The End of The Beginning

In seven days, I will graduate from college with a Bachelor of Arts in English. I'll be twenty-two years young.

While I can't imagine what the future holds, as bright and beautiful as it is sure to be, I can tell you about the things in the past that have brought me to this moment right here.

I stepped out of my comfort zone to go to a school four hours from home. I took classes that broadened my world views. I met people who were like me. I made friends with people who aren't like me. I read, a lot. I traveled to France. I learned about social injustice. I became an activist for the things I cared about. I broke up.  I went to China. I danced, a lot. I lived with awesome roommates. I fell in love. I saw the beauty in the Chinese language. I laughed, a lot. I took pictures of everything. I made mistakes. I learned to be a better navigator. I served people. I fell in love with mankind. I learned from people older and wiser than me. I went to Catalina Island. I prayed.  I started to understand people better. I cried. I learned the importance of obedience. I got a good job. I lived in four different dorms. I put 40,000 miles on my car. I saw my brother grow up into a real man. I learned things the hard way. I got a sister-in-law. I was afraid. I ate some unbelievably delicious foods. I was happy. I took the risk, even when it seemed hard, or foolish, or just plain scary.

And here I am.

So now, as I count down the days to my graduation and savor those last moments that make this experience one that I will never forget, I want to tell you what you should do. Not just for graduation, but for every day of your life.

Get out of the box. Learn about this beautiful crazy world we are living in, and I promise you, you will fall in love with all the beautiful crazy people around you. Travel: go to the places that you dream about, that call to you in a way you can't explain. Learn from the people in your life, old or young, weak or strong. Read, laugh, pray, cry... a lot. Be present in the lives of the people around you, especially the ones who really matter. And just do it. Don't make excuses, don't find reasons to say no -- because that's always the easy way out. Instead,  just say yes. Leave your excuses at home and step into the next biggest adventure of your life.

I'm doing it. And I'll be honest, I have no idea what that looks like, but in so many ways, that's the beautiful thing about it. Jumping, diving in head first with no idea what the bottom looks like.

Are you living it?

Learning: Psychology

It seems to me that the usual process is this: the older you get, the more you learn about the world, the people you know, and hopefully, yourself. Of course, some people differ from that trajectory, as is true of all generalizations. Some people are just really self-aware naturally, and at a young age. Others are in denial, not understanding things about themselves or others, and not wanting to.

As a christian, I spend quite a bit of time reflecting on my personality and the decisions I make. In fact, last year, during a bible study, I realized that some of my close friends were so self-aware that they could understand why they had made a bad or foolish decision, and had even begun to prevent themselves for falling into the 'traps' that they had succumbed to in the past.

I was astonished. I couldn't do that, I couldn't understand why I did a lot of the things that I did, as strange as that sounds. So I decided to embark on a journey of self-discovery! (Ha!) Okay, I didn't phrase it or think of it like that, realistically I thought: "How great to be able to understand your own decisions so clearly! I want to be more like Adriane and Jennifer!"

So I tried it. And this year, I have become much more aware of my own tendencies and feelings and thought processes. You can see that even in how my writing has changed! Part of that is my adventures into self-awareness and reflection with God, but also in the past couple of semesters, I've been taking psychology classes for fun. While there is some questionable content in the world of psychology, overall, it can be really helpful when you are trying to classify and categorize features of your personality. (And in other people, interestingly enough.)

I guess what I'm trying to get at here is the idea that people deserve more credit than we usually give them. The more I interact and get involved with people, the more intrigued, baffled and in love I am with them. We're all so different, and funny enough, so much the same.

As I slowly come to understand why I act the way I do with some people, I also begin to understand why they act the way they do, and its causing me to be a lot more forgiving. I make mistakes. And so do you. And you know what? It's not the end of the world. (Not yet, anyway! Mayans...)

So forgive one more time, but really think about it, and maybe there won't be a next time to worry about.

Do you think that you are "self-aware"? Do you think that it's important?

The Beginning of the End

Well, friends, this is it. Today is my last first day as a college student.

Just like kindergarten! (read her blog, Jordan Johanna)

While I'm experiencing the euphoria that can only be caused by the realization that I'll never have to go to class again, I'm also aware of the beautiful experience that going to college up here in the great white north has been.
So this is the beginning of the end of my college career, which is great and exciting and encouraging. But it's also the end of the beginning of the rest of my life -- this is the kickoff, and I couldn't be more thrilled.
Today, I am happier, healthier, wiser and more fulfilled than I've ever been.

So here we go, huh? Let's make it count.

Final-ly

Yes, that may be the laziest title to a blog post in the history of this blog, but you know what?
FINALS ARE OVER!

(gilmore girls from pinterest)

Finally, it's time to kick back and enjoy this wonderful holiday season. Of course, for me, that means a lot a crafting and baking and hanging out with friends. I'll be busy, but the best kind of busy.

Anything you've been putting off until the holidays? Good book on your radar? Fill me in!

Brains

I'm knee-deep in final papers and studying this week. Thus, I felt like posting some song lyrics. I know, I know, so dramatic.  I blame it on my lack of sleep!

I wanted you to know
that I am ready to go:
Heartbeat, my heartbeat.

I wanted you to know
whenever you are around:
I can't speak, can't speak.

I come around when you least expect me -- 
I'm sittin' at the bar when your glass is empty.
You thinkin' that this song's coming on to tempt me,
I need to be alone like the way you left me. 

All the things that we thought we were losing,
I'm a ghost and you know this, 
that's why we broke up in the first place.

Stupid; so dummy,
Say the wrong thing and wrong girls come running
I'm paranoid that these girls want something from me.

I wanted you to know
that I am ready to go:
Heartbeat, my heartbeat.

I wanted you to know
whenever you are around:
I can't speak, can't speak.

Heartbeat, Childish Gambino (who happens to be Troy, on Community) on his (awesome) premier album, CAMP.

Just so you are aware, if you decide to listen to it, there's some language, and ... risque subject matter. I've been selective with the lyrics here.

See you soon, I hope!

Back to the Future

One of the greatest things about college is that it really is the beginning of the rest of your life. Your future begins at school! How many times have you heard someone say: "Oh, yeah, that's the same school Natalie Portman went to!" or "Did you know that Tom Hanks was one of our Alumni?" It's such a formative and awesome experience, I think I may be seeing it happen first hand.

My roommate, (you know the really hilarious and totally awesome one? You can read her blog, too) made a video this past weekend, about her love for a character, Troy, on NBC's Community. It's a fantastic show, in my humble opinion, the funniest on TV now! The video is hilarious, and in an unbelievable and fortuitous turn of events, The NBC Community twitter tweeted a link to her video!

So yes, in case you hadn't noticed, today is a shameless plug for this awesome video and the show.

So watch it: Landing Troy Barnes

And hey... Do you think we can get her to be a guest star on the show? Wouldn't that be fun!

Photo of the Week: Spring?

We finally had snow! Here's the view:

I know I'll hate it in three weeks, but for now, it's wonderful.

How's your weather?

Closer Than I Dreamt It

Guys, I have three semesters of college left, and though I am loving it, I know that this is the beginning of my whole life -- a life full of blessing and change and a whole new world.

To sum it up, I'll let my friend Frank do the talking.. er... singing.



Yep. That's about right. Hope your first few weeks of school are wonderful.

(Also, ten points for getting the reference in the title!)

"It's Awful!"

(I wish you as wonderful a breakfast as my roomies and I enjoyed a few weeks ago.)

First, I apologize to all of my friends, because I can't stop using "awful" as an adjective. Sorry. Really.


Secondly: FINALS WEEK.
Is it finals week at your school? Because it is at mine, and I'm a leeeeetle bit nervous. Usually, I don't really care, because I have two papers to write and then I head home for a month. This semester, I have two in-class tests, one online test, and two essays (8 and 10 pages). Holy mackerel!

In any case, I just wanted to say good luck, and I hope to be back to regular posting soon. I'm keeping my commitment to post once a day in the conviction series, because I really am convicted, but I miss the I DIY posts! Soon, promise. Christmas break is nearly here!

Let's do this!

Me and God

Today, I went to my chapter of Intervarsity's bi-daily prayer meetings for the first time. I chose the time that was best for me, since I'll go back every week, and I brought my bible and my journal along with me. I wasn't quite sure what to expect (other than duh, praying) so I showed up and sat down. After explaining what it was all about, and what we would be doing structure-wise, we prayed.

We prayed for a full half hour -- about God's glory and goodness, about friends that we want to be impacted by God, and finally about anything else that came to mind.

And you know what? It was great.

Though I've tried different ways to get myself to pray more often, being forgetful as I am makes it hard. If I try to pray before I go to bed, I just fall asleep, and I want my prayers to be sincere, not just routine.

That was the difference at the prayer meeting. As we prayed about God's mercy and creativity, I was struck by an interesting thought. I was in this place for one half hour, and all I had to do was pray. I didn't need to pray quickly so I could fall asleep, or pray before I did my reading so I could hurry up and get to class. I just got to pray, without limitations or worries distracting me. I was there to pray, and that was it. No agenda, just me and God.

If you can get to one of these bi-daily prayer meetings, I would highly, highly recommend it. Don't have them set up at your school, chapter or church? Start a trend, guys. It's really worth it.

Is prayer sometimes difficult for you, too?
(P.S. Have you heard that Josh Turner song about Me and God?)

Photo of the Week: First Rain

Here's the first real thunderstorm up here at school. But doesn't it look luscious still? I took this looking out my dorm room's door. :)

How is the weather where you are? It's starting to get pretty chilly at night here. Scarf season!

Learning: Funk

Have you ever had one of those days? The kind when nothing really goes wrong but you just feel like you are in a funk? That's the kind of day I'm having.

It was a good day -- beautiful weather, my hair came out right, work was easy and I organized some of my school stuff -- but I'm just feeling a little off! I am reading a new (non-fiction) book and someone died in the first 10 pages...

I know a lot of people have a method of knocking themselves out of it when they are in a weird mood, but I'm not sure what my method would be. It makes for a lot of creativity, I'll tell you that much! I'm doing a lot of pre-blogging research. Gotta be ready for Halloween, you know.

So I guess I'm here to ask you all: How do you get de-funked?

Teach me your ways, oh non-funky ones!

The Kickoff!

Wondering what I've been up to lately?
Well, beginning on Tuesday, Intervarsity hosted their annual Pre-fall Conference, where leaders and staff get together to refocus and plan out the vision for the fall semester. We had a great time together as a group, but more importantly, it's obvious that big things will be happening on the campus for God this semester. It's exciting!

On Thursday morning the bunch of us got together and helped Freshman move into various dorms throughout the campus -- people were super thankful and that was great, but we also got to comfort a few freshman who were a little worried about leaving home. I remember that feeling! Now that they have a few friends in us, our chapter of IV can help them build the community that they will need as they go through school. That afternoon, my roommate Jordan and I moved in to our very new dorm room -- after finding out that our previously assigned room had a leak above that led to full bathroom remodel. (Our third roommate Amy moved in this morning!)

Today? Well, a whole lotta nothin'! The rest of my weekend will consist of regular school preparation things like picking up my books (and for my overly-organized-self, printing my class schedule and also writing it in my agenda). Not to mention our bonfire the day before school starts! It should be a great kickoff to an even better year.

Two funny notes:

• Our new room is wheelchair accessible, because it was the only available room. Meaning that we have a HUGE shower. Cool, right?
• Our new room also has a tiny set of shelves, which we have decided is perfect for books and toilet paper. I'll have to post a photo. It's fantastic!

Graduation Optimism

Today, just a few thoughts for those graduating from high school (and those who have, and those who will).

My friends:

This is only the beginning.
Graduating from high school and starting college is an opportunity that will only happen once in your life. That doesn't mean you have just one chance to get it right. It means this is an experience and an environment unlike any other, so use it! Where else are so many bright and intelligent and curious minds gathered all in one place? College is a place where you can really make a difference, and all you have to do is try. With all those people in one place, you are bound to find someone with something in common.

This is only the beginning.
It's a cliché to say that you make your closest and best friends in college, but that doesn't mean your first friend is going to be the best and closest. In such a large community, you can meet a new person every day. Ten new people every day! So, do it. Colleges are unique in this respect as well -- very few other places can claim the diversity of ideas, races, causes and beliefs as a college campus. Befriend the girl sitting next to you in your Chemistry 101, or the guy in your group in Anthropology 221. You never know where that friendship could lead.

This is only the beginning.
Though it’s a little frightening, just consider it: the friendships and connections you make here could last for the rest of your life. What if the guy in Anthropology is your future husband or the girl in Chemistry your first boss? In that case, doesn't it make sense to be yourself and be truly honest with the people you meet? In high school people may act differently to fit in, or refrain from sharing what they really think to avoid arguments. But college doesn't do that. College is an arena where you can be exactly the person you have always been on the inside and your beliefs (while they may spark discussion) are always welcome.

This is only the beginning.
Your beliefs should be a big part of your experiences after graduation. Though they say that many people lose their faith in college, the number of people who decide to follow the plans God has for them is impressive. In college and really, anywhere you go after high school, you have a choice to make about your impact. That choice comes down to "Do I say yes, and change the world with God?" or "Do I say no, and let my life go on as it is?" College is a chance to shake things up in your life and in the world. When it comes down to it, it’s the only choice that really matters. What opportunity are you going to take?

This is it.
This is your time.
This is only the beginning.

Lifting Up

In general, my family has always attended pretty traditional churches (Church of Christ, if you are wondering): a.k.a.; a capella, pretty reserved worship and singing, lots of standing and sitting through the service, and communion every sunday.

I will preface this by saying worship (here, singing) is my favorite part of church. I loooove it.

However, at InterVarsity, I've experienced a little different kind of worship. We do have a worship team that includes a few singers, a keyboard, drums, and several different bass and acoustic guitars (oh, and a banjo and violin sometimes too!).

But what is very different to me is the way that people respond to the worship, and to God, during our worship time. People with their hands palm up to the sky, one arm above their heads, both arms outstretched and all sorts of variations on that. Not everyone does it, and it's not for everyone anyway, but I do notice it quite often.

Why would I write about a personal thing like how people respond to worship?

Because I am totally blessed by seeing these people so moved by God and his presence. Though I've never been much of an arm-raiser, when I see my peers and classmates and friends worshipping God fully, it just fills my heart right to the brim. Though part of it lies in the fact that I know that I share in God's blessings with these people, another part is that a lot of adults who are our parents age and older seem to think that we college students are a bunch of hoodlums. But when I see the person a few seats down from me singing their heart out with their hands lifted up, I know that isn't true.

So if you think you might offend someone, or that it might not be appropriate for you to respond to God in a physical, visible way - go ahead - there might be someone just like me watching and waiting to be blessed.

God is good. :)

Teaching: Life as a Student Worker

Hello! I believe this will be my first installment in the Teaching Series. I think that teaching as well as learning is important, so by teaching you something I know you are learning! (Now I just need to have you teach me something!)

Having been an employee of my University for nigh on two years now, in different capacities, I feel like I have a pretty good handle of some of the things that every University position requires. I think these tips will apply to people at other schools in other states as well, so don't click away just yet!

These tips are most applicable to campus jobs, but excluding food service - that's a whole different ball game! So perhaps a Ticket Office worker, a job in the Geology Department office, or a part of the Office Staff at the Campus Health Center.

All these jobs will certainly have their own specific tasks, for example, the Health Center employee won't sell tickets to the Orchestra, nor will the Geology Department fax a patient's records to a Doctor's office, and the Box Office help won't be photocopying the GEO 112 midterm either. But they all share some responsibilities, merely because they share a location, the college campus. So without further ado, I present:

Simple Tasks for the University Employee!

1. Be a Campus Resource. As a student and an employee, you should have a good working knowledge of the campus. Where is Admissions? How about the Student Union? Or maybe just the nearest bathroom! Being able to direct fellow students and even potential students and their families around the campus is a useful and courteous trick. This can take some time, since many students only venture into the buildings in which they have classes, but spend some time walking around with a map, and you'll do fine.

2. Be a City Resource. This applies to the city, too. For many students, they live in and go to college in their home town. But for others, such as myself, college isn't just a new experience, its a new place altogether. Though it may be hard at first to situate yourself with a new city, try and get acquainted with nearby neighborhoods and commercial areas. It's great to be able to recommend a good restaurant and give clear directions to it!

3. Be a positive representative. Now this is more of an attitude than an action or task, but I think this is also important. When you are an employee, you have a responsibility to highlight the best aspects of the campus (in my opinion). Use your position to give visitors or community members a positive memory of the campus. Because maybe they don't really like the way that the dorms are managed, but if you tell them how awesome your first year in the dorms were, maybe they will reconsider!

4. Accommodate! Sometimes it might seem easy to take it out on the hapless freshman who just asked where they can find the Bursar's Office. Instead of giving them the stink eye while throwing a map over your counter, remain courteous and polite and say "No problem! Let me get the map and I can show you right where that is." and when they are satisfied, tell them "Have a great day!" Especially in situations where the person is upset or angry, you can defuse the situation by staying calm and doing your best to resolve the issue. Give them the benefit of the doubt, because they could have had a bad day, too.

I think that sums it up, but these are definitely some ideas that I have used and abused in order to have happy customers! And in case you are wondering, I'm the office staff at the health center. It's a wonderful job!

Any other tips or tricks to being a great employee? This is like free job security!