Alas, my blogging days are over. From now on, I will only be xanga-ing :oP Blogger - you have been good to me this past year, and for this I thank you.

For some odd reason, Trinity decided to block blogger.com again, which just seems ridiculous to me, but oh well! I now have xanga, which I happen to enjoy more anyway. (If you care to get a rundown of all the pros of using xanga, let me know. I'd be happy to share!)

Sooooo, to all my CPW peeps - I'm glad you all jumped on the blogging bandwagon. It's so wonderful reading your blogs and keeping updated on your lives. Mind you, I won't stop reading them just because I crossed over to the xanga world... I'll still be checking in and signing guestbooks! And I'd like to encourage you once more to at least sign up at xanga so you can post comments on my entries *wink wink, nudge nudge* There's no obligation to post to your own site... Just sign up and leave me some love! :) :) :)

I love you all, and I bid you adieu!!!

FROM NOW ON, CHECK ME OUT AT: www.xanga.com/Stefiny_Lynn

Ok, kids... This whole xanga vs. blogger thing is driving me crazy. How about I list the pros and cons... Maybe ya'll can give me some insight.

Reasons for switching to xanga:
It's SO much easier to use - posting is easier and faster, you can change your template as often as you want and however you want it to look without having to know/use HTML and you'll see your changes immediately, you can put your picture up in your profile, xanga provides a guestbook AND a little "comments" and "eprops" section, and it has xangazon which allows you to put up "currently playing/reading/watching" along with the picture and title of whatever it is you're listening to, reading, or watching... and, well, mostly I guess I just like it better overall!

Reasons for staying with blogger (there's really only 2):
I don't want to lose my guestbook entries, and anyone (whether or not they're members of the blogspot) can sign the guestbook. (On xanga, you have to sign up)

So, as of right now, I'm thinking that xanga is the way to go. I just like it a whole lot better. And, as much as I will MISS ya'll having the freedom to sign my guestbook or post comments... *sigh*

Althoooooooough... Mel, being the wonderful woman that she is, signed my xanga guestbook by signing up for a xanga account. Just cuz you sign up for an account, doesn't mean you actually have to post to it!!! Here's what you can do folks...

When you go to my xanga site (www.xanga.com/stefiny_lynn), you can either click on "sign my guestbook" or, at the bottom of whatever post you're reading, click on "add comments" (or, if someone's already posted comments, it'll say 1 comment or 2 comments, whatev)... The comments thing is the same as the guestbook - except you can also give me 0, 1, or 2 eprops. OK, so you do that - type in your little message/comment (ie: Stephanie, you're the coolest!) and then when you click on Submit, it'll take you to a page to either sign in or sign up. If you sign up for a xanga account, than you can submit the comment!!! :) :) :) Doesn't that sound like a great idea?! eh?! EH?! :) :) :)

Ok, I'm done. Xanga it is. I'll still be checking this one, and perhaps even posting to it from time to time. I'm certainly not going to delete it until I can figure out how to save my guestbook entries. But yeah, I'm 99% sure my decision is made. So, once again, it's www.xanga.com/stefiny_lynn Know it, love it, and for cryin' out loud read it!

(I'll do an official goodbye at a later date, once I'm 100% sure of the decision to switch.)

"Every day is a new day/ I'm thankful for every breath I take/ I won't take it for granted/ So I'll learn from my mistakes..." P.O.D., God bless 'em.

Welp, I had a fairly crappy night last night, but I'm over it. I had a good time at lunch today. (Thanks to Graham for giving me the wonderful calendar idea!) On the schedule today: Mens soccer game at 2:00 (Go Trojans!) and then perhaps out to see School of Rock tonight... Jack Black is hilarious, so even though the movie brings great risk of being dumb, he'll no doubt make it worth it.

I just finished cleaning my room and I must say I feel so much more...what's the word...serene now that it's clean and organized. I took out the trash, picked up everything off of the floor, made our beds, dusted, and vacuumed. *sigh* It's amazing how much your environment affects your mood. Good feng shui produces high levels of chi.

You know what I've always wanted to do? Write a whole letter to someone (or perhaps a whole post to my blog/xanga) using only song lyrics. Wouldn't that be cool? Pretty sure I'll try it someday.

OK, that was earlier today.... around 1:30ish... Here's what I have to say for the rest of the day...

I'm just oh-so-happy... I had a mega good day. Nothing spectacularly out of the ordinary, but just a good quality day. Care for a rundown? Good, cuz you're gonna get one.

So, as I said earlier, I had a good time at lunch - I totally treasure mealtimes with my friends in Melton. And, as I also said, I cleaned the room, which wonderfully heightened my chi. And then I headed over to the mens soccer game with Graham and Matt, where we met up with Travis, Brandon, and Kyle, and then soon my roomie. The game started off with a bang - Judson was super tough, borderline playing dirty, and the refs weren't calling anything on them. But our guys held their ground and took 'em 2-0. It was an awesome game! Afterwards, my roomie and I chilled a bit and then I attempted to do some homework... Buuuuut, I'm pretty sure laying in bed + reading for multicultural = instantaneous sleep. So, after my mini-nap, I went to Melton with Graham and Matt (I absolutely love those two), then we came back here to figure out a game plan for the night. Matt left to work on his speech while Graham and I putzed around, soon joined by Travis. We watched the Cubs game (while also goofing around, reminiscing through my old photo albums, eating pizza, etc.) - hooray for whomping the Marlins! - and then it was off to see School of Rock... It definitely did rock - very funny indeed. Especially the little gay kid who was the band's "stylist" and the Asian keyboardist who said, "You are a fat loser and you have body odor!" Ahhhh, such fun.

Did I mention that I love my friends? Cuz I sure do. I am not made to be alone, that's for sure. I'm made for community, fellowship, all that jazz. I'm happiest and at my best when I'm with those I love - even if it's just one other person. *sigh* Pure contentment, this is it.

Ok, enough cheesiness... Time to go to bed. Church tomorrow!!! :) Goodnight kids

Wow, my counter is at 2,999!!! That means the next person who reads this (it could be YOU!) will be my 3,000th visitor... How exciting :)

OK, that's about all I have for today... My desire to post in this blog is dwindling. I'm leaning more and more towards switching over completely to my xanga site. Though I'm not quite ready to disclose the site address to you just yet. I might want to keep it to myself for awhile longer. We shall see.

Either way, I'll be sure to make a formal exit from one or the other. :) Later yo

Sweet, sweet victory!!! Props to Travis for being my partner in Mission: Get Blogger Back. We succeeded, and I must say, we rule. OK, down to business at hand...

Two things I learned about myself today... Scratch that - I'm sure they are things that have always been true about me and thus I always in a sense knew them already, but today I just happened to vocalize them. It was a "Eureeka" moment, as one of my profs always says... Anyway, back to the point...

First of all, if I were ever in battle, I would not be at the front lines. This isn't because I'm a coward by any means, but rather I'm not one who forges ahead to really get things going. Another example: if a union of workers were gathering in protest and planning to go on strike, I wouldn't join them. I'm not a person who fights the system, I'm not pro-active, I'm not constantly pushing the envelope. Somewhere along the lines, as I grew up, I learned to not necessarily roll with the punches (because I'm certainly not a doormat) but rather I will work with what I'm given. I take the plate that's handed to me. If someone gives me an apple and there's a bruise on it, I'll just cut the bruise off and eat the apple. Someone more proactive might ask for a different apple. Not me. And like I said, I'm not a doormat. I won't let someone/people walk all over me. When it comes to certain things involving special education, for example, I will fight for what is right, needed, deserved, and fair. I'm extremely passionate about that. However, when it comes to things that I'm not passionate about (though they may still matter to me and touch my heart), I just don't feel a desire to go out and make a splash.

Next on the list... My roommate is involved in our campus's women's ministry council, and they are currently planning a seminar of sorts involving women and men which will revolve around spiritual leadership roles. It sounds like it's going to be REALLY interesting - especially since both perspectives will be presented. After she finished telling me about it, I walked away thinking about the type of spiritual leader I would want/expect my future husband to be. I came to a pretty good conclusion that I think really reflects myself - who I am and my relationship needs. A lot of women I know expect their boyfriend/husband to want to do a little Bible study with her and to want to pray together all the time and check up on her making sure she's doing her devotions every day, etc etc etc. That stuff is all well and good, and it's great to have in your relationship from time to time. (Especially the accountability aspect - I think it's very important, but it should be dual-sided and the parameters for accountability can be decided based on each other's needs.) Praying together is awesome and couples should most definitely do it, even reading the Bible together sometimes. But, for me personally: the basic foundation of the kind of "spiritual leader" I would need my boyfriend/husband to be is someone who shares my desires in following and obeying God - such that we can grow and serve Him together. I think that's key. I want someone to desire purity as much as I do, desire to be obedient, desire to be in the center of God's will at all times. If we share these desires, then we can work together to make them happen - encouraging each other along the way and helping/correcting each other when needed. That's the kind of spiritual leader that I want. Now, some of you might be thinking, "That's not a spiritual leader, that's a partner." Exactly. The leadership part of it comes in a marriage more so than a dating relationship.

Aaaaaaand, that's my speech for the day. So, those two not-so-little tidbits are just a couple insights into my soul. The second of which is a topic that could go much deeper and provoke many more points and opinions, but not for today. Plus, the Simpsons are gonna be on soon :)

Ok, bye kids... Take care, and keep on keepin' on!

OK, I'm cutting to the chase today...

First things first, I started a xanga site... I mostly signed up just so I could post comments on my V.V.T.'s xanga site... I must say, while I have been a loyal member of the blogspot for almost a full year now, Xanga is a whole lot easier to use which makes it tempting to switch over. However, while blogger is a bit more complicated with all the HTML and whatnot, once you get used to your own template, it's not bad at all. Plus, I appreciate the opportunity to really make the site your own with the ability to add tons of links and other cool stuff. So, no concrete plans for crossing over just yet, we shall see...

Next on the list... Homecoming week is done and over :( So sad... But it was a really fun one which gave me lots of new memories. Let's start with the pep rally... It was good! Props to the girls volleyball team for their fun little skit - they had the right idea... Dress all ghetto, do a little dance, throw candy to the crowd, and leave. It was short, funny, and entertaining - the crowd didn't have the chance to get bored! The coronation was nice... Matt and I perfectly performed a cute little spin which we did at the end of the lighted aisle...I think everyone enjoyed it... And, the moment we'd all been waiting for.... Yeahhhhh, no crown for me. Haha, but congrats to Blessing!!! She honestly deserves it - she is one incredible woman! (Oh yeah, and Graham - you're okay too :p hehe, j/k)

Skip ahead to Saturday and it's time for the football game - which we sadly lost. (How dumb that we had to play the 2nd ranked team for our homecoming game! Don't they know that we're supposed to play an easy team?! What the crap, that's all I have to say.) Regardless, we had a great time cheering them on... And, during halftime, I was oh-so-proud to point to my roomie in a mini-shout out over our shared affinity for Snood. Next it was onto the men's soccer game - they had a rough one as well, but came out with a 1-0 win. Heidi and I had some laughs avoiding a certain someone and his water bottle... but let's not go there :p

After the sporting events, it was time to get ready for the banquet! Steph and I kept with our regular tradition of getting ready by sitting on the floor with our full-length mirror turned on it's side and propped up on the dresser drawers, all the while doing our hair and makeup to the wonderful sounds of 'NSync :) Good times indeed. We looked hot, if I do say so myself, especially Steph... And we headed off to the banquet. The food was decent (nothing spectacular, considering it was Sodexho), Blessing and Graham gave great speeches, and the swing dancing was a blast! (Once I finally got myself out of the little "I'm so pissed at the world" mood, that is! But that's a whole other story that you'll probably NEVER hear!)

My roomie and I got back to the dorm around 11:30 and decided we didn't want the night to end just yet. So, we changed out of our dresses and into normal, somewhat ghetto-ish clothes, and headed out to the Cubby Bear to do some more dancing! We had a blast. It was somewhat like culture shock for my dear roomie, but I was so proud of her!!! She definitely laid the smack down on 3 Mexicans that were behaving, well, let's just say un-Christianly towards us... hahaha (we're hot.)

So, finally, that brings us to Sunday. Not so exciting... though church was particularly awesome. I spent all afternoon catching up on homework, then I hung out with Bre aka V.V.T. all evening, which was wonderful as usual. She's so awesome. Vihn, I think we should start the "b.o.b." club... If you don't know what that stands for, think about what you wrote at the end of my letter... Wouldn't that be fun?! You can be president, of course. hahaha...

OK, well that brings us to the present. I'm babysitting for a couple of very rowdy boys and I'm hoping they'll simmer down soon and fall asleep. (Right now I'm hearing "You fart-brain!" followed by "*gasp!* Take. that. back!!!" and "Briiiiing it onnnnn!"

Okkkkkkk, welp, as always - Take care, folks, and keep on keepin' on!

Ok, kids... Seth is outside playing, and I've got some time before Sam's bus gets here and we have to leave, so here it is... I've got something to say which is outside of my most recent ramblings that only list the random facts of my life.

My good friend Bre (oops! I keep forgetting to call her Vihn Van Tran!) has decided to play matchmaker... Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match! Find me a find, catch me a catch!!! Yeahhh, sorry, don't mind me (it's always fun to randomly break into song! - I do it all the time, just not always out loud)... Anyway!

First of all, a disclaimer: I am in no way desperate for a boyfriend nor am I constantly and freakishly on the prowl NOR am I in any rush to earn my MRS degree. BUT, I must say, from what I know so far, this guy seems to have some actual potential - imagine that?! Vihn Van Tran went to high school with him and she has nothing but excellent things to say about him. (They dated a bit on and off, and she says she broke it off with him cuz she felt he was too good for her.)

Apparently she has done quite a job of pitching me to him! Yikes!!! My buddy V.V.T. has lots of information on me; I hope she chose to portray my best side! (I know, I know - the eternal mistake made by every couple is when they show only their best side to their significant other at all times, and then when they REALLY get to know the other person, disaster ensues... but hey - I'D like to be the one to reveal my faults and flaws, not someone else. :) Thankyouverymuch.)

I trust that Vihn did a good job, no worries! Apparently this Michigan man (yes, he's in Michigan, which is a downside) is going to be emailing me... so we shall see!!!

Ok, I hope you enjoyed the update of my newest little intrigue... Here's a movie quote for your farewell - "Goodbye my dearest!... Au revoir!... Auf Wiedersehn!... Ciao!... Chingao-tay!" (ok, so I'm totally off on the spelling of that last one, but hey - can anyone guess the movie?!)

Here we are again... Last week Monday seems like a loooong time ago. Let's see - what has happened since I posted last? Apparently nothing incredibly noteworthy (or should I say blog-worthy?!) since nothing is coming to mind... The week finished out like most weeks do - slowly yet busy enough that by the time it's Friday, you're like "Wow, it's Friday already?!"

I got in a minor car accident Friday afternoon... Sparing the details, God really pulled through for me. I didn't get hurt, I didn't hit anyone else, and the damage to my car was far less than it should've been given the circumstances. So, right now, "Malibu Stacy" (the little-known nickname I've given my car) is in the trustworthy (I hope!) hands of the men at Classic Chevrolet & Toyota in Waukegan, so soon I'll know what the damage to my checkbook will be...

Friday night Heidi and I went out with John, Scott, and Rick to celebrate Scott's 23rd birthday. As usual, we visited Jon at Champp's and had a fun time, despite the surprisingly high bill... (Apparently Jon wasn't able to hook us up the way he usually does!) The birthday boy footed the heftier part of the bill since it was he who was doing most of the ordering anyway! When we got back to the apartment, Jon put in a movie but we all pretty much fell asleep - it was a late night. I slept till 12:30 on Saturday afternoon. I still have Jon's little star-shaped One Year pin, so I'm hoping he'll want to be re-claiming that sometime soon! :op

Saturday afternoon brought the mens' soccer game - which was awesome despite the frigidly cold weather! (Inga and I are SOOOO super-fans! Thanks again to Mike Waters for rescuing us with extra sweatshirts!) The boys whooped IL Institute of Technology at 6-0... The highlight of the game was when Ben scored a goal with a header! And of course, it's always a blast cheering for my buddies Josh, Drew, etc... I really do need to make it to a girls game as well, especially since they just slaughtered their way through the last game at 16-0!!!

Saturday night was pretty low key - I was really tired. I watched Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho over in 106 (good movie! It really IS a classic, I'd recommend it), then opted out of going to see Matchstick Men with the guys so that I could hit the hay instead. Church Sunday morning was awesome, as usual (the Lord was speaking, my friends!) It was wonderful to be greeted by Joe with a big smile, "Heyyyy, it's the Stephanies!" and a big group hug. Steph and I had a lazy afternoon in the suite, and then an equally nice evening hanging out with Brandon, Travis, and Bre, with an eventual trip over to visit the boys in 106.

And hence, that brings us to today... Lots to look forward to in this next week, though - it's homecoming week! Wednesday is the pep rally (always a riot) and coronation (dun-dun-dunnnn! LoL), and an added bonus to that is my parents are coming down! (They're so supportive :) ) Saturday is the homecoming football game against McKendree (as well as the mens soccer game - pretty sure I'll be running back and forth, not sure who to watch!) and then that night is the banquet and "Big Band Extravaganza!" Yay for swing dancing! It'll be fun times... I'm excited :)

Sorry that I don't have too much else interesting to report. There's plenty more that I could say and much more detail I could get into, but due to my broad audience of readers, I'm forced to censor this darn thing. I mean, I don't HAVE to, but seriously folks - there's no need for ALL of you to know ALL my business :) You, depending on who YOU may be, will get select packets of information when I deem necessary and/or appropriate. So, with that said, I bid you adieu...

Take care, and as always, keep on keepin' on!

I just had a really really good day :) Actually, the past few days were pretty fantastic... Nothing really new has happened in the last week or so since I posted, BUT, I've been happy which is wonderful. With the exception of Friday night, which was a downer for unknown reasons - perhaps just because I wasn't feeling well?... Anyway, so we'll just pretend that night never happened - To quote Zack Martin, "Let's talk about something nice...like butterflies!" (Random note: speaking of butterflies, there's been lots of them around lately! It's great!) Anyway..

Onto the weekend update... Saturday I slept in until 10, which was great because I finally got caught up. I then proceeded to be fairly lazy for the next two hours, which was a much-needed rest as well. Then I did a bit of shopping and then some homework. After dinner, I called John Thomas and made plans to hang out with him and Scott later that evening, after they were done apartment-hunting. So, I watched Two Weeks Notice (great movie! I'd never seen it before) while finishing up some homework, then I headed out to Forest Pointe. John, Scott, and I went out to visit Jon at Champ's (the restaurant) and he hooked us up phat with food and drinks, which was of course excellent. By the time we got back, Joe was home - so the four of us cozied up our respective couches and watched Me Myself And Irene, all the while with John conveniently shoving his feet in my face from time to time. About a half hour later, Jon got home from work and joined us for the rest of the movie. I finally left there around 3:15am... (I always have such a great time hanging out with those guys... You'll definitely be seeing it as a fairly regular occurence this year.)

It was difficult to drag myself out of bed Sunday morning, but I did it for two reasons: 1) I couldn't wait to go to church - I love the Vineyard in Mundelein (soon to be in Libertyville!!!) and 2) Joe was coming down to visit me! Joe arrived around 10am and we headed out, making a stop at Dunkin Donuts to kill time and eat bagels. Church was good, as usual, and as a bonus the worship was particularly awesome... We went shopping at Hawthorne, ate lunch at Chipotle, and headed back to campus. We spent the rest of the afternoon just chilling - Bre came by and joined us. Then we went to dinner (Joe was strangely excited about eating cafeteria food again!) and Joe left. I continued hanging out with Bre and Travis... Bre and I laughed a lot. Oh, and by the way - she is no longer Bre and I am no longer Stephanie. She is Vihn Van Tran, and I am Clavo. Mucho points to whoever knows where those characters came from :) I went over to 3A to have a little pow wow with Heidi, then Bre (I mean Vihn Van Tran!) went home, and Travis and I watched Bringing Down The House. (I just realized that I watched a lot of movies this weekend... shouldn't be surprised, but still.)

Today was a great day for multiple reasons... I got my roomie back - I missed her oh-so-much while she was gone all weekend! I love that girl - despite the fact that she proceeded to call me a fag for not telling her about court! (Sorry Schmooey, you would've found out soon enough anyway!) Anyway, it was also a great day because I went for my first afternoon of observing at Greenwood. My teacher is a Christian, I was so excited! Plus she's awesome. And there's only 20 kids in the class - they're all pretty hilarious too. So it should be a fun 36 hours with them :)

Dinner tonight was particularly entertaining as well. The food sorta stunk, but the company was great. Brandon, Steph, me, Graham, Travis, Matt, and Nate... It felt a lot like old times. I can't even tell you how much these people mean to me - I'm so blessed to have them (just to name a few!) in my life. And to know that the feeling is mutual - it just blows me away!!! *sigh of contentment*

Aaaaanyway, now I'm babysitting. The boys are watching Fairly Odd Parents... Pretty soon I'll be drugging them up with their meds and sending them off to bed!

And that's about all I have for ya this time... Mara - I'm so glad you came to visit. It was great having you! Joe - thanks for coming down to spend the day! You rock, chico. Brooke - I love reading about how happy you are! I miss you too, babe! Nikki - keep me updated about your grandpa so I can keep praying. *big hug* Mom - If you're reading this during your night shift, feel free to sign my guestbook again!!! I LOVE YOU ALL... And to anyone else who reads this, I love you too! :) (That sounds cliche and you may be tempted to doubt my sincerity, but I probably actually really do love you! So there.)

Take care, folks, and as always - keep on keepin' on...

So, in case you haven't noticed - since I don't get to post very often, my blog is basically written for all those who are outside of my TIU bubble. A source for updates on my sometimes-but-not-always-exciting life. If/when we get blogger.com back on campus, then perhaps my posts will venture a bit deeper below the surface... But until then, to my faithful readers (Mom, Joe, Brooke, Nikki, Mel, etc!), Enjoy - because I'm doing this all for you!

Ahhhh, I’m so sleepy today! I’m babysitting for the Hackley’s right now (which is why I’m able to post at all – www.blogger.com is still blocked on campus :( grrrr...) I got here at 7:30 and will be here until about 3:30. Right now the boys are watching cartoons and they’re practically in a trance, so I’ll just sit here and give you a nice, detailed update…
Anyway, back to me being sleepy... It’s not just cuz I got up early this morning. Like a good little college student, I was also out quite late on a school night... (Hey, at least I got up for my 8:00 the next morning, that’s more than some people can say!) Thursday night, I went out to John Thomas’s apartment again... I got to spend some one-on-one, getting-to-know-you time with each of his roommates, which was fun. Joe is hilarious and totally cool to hang out with, and my conversation with Jon is one I won’t forget for a long time! He’s super nice – above and beyond what I’d expected... And, of course, it’s always a good time chilling with Fun Guy John Thomas. I stayed out there much later than planned... When a whole bunch of people came by around midnight or so, it started to get really fun (before it was chill fun, this was silly fun – thanks to Homestar) so I ended up staying till about 2am.
So, like I said, I got up for my 8:00 on Friday morning and was somewhat zombie-ish all day – until I got to take a nap for a couple hours. That helped. Friday nights are usually pretty chill around here – we usually just hang out and then either go to a movie or watch one in the dorms... Everyone else went to see “Once Upon a Time in Mexico”, (except apparently it was sold out)… But it was my friend Joe’s 23rd birthday, so I went to his little birthday gathering around 10:30, with Jonathan and Mary. We went chilled at his house for a bit and it was great to see him again, plus to catch up with Charles, Luke, Yoshi, and Kristian. Then my roommate arrived, we gathered up all the others (like Jonathan’s brother Rick, and the Potesta’s) and we headed out to a park in Libertyville… I got to ride in Joe’s new Camaro and play with his cool iPod, and despite him driving like 80mph the whole way there, almost everyone somehow still beat us to the park. Then, the 10-15 twenty-somethings who were there proceeded to play a crazy game called Monkey Tag – a game that everyone there LOVED (they were old pros at it).. It’s definitely a game that I think would be very popular amongst the 104 Fam as well. I think Steph and I will have to introduce everyone to it! It’s also called “Fish Out of Water”… Basically, everyone has to stay up on the jungle gym/playground and the person who is It has their eyes closed, trying to tag someone – all the while being taunted and teased. (If you’re not It, you can touch the person who is It – cuz they have to tag you with their hand.) If the person who is It says “Fish Out of Water” and any person is on the ground, they will automatically be It. It may sound a little dumb, but trust me, it’s a blast!
So, after about an hour of the game – and lots of laughing and taking funny pictures – Steph and Mary and I needed to head out, since we all had to work early today. After a stop at Dunkin Donuts, we were back to Trinity and in bed by 1:30. Good times, indeed. (Sidenote: Joe just bought a house, so we’re hoping he’ll take us up on our offer to help him decorate it! Ikea here we come!!!)
Tonight should prove to be very fun as well... After I’m done here, I’m going straight out to Zack and Bre’s for a night of volleyball (hopefully – if it’s not too wet or raining), games/cards, pizza, movies, hanging out, and otherwise general merriment. It’s always good times with the 104 Fam... Tomorrow will be all about church and homework.
Besides the social side of my life, things are going well. Meetings for DCAB and with my DP3 girls went really well. My girls are all doing great. I’m so thankful that I get to be a part of their lives – put in this place to encourage and uplift them in different areas of their lives as well as their ministries on their respective floors. God has been blessing me through them; it’s really awesome.
Worship in chapel on Friday was incredible... The last song we sang was “In Christ Alone” and wow, my heart just swelled and I couldn’t keep those few tears from falling... It was so beautiful to be in the midst of the body of Christ, all worshipping Him from our hearts. I got this picture of angels among us and together we were all a heavenly choir. (Forgive the cheesiness, it was just really powerful.)
Classes are going well... It was actually a pretty easy week; I had a pretty light workload – which in turn caused me to procrastinate on the few things that I did have to do. But oh well. Like I said, tomorrow I am going to get a lot done so that I can hopefully make next week easier as well. (Less homework = more opportunities for social time!)
I miss my CPW peeps – Joe, Brooke, Nikki, Mel, Scoot, Nichole... You guys still rule. But hey, you TIU kids, I’m so glad to have you here. Heidi – you rock my socks off, I love you girl. The 104 Fam – that’s a given. I love you all so much. And to all the rest who most likely don’t even read this thing, you’re awesome too :) I’m very blessed.
Take care, folks, and keep on keepin’ on. (And hey, don’t neglect the guestbook – it could use some lovin’!)

Sorry sorry sorry for not posting sooner!!! Believe me, I’ve wanted to... But Trinity’s Information Technology people, being the over-protective folks that they are, have blogger.com blocked, so we obviously aren’t able to post. (Don’t worry, we’re working on getting through to them...) I’m actually babysitting right now, hooray for access to the WHOLE internet!

I have been back at Trinity for just over 2 weeks now... It has been FANTASTIC. It’s so great to be back with my friends, I can’t even express to you how great. First things first, though: I was immediately accepted onto the Discipleship Cabinet and we began all the training stuff with the DP3’s right away. I have 5 girls who I will be discipling this year and I’m really excited about it. As far as DCAB in general, it’s evident that God wants me in this position and I’m eager to take from it all He has to offer as well as give all that I can. As far as the social life goes, like I said – it’s SO great to be back with my friends. These past two weekends have been absolutely filled with lots of time with the Fam, which always brings fun, laughter, and hanging out 104-style. Highlights thus far: Last weekend we were “spontaneous” downtown, which was hilarious. And of course the obligatory movie night, with the scary movie theater Nazi watching us like a hawk. This Saturday was my roomie’s 21st birthday – yayyyyyy!!!!! The BBQ at Zack and Bre’s brought good food, Trivial Pursuit (the new version), lots of sneezing due to the flying cat hair, and crazy competitive volleyball games (Team S1 all the way!)... Sunday night was spent chillin’ in the Quads with Brandon’s room as the place to be. And finally, Monday night – at the College Union auction – we scored a fabulous L-shaped couch for our suite! Very exciting indeed – finally our suite is once again homey and inviting. This weekend, thus far, has been a bit more low-key as we (meaning, the 104 family) have all sorta done our own thing due to work schedules, RA’s on duty, and homework. Last night was great, though. Heidi and I, after hanging out all afternoon, became determined to find something to do to fight off boredom and depression (haha) so we made our way out to Forest Pointe apartments to visit John Thomas. It was good times, despite the continuous sneezing and nose-blowing due to Joe’s cats, Lucy and Ethel. (If I was unsure about my allergy to cats before, I’m certainly not now!) Plus, I got to see Nicole, who I hadn’t seen or spoken to since May!!!

Yes, it is good to be back. Though, still haunting me in the back of my mind is the knowledge that this is almost like my last semester to really have with my friends because I will be student teaching next semester. (I have to make the most of every minute I have with them!!!) And even more scary is the thought of graduating in May – first of all, I have no clue what I’m going to do, and secondly, I don’t want to go off and do it by myself!!! I want to stay near friends - somehow, some way... Ugh, we shall see!!! I refuse to let myself get all worried about it now.

Anyway, that’s basically what’s been going on apart from classes... I’m only taking 14-credits, but it should still be a full load with that and 3 meetings/week for DCAB and babysitting twice a week and the 36 hours of observation I need for one of my ed. classes. This semester, in case you’re interested, I’m taking Reading and Writing Across the Curriculum, Psych of Addictions, Interpersonal Skills Training, Introductory Statistics, and Multicultural Field Experience. I basically like all of my classes – except Statistics, but we shall see. As long as I can get through that one with an A, I’ll be more than satisfied.

I guess that's about all I have to report... To all my homies and CPW crew - Joe, Brooke, Mara, Nikki, Mel, Scootie, Nicole - I miss you lots!!! *Hugs to you all*

I'm a dreamer. That's who I am, that's what I do. I like to dream BIG. Sometimes I dream about awesome things happening TO me - most often in some idealistically romantic and highly unlikely fashion (I'm a girl, what can I say)... Other times it's about things that I DO - places I go, situations I encounter, changes I help to bring about, people I influence... The all-encompassing theme of these things I do is that they are done because the Lord has called me to do them. I valiantly obey His leading and thus fulfill His purpose for my life.

So... wait, isn't that how Christians are called to live? Listen to God, be obedient, do His will, etc etc etc. Well, if only it were that easy, right? It's not always easy. We get mixed messages, we feel torn between what the world has to offer and what we know is right, what we want and what we know is best... And Satan is always ever-so-happy to jump in and confuse us even further.

Throughout my life, I've found that I have a tremendous tendency to scare myself away from these dreams or ideas or plans or hopes. (No doubt, Satan plays a huge role - but, as I usually do, I blame myself.) Now, I'm not a person who lives in fear by any means, but I am afraid of failure. Even more so, rejection - in various forms. Maybe that's why I always dream about doing big things... I can imagine them - enjoying the little movie going on in my head and perhaps even toying with the idea of having the strength to actually carry them out... but still, by merely dreaming I am safe from the risk of failure and rejection. This leads me to wonder - how often have I actually acted on these little dreams of mine? How often do I attempt to make them reality? Well, today I acted. And I'm scared spitless.

From a few different sources throughout this summer, the subject of discipleship has been placed in front of me. Several different people that I respect and admire and who know me well have suggested that I consider the prospect of discipleship more this year - that I should consider being a discipler. I talked to my roommate about it, and she said I should call Liz in Student Ministries - ask her about the Discipleship Cabinet (or, "D-Cab" for those who are savvy with the lingo). So, today, I took a deep breath and called her. We talked for awhile - she was very helpful and appreciative of my interest and initiative. All the positions are filled, but it's still likely that I'd be able to join. So, she invited me to attend a "visioneering" meeting tomorrow afternoon and the leadership dinner tomorrow night... I can sort of just sit in and get a feel for what they are doing, to see if it's something I'd really like to be a part of. And then we'll see what to do from there. I told her I'd be there. Right when I hung up the phone, I just sat there for a few minutes - frozen. What did you just get yourself into?! You're so not equipped for this, why did you ever think you could do this? How stupid, you're gonna make a fool of yourself somehow, that's for sure... Is that an attack from Satan? YEAH, I'd say so.

So I called Stephanie and left her a message telling her about my conversation with Liz and also my current feelings on the subject. I know her prayers will help. And even after writing about it now, I'm feeling better - more confident. But also, more than anything, I need God. I want Him to affirm me, to confirm that I am equipped to do this and that He will further provide me with the things I need. I have always enjoyed being a listener and being someone that people feel they can come to with their problems/questions/struggles... I love being able to identify with people and I think I have enough life experience so far to be able to relate to almost anyone on at least some level. With these "qualifications," I think the Discipleship Cabinet would be a good place for me to serve as well as grow in the Lord and hopefully learn how to better use the gifts He's given me. Plus, it would a great way for me to take the focus off of my own little world and put it on others.

*sigh* Oye-vey, talk about catharsis. Blogs sure are great for that. Yes, regardless of whether or not I am a part of D-Cab, this is going to be a good year.

It's Sunday. I'm here at the Hackley's all day, 9-4. I love babysitting on these Sundays, because even though I have to miss church - I get paid twice as much as usual. Jen has her single mom's group, and so not only do I get paid my normal amount, but the group also pays me $54 in cash. Always very exciting.

Do you realize that I only have two work days left?! Monday I'm working with Ruth all afternoon (and no doubt she'll make the most of every minute!) and Tuesday I'm with Ruth in the morning and the Hackley's all afternoon/evening. THEN, I'm done! Wednesday I have the day to myself - I even get to go have lunch with KRISTY! (who I ridiculously haven't gotten to see since May!) And then, on Thursday, that long-awaited day, I will be completely moved out of Ruth's place and on my way HOME for 4 whole days until it's time to move back into the dorms for my fourth and final year at Trinity! Oh the excitement of it all, I can barely stand it!!!

I don't have much to say today... That's basically my update. Not much has been going on lately - nothing exciting to you anyway. I've just been focused on moving all of my stuff out and trying to figure out how to get all my junk organized in the dorm. The plan is to be organized with all of my necessities while also aesthetically pleasing in my method of organization.

OK, I have two hungry boys who want to go to McDonald's for lunch (aren't I a great babysitter?!) so I best be going! Hopefully I'll have more exciting news next time...

Take care, kids, and keep on keeping on!

I just have to share this quote that I found the other day - It's truth sorta blew me away...

Only in silence or in song are the most profound thoughts ever uttered.