What is Love?

What is love? Is it the butterflies we get when we see the guy or girl we are attracted to? Is it the warm feeling we have when we hold a newborn baby for the first time? Is it the look shared between a couple married for 50 years? Or maybe it’s the stories shared over coffee with two best friends. I think love goes deeper than this. In Radical Wednesday (Bible study on Wednesday nights with Coach F. for those of you who don’t already know), we’ve been doing a word study on 1st Corinthians 13:4-7. For those who don’t know that passage, I’m copying it here. “Love is patient, love is kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”

I think it’s also vital to look at the opening verses in that chapter, as they set the tone for this passage. “If I could speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but had not love, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging symbol. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but had not love, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I own to the poor and sacrificed my body to be burned, I could boast about it, but if I didn’t love others I would gain nothing.”
Love, according to the Bible, is vitally important, and it goes so much deeper than the things I mentioned at the start of this entry. Even having all knowledge, without love, would mean nothing. That’s a hard concept to realize. Because there are days when, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who experiences this, I don’t feel like loving someone. Someone’s hurt my feelings, or I don’t like the person in question, and it’s hard for me to try and show them love. But yet, God tells me that even if I have everything else together, I still have to have love.

Love is patient…this is something I struggle with personally. This means that we do sometimes have to be willing to wait. After all, patience is a fruit of the spirit. It’s hard to sit there and love someone patiently. This means that even if the individual has no interest in your loving them, you still have to patiently show them that you will be there for them.

Love is also kind. It’s easy for me to be kind to someone… but, unfortunately, sometimes it’s not really sincere. I’m kind to them because I have to be, or because the Bible tells me to, not because true love is characterized by me being genuinely kind to them. Something Coach mentioned when he was talking about this trait is that is also means being able to say you’re sorry and ask for forgiveness. It’s hard to be kind to someone that you have wronged. And, as Christian brothers and sisters, this is vitally important. This also requires that we humble ourselves in order to accept that we have done wrong.

Now for the four things love is not. Love is not jealous, boastful, proud, or rude. When Paul wrote this, he could have simply said “Love is humble.” Instead, however, he chose to give us four traits that, while similar, are also slightly different. There’s a good kind of jealousy and a bad kind. This took a while for us to understand when Coach was teaching it, but the kind of jealousy Paul is mentioning in here is when you wrongly want something of your neighbors for yourself. It’s a lot like coveting. Paul tells us that boasting is absolutely bad, but in one passage he tells us to boast if we must, but only in our weaknesses. This will help us to maintain our humility. Being rude is just downright annoying to most people.

Pride…that one word is mentioned many times throughout the Bible, always in a negative way. The Bible says pride goes before a fall and the Lord detests the proud. Those are just two examples of many. This is also something that I struggle with, and I believe most Christians probably struggle with this as well. We tend to think ourselves better than everyone else….we have been given God’s gift of life…which we often promptly forget was a gift and we start looking down on everyone who is not “like us.” Likewise, I think it’s something that any of us who didn’t attend the public school have a double dose of. You see, we had what we might consider a “better education” than those who didn’t have the opportunities that we had. Therefore, we might be tempted to lord that over our friend’s heads. This can even be boiled down to simply having something more than someone else, whether it is a car, a boyfriend or girlfriend, a new CD, or a vacation. Love is not proud. That cannot be said enough. Therefore, true love can only be reached when an individual completely humbles themselves.

Love does not demand its own way is basically another way of saying love is not selfish. It does not want for itself, but for others. It’s difficult to love unselfishly, because there’s always going to be a part of us, as humans, that are self-seeking. We want things for ourselves. But true love is willing to sacrifice everything they own for another individual. This I also struggle with. Some days, it’s so easy to not want to do something for someone else. If I’m tired, or stressed, or just want to spend a day in bed relaxing, it’s hard for me to love someone enough to talk to them if they’re having a rough day, or go out and pick them up from the airport. But yet, I am told I must.

Love also is not irritable. This is a huge whammy for me. If I’m tired, stressed, upset, or just in a bad mood, it’s so very easy for me to be irritable. Snapping at people seems almost natural, especially if they cross my path at the wrong times. Sometimes if all I want to do is write something, or read a book, and someone interrupts me, it’s so hard for me to show them true love. But love is not irritable. Love is calm, and so if I were to act in true love, I would take a moment before answering someone and ask God to give me calmness and love in my answer.

Love keeps no record of wrong. I’m not one of those people that can hold a grudge; in fact, I honestly can’t stay mad for more than an hour or so unless someone seriously pushes my buttons. Yet, this can be an issue for people. It’s hard to let things go sometimes. If our mom wrongly accuses us of something, if our boyfriend or girlfriend breaks up with is, or if our best friend spreads rumors about us, our first default emotion is anger and holding a grudge against that person. But we are called to forgive them…and to forget the wrongdoing. You know when people say “I’ll forgive you, but I’ll never forget what you did?” Well, that’s not showing true, Godly love…and it’s hard to follow, I know. God wants us to love this way for a reason. When we keep records of wrongdoing, we are susceptible to develop all the other negative traits that Paul mentioned.

“It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.” This statement goes hand-in-hand with the previous one. By keeping no record of wrong, we are not able to rejoice in injustice. Rejoicing in injustice would enable us to develop a prideful spirit, and a hurt air. But rejoicing when truth wins out requires us to remain humble. Also, if boasting becomes an issue, we would be boasting in the truth.

Finally, love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Every time I read that passage, I think of how many people give up on love. When a marriage is rough, how many times do you hear about couples getting divorces? If a friend hurts your feelings, how many times are you willing to forgive them and give them another chance? If a girl you are interested in ignores you, how many times are you willing to be a man and pursue her? My guess is not much. But Paul says love NEVER gives up and is always hopeful. Love never fails. Those three words are so powerful, and I believe Paul saved it until the end of the passage for a reason. To let us know that true love, even when we mess up, will never fail and is always willing to persevere. And that, my friends, is true love.

Sometimes it’s hard to do this. I know I don’t have all the qualities of love, as much as I would love to have those. But I’ve learned that love takes time. This will be something that I will be forever growing in and learning about. In my 20 years on earth, I’ve already learned so much about love, and how to love like Christ, and yet I’m still nowhere close to perfection. In fact, I’m pretty far from it. But the more I spend time with my Lord, reading his word, and trying to practice what He wants (with His help of course) the easier love will be for me to practice. And so I ask again: What is love? I believe love goes deeper than what I mentioned at the start. True love can only be earned or given through Christ’s love.

Just for fun

If you want to do this, leave a comment and:


1. I'll respond with something random about you.
2. I'll tell you which song or movie you remind me of.
3. I'll say something that only makes sense to you and me.
4. I'll tell you my first memory of you.
5. I'll tell you what animal you remind me of.
6. I'll ask you something I've always wondered about you.
7. I'll tell you my favorite thing about you.
8. I'll pick a new name for you.


Silly, I know. :)

And yes, Abigail, I am copying you. ;)

Happy New Years!

So I've thought about a few New Years resolutions. It's hard for me to come up with ones that are actually a) followable and b) benificial. My list is as follows:

1) Cultivate my spiritual life more: I feel like this needs to have top priority. Oftentimes, I'll find myself putting off my spiritual time to do other things. This is something I desperately need to work on

2) Becoming a better servant: It's not easy for me to be willing to serve others (ie: at Christmas when there's sooo much more fun stuff to do than cleaning dishes), but I intend on working on this.

3) Actually practice more: My piano playing is not horrible, but I don't spend the amount of time on it that's needed to keep the skill alive. My goal is to spend time each week practicing.

4) Spend more time studying: It's easy for me to procrastinate, whether it be by facebook, texting, hanging out with friends, music, books or whatever. I'm going to try and cut some of this down and get myself on a better study schedule.

5) Categorize and catalog my book collection: I have over 5 bookcases of books in this house, and oftentimes don't know what I own. My goal is to organize these, categorize them, and catalog them.


That's the extent of my list (for now). Happy New Years!!!! !:)

2009 in a nutshell

January:

My 19th birthday (and getting stranded on the side of interstate 40)
Trips to Wilmington
second semester at Meredith
SNOW!!!!
Jamie found out she was pregnant with Charlie. :)

February:
Nana and PawPaw's 50th wedding anniversary party
Spring Break spent in bed with a bad case of the flu
Jeff Corwin came to Meredith

March:
Naam's birthday and movie party
Still taking trips to Wilmington.
The month in which I THINK Ally and John started dating....could have been February
Josh Gracin concert

April:
Fire and Water Dinner
Music Man
I went on Crutches for my knee
Shopping Trip and photoshoot with Lizzie, Sarah, and Jess

May:
Matthew's race
The Smothers Brothers
Semester ended
Figured out what I did to my knee and started treatment
Sarah's wedding

June:
Field of Dreams weekend
Summer swim meets start
Shopping trips with Lizzie and Sarah
Week in Richmond helping grandma Barbara move

July:
Seahawks have another undefeated season!!!!!
Sound of Music at Memorial Auditorium
Fun Meet and swim team banquet
Tales of the Kingdom summer theatre camp

August:
William and Jamie's baby shower
End of season water polo and swimming 2 week session
Father/Daughter Dance
School Starts up again
The Getty's show

September:
Contra dancing!!!!
William and Jenn's wedding
Declared my major
Sleepover with Jess
Red Jumpsuit Apparatus show

October:
Mary Katherine's 14th Birthday
Charlie is born!
A Day at Abigail's. :)
BA homecoming
NC State Fair with the best friends.

November:
Village Night
Cornhuskin' in which the sophomore class beat out the juniors!!!!! :)
Blind Side movie with Katrina and Jennifer
Hokies win the UVA/VT game....again. :)
Barn Dance

December:
TSO concert
Phantom of the Opera
Christmas with the family
Emily's 16th birthday celebration extraveganza

It's been an amazing year!!!!!! I can only hope 2010 is as awesome!
New Years Eve at Lizzie's. :)

Psalm 104

Praise the LORD, O my soul.
O LORD my God, you are very great;
you are clothed with splendor and majesty.

He wraps himself in light as with a garment;
he stretches out the heavens like a tent
and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.
He makes the clouds his chariot
and rides on the wings of the wind.

He makes winds his messengers,
flames of fire his servants.
He set the earth on its foundations;
it can never be moved.

You covered it with the deep as with a garment;
the waters stood above the mountains.
But at your rebuke the waters fled,
at the sound of your thunder they took to flight;
they flowed over the mountains,
they went down into the valleys,
to the place you assigned for them.

You set a boundary they cannot cross;
never again will they cover the earth.

He makes springs pour water into the ravines;
it flows between the mountains.
They give water to all the beasts of the field;
the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
The birds of the air nest by the waters;
they sing among the branches.

He waters the mountains from his upper chambers;
the earth is satisfied by the fruit of his work.

He makes grass grow for the cattle,
and plants for man to cultivate—
bringing forth food from the earth:
wine that gladdens the heart of man,
oil to make his face shine,
and bread that sustains his heart.

The trees of the LORD are well watered,
the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
There the birds make their nests;
the stork has its home in the pine trees.

The high mountains belong to the wild goats;
the crags are a refuge for the coneys.
The moon marks off the seasons,
and the sun knows when to go down.

You bring darkness, it becomes night,
and all the beasts of the forest prowl.
The lions roar for their prey
and seek their food from God.

The sun rises, and they steal away;
they return and lie down in their dens.
Then man goes out to his work,
to his labor until evening.

How many are your works, O LORD!
In wisdom you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.

There is the sea, vast and spacious,
teeming with creatures beyond number—
living things both large and small.
There the ships go to and fro,
and the leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.

These all look to you
to give them their food at the proper time.

When you give it to them,
they gather it up;
when you open your hand,
they are satisfied with good things.

When you hide your face,
they are terrified;
when you take away their breath,
they die and return to the dust.

When you send your Spirit,
they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth.

May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
may the LORD rejoice in his works-
he who looks at the earth, and it trembles,
who touches the mountains, and they smoke.

I will sing to the LORD all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
May my meditation be pleasing to him,
as I rejoice in the LORD.
But may sinners vanish from the earth
and the wicked be no more.

Praise the LORD, O my soul.
Praise the LORD.

Learning to be content

One thing most people should know about me is that I am NOT a person who enjoys change. This week was no exception. I love snow, but unfortunately Raleigh didn't get more than an inch. This meant, however, that Virginia got a TON. Particularly where my cousins live in Manakin-Sabot. As of last night, they had 2 feet. Because of this little snow problem, it meant a change of plans. Our annual family Christmas party was last night. Because we don't have a four-wheel drive vehicle, like my Aunt Betsy, and we're not going to rent one like my Aunt Martha did, Daddy decided we would not be attending this years party.

For a few hours, I struggled with a lot of emotions. I finally realized that I could either let this setback ruin my weekend, or I could try and make it a fun weekend despite the setback. So I convinced my parents (who hate ballet) to go to Field of Dream's production of The Nutcracker. It was a VERY fun night. The ballet was fantastic. One of my friends, Matt, played piano during intermission, and was amazing as usual. Afterwards, we all stood around talking, and Lizzie and I decided to start singing since they do it in musicals all the time, and we thought it was time we were part of a real life musical. :)

Jessica rode with me from my house, so when we drove back we sat outside in the bed of my truck (in the cold) and had lots of deep conversations. And of course, one prank call (sorry, Neil!!!!). I love deep conversations. Somehow, I think they're a necessary part of life. All that to say is that this weekend wasn't entirely ruined... in fact, I think it might have been better than going to Virginia. I have the best friends in the entire world. I don't know what I would do without Lizzie, Sarah, Kara, Matt, Nathan, Jess....and everyone else that I'm leaving out. :P

Thoughts on relationships, love, and flirting

I've been pondering this a lot lately. I've made some mistakes in my life when it's come to guys....most girls have. I, being the typical teenage fool of a girl, fell for a boy when I was about 14. That lasted until I was 18, believe it or not. Then I had a random...well, I guess it's best to call it a rebound summer with another guy. Nuff said on that one. I learned a lot throughout this whole situation. The entire time I was "in love", or whatever you so chose to call it, I realized a few things. The first is that I learned how much time I had taken away from God, and put into this guy. It became almost an idolatry thing for me. And I realized that a lot of relationships are like this, if you don't constantly check yourself and make sure god is the head still.

The rest of what I learned ties into a lot of what I've been thinking recently. I've watched as several of my close friends lately have either ended a relationship, or had their respective boyfriends or girlfriends call the relationship off. And I've seen the pain, and I remember the pain that I went through. And the more I see it, the more I realize that it's pointless....God created our heart for one person. Not for multiple. So when we're constantly "falling" for guys or girls, slowly we're giving away pieces of our hearts. A lot of times, this occurs without knowing whether or not the respective person is interested...and more likely than not, they aren't. It's like an illustration a guy I know used one time when talking about this. Say you have a nametag, one of those sticky ones. And you stick it on your shirt once, and then remove it. It's still sticky enough to use again. But the more you do this, the less sticky it becomes. Until it's hard to make it stay anywhere. This is what giving part of your heart away is like.

I'm not saying this path is easy to follow. NOT liking a guy is significantly harder than liking a guy, I know. But though it's the path less traveled, and takes significantly more work to do, it's a less thorny path. Now don't get legalistic with this, in that you can never like a guy ever. But like Jane Austen said in Northanger Abbey: " for if it be true, as a celebrated writer has maintained, that no young lady can be justified in falling in love before the gentleman's love is declared, it must be very improper that a young lady should dream of a gentleman before the gentleman is first known to have dreamt of her."

Onto my views on flirting. This is something that has annoyed me for years. I've always disliked it when people flirt, particularly when the flirting isn't returned, and it's obvious that the (typically) girl is throwing themselves at the guy (typically....sometimes this is reversed). But after a conversation with Lizzie (what are best friends for?) I've realized that even so much as singling another person out over others can have the same vibe as flirting. It's not as severe, but it is still a form of flirting. And the only time this should occur is when the person in question is serious about starting a relationship.

Once again, I have to caution against taking this to the extreme. I have quite a few guy friends, I always have. But there's a difference between having guy friends, talking to them, and spending time with them, and flirting. When it's evident that they are the first person you go to before your girlfriends, especially if you are not related to them or they are not your boyfriend/fiance/husband, then there is a slight problem there. And I think this is where so many girls and guys end up getting their heartbroken.

Into the Wild

We had to watch a movie in class and write an in-class essay. This is the one I wrote, and I figured I'd post it. :)


Chris's Values and our Culture:

As I watched Into the Wild, I almost saw myself in the film. I could see how each person in the movie is influenced by culture, and how much environment can influence their actions and decisions. Chris had many ideals and values, but his aim in life was to influence the culture of today. The primary three things that he tried to impress upon the youth culture of today was the value of happiness, the value of selflessness, and the ideal of being willing to take risks.

Happiness takes a huge role in this movie. When the movie begins, Chris believes that he can be perfectly happy on his own. He even makes the statement that you don’t need human relationships to make you happy, that God puts happiness all around us. His view of happiness slowly changes as he grows in this show. He realizes that while he might not need others happiness at first, that they need his. He realizes by the end of the movie that his view on happiness was so wrong, as seen in his journal. He writes an entry a few days before he dies, and says that “Happiness is only real when shared.” This teaches a huge lesson to the youth of today’s culture. A lot of times, today’s youth do not realize what happiness they have. They don’t realize that, even though things might be rough, they have happiness if they are just willing to accept the people around them and realize that they have faults.

Today’s youth need to learn the value of selflessness as well. From the day Chris began college, he started down a path of selflessness. He took classes in the politics of third-world countries and the food crisis in these countries. He realizes through these classes that there is a much simpler way to live. Chris does take this to the extreme by burning all his money and destroying his car, but I believe he has a message in that as well. He’s showing us that sometimes it is necessary to do something this drastic in order to get people’s attention, and to experience what real selflessness is like. He tells his former boss that things are way easier and not as fun when he has money in his pockets, which goes to show that it would be beneficial to be selfless.

We do not come from a society of risk-takers. From the moment you’re born, you’re taught to play it safe. Never touch the stove, always cross at the crosswalk, and don’t leave the yard. As you grow older, this only gets worse as you’re told to always study so you can have great grades, go to college so you can get a better job, and the list goes on. Chris defies the rule of playing it safe. He does get a college degree, but he never ends up using that degree. He instead destroys everything he has and sets off on the biggest adventure of his life. During one of his stops on the way, he tells an elderly gentleman who becomes like his grandfather that he needs to be willing to take risks, and to get off his butt to see the world. This is a concept that every person can apply to their lives.

While it is true that Chris takes things to the extreme, he has some very valuable lessons that can be taught to the youth today. He teaches them about true happiness, selflessness, and taking risks. As a youth in today’s culture, I learned a lot by watching Chris. I can only hope that he continues to reach out to others through this movie. After all, as he told the elderly grandfather figure, “People just need to change the way they look at things.”

Weekend excitement and other such thoughts

This weekend was really fun!! On thursday night (Yes, I'm starting my weekend there), my fabulous freshman year roomate, Ally, and my amazing friend Nora had their synchronized swimming show. They were both AMAZING!!!!! The show was fun. John-John (ally's bf) was late (coughcough) but since he's a cop and had to work later, it's ok. It was great to see them, and the show was fun. Afterwards, we went across the street to beansprout for some late-night food.

Friday was fun. I spent the morning doing a case on abortion, and we only made it through the first of 7 points. hahahha. :P Then afterwards, I came home, took a nap, and did some homework and chores. I went with mom and dad to hear Wade Taylor speak...he basically reminds me of my granddaddy's best friend, John Arvelo. He's a fantastic speaker, and has some great theology.

I went to Meredith Saturday afternoon and picked up my friend Abigail, drove back to her house, and rode with all but 2 of her family members allll the way up to gorgeous VA and the Alexander's fantastic house!! They were having a barn dance, and it was so much fun! Meredith, your farm is PERFECT for that, and the loft was amazing for dancing. Though I must admit, the caller made things a tad complicated sometimes. :P BUT we did dance a few rounds of the Virginia Reel...I haven't danced that since I was knee-high to a grasshopper (ok, maybe not THAT small, but still), so it was a ton of fun. After an adventurous car ride home, I spent the night at Abigail's, and then went to church this morning. Afterwards I came home and yes, I did end up taking a much-needed nap...I figured the homework could wait. :)

The semester is starting to wind down...there's only 10 more days of actual school!!! I have several projects that need to be finished...yikes! I am very happy this semester is winding down...I need that month-long break. too many papers and stuff have been due this semester.

This next week will be slightly busy...I have poem recitations, papers, projects, and tests. And on friday, I have a photoshoot with the fabulous Christi Ann photography. I've known Christi since....we were 10 or so, so I am super excited. :)

I'm gonna leave y'all with my latest song addiction. This is "Things I Don't Understand" by Coldplay...they are fantastic, and the song is (fairly) true. Check it out. :) Later! Things I Don't Understand

thoughts right now

There's a lot of things running through my mind tonight. Rather than try to explain them all, I'm going to list a couple song lyrics and how they are applying to my life right now.

"Evens rock. Evens roll. Evens rock and evens roll and evens rock and roll." Yes, we swept CORN!!! Seniors 1st, Sophomores 2nd!!!!! Corn-unity did abound, but I am still happy that we took 1 and 2. :)

"the hardest part was letting go, not taking part" This song is something that I think about 4 of my friends are going to get....and if you're not those 4, then it won't make sense to you. but I feel like I'm getting to the point where I need to let go...I've reached a certain level with this where I have let go, but I have still participated, if to a limited amount, in this, and i'm bowing out as of now.

" If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends, Make it last forever friendship never ends, If you wanna be my lover, you have got to give, Taking is too easy, but that's the way it is." My big sis is a member of the BathTub Ring '10, which is an even class tradition (singing group of 5 girls). The girls sang this tonight. It's always been a favorite song of mine...and I feel like it really stood out to a few of us. Our friendship will never end. Not if it's true friendship.

"I hear You say, "My love is over. It's underneath. It's inside. It's in between. The times you doubt Me, when you can't feel. The times that you question, 'Is this for real? ' The times you're broken.The times that you mend. The times that you hate Me, and the times that you bend. Well, My love is over, it's underneath. It's inside, it's in between. These times you're healing, and when your heart breaks.
The times that you feel like you're falling from grace. The times you're hurting.The times that you heal. The times you go hungry, and are tempted to steal.
The times of confusion, in chaos and pain. I'm there in your sorrow, under the weight of your shame. I'm there through your heartache. I'm there in the storm.
My love I will keep you, by My pow'r alone. I don't care where you fall, where you have been. I'll never forsake you, My love never ends. It never ends."" I know this one is long...but it still stands out to me. I've been broken completely lately. I've had so much stripped away. God has completely humbled me to the point of breaking....and yet He's been there with me every single step of the way. I've suffered heartache in the past year like none other....I've had family members who were close to me pass away, and it's caused me to question my faith like nothing else. Yet through it all God was there leading me and comforting me. And I know He'll continue to be...i just have to trust Him.

Just a couple random thoughts....and now that it's like 2:30 in the morning, I'm heading to bed. NIGHT!!! :)

I'd like to make myself believe that planet earth turns slowly...

What musical instrument do you play?
Piano.

who is the person you love the most?
Jesus!

what is love?
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (agreed!).

do you currently like anyone?
Well, I'd plead the fifth, but thanks to politics I can't in this case. SOOOOO I'm simply going to decline to answer and ask for transactional immunity should I be asked this question (thank you Dr. Frazier!)

What is the meaning of life?
42

Do you like thunderstorms?
I adore them.

Do you drink coffee?
Indeed!

Do you like to bake/cook?
I adore it! cooking and baking is a stress reliever.

What are your "comfy clothes"?
my favorite sweats, a favorite t-shirt of mine, and a hoodie.

What colour are your eyes?
Mostly blue, but they can look green or purplish depending on the light or what I'm wearing.

If you could time travel, what would be your first stop?
either to the civil war, or to the era of pride and prejudice.

What is your natural hair color?
blondish brownish.

Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt?
uh...neither.

Whats the First Thing You Notice In A Boy/Girl?
Eyes usually. But character quickly follows.

What language would you like to speak fluently?
Gaelic

Desktop or Laptop?
both. My laptop is convenient, but any files I want are stored on my desktop.

Whats your favorite sport?
Swimming, Skating, Softball, Basketball, and Football. Not necessarily in that order. :P

Are you in love?
I think love takes significant time, so no.

How many kids (or any at all) would you want to have?
At LEAST 6.

Sour or sweet candy?
chocolate. So neither. :P

Favorite hot drink?
a favorite tea of mine.

City or the suburbs?
neither. Give me a home in the country, thank you.

What religion did you choose to follow?
I'm a christian, but it's not a religion, it's a relationship with my Lord and Savior.

Performing Arts, Fine Arts, or Sports?
Any and all!!!!

What is your favorite color?
purple, pink, or teal.


beach or mountain?
both. I love both...but mountains mostly. beach is too flat.

who do you count on when feeling down
My friends and my family.

do you plan in advance
Sometimes, yes.

What attracts you most?
To the opposite sex? I'm going to go with a love for Jesus, stability, treats his family amazing, preferably a country boy but that's not a requirement, taller than me (but that's not hard...haha).

How many hobbies do you have
A few

Do you say "I love you" in the relationship?
I can't imagine why not....love is a beautiful thing.


Describe your perfect Sunday morning?
Waking up, going to church, coming home and curling up beside someone I love and taking a beautiful nap. :)

If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
Either Montana, Virginia, or Ireland.

If you have friends coming for supper what would you cook?
I'm not sure...which friends?

What is your favourite word?
Phantasmagoria. (has memories for several people in my highschool english class.)

What makes you cry?
a few things...songs, movies, and books mostly.

What makes you laugh?
I adore laughing.

If you won the lottery, how would you spend your millions?
I'd save some of it, invest in a ranch, and donate the rest.

What 3 words would your best friend use to describe you?
I'm not sure...she'll have to answer that one! :)

Where do you see yourself in five years?
Hopefully finished with school and teaching somewhere.

Do you own any pets, and if so what do you have?
I have a dog (doc)

Who do you admire most?
My mom and my grandparents.

Do you have any tattoos, and if so what and where?
None.

When do you plan on getting married?
Whenever God so wishes. Hopefully it'll be in the next few years, but it's His choice.

How do you feel?
relaxed.

What size shoes do you wear?
8 1/2

Water or 100% Juice?
MMM either


Would you rather lose an arm or a leg?
NEITHER!!

Favorite Place to Eat?
This little italian family-owned place in Urbanna, VA. Angelo's is the best places ever.

Opera, Musical, Concert, Play, Performance, or Other?
Any and all.


What are some of your favorite Disney Films?
Oh, gosh. Beauty and the Beast, Peter Pan, Cinderella, Mary Poppins, Hercules...I could go on.

What was your last thought?
Something about Pemberly estate....hahaha

Favorite fruit?
hmmm.....peaches or pears.

Describe yourself in 3 words?
Romantic. Stubborn. Dreamer.

Do you eat cold cereal at night?
Not usually.

What is your favorite TV show?
The Office or Scrubs

Kill the spider or let it out?
KILL IT!!!

Do you shower every single day?
Yes, I have to.

Where do you want to travel next?
Montana, back to Vermont, Ireland, England...I can go on. hahaha

What is your favorite place?
The farm.

If you could have one super human power what would you choose?
To be invisible.

Vitamin Water or Gatorade?
Vitamin Water

Flip flops or tennis shoes?
flipflops.

What is your favorite song of all time?
I could never choose that. Ever.

Random collection of thoughts

I'm not kidding you, this post is about the most random you will see. It's basically a list of things running through my head

1) I want to be in Montana.
2) Why do teachers always schedule due-dates on the same day?
3) Sundrop makes me happy
4) I love baking....not sure why. It's comforting.
5) I like driving when I'm in the car by myself....it's comforting
6) I unfortunately don't have time for this anymore
7) Pride and Prejudice should be a household staple
8) Disney music is the best music to write a paper to
9) There is way too much violence in movies...and having to watch them for school makes it worse
10) I miss being 8 and not having to do so much work
11) I enjoy school, except when I have this amount of homework,
12) God is amazing
13) Nothing else matters except what He wants for my life
14) Some things I will never understand, but I have to trust that God knows what's best
15) My life is NOT a Shakespearean tragedy.
16) I can't wait til I can have kids....I want a ton of them
17) I also just discovered Meredith has a harp department? Looks like I'll be taking that
18) The weather is gorgeous outside
19) I'm excited about cornhuskin' on friday
20) I have the best friends in the world.

My Literary Blog

So I started a separate blog for my book project. I'll be posting all the book reviews and such on that one, and still post over here as well. :) http://aliterarymind.blogspot.com/. :) That said, HAPPY BIRTHDAY ABIGAIL!!!! :)

True Femininity

I'm sitting in class right now, listening to my *favorite* English teacher talking about feminism. Again. For the....5th class in a row. Today she started talking about an article grabber in the News and Observer. I don't agree with News and Observer all the time, or as my old debate teacher calls it, the News and Disturber, but this time I found them rather catchy. They were talking about Hillary Clinton's trips, and mentioned that she was sporting the pantsuits. Dr. D. took a MAJOR offense to this phrase, and even wrote in an editorial. Well, in order to curb my slight anger and frustration, I began writing out a list. A list of what true femininity is. Now, I don't typically share things out of my notebook, but I figured I'd post this here for the benefit of others. I can't promise that it entirely makes sense or is accurate...but it expresses my feelings on femininity.

What is True Femininity?

1) Not being ashamed about being called a lady, girl, or otherwise.
2) Knowing that wearing skirts or dresses are a mark of femininity and not being ashamed to wear them.
3) Allowing men to be gentlemen, and not assuming they are doing it because we are weak.
4) Being soft-spoken
5) Knowing how to serve
6) Not being "one of the guys" all the time.
7) Having a pure vocabulary.
8) Realizing that the beauty of a woman is her spirit and heart.
9) Being Trustworthy
10) Having good manners.
11) Being strong, yet not self-assuming
12) Taking Care of Children
13) Teaching others
14) Knowing that a career comes AFTER her family...not the other way around.
15) Listening to others, not just talking
16) Cooking.
17) Treating guys with respect, not because they are better but because they are a God-given head.
18) Having a belief in God.
19) Being Classy.
20) Not flirting with guys
21) Knowing the balance between making her own decisions, yet still relying on the advice of her spouse, significant other, or father.
22) Being graceful, and not just the way a woman walks, but her spirit.
23) Keeping her innocence
24) Having a great sense of humor
25) Knowing how to do things that most feminist women can't, because it is deemed "below them."

Book Blogging project: suggestions?

So Jess, part of this post is your fault. :P After a discussion with jessica yesterday, I decided to go through my old journals and notebooks to see what I could discover. In the middle of one that I had back during my sophomore year in highschool, which was 4 years ago, I found a list. I think I had been inspired by Walk to Remember, and it was a list of life goals. About halfway down, there was one that made me think. It said "read 1000 books in a year." Well, I decided that for this "blogging project" of mine, I would read 365 books in a year, since that seems a TAD bit more realistic than 1000. Thus this post: Do any of you have any suggestions? I already know I want to read through all of C.S. Lewis's works and C.J. Mahaney's books. I'd like for these books to fall under books that I should read, not just books that are completely enjoyable reads. I want some of those, but I'd like the majority to be things that will be beneficial, if you catch my drift. I plan on beginning this project on October 8th, which is the day we begin our fall break. Granted, I am aware that I won't have a completely formulated list of books by then, but I'd like to at least have my first 50 books or so listed out. I'll probably start a separate blog for this project, but for now i'm posting this on my main one. And for my Facebook friends who are curious, my blog is http://princessforhim90.blogspot.com. :)

Virtual Worlds: Good or Bad?

Today's English 200 class was probably the most...interesting English class I've been in. It started off normal enough, well, normal for OUR English class. You see, it was "bring in your barbie" day. Apparently Barbie dolls were the start of feminism and are the picture of true feminists because you can dress your barbie's up as career women.

But that's not what this is about. Somehow this class took a downhill spiral when we started talking about conventions. This turned into an intense conversation about the online virtual world. Apparently, there is this website called Second Life. And it allows you to, well, live a second life virtually. There was a guy on campus this morning that talked to the teaching fellows. He is very, very much into this second life thing. He talked about how great it was for teachers, since they could basically life both lives. And, if that weren't enough, we found out our entire history and English faculty have second life accounts, and use them.

This started an intense discussion about the ethics of virtual lives. There is one girl (who shall remain nameless) who has apparently had a virtual life since she was 13. We all found that disturbing to put it mildly. it shows as well, because she lacks an ability to socialize in a normal situation. The question on how safe this was was raised as well. As an actress, I've seen how hard it can be to break out of the separate character traits you have to pick up. The other girl argued that it was perfectly fine to have a separate life, because you can separate the virtual from the real world.

I, however, have a huge issue with how virtual all our lives are becoming. Every person has a facebook, twitter, email, myspace, and other online forums they use. I bet every one of us spends about 5 hours of our day online. I feel like our entire culture is becoming revolved around computers and virtual lives. We can create our own identity online.

When I was a kid, I can remember spending HOURS outside per day. Now, I rarely see any kids in my neighborhood outside playing and having fun. The life we used to live was that of simplicity and fun...now the life we all live revolves around technology and virtuality. There's even studies out about how teenagers are having a hard time communicating when they don't talk through an artificial form....face to face conversation is becoming a lost art. And I am in this group, because I do spend wayy too much time online. And yet, to be a part of this culture, it's required.

Praise?

I was looking through some quotes of C.S. Lewis, and I stumbled on this one from his reflections on the Psalms "I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation." One thing I've noticed lately has been how many people "praise God" yet do with no enjoyment. They do it like it's rote memorization. That's the thing I dislike so much about modern churches....it's very difficult to find a church that doesn't use the rote method.

The thing that I love about Psalms is that David truly is a man after God's heart. He clearly enjoys God with everything. Even when he's upset, or angry about a decision, he still respects God and loves Him. So many people disregard the Psalms because it can be "full of fluff," yet I would argue that it's one of the best books in the Bible. If you truly read it, it's fascinating to see this one man's love for his Savior and his enjoyment in being given so many days and opportunities to worship Him. I can only pray that I am given the same opportunities to praise my Savior.

Dancing Through Life

I think last night tops the chart to date of my favorite nights. At least when it comes to dancing and friends. You see, I finally made it out to a contra dance at NC State. The LAST time I was supposed to go out there I had just injured my knee, so I was unable to attend. However, since I have been injury free for about 4 months now, I figured I'd be fine. :) And I have to say...if I had known it would be this much fun, I would have danced through the pain last time.

Mr. B was so kind to drive for us, since he attended State and knew his way around much better than Lizzie, Jess, or I did. They picked me up at Meredith, and we were off to State. We were all a tad nervous when we got there, but thankfully all three of us ended up with experienced partners the first set, so we were able to follow along pretty easily. And our square dancin' skills really helped a lot. I even shocked one of my old friends by telling her it was my first contra dance.

Since I didn't bring a camera, I'll have to wait for lizzie or Abigail to post pics, since I believe they both took some. But needless to say, it was so much fun. I can't wait until the next one! I actually have the dates marked on my calendar. :P Of course, now I am super exhausted, have a slight cold, and blisters, but it was worth every ounce of that. :P As Abigail commented this morning "I could have danced all night... I could have danced all night..." :)

I just haven't met you yet....

Ok. If anyone knows me, you know that I am a DIE HARD Michael Buble fan. His music makes me sooo happy. Anyways, he has an a new album coming out in early october, and he released a single off that album. This song has topped my Buble chart of favorites, so I thought I'd share it with you! :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcx9cZEqP1U

Give me a sunday mornin' that's full of grace....

Sometimes I feel like my life is a little like Anne of Green Gables. I have the most amazing friends. Granted, there are quite a few more of them than Diana. But they are all what I would consider "bosom buddies" and "kindred spirits". And I am going to a girls school that might as well be considered finishing school. except you don't learn the same manners. :P I have an amazing community of friends and family. And lastly, I want to be a teacher. The only two things missing are Gil (who is adorable!!!!!! (yes I'm watching it now)), and Anne's red hair (though I did have orange hair for about a month...hmmm....). :)

That said, I have a study abroad appointment tomorrow at 1 about Oxford. As scary as it is for me to leave my family and friends for a semester and go that far away, I feel like I'm not going to get a chance like this ever again. Plus, it's oxford!!!

I have fallen back in love with my piano again. I forgot how wonderful it is to sit down and play. I did that the other night instead of homework, and I think it's the most relaxed I've been all year. Definitely something that I plan on doing again. In fact, I'm getting more scores monday! I have seriously missed sitting down and working on a piece, learning it perfectly.