Church Day

An Incongruent Life, an article from The Banner...written by Michelle Gallagher:

"But more than my lack of direction, my life is completely incongruent. All the many things that I like to do and have to do on any given day seem completely unrelated to each other and irrelevant to the grand and glorious calling that I simply must have as a child of God. I am overwhelmed with the sense that I am somehow missing the point, missing my purpose. Unfortunately, this is one table that I can't get up from and shout, 'I'm out of here!' 

Of course, I've got it all wrong, and surprisingly that realization comes with great relief. My purpose as a child of God is not to figure everything out or to always have an explanation or a tidy slot for every element of my life in some grand, comprehensive scheme.

By God's mercy I will wake up each morning and submit all pretense of control to the One who really is in control. I will put my hand to tasks that are sometimes enjoyable and sometimes drudgery, but most often mundane. I will do things that do not make sense and that do not directly advance my career or social status or sense of accomplishment. And every day I will put myself aside so that I may both love the people around me and profoundly experience the love of God. This, all of this, is the point."

If you interested, you can read the full article by clicking on this link. 

http://www.thebanner.org/departments/article/?id=2780

Melissa, Jenna, and I before church.

Live a little.

Last night I watched Inception. This was a campus event- movie night. Our school's Student Activities committee put the event on and provided popcorn, drinks, and candy. The movie was just as good the second time!


Then, I hung out with my new friend, Melissa, who is a junior. She is in my sculpting class and health class this semester. We played hide-n-seek with all her friends in one of the dorm buildings. After three rounds we ran out of places to hide. So we sat around talking for a couple hours because nobody could come up with something else to do. 


After that Jenna and her cousin came back from Chicago so I hung out with them for a little while before we went to bed. We went to bed at 2:30! I sure felt like a college kid...I rarely stay up late, so this was huge!! And then, and then....we slept in till NOON! I have NEVER EVER slept in that late in my life! This was also huge! I was shocked when I woke up and looked at my phone, only to see that it was 12pm. I went for a 5 mile run outside because the weather was nice. Later in the afternoon Jenna and I went to the men's basketball game; they won! Go team! :)

Feeling Artsy?

Every once in awhile I get into an artsy mode where I need to make something.  I get sick of always designing things on the computer; I like to use my hands to create things.  I was feeling creative over break, so I worked on a few projects.

I painted the picture frame on the left orange, and then added the words, "Other things may change us but we start and end with family." I bought a vase and painted "Smile" on it. Then I made the picture on the right for Jenna. 

Study buddy :)

I found a pattern for this owl online the other day, printed it, cut it out, and glued it together. Isn't it cute!

Life Is Good!

This week has been AH-MA-ZING! First of all, on Sunday Jenna and I went to a different church than we have been going to. The church is pretty sweet; they use objects during the sermons to help people better relate to/understand the message. This past week the sermon was about the Lord preparing a table before us (Psalm 23). So, during the sermon a woman came up and set a table. She put bread, water, plates, knives, forks, spoons, bowls, and cloth napkins on the table. She set everything perfectly. Then she lit a candle in the middle of the table. The pastor set a little white table up on the stage, as well as a box of macaroni and cheese. He said that often times we settle for the quick, easy route, macaroni and cheese, instead of waiting for God's table. God has so many good things in store for us. We just have to be patient.

Monday I had class in the morning and then we figured out Jenna's schedule all afternoon. She had to switch her schedule around because of other conflicts. Then we ate dinner with Danielle, Emily, Jonathan and Tyler. We had really funny conversations- and I was running low on sleep so I was in a weird mood, which is probably why everything was so much funnier.

Tuesday I had class practically all day (till 3:00). After class Jenna and I did homework. Rachel, Jenna's cousin, came from Calvin around dinner time. She is planning on staying with Jenna, in my room, until Saturday. Jenna had a soccer game that night, so Rachel and I played Apples to Apples with a bunch of people. Apples to Apples is always a great game.

Today, Wednesday, I went to class in the morning. I decided that my English class is going to be awesome! The professor is so funny, technological savy, and organized. I like it when teachers are organized because I am an organized person and it makes me feel comfortable. If that makes much sense? Also, I like it when the teachers use technology. One teacher I had last semester was against technology and it was frustrating. But this professor uses powerpoints, takes attendance on his ipod, and has the course schedule online. Pretty sweet!

Jenna and I did some homework again this afternoon. I started reading my art history book. I like this subject quite a bit I'm realizing. The reading facinates me as it did last semester. Only now, I have a different art history book that goes into more detail about artists and each era of art. Even better! But we'll see if I still like this subject as the class progresses and gets harder.

Tonight Jenna, Rachel and I attended youth group at the church we went to on Sunday. They have a post-high youth group for 18-30 year olds. We met together and watched a Nooma video by Rob Bell and then split off into groups to discuss the video. Tonights video was about love. After that we came back to my dorm room and ate chocolate ice cream! Now we are watching "Eat, Pray, Love." As if I have nothing better to do..I should be sleeping because I have an early class tomorrow. Such is life.

Shop Class?

My sculpting class is basically shop class for awhile. We are working with wood for the next little bit of time. I never took shop in high school or learned how to use the tools, but thank goodness I grew up with a father who is a builder! My oh my....some of the girls in my class are scared to use the tools. I think that the power tools are pretty sweet. 


Today we learned how to use the band saw, miter saw, and the belt sander. The unfortunate thing is that we have to use all the tools the "right way." I mean come on... Like when we use the miter saw the correct procedure is: 1. Press the power button so that the saw spins 2. Pull the saw down in a even motion to cut through the wood 3. Leave the saw in the down position until the blade stops spinning completely 4. Release the saw back into the starting position. That process takes forever... I've watched my dad and all the other guys at work use the power tools the "wrong way" for so many years!! And they still have all their limbs.


Anyways, that is shop! Time for bed :)

Spring Semester Classes

Yesterday morning I started up classes again. At 8:30am on Tuesdays and Thursdays I have Digital Media. Digital Media is basically a class about learning how to use Adobe Photoshop. The professor I have for that is also the professor I have for Sculpting.  He told us that he will be hard on us when it comes to critiquing our projects. He does this, he says, so that we will be more prepared for the art world when we get done with college- because not everyone will like what we do and praise us for our work. This could be a challenging class. Right after that I have Art History. I have the same professor I had last semester and I liked his teaching style. This class will be a bit harder this semester because it is a 200 level course. Yay :(  From there, I go straight to Sculpture. The sculpture class will be pretty intense too. We will be working with wood, welding and doing some other cool projects. I will keep you posted on my projects in this class. That concludes my art classes!


On Monday, Wednesday and Friday I have English and Philosophy and then work in the gallery. English is at 9am, Philosophy at 11am, work at 12:30pm. My English professor is really funny. The English class is called, Intro to Literature, so we will read lots of books and write papers about them. Good thing I love to read! The first book we have to read is a comic book!! Yes, a comic book-

Blankets, an illustrated novel by Craig Thompson

My philosophy professor already annoys me. He talks all proper, and when a student raises their hand in class he points and them and says, "Yes please!" Yes, please....really? Who says yes please? I also have to read "The Giver" this weekend. Hmm, not sure about this class yet.


Also, on Friday mornings I have Weight Loss and Nutrition at 8am. This morning the students showed up but the professor didn't. We waited 10 minutes in the classroom for him and then we left. We got up early for nothing! He actually emailed us and said that he thought the class was at 9am not 8am. Wow! I'm kind of excited for this class because I really enjoy learning about nutrition and calories and the food pyramid and diets.


And that concludes the review of my new classes.

Changes in the New Year

Sorry it has been such a long time since I have posted something! I had been working again while I was home and then I was busy doing things after work (wrestling meet, running, packing, putting together my portfolio). So...this morning, instead of going to work, I slept in and then finished packing up my things. I had stuff scattered ALL over the house :) I only needed two suitcases and four bags to carry all my things. Apparently, I was told, I have too much stuff! We fit everything in the car though. I rode back to school with two other girls that live right by me; we left around 1pm. It took two hours and fifteen minutes to get back to school- a fast trip. When we arrived I unloaded all my bags from the car, with Emily and Jenna's help.

And then....the fun began!! My roommate moved out last week, meaning I now have the room to myself! I wanted to rearrange my room and redecorate it. I had some grand ideas. Jenna was more than happy to help me move furniture! Yes mom, JENNA & I moved all the furniture. We did in fact move the bed down and restack it, as well as move all the other furniture around by OURSELVES. We did not need help from guys because Jenna is strong :) We kept all the funiture in the room, plus all my bags, and moved everything in circles it seemed. It was like one of those puzzle games where you move one piece and then the other and then you move the first one again and so on and so forth. One giant, heavy puzzle. Next, I reshelved all of my things and started unpacking. After a short dinner break, I came back and continued working while Jenna went on the computer and gave me advice. Here is the end result...



A few of the posters I made on my interim trip.

Pictures!

 I must say, we did a pretty awesome job! I love the new arrangement.

Tomorrow morning classes start. I'll fill you in on that later.

Light Up the Sky

Start your day off right. "When you awake in the morning think about all of the things you are grateful for in your life. When the sun is shining give thanks. Surround yourself with positive people and smile and laugh." (Adrienne Langlois)


The last morning I was in Wisconsin two other girls and I woke up early to see the sunrise. It was beautiful- worth waiting for in the cold.

"The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands."

Psalm 19:1

"Light, light, light up the sky
Light up the sky to show me You are with me
I, I, I can’t deny
Oh I can’t deny that You are right here with me
You’ve opened my eyes so I can see You all around me
Light, light, light up the sky
Light up the sky to show me You are with me"

~The Afters

Update, Part 1

1) Parents- if you have ever wanted to dress your baby as a Yeti it is now possible. You can get a pattern for the hoodie at Berroco and the monster bootie pattern is by Kelly Hogaboom. I saw this on my favorite blog, howaboutorange.blogspot.com.

2) Professional bull riding is on TV right now! I would love to go to a professional bull riding tournament some day :) I love watching it because it is so exciting.

3) It was beautiful outside this morning when I left for church, so I took a few pictures...

4) Last night....

Tori and I helped Alicia get ready for the Unity Winter Dance. She is one of our friends in high school; we had a great time helping her get ready! I curled and styled her hair, and Tori painted her nails.  Then Tori and I went to the church where the girls had their pictures taken and snapped a few photos. She had fun at the dance!

Tori, Alicia, Stephanie, and I

Later that night I hung out with all my friends. Most of them are heading back to college within the next few days. We watched the movie, Inception. It was a great movie! The plot was very complicated so you had to pay close attention to everything that happened in the movie for fear of missing one little detail. I would highly recommend this movie.

Life is Staggering

I arrived back from WI late Friday night. The trip home from Chicago took three and a half hours! There was lots of traffic and snow. I don't feel like posting pictures right now, but I will later. 


I had no plans this (Saturday) afternoon- it was a very weird feeling. So, I sat down by the fire and read a book. The book is called, "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years," by Donald Miller. I read his other book, "Blue Like Jazz," and that one was amazing. Here is a passage from the book:


"Back then I'd be lying in bed or walking down a hallway at college, and the realization I was alive would startle me, as though it had come up from behind and slammed two books together. We get robbed of the glory of life because we aren't capable of remembering how we got here. When you are born, you wake slowly to everything. Your brain doesn't stop growing until you turn twenty-six, so from birth to twenty-six, God is slowly turning the lights on, and you're groggy and pointing to things and saying circle and blue  and car and then sex and job and health care. The experience is so slow you could easily come to believe that life isn't that big of a deal, that life isn't staggering. What I'm saying is I think life is staggering and we're just used to it. We all are like spoiled children no longer impressed with the gifts we're given-- it's just another sunset, just another rainstorm moving in over the mountain, just another child being born, just another funeral."

A New Adventure

We arrived in WI today around 2pm. Then we went to the museum for an introduction to type. I'm pretty excited now...we get to print type already tomorrow! We'll work from 9-4 every day and then we get the nights free. I'll have plenty of time to read and text and come up with design ideas!

Fun fact of the day from Hannah: "TV remotes are the dirtiest parts of hotel rooms!" So I touched the remote :)

This Bright New Year is Given Me...

Ecclesiastes 2: 10-11 

I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;
 I refused my heart no pleasure.
 My heart took delight in all my labor,
 and this was the reward for all my toil.
 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
 and what I had toiled to achieve,
 everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;
 nothing was gained under the sun.

17-19 So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? Yet they will have control over all the fruit of my toil into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless.

24-26 A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

3: 19-14 What do workers gain from their toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.

3: 22 So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?

Let's find satisfaction in our toiling this year, for God gives wisdom and knowledge and happiness to those who please him! Let's enjoy our work, because it is from the hand of God.

Resolution Run 2010

After the epic girls sleepover, Friday afternoon I ran a 4 mile race. The weather was very warm- about 50 degrees.  I ran the race with some people from work. I finished in 33 minutes and 43 seconds! I felt so good while I was running and my time was excellent.

Kathy, Me, Julie, and Jim

Finishing the race with Kathy

"People ask why I run. I say, 'If you have to ask, you will never understand.' It is something only those select few know. Those who put themselves through pain, but know, deep down, how good it really feels.  ~Erin Leonard, athlete 

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!

Thursday night we (my high school friends and I) had a girls sleepover. We decided to do something fun/crazy, so we ended up dressing up and going to Meijer's at 2am! Need I say more....!

Tori and Alicia

Julie 

Julie, Alicia, Tori, Stacey, Me