Coffee Pots

So I am currently in the midst of RA training at Wiley Hall. And it has been a relatively good time. Relatively because the days have been long and very action packed. I have so much information swirling in my brain that it is kind of ridiculous. I didn't really get on here to write about the RA training or how the past week has been. Actually, I wanted to write about something tragic that happened.

On Tuesday night I was minding my own business  trying to go wash my dishes. In the process, unfortunately, I dropped and broke my coffee pot. At first this would seem like a trivial occurrence. However, I have had this coffee pot since my freshman year and it was green! Somehow this item had become a part of my identity. And that got me thinking to other things that become a part of my identity. Things that we shouldn't be carrying around. Past mistakes. Regrets. What ifs. Shoulda Coulda Woulda.

It's a tiring game, isn't it? Fortunately Jesus offers the chance for me to lay down the identity I have created for my self and instead pick up the way he sees us. And that is a beautiful thing.

Welcome back!

I took a summer hiatus on my blog. And it seems appropriate to begin the blog again as I am back at Purdue. Yes, you read that correctly. I am back at school! RA training starts in less than 2 hours and I am starting to get that weird feeling in my stomach that comes anytime new, exciting things are about to happen or I've eaten too much chocolate :)

Yesterday my family graciously came down with me and labored in the heat to get my room all put together. Everything is about in its right place and it looks  great! I have never lived in a traditional residence hall (*dorm) so it is a new experience! The communal showers might take a little bit of getting used to it but its kind of like being back at summer camp when I was a kid (which, I only went twice and one of those times I didn't last very long...)

It is hard to believe that I am going to be a junior this year. The last two years at Purdue have flown by. I have learned a lot and made new friends. I know that there is a lot more to learn and new ways to grow. I want to make this year one that counts. One that impacts lives in a positive way. I want to grow out of my complacent spirituality and learn how to be a stronger Christian. And lastly but surely not least, I want to start to figure out where my life is headed after graduation. A tall order, but I think it is definitely doable.

End of the year

It's almost the end of school and I haven't blogged in 3 weeks. Very sad. That might be because the last three weeks have consisted of:

3 banquets
3 exams
4 papers
1 Spanish presentation
1 RA Meet and Greet 
Going home
3 upcoming finals

Pretty busy stuff, huh? But it's all good because school is wrapping up and it's almost time to go home for the summer. I am not going to lie, I don't think I am going to be sad to see this year go. It's been a hectic/busy/hard year but it's been good in a lot of aspects. God has moved in so many big ways in my life especially through my involvement with the Navigators and my Bible study this summer. I am not sure what I would do without them. And God has answered so many prayers, many of them unspoken.

I am looking forward to this summer to relax a little and then hit the road next fall.

Laziness? Nah!

I don't believe in being lazy. Case in point: this morning.

Today is Saturday. For some people, Saturday means sleeping in and lying around the house. Not for me. I like the feeling that comes with getting stuff done. I made breakfast, wrote a four page paper and have started on a load of laundry. All in the span of three hours. I don't say this because I want people to feel bad about themselves. I say this because I think that it helps people to understand me. I rarely slow down. Being productive is my motto.

This of course, can cause problems. Such as times when people are expected to slow down aka on vacation. I have a hard time shutting off my mind and just allowing myself to unwind and enjoy life. It's a struggle, but definitely is something that I am working on.

Re-cap

My mother has threatened to take my blog off her reading list if I don't get something posted soon. I suppose that it is sufficient motivation to take a few minutes out of my afternoon to write a little bit about my life. Honestly, I struggle to find why anyone would care to read about my day to day activities. To me my life seems so regimented and normal that I fail to see how it could entertain anyone else. But I digress.

A few things have been falling into place in my life lately. Things that I have been praying and waiting on for some time now. First of all, I went on my first Nav retreat last month which was a lot of fun! It was so great to connect with other Christian believers outside the confines of the academic world. Shortly after, I received news that I was accepted as being an RA for next year. Woo hoo! This is a huge blessing as I have been waiting since November to receive news on this. Lastly, I also interviewed and received a position as a University Residence's Ambassador for next year.

Last week was Spring Break...a good time to relax and do homework at a more lesiurely pace. Oh, and it was my birthday. I honestly don't get the fanfare that surround birthdays...is it really that exciting? I have finally turned the page on my teen years so it's on to a new chapter in my life .I have heard that most people remember the most from their 20's so I am hoping these are good times in my life...

That's about it right now...

Is it really only Tuesday?

Plugging and chugging through this week. I got through my third exam today which is such a relief! Now I just have a few other assignments to do this week and I am home free (until Monday of course). Today I got the latest Nicholas Sparks book which I am actually really excited about. Not so long ago I used to diss Nicholas Sparks because all he wrote were cheesy love stories. That was before I read "The Last Song", "Dear John" and "The Notebook." I am not saying that I consider him to be a literary giant. But his books are my guilty pleasure and they are a way to escape the (sometimes) mundane reality of my life.

This weekend my boyfriend is coming up for a visit which I am uber excited about! It should be a really fun weekend and I am definitely going to need it after these past few weeks.

Spanish and Melting Snow

I am starting to have flashbacks to last semester. Ah yes, exams are upon me and I am remembering the many days of studying, studying, studying. Right now I am feeling pretty accomplished considering I have memorized over 100 Spanish words (of which 10 will be on the exam). And when all of these exams are done on Tuesday I am going to feel even better about my life. Although  I am so glad to have this opportunity to go to school I prefer to forget about the academic grind that it demands. Unfortunately, that is what going to school is (mostly) about.

On a positive note, it was about 40 degrees warmer than what it was on Wednesday and the sun was out today! Everything is melting here and spring is starting to tease me into thinking she will be here soon. As I look at the date on the calendar I doubt that this will be the last we will see of winter. But it is nice to know that some day soon warmer temperatures will make their way back.

Snowish Tales

Two snow days at Purdue...it's virtually unheard of. And as the sleet and blowing winds were attacking every inch of my body, I remembered why I do not like winter. But when I woke up on Wednesday and saw the beautiful snow, I felt less hatred towards Old Man Winter. In fact, it was a lovely scene, especially since I didn't have to go out in it.

Today, my car decided that it was going to be firmly lodged in it's parking spot. Not so convenient when one needs to go to Wal-Mart for some "secret" errands. What has always amazed me at Purdue is anytime that I need help someone always shows up. Tonight as I am trying to back my car out of its spot and realizing in frustration that it was stuck, two nice gentlemen showed up. They offered to help me, but to no avail. Finally, I was able to locate a snow shovel and one of the guys dislodged what seemed to be a never ending chunk of ice. A friend came by and helped the other two guys out to push me out. Success! See, there are good people in the world :)

God always hears our prayers. Whether we speak them out loud or whisper them in our hearts, he hears them all. And he knows us better than we know ourselves. Even when we don't know what we need, God does. Today I am grateful that God reveals himself to us in this way.

Updates and what not

I haven't updated my blog in over a month which is about how long it had been since I had last written in my journal (until last night that is). A lot of stuff went down in December and quite frankly I just didn't have the time nor the motivation to write about it. Christmas was good, vacation was good, it was relaxing etc. And now it is January which means it is a new year and a new semester.

I didn't make any resolutions this year even though I was fairly successful in meeting my resolutions last year. in fact, they are staring at me right now which makes me wonder why I haven't taken them down. It isn't that I don't have any goals for my life this year. I do. I just haven't taken the time to pontificated and further expound on them. I will soon, no worries on that one.

Classes are going fairly well this semester. I have three Psychology courses, a Spanish course and an English course. I think all of my classes will be enjoyable although the "Introduction to Research Methods" may be a tad bit of a stretch. Nevertheless, I am looking forward to this semester and finally becoming a full Psychology major. Woo hoo!

Other than that, not much is new in my life. It has snowed almost 5 inches today which is exciting but it makes trekking across campus less than desirable. But I guess it is winter and that is what happens when you live in the great state of Indiana :)