moment I cry, she is ready to storm off and beat the pulp out of whoever dared to hurt her dearest sister (you have been sufficiently warned ;) ). She sometimes finds herself at a stalemate between my desires and our parents' desires, but we ... how can I describe it? God has given us sistership of blood, yes, but also of our hearts. If I could ever say I was one with a dear sister, it would be the sister of my blood. She has a heart of gold, to outshine many a gem. Even a diamond, dear one.
I was meaning for this blog post to go in a different way. Oh well.
I have many other gems in my crown too. My dear roommates (they drive me crazy at times, but most times I just love them, their crazy awesome selves), the wonderful girls I have met here at school through various acquaintances, the women of the dance team... oh there are so many. (To the boys: Yes, I am friends with you, or you probably wouldn't be reading this blog. But there's a difference between my girls and you guys. You are my guy friends. These young women are sisters of my heart, and gems in my crown.)
But today I had another gem of a friend visit me at school. I have only known her a little over a year, but it doesn't seem that way. They say that common grounds bond people more than common roots do. A year after meeting her, we realized how common our grounds truly were. And though the grounds are rather difficult to travel, because we are in the same place, we can support each other. Neither one is on the other side yet, so we hold fast. We shall not cross this river alone. Nay, with the Lord by our side, He has given us a cord of three.
The fact of the matter is that the Lord makes lots of cords of three. We're all woven together into this great braid. And great braids are much, much more strong than the single cords we start out as.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
The Wonders of Coagulation
"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made..." ~Psalm 139:14
Yes, in case you could not tell from the title, I am a nursing student. I'm not going to shy away from it. God has shown me some of the wonders of the human body through Anatomy and Physiology, and all I can say is that He truly is amazing for having created us.
So I am offering a slight warning. I'm going to talk about the amazing-ness of blood clotting. I will not post any pictures (mainly because I hate using pictures from the internet and I don't particularly feel like bleeding for a camera), so those with squeamish stomachs are safe. I will, however, talk in-depth about blood clotting and do my utmost best to point out the beauty in this single body system. And it's not even a single body system. It's a very small portion of the circulatory system, but every part of blood clotting is so intricate and amazing.
So it starts with an injury. I bashed my knee when I slipped on Saturday at work. I broke a couple small blood vessels (the bruise on my knee is evidence enough) near my patella (knee). Immediately, to prevent major blood loss into the tissue around my knee, the blood vessels constricted. Little fragments of cells called platelets noticed that there was a gap in the blood vessel when they could see the collagen that is right outside the vessel walls, and they started sticking to the collagen and to each other. They quickly formed a platelet plug. While they are sticking, they do something called degranulate - which basically means they release their contents, including factors that call white blood cells and platelets (to keep up the sticking cycle) to the site, as well as triggering coagulation and more constriction of the blood vessel.
Thus begins coagulation. There is an extrinsic mechanism and an intrinsic mechanism that MUST happen in order for a clot to form. Both include a cascade. One factor activates another factor which activates another factor, which activates two more factors, which one activates another factor, and the other goes back in the cycle and keeps activating other factors. I think I just confused myself with that sentence. But you get the picture. If ONE of these factors does not work properly, the entire cascade is thrown off. That's how intricate this system is. Isn't it cool? Scientists call it "irreducible complexity" which is fancy language for saying that this system is so complex that it cannot have steps taken out without disrupting the whole system. Bleeding disorders like hemophilia or von Willebrand disease occur when one of the factors isn't working properly or there isn't enough to trigger the rest of the reaction.
I guess you could look at it as a chain reaction where one of the chains explodes in a different direction. Or with dominoes, if you set them up in a line where one will tip down one and then another, and so on and so forth, and one of the dominoes is set a little farther than the others, either the tipping will stop sooner than you wanted, or it will stop altogether. This is where I wish I had a set of dominoes and a camera...
It's so cool! The human body is made in a beautiful way so that each system works. The heart itself has backup mechanisms that will kick in if something doesn't work right. We don't bleed to death. What's more, our body automatically fixes stuff. When I stub my toe (or bruise my thigh...) I don't have to tell my platelets and clotting factors, "Hey, guys I could use a little help here..." I don't have to tell my heart to beat at the intensity it does. I don't have to tell my body to do a lot of the things it does. It's really quite amazing. Anyone who cannot see the wonder and beauty in the body is a fool, indeed.
Our God certainly is creative. *love*
Yes, in case you could not tell from the title, I am a nursing student. I'm not going to shy away from it. God has shown me some of the wonders of the human body through Anatomy and Physiology, and all I can say is that He truly is amazing for having created us.
So I am offering a slight warning. I'm going to talk about the amazing-ness of blood clotting. I will not post any pictures (mainly because I hate using pictures from the internet and I don't particularly feel like bleeding for a camera), so those with squeamish stomachs are safe. I will, however, talk in-depth about blood clotting and do my utmost best to point out the beauty in this single body system. And it's not even a single body system. It's a very small portion of the circulatory system, but every part of blood clotting is so intricate and amazing.
So it starts with an injury. I bashed my knee when I slipped on Saturday at work. I broke a couple small blood vessels (the bruise on my knee is evidence enough) near my patella (knee). Immediately, to prevent major blood loss into the tissue around my knee, the blood vessels constricted. Little fragments of cells called platelets noticed that there was a gap in the blood vessel when they could see the collagen that is right outside the vessel walls, and they started sticking to the collagen and to each other. They quickly formed a platelet plug. While they are sticking, they do something called degranulate - which basically means they release their contents, including factors that call white blood cells and platelets (to keep up the sticking cycle) to the site, as well as triggering coagulation and more constriction of the blood vessel.
Thus begins coagulation. There is an extrinsic mechanism and an intrinsic mechanism that MUST happen in order for a clot to form. Both include a cascade. One factor activates another factor which activates another factor, which activates two more factors, which one activates another factor, and the other goes back in the cycle and keeps activating other factors. I think I just confused myself with that sentence. But you get the picture. If ONE of these factors does not work properly, the entire cascade is thrown off. That's how intricate this system is. Isn't it cool? Scientists call it "irreducible complexity" which is fancy language for saying that this system is so complex that it cannot have steps taken out without disrupting the whole system. Bleeding disorders like hemophilia or von Willebrand disease occur when one of the factors isn't working properly or there isn't enough to trigger the rest of the reaction.
I guess you could look at it as a chain reaction where one of the chains explodes in a different direction. Or with dominoes, if you set them up in a line where one will tip down one and then another, and so on and so forth, and one of the dominoes is set a little farther than the others, either the tipping will stop sooner than you wanted, or it will stop altogether. This is where I wish I had a set of dominoes and a camera...
It's so cool! The human body is made in a beautiful way so that each system works. The heart itself has backup mechanisms that will kick in if something doesn't work right. We don't bleed to death. What's more, our body automatically fixes stuff. When I stub my toe (or bruise my thigh...) I don't have to tell my platelets and clotting factors, "Hey, guys I could use a little help here..." I don't have to tell my heart to beat at the intensity it does. I don't have to tell my body to do a lot of the things it does. It's really quite amazing. Anyone who cannot see the wonder and beauty in the body is a fool, indeed.
Our God certainly is creative. *love*
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
SAD Bruises
Today is that special pink and red day known as Valentine's Day. Or to those who do not have dates to share the day with, it is SAD - or Singles Awareness Day. But just because it's Valentine's Day, does not mean it has to be sad (or SAD). Today was my eighteenth Valentine's Day, and it was the eighteenth one in a row I have not spent the day with a "special someone." Lest you think my day was miserable, think again.
Just to make that clear: I am single, and I had a fantastic Valentine's Day. Why? Hehe, I'll tell you.
First of all, I think it is ridiculous to only have one day of all 365 days (366 this year) of the year to love someone. Right? It is just plain silly. I love to love people ALL THE TIME! Love is a beautiful thing, why should we only restrain love to one day?
Secondly, romantic love is not the only type of love out there. That kind of love is, unfortunately, what people think of when they think of love. But love should not be limited to romance. I love my parents. I love my sister and brothers. I love my friends.
And it is exactly for these reasons that I had a great day. Some of my friends left valentines (complete with candy) by my dorm door, and I ate dinner with a group of lovely ladies. We chatted for a good hour, while enjoying the delectable offerings of the dining hall's rare feasts. We grabbed plates of the various yummy-looking desserts and passed them around the table, everyone sampling the delicious cakes and cheesecakes. But most of all, we were together.
So I had a great Valentine's Day. And the part of the title about bruises... hehe. I have a collection accumulating. I have about four (one on my hand, thigh, lower leg, and opposite knee) due to kayaking on Sunday. We went to a pool and practiced rolling, and I think the one on my hand was due to flipping people over when they couldn't roll back, and the one on my thigh was because one of the kayaks I got into was too small and pressed too hard on my leg. Aaand I have a fifth bruise on my knee from slipping at work. Hehe. So they are my sad little bruises, although SAD and bruises don't have much to do with each other. I suppose if I went kayaking on Valentine's Day...
That's all, for now I am very sleepy and have a quiz in Anatomy and Physiology tomorrow. Praying my CCC professor does not collect our journals either.
I shall write again at a later date! Farewell!
Just to make that clear: I am single, and I had a fantastic Valentine's Day. Why? Hehe, I'll tell you.
First of all, I think it is ridiculous to only have one day of all 365 days (366 this year) of the year to love someone. Right? It is just plain silly. I love to love people ALL THE TIME! Love is a beautiful thing, why should we only restrain love to one day?
Secondly, romantic love is not the only type of love out there. That kind of love is, unfortunately, what people think of when they think of love. But love should not be limited to romance. I love my parents. I love my sister and brothers. I love my friends.
And it is exactly for these reasons that I had a great day. Some of my friends left valentines (complete with candy) by my dorm door, and I ate dinner with a group of lovely ladies. We chatted for a good hour, while enjoying the delectable offerings of the dining hall's rare feasts. We grabbed plates of the various yummy-looking desserts and passed them around the table, everyone sampling the delicious cakes and cheesecakes. But most of all, we were together.
So I had a great Valentine's Day. And the part of the title about bruises... hehe. I have a collection accumulating. I have about four (one on my hand, thigh, lower leg, and opposite knee) due to kayaking on Sunday. We went to a pool and practiced rolling, and I think the one on my hand was due to flipping people over when they couldn't roll back, and the one on my thigh was because one of the kayaks I got into was too small and pressed too hard on my leg. Aaand I have a fifth bruise on my knee from slipping at work. Hehe. So they are my sad little bruises, although SAD and bruises don't have much to do with each other. I suppose if I went kayaking on Valentine's Day...
That's all, for now I am very sleepy and have a quiz in Anatomy and Physiology tomorrow. Praying my CCC professor does not collect our journals either.
I shall write again at a later date! Farewell!
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Creation and Choreography
Here at Messiah, Spring semester of their first year, students are required to take a class called "Created and Called for Community," also known as CCC (or triple C or C-cubed... whatever floats your boat). The class is split up into three sections, of which I only remember the first - Creation. Mainly because everyone in CCC has to do a Creation Project. What is the Creation Project? You ask. I'll tell you.
Maybe someday.
Not in this paragraph either.
Nor in this one.
I think I've tortured you enough.
ENOUGH!
The creation project seeks to make students dig deep within to find the creativity that God gave them to do SOMETHING related to creation. That means one can write a poem or short story or short essay, or paint or draw a picture, design a computer graphic, put together a video, a song, a dance... yes, the options are limitless. It just has to do with creation.
But in this, I am stuck.
I knew right off the bat that I wanted to choreograph a dance. I LOVE dance, so it would make sense for me to use that art form.
The trouble came in choosing a song. Should I choose a worship song? Can I find a song on creation and dance to that? Ooh, I could find a Hebrew song about creation! Oh, most of them are about love...
See my dilemma? So right now I'm torn between using choreography I came up with to a song by Gad Elbaz, an Israeli artist, or choreography for a worship song. Or even ditching the choreography I already have been working on for both of those songs for another time, and choosing a new song altogether. Aaaarrrghhhh.
And so, my dear readers (all two or three of you), what should I do? This is the description for the project:
Students will interact with the assigned texts by producing a project that demonstrates their understanding of one of the themes within the creation unit, such as the creation of the earth, the role of arts and culture, humanity as created being, or the significance of creativity. The project’s form should reflect your interests and skills...
These are the songs I have considered or already have choreography in progress for. I'll include the other part-choreography ones just to see what you think.
And songs I've already choreographed that I could record a performance of:
Maybe someday.
Not in this paragraph either.
Nor in this one.
I think I've tortured you enough.
ENOUGH!
The creation project seeks to make students dig deep within to find the creativity that God gave them to do SOMETHING related to creation. That means one can write a poem or short story or short essay, or paint or draw a picture, design a computer graphic, put together a video, a song, a dance... yes, the options are limitless. It just has to do with creation.
But in this, I am stuck.
I knew right off the bat that I wanted to choreograph a dance. I LOVE dance, so it would make sense for me to use that art form.
The trouble came in choosing a song. Should I choose a worship song? Can I find a song on creation and dance to that? Ooh, I could find a Hebrew song about creation! Oh, most of them are about love...
See my dilemma? So right now I'm torn between using choreography I came up with to a song by Gad Elbaz, an Israeli artist, or choreography for a worship song. Or even ditching the choreography I already have been working on for both of those songs for another time, and choosing a new song altogether. Aaaarrrghhhh.
And so, my dear readers (all two or three of you), what should I do? This is the description for the project:
Students will interact with the assigned texts by producing a project that demonstrates their understanding of one of the themes within the creation unit, such as the creation of the earth, the role of arts and culture, humanity as created being, or the significance of creativity. The project’s form should reflect your interests and skills...
These are the songs I have considered or already have choreography in progress for. I'll include the other part-choreography ones just to see what you think.
- Mashmauyot by Gad Elbaz
- Here in Your Presence by New Life Worship
- Beloved by Tenth Avenue North
- We Delight by Caedmon's Call (Those who know I already completed the choreography for this years ago, I am in the process of revamping it.)
- Find your Wings by Mark Harris
And songs I've already choreographed that I could record a performance of:
- Blessed Be Your Name by Tree63
- Born Again by Newsboys
- Sing Your Praise to the Lord by Amy Grant
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