no more classes!

well, not until next year anyway... it's been a pretty good semester, though. except for one, i actually enjoyed my classes overall. and what a concept - i feel like i actually learned quite a bit! so that is cool. now just got to study for finals!! i have 5, which is a change from the 2 i had first semester. oh well, they'll be fine. hmm... let's see... oh yes, i'd like to talk about country music for awhile. watching good old cmt as i write this, i just want to say how thankful i am for country music. while i do enjoy other types, i've become convinced that there is just nothing quite like country. i love the fact most of the songs tell stories. and country just seems so much more wholesome than other genres... yes, of course there are the songs about "drinking and women" but those are really just a handful. so many songs deal with real issues of life, and many incorporate in God. in my opinion, no other genre (except for christian music, obviously) embraces christian themes and references to God the way country music does. this is very encouraging to me... ah, i just love country!! while i'm on this topic, i have something exciting to look forward to on june 17th... the kenny chesney concert!! i'm happy to be going with my great new pal brandon and his family. it'll be so much fun - i haven't been to a concert in a long time, and what is better than kenny, rascal flatts, and uncle kracker?!? yeah, it'll be a good time for sure. well, i suppose i have plenty of studying to do, so i should get to that instead of rambling on here... peace out, y'all! (weird... i never say 'peace out')

oh, i forgot

there were a couple of hilarious moments at the er last night that i feel are worthy of sharing... so, first, the nurse and the lab tech (a guy named jun) were putting in my iv and drawing blood... they were kinda of taking their time, which was really no big deal to me, but i think they were nervous about it. the nurse kept asking me "how i handle needles" and i explained repeatedly that i was plenty used to 'em. then jun was like, "wow... you didn't even flinch... that's great. i get so upset. i hate needles." after pondering for a moment why on earth this man is a lab technician, i said, "well, hmmm.... i would think this would be a hard job for you." he looked at me and replied, "oh yes... when people say 'ouch' or i see pain on their face, it hurts me deep inside." then as i was trying not to laugh right in front of the dude, the nurse says, "yeah, she sure smiles a lot... and wow, i wouldn't think she was a college student... she looks like she should be in junior high!" at that point i thought my entertainment had been fulfilled for the evening, but i was quickly proved wrong. soon after that, the physician on call came over and asked, "you're not middle-eastern by any chance, are you?" i looked up at him from my gurney (that is kind of a sick word) with the most confused look on my face... man, i had no idea what he was thinking. despite the oddity of question, he was right on track (in a sense) for he was referring to the fact a certain rare condition i have is found primarily in people of the middle-east. while i was aware of this, i did not put it together right away with the question about my descent. anyways, i thought it was quite funny. yes, good times in the pullman hospital emergency room... hey, at least we got a few laughs.

ah, life... and emergency room visits!!

well, it's been a few days. the weekend overall was pretty good - a cougar baseball game, some movies, a home-cooked dinner made by boys visiting from laura's hometown of centralia, and even a trip to the emergency room. thankfully the hospital is just right across the street... plus i was blessed to have laura's wonderful care throughout everything! anyways, i'm not quite sure what was up, but after some iv fluids i was doing better. now i've got antibiotics and hopefully am on the road to recovery. wow, it's sure exciting to be in the midst of dead week - so little time to go! dedication to studying must be my priority this week, though. i've got five finals to look forward to!! oh, how thankful i am for the lovely weather we're having... it's so beautiful. i think it's sort of funny how much that influences my mood. i simply just love the sunshine, i suppose. it makes me want to take pictures... hmm, that reminds me... recently i realized how much i miss photography. i miss shooting, developing my film, and making prints in the darkroom. hopefully someday i'll get the chance to do that again. i think i'm going to pull out my good camera, though, and take some pictures before leaving pullman. there's a lot of beauty here, if you take the time to look. yikes... this post is so, so random - i guess that's just how i'm thinking today. my apologies! : )

convicted & thankful

wow, i feel incredibly blessed tonight. throughout the last couple of days i've really become aware of how much i have to be thankful for. God has been so faithful in revealing to me the ways He's working in my life and the lives of others. tonight i went to campus crusade... it's been quite some time since i last went, for no reason other than my own stubbornness, i suppose. yet, this week God put it upon my heart to go. i'm so grateful i went... singing was amazing - i realized how much i have missed praise time surrounded by fellow christians. also, the talk tonight was very applicable. it was about making plans to grow in the Lord over the summer, and just coincided so beautifully with what i believe God has been trying to teach me in the past few weeks. lately i've felt very convicted about my attitude each day and the overall approach i've taken toward life. it recently hit me how i tend to just try to get by... i live from deadline to deadline... watching the weeks pass. so often i catch myself wishing for time to go faster. "i can't wait until this is over with" and "just gotta get through this week" or "once summer comes and i get a break... yeah, then i'll be happy." man, do i miss a lot living this way. when i take this approach to things, i am most certainly not as joyful of a person as i should be. also, i've been taking for granted so many blessings and gifts. i'm complaining when i should be smiling. i'm annoyed when i should be thankful. i'm selfish when i should give. i think God began revealing all this to me earlier this year, but obviously i got distracted. thankfully now, He's patiently showed me again. with His help, it is my new goal to live each day with purpose. to see the value in every day - no longer just wait for them to be over. it's my hope to smile more. be joyful even on rough days, simply because i know God's called me to be, for surely He's blessed me richly. how does all this relate to the speaker's message? well, i see now that God's calling me to live out these things He's showed this summer. the school year's just about over - two weeks left. and i am most definitely looking forward to summer... yet not merely because i'll get to be back at home, get lots more sleep, and eat "real" food again. i'm excited for summer because i long desperately to make the most of every opportunity and live intentionally! i don't want a "lazy" summer... i want a busy summer filled with growth. i hope to cherish every moment i'm given and use that time wisely. i pray that God will provide me with ways to serve others and be an encouragement to those i'm around. i know that if i devote myself to what the Lord has for me, it is then that i will find true rest and fulfillment. therefore, it is my heart's desire to do. may God give me the strength to follow through. ah... well, this has gotten long, but i so wanted to share what i'm learning. it's my prayer that it could mean something to one of you. thanks y'all, for reading... goodnight.

good times... for sure

so, having an online journal... this is exciting! i'm really going to have to get used to it, though. hopefully my thoughts and the little happenings of my day will be somewhat interesting - lol. anyway, today was cool... got up this morning, but quickly went back to bed and skipped both my classes (maybe not such a good choice), tried to get some homework done, and then went to help unload the furniture for peter's house. it was great to see his mom again (it's been awhile) and of course i enjoyed hanging out with the crew at pizza afterwards. we had plenty of laughs which is wonderful (i'm so thankful for my friends!!), plus it was good to get to know john and erik a little better. i think pjo, b, john, erik, and whoever else might live in the house is going to have an excellent time. ah, then it was back to the good old dorm room for a bit of tv. kevin (spohr, for clarification) came for american idol and brandon for one tree hill, which i had never seen before. let me just say: yikes... a bit too much drama! oh well, it's all good. after that, laura and i messed with our schedules. man, does scheduling and registration suck! but, i'm going to try and smile through it. things will all shake out... thanks to brandon for giving us some encouragement - he's a pal!! well, it's still fairly early, but i should sleep so i can get over this weird cough. apparently my voice is hilarious. so, goodnight my dear friends. love you all.

hello everyone...

so, I decided to follow the trend and start my very own blog... just getting the colors figured out now, there'll be more later!!