I am not the only one...#13

Going away to college has always been one of my dreams; in a way, I just wanted to see if I could do it. I wanted to see what I was really made of and prove everyone wrong. Going away to college has been a great experience for me - though its not for everyone. I have mentioned this before, but Mississippi is a "whole new world" (Aladin & Jasmine singing); alot different from Florida. But I believe that leaving my hometown has opened the door for so many other opportunities...to meet new people and to minister to new people. But sometimes I forget - and I think we all do - that there are those left behind whose lives have not drastically changed like ours. Parents are a prime example...I don't know how close you are with your parents but call them more than once a month, they deserve more than that. "But Sarah, you don't know my parents!" - do whatever you want, I'm just sayin'. Its easy to take the ones we love for granted, but I encourage you - as stress comes with exams - to take a moment and think of all the ways you have been blessed this year. Maybe this has been a year of pain, but how has God turned it for the good? Here's a thought...feeling down?...suprise someone, give them something (a flower, a candy bar), but don't tell them its you. Guys, this exercise is not for that georgeous brunette in your class...but do it randomly to a random person...it really is more blessed to give than to receive! Study we must, or fail we will - Yoda ...I'm not a complete nerd - I promise :)

Random SNL moments...#12

Why does it take a moment to say hello and forever to say goodbye? I can't believe that Thanksgiving break is already over! Oh, and another thing, there should be a rule about giving students projects or papers due right after the break - I have one test and two projects!!! What has this world come to? Oh well - they can't give us any projects over Christmas break...HA...beat that!!!I just finished doing a photo project in which I described myself in twenty pictures and then described them in three words or less...it was informative and insightful...at this very moment I am watching SNL and Anne Hathaway is hosting it...hmmm...there are some hilarious people in this world - the man is now upset that his wife's suitcase is over the limit and is putting her clothes on himself...wait - my bad - this is Mad TV...my dad is switching channels...I apologize for the randomness of this blog and hope that there will be some more exciting ones to come...I hope everyone enjoyed their break!!!

Attack of the rabid beast...#11

This blog will not be very exciting, nor will it be informative, it will simply be my reflections about this week (or rather, the past few weeks). Lately I have been "going through the motions"...wake up, class, eat, study, go to sleep - repeat - I have been jaded for the past couple of weeks...Thanksgiving break can not come too soon for me!!!However, I have been taught something this past week. Life used to be all about me, but going off to college really taught me to love people where they are and to be thankful that we all are so different. Since it is almost Thanksgiving I guess I should say what I am thankful for...I'm thankful for hard professors that push you to do your best (and no, I am not sucking up), I am thankful for my family because they will always be my support system, I am thankful for long distance relationships because without them I would never know how strong "we" could really be!
Funny story time...Jordan, Madeline, Chelsea, and I were riding back from the mall down this dark eerie street. Suddenly we see a big black dog standing by the side of the road, Jordan slows down and honks the horn at it(thinking she would teach the dog a lesson). Terrified, the dog runs out in front of the car - Jordan swerves and barely misses the stupid animal. Visibly shaken, Jordan stops the car about 50 ft. away - the dog then proceeds to chase after us...four girls are screaming and Jordan is frantically trying to get away from the rabid beast...we barely escaped with our lives...Jordan left the dog with these insightful words "go home"...and that ladies and gentlemen is what we should all do...so go home and enjoy your Thanksgiving break!!!

Reflections on a life not lived...#10

Do you ever have one of those days when you wake up early - for no apparent reason - and stay in your pajamas for the remainder of the day? On one hand you feel completely comfortable and at ease; on the other hand you feel lazy because you have essentially accomplished nothing...can you guess what kind of day I had??? Sorry, I'm not too good at being subtle. So here I sit, alone...I have completely run out of bottled water and chocolate milk - and I drink at least four bottled waters a day - so dehydration is imminent...
For the past two weeks I have been going to Crestwood with my church (Morrison Heights) from 3-5:30...we go and spend time with kids, help them with their homework, play with them, and let them know that they are loved. Children are so amazing - really! They are so curious about life, so innocent, so happy...I guess thats why I feel so strongly about abortion.Now, I don't want to rehash anything...I'm just stating how I feel and what I know to be true...the Bible says that children are a gift from the Lord and it amazes me that someone who had been given that gift doesn't even want it - the most precious gift in the world and they see it as an "it" - a problem to get rid of, an inconvienence...that child will never be held, will never brighten the world with his smile, or have the joy of living...however, that child will be forever in the arms of the One who made him and loves him beyond comprehension...

When things don't go our way...#9

There are times - as humans - when we think we are really something and then God reminds us that we are nothing without Him. I believe we get too caught up in our lives to consider who is giving us the next breath that we breathe. I often forget that this is not my life to live but His. God has been so good - not just to me - but to all of us. Even though life doesn't go as we plan, we must remember that we are in His hands - I am referring to the presidential election...I'm not saying that I don't worry but simply that I don't need to worry - we don't need to worry. We need to learn to trust Him - Obama getting into office did not take God by suprise! The Word of God says in Romans 13:1-2 "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgement on themselves."
I am not saying that I agree with Obama - in fact we disagree entirely on subjects such as homosexuality and abortion - however - as a citizen of the U.S., he will be the next president. And, as a Christian, I am called to pray for him, that doesn't mean I have to like him or the things that he does, but "there is no authority except from God"...so continue to pray for our next president and our nation and rest in the fact that God has got the whole world in His hands...

Don't blink...#8

Life goes by so fast, one day you're in elementary school sipping your chocolate milk and eating your lunchables, the next you're a college freshmen sitting at her desk wondering what to blog about...but seriously though fall Preview Day is coming up (which means the Caf will be serving better food) - that is where I was a year ago...and once more this semester is coming to a close - they say (whoever "they" are) that the college years are the best years of your life, well, they were right. I've learned so much here already, made unbelieveable friends, and made countless memories...
I have learned to not sweat the small stuff - why - because God is God and I am not, I can only see a part of the picture He is painting...I used to always question and wonder - but I don't have to anymore because He is on His throne
I have learned that I am going to make mistakes, but instead of beating myself up about them I should learn from them - we all do stupid stuff sometimes
I have learned to love people where they are - whether they are messy or loud during quiet hours :)
I have learned that you can make the best out of any situation - only you can change your attitude, so don't whine and make others miserable - make the most of the time you have been given because you never know when it will be taken away...
I have learned (or rather embraced) that a "night out" now means Chick-fil-A and Walmart...
I have learned that staying up til 2 and waking up @ 6:45 doesn't work for me - sleeping is now my favorite thing to do...

*What have you learned from your short time @ MC?
~ Life flies by...don't blink~

A heavy heart...#7

You never know what you have until its gone...so make the most of every opportunity, it you love someone then say it - if you want to be better friends with someone then do it...eveyday is a gift thats why its called "the present"...
For some reason or another I decided to call my parents today even though I had talked to them yesterday - I knew something was terribly wrong the moment my Dad answered the phone - my Mom got on the line and asked me if I was sitting down. One of my friends back home died just this morning...I didn't know him as well as I would have liked to, but he was still a friend. His name was Ryan - he was seventeen and a senior this year...no matter how cold it was he would always be wearing khaki shorts, white socks, and a red hoodie (at least when I saw him)...you know those people that brighten your day with just a smile - well, that was Ryan.People react in different ways to tragedy...and I reacted in anger...I just can't understand why God would take him now...this guy was a miracle, he had drowned once when he was a toddler and was revived...its the holiday season...I can only imagine what Thanksgiving will be like for his parents... it is a time to thank God for all the many blessings He has given us,yet their son is dead...he was fine,he was healthy - it wasn't his time to go, he had his whole life ahead of him.But if he was loved so much by us here on earth, when our love is tainted, then how much more did God love him?So live your life as if it was your last day on this earth - I know I'll see Ryan again in heaven and he'll be wearing those khaki shorts,white socks, and that red hoodie...and he will smile and I will smile...I'm not good with words, but this song says it all ~

I've heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you...

Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
I have been changed for good

It well may be
That we will never meet again
In this lifetime
So let me say before we part
So much of me
Is made of what I learned from you
You'll be with me
Like a handprint on my heart
And now whatever way our stories end
I know you have re-written mine
By being my friend...

Like a ship blown from its mooring
By a wind off the sea
Like a seed dropped by a skybird
In a distant wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you

Because I knew you,
I have been changed for good

...Ryan Spear will never be forgotten...when life in in discord praise ye the Lord...

The sun also rises...#6

Well, as most of you are aware this "week" is fall break, and I am currently sitting at home baking cookies. I'm not really sure how to describe the innitial feeling of being at home - its different. This will always be home, but it will never be what it was...I could go on and on about all the memories and the parents and the boyfriend - but I'm sure you have better uses for your time...its funny but in a way I miss MC, well, really I miss my friends there. But there is something about being home...you're more at ease, you sleep better, and hopefully you are catered to :) Hopefully we have all shared or will share the same experience...
I just got back from taking my brother to choir and I saw an old friend..."You look the same but older and wiser" he said...I laughed, I can't help the older part but I hope that my going away to college, fellowshipping with other believers, etc. will make me wiser...we were learning about Solomon last week in OT Bible - wisdom - I wouldn't have asked for that, but I suppose that the immense responsibility of ruling a country would way heavily on your mind...so I pose the question to you as I ponder it myself - how do you become wise, what makes a person wise? Does wisdom increase with age or experience? Comment, let me know, and I'm sorry this blog was so uninteresting - I hope everyone has a great fall break...see you back at MC !!!

What began as an assignment...#5

This weekend I did my community service project for English - spending time with kids in the community (eating, talking, and going to the football game). Some might have seen this as an assignment and in a way it was, but looking back - the kids blessed me more than I blessed them. My Saturday consisted of sleeping 'til nine, watching the movie "My Best Friend's Wedding", and eating by myself in the caf. My family wasn't able to come for family weekend so I had good reason for wanting to be alone. It's not that I wasn't happy for everyone else, but their smiling faces did nothing for my lonely mood. So I stayed out of sight until four - that's when everything changed.
I arrived on the steps of the caf ten minutes early (which is my usual practice) and immediately saw about nine children running around like they had a sugar/Red Bull high. I sat down on the steps and made polite conversation, suddenly, a lady sitting realatively close to me let out an exasperating sigh and said, "Oh please tell me I don't have any boys, I'd prefer the girls." I couldn't help but laugh to myself,then, out of the corner of my eye I saw a little girl staring at me, so I smiled, the girl smiled back and said four words, "You have pretty teeth". I have to admit that this was not the response I had hoped for but I thanked her and awkwardly waited for further instructions.
When asked who she wanted to pair up with the little girl pointed straight at me and said, "I want her." So for the rest of the night I was her partner. Her name was Angel, she was a sweet little thing too, but oh man, could she talk. She reminded of me of when I was her age, full of curiousity and spirit - a regular spit fire. Throughout the night I found out alot about Angel - she had a brother and three sisters, she loved the Saints, she could yell like no one I had ever heard before,and she loved candy! As we were going down the stairs I told her to be careful, she replied that she would be careful because she didn't want to die like one of her friends. She tried to explain to me how her friend died but she was talking so fast I couldn't understand a word... If I could say one thing about her it would be this - she was one of the happiest children I had ever seen. It was then that I realized that she was an angel sent to show me that "its not all about me/ stop feeling sorry for myself"...and I'm so blessed that I was able to meet and spend time with her for however brief a time...what began as an assignment turned out to be a blessing...

Just to clarify...a mini blog...

My last blog "it's ok to be gay" was in no way written to bash homosexuals or those who are for or have had an abortion. I was simply writing my own views - after all, that's what blogging is all about...writing about things that you believe or things of relevancy...

It's ok to be gay???...#4

Interesting title huh? - yeah, I thought so myself. Those of you on campus know to what I am referring...that phrase (written in chalk) that was originally at the bottom of the stairs leading down to Jazzman's. Before I progress any further I would like to applaud the person who wrote below the initial message - but its great to be straight(however, next time, I'm thinkin' water might prove the point a little better). There is no doubt that this controversy (over same sex "marriages" or "partnerships") has errupted in the U.S. Many believe that this country has reached a new era - and indeed it has. No longer can children ride their bikes along their own street without the fear of being abducted, no longer is marriage sacred, and no longer is the fear of God - without whom we would be nothing - in the hearts of His people. Make no mistake - I did say HIS people, meaning many or all of you reading this right now.
How can we expect those who are blind to see the truth? I am not claiming to be better I only claim the words of John Newton, "I know that I am a great sinner, but Christ is a great Savior." If we are not prepared to stand up for what we know to be right then what are we? I do not want to be known as a person who sits back and watches the world happen around me - do you? If we continue to be silent then we will not be prepared for the consequences awaiting us. By now some of you are thinking: die-hard Christian, rigid beliefs, old-fashioned, and closed minded. Good, I'm glad, as long as I get you thinking!
I have often been told that I am too black and white - there's not much gray area with me. There are some things that may be painted shades of gray, but not this. Few things in life really "get under my skin" - the greatest being homosexuality and abortion. When I was younger my view of homosexuality was basically - people will do what they want to do, I can't stop it. And I'm not trying to stop it, I'm trying to motivate others to voice the same belief with me - the belief that marriage is a binding, forever commitment made before God between one MAN and one WOMAN. What motivates me? Not only my faith but the generation coming after, the future leaders of America, my future children, your future children...what motivates you?

What is there to do in Clinton?...#3

"There is nothing to do in Clinton", how many times have you heard that one? Well, hopefully - after reading this blog - your weekends will consist of more than watching t.v. and wishing you were home...
1.) Follow the flight of stairs on the edge of the quad down to the street in between Self and Aven, walk about two blocks...there you will come across a brick road lined with quaint little shops, my favorite happens to be the large antique store on the corner...in it are endless hours worth of browsing...vintage wedding dresses, cowboy boots, ancient books, unique pottery, and an infinite supply of jewelry...
2.)Wal-mart may be good for grocery shopping but think of it more as a place to engage your creative genius - go on a scavenger hunt with your friends - buy a plain notebook, glue, scissors, and some magazines...collages anyone? Spice things up and create your own journal or memory book...which brings me to point number three...
3.)Never be without your camera...take a drive with some friends and stop along the way to take pictures,go to a thrift store and try on random clothes - anything to make it memorable! If you love photography like I do then on campus is where you should be...beautiful, old oak trees, random benches, and timeless fountains...black and white photos are my favorite...and when you get the pictures developed make sure to write when and where they were taken (you think you'll remember but trust me - you won't)this campus is full of history and great photo ops, you just have to be looking...
4.)Everyone in the world should know about Jazzman's chocolate chip muffins - make sure to try one, and tell me what you think...

* I realize that this is a very different blogging experience - if you enjoyed it however, tell me so, and I promise to come up with more ideas...gentlemen, this was really geared more towards the ladies and if you have read this far then I applaud you...thank you and goodnight...

Just because I can...#2

In my mind college was supposed to be a liberating experience - you know - fly away from the nest...learn how to spread MY wings.It wasn't so much that I was being "held back" at home but I think that most students have that sense about them - I want to be out on my own, to make my own decisions. Though I never wanted to change who I was - I still felt that power -I was in charge of what I did, where I went, and who I went with. I didn't have to answer to anyone if I wanted to go make a Taco Bell run at two in the morning - and that gave me a sense of pride and importance.
Think about it - all this freedom - it will make or break who I am. Parties,guys,beer...I was once told that you'll never know if you like something til you try it...and now is the perfect time...no parents, no boyfriend...they're all at home and I can do as I please. After all college is about "finding yourself" right. I can wear what I want, read what I want - heck - the sky is the limit.
You're probably thinking (by this point) that woah - this is a good girl gone bad...and it sounds like that doesn't it? But nothing could be farther from the truth...my Dad always said "just because you can, doesn't mean you should." Yeah we're going to be asked and maybe even pressured to do things that are against what we've always been taught...try it...you never know...you just might like it...but think about it...it usually takes more self-control to say no than to say yes...but this is a Christian college!!! I'm not blind enough to think that things aren't just as accessable here as they would be at any public university...so I present a new challenge (to myself included)...it's a little word called -discernment...think about it...be who you are - not who people think you should be...

Here comes the sun...

I have heard it said that rain is a sign of "good luck"; not that I believe in sheer luck necessarily, but you get my point. I have never been one to keep up with the weather - so you can imagine how happy I was to look out my window this morning and actually see the sun. I only mentioned the "good luck" quote because it rained the whole first week of my freshmen year - so I'm hoping that counts for something. You see, rainy days and Mondays always get me down and since I was already apprehensive about being away from home, scary professors, extensive papers and so on - well lets just say the rain didn't help. But enough about the weather - I never understood why people - if they have nothing else to say - stick to their health and the weather, how immensely boring!
Speaking of boring - let's talk about English class, not that I am implying anything, in fact, I would have to say that class today was the exact opposite except for the immense headache I had due to lack of nourishment and sleep (which seems to be every college students complaint). So back to English - in the latter half of the class a question was brought up by Professor Randle - the question seemed simple enough - why a small college? Many answers were given - so we won't be just another number, I tend to want to learn more if I relate to the teacher, so we don't feel intimidated. These were all very good, thought provoking answers. As I sat in my desk another answer came to mind, one which I did not verbalize - to learn from those around me. Obviously in a larger institution one would be afraid to verbalize questions or arguments. In a smaller class size, however, one feels more unified as a whole. Henry J. Kaiser said it better than I ever could, "I make progress by having people around me who are smarter than I am and listening to them. And I assume that everyone is smarter about something than I am."
I propose that one learns a great deal more in a smaller class setting than one would in a larger - why? Well, it seems to me that in a larger class one would be understandably shy and intimidated and therefore would not ask many questions or pursue any verbal discussions(now, of course, there are exceptions to every rule). I find that each question asked by a fellow classmate only gives me a better understanding of that topic - learning by listening. Hopefully I have conveyed my thoughts clearly - but if not - well this is (after all) my first blog. Thanks for listening