Making it Happen

In an effort to secure my dream of becoming a Director/cinematographer I asked God to give me some encouragement. I had been feeling out of my league when it came to film and I thought maybe I would do better at just becoming a photographer. It's not something that I hate doing, I really enjoy it. I've taken thousands of photos and had so much fun with the people and exploring the places. But I know if I made it a career i would hate it and my work wouldn't be as good. Therefore I asked God that if he really wanted me to continue on this road he would have to open some doors and close some doors. The next day my sister received a call from our friend Ricky who was ecstatic with my stop motion project. She told me he wanted to introduce me to Justin Kintzel and the Director of the new film department at Liberty University! I'm completely stoked!! God is sooo good! Seriously I love that he can give this kind of encouragement. But I do have to follow up on all of this to make sure it actually happens. That's the thing, what I really wanted to talk about today. I'm watching all of my brilliant friends get stuck in small towns and losing their zeal for adventure and industry. They are so much more intelligent than they think they are but to put it to good use they need to be able to say goodbye to their friends and family. obviously not forever but it's not like there aren't other amazing people where you are going. There are millions of fantastic people with all sorts of personality traits and wisdom waiting to be your friend. People in your field of work and people who have traveled all over the world with a million stories! If you really want to do something with your life, forget the past! forget the present! start making connections and using the contacts you have to make your life happen (= There is no time like the present to get started. Don't be afraid, seriously if you aren't assertive people won't think you can handle anything haha. Get your name out there. Create something and tell others that it's important. You might even have to tell yourself that its important as well haha. Because if you have insecurities about your work others are going to see that. Be Bold! If you want something perfect take as much time as you need to make it perfect. quality is better. People appreciate hard workers. I'm working really hard to get where I want to be and God is directing my path and encouraging the work that he did in me to be shown in the world.

The New Year Resolution

The Much Needed Help

Well its that wonderful time of year again. Where everyone rings out their necks and sleeps through classes and stays up late screaming in the streets because their finals are done. I finished two classes already and a few of them are already really really easy finals. The one I really have to look out for is my hisotry final waaaaaaah waaaaahhhh waaaaaahhhh!! It's cumulative! >.< My roommate and I are going nuts. She hates cartoons....every kind of animation. So claymation and all my favorite holiday movies are out of the question. So is Disney. She wouldn't even let me put lights up, reason: It's not Christmas yet, and you won't be here for Christmas, you'll have to take them down in a week anyways why are you putting them up?- me: why am i taking them down in a week? krystell: because we'll be gone and when we get Christmas will be over. me: noooo, I'm going to keep them up as long as there is snow! or until February because they are twinkle lights and they make the room pretty. Her face is now shock and horror, like if you grabbed her top lip and her bottom lip and decided they needed a time out from each other. I won eventually but our adventures don't stop there. one night we had gone up to snowflex and she had me drive back down because she had a huge headache. it was so bad we had to carry her up 3 flights of stairs to the dorm and get her into bed. The next morning I wake up to a text message saying abby forgot that she was taking care of food for Sunday so I coaxed Krystell into giving me a ride there. Lots of decorating, lots of laundry, lots of panic. But that day was fun none the less, I made a gingerbread house, went on a photoshoot with some of the girls on the hall. Then came back and hung out with Chris and Andy. All of this to tell you why Krystell was on drugs that one dreadful night. She had taken way more advil then she needed and was complaining about how hot it was and how she loved being on drugs. >.< but I was also really....really hyper so she's screaming and running around the hall saying how hot it is and how hot she is and I'm trying to grab her face and quote The Help YoU iS kInD! yOu Is SmArT!! yOu Is ImPoRtAnT!!!! oh geez I was scaring her and she was screaming and it was SO MUCH FUN! In other news I'm happy to be coming home. I'm taking the train, metro, and then plane. Hope to see you all soon!

A Man Like David

There are people out there that you ache to help. You see them in pain and every fiber of your being screams out to help them, but you want to help in the perfect way. You want them to be uplifted and see God's glory. That's how I feel about people who were once close to God but can't bring themselves to reconcile with Him again. People who blame God for things and people who see God as punishing and cruel. I can tell you I don't know what God has in store but I'm positive his ways are higher. He knows what is for good and he can make the bad decisions of leaders have made into blessings. In the bible David is a man after God's own heart but he falters. He lusts after Bathsheba and sleeps with her. In the end she gets pregnant so David tries to cover up his wrongs. David gets one of his servants to call her husband Uriah so that maybe he will sleep with his wife and nobody with know what he's done. But Uriah is honorable and tells David that if none of the men on the battle field get to come home to their wives then he won't either, even when David gets him drunk! Eventually David orders him dead, He Murders Uriah. Tell me that was in God's plan. God is so angry with David, in the end the child from that adulterous affair is taken away from David. But what about Bathsheba? She had to endure being raped and then having her husband murdered. How could a God do something like that? He didn't. Sin is in the world. God does not make people do evil things for he is a good God. But to Bathsheba he gave the line to Jesus. Written in Matthew is the line to David where Bathsheba is mentioned. Bathsheba gave birth to Solomon, the wisest man alive! More women with shady backgrounds were mentioned are glorified through this line to Jesus. Don't let the sins of others turn you away from God. People who are respected, like David a King and Prophet, fall prey to sin as well. God does not condone the sinful natures of others. Satan is blocking your way to Christ by his works in a man like David. God is reaching for you and all he wants is you. The only way to get you past this pain is by going to him!

Don't Be FOOLED! "Tolerance?"

Okay lots of thoughts! First though, enjoy this wonderful article which puts in better words what I've always wanted to express.  Don't be afraid, it's a quick read.

The Intolerance of Tolerance

by Gregory Koukl

Probably no concept has more currency in our politically-correct culture than the notion of tolerance. Unfortunately, one of America's noblest virtues has been so distorted it's become a vice.
There's one word that can stop you in your tracks. That word is "intolerant."
This idea is very popular with post-modernists, that breed of radical skeptics whose ideas command unwarranted respect in the university today. Their rallying cry, "There is no truth," is often followed by an appeal for tolerance.
The tolerant person allegedly occupies neutral ground, a place of complete impartiality where each person is permitted to decide for himself. No judgments allowed. No "forcing" personal views. That all views are equally valid is one of the most entrenched assumptions of a society committed to relativism. And it's a myth.
For all their confident bluster, the relativists' appeal actually asserts two truths, one rational and one moral. The first is the rational "truth" that there is no truth, a clear conflict. The second is the moral truth that one ought to tolerate other's viewpoints. Their stand, contradictory on at least two counts, serves as a warning that the modern notion of tolerance is seriously misguided.
The Tolerance Trick
As it turns out, by the modern definition of tolerance no one is tolerant, or ever can be. It's what my friend Francis Beckwith calls the "passive-aggressive tolerance trick." Returning to the classic understanding of tolerance is the only way to restore any useful meaning to the word. Let me give you a real life example.
Earlier this year I spoke to a class of seniors at a Christian high school in Des Moines, Iowa. I wanted to alert them to this "tolerance trick," but I also wanted to learn how much they had already been taken in by it. I began by writing two sentences on the board. The first expressed the current understanding of tolerance:

"All views have equal merit and none should be considered better than another."

All heads nodded in agreement. Nothing controversial here. Then I wrote the second sentence:

"Jesus is the Messiah and Judaism is wrong for rejecting Him."

Immediately hands flew up. "You can't say that," a coed challenged, clearly annoyed. "That's disrespectful. How would you like it if someone said you were wrong?"
"In fact, that happens to me all the time," I pointed out, "including right now with you. But why should it bother me that someone thinks I'm wrong?"
"It's intolerant," she said, noting that the second statement violated the first statement. What she didn't see was that the first statement also violated itself.
I pointed to the first statement and asked, "Is this a view, the idea that all views have equal merit and none should be considered better than another?" They all agreed.
Then I pointed to the second statement—the "intolerant" one—and asked the same question: "Is this a view?" They studied the sentence for a moment. Slowly my point began to dawn on them. They'd been taken in by the tolerance trick.
If all views have equal merit, then the view that Christians have a better view on Jesus than the Jews have is just as true as the idea that Jews have a better view on Jesus than the Christians do. But this is hopelessly contradictory. If the first statement is what tolerance amounts to, then no one can be tolerant because "tolerance" turns out to be gibberish.

Escaping the Trap

"Would you like to know how to get out of this dilemma?" I asked. They nodded. "You must reject this modern distortion of tolerance and return to the classic view." Then I wrote these two principles on the board (This way of putting it comes from Peter Kreeft of Boston College.):

Be egalitarian regarding persons.
Be elitist regarding ideas.

"Egalitarian" was a new word for them. Think "equal," I said. Treat others as having equal standing in value or worth. They knew what an elitist was, though, someone who thought he was better than others. "Right," I said. "When you are elitist regarding ideas, you are acknowledging that some ideas are better than others. And they are. We don't treat all ideas as if they have the same merit, lest we run into contradiction. Some ideas are good, some are bad. Some are true, some are false. Some are brilliant, others are just plain foolish."
The first principle, what might be called "civility," is at the heart of the classical view of tolerance. It can be loosely equated with the word "respect." Tolerance applies to how we treat people we disagree with, not how we treat ideas we think false.
We respect those who hold different beliefs than our own by treating them courteously and allowing their views a place in the public discourse. We may strongly disagree with their ideas and vigorously contend against them in the public square, but we still show respect for the persons in spite of our differences.
Classic tolerance requires that every person be treated courteously with the freedom to express his ideas without fear of reprisal no matter what the view, not that all views have equal worth, merit, or truth.
These two categories are frequently conflated in the muddled thinking created by the myth of tolerance. The view that one person's ideas are no better or truer than another's is simply absurd and contradictory. To argue that some views are false, immoral, or just plain silly does not violate any meaningful definition or standard of tolerance.
Note that respect is accorded to the person, here. Whether his behavior should be tolerated is an entirely different issue. Our laws demonstrate that a man may believe what he likes—and he usually has the liberty to express those beliefs—but he may not behave as he likes. Some behavior is a threat to the common good. Rather than being tolerated (allowed), it is restricted by law. Historically, our culture has emphasized tolerance (respect) of all persons, but never tolerance of all behavior. In Lincoln's words: There is no right to do wrong.
Topsy-Turvy
The modern definition of tolerance turns the classical formula for tolerance on its head:

Be egalitarian regarding ideas.
Be elitist regarding persons.

If you reject another's ideas, you're automatically accused of disrespecting the person (as the coed did with me). On this new view of tolerance no idea or behavior can be opposed—even if done graciously—without inviting the charge of incivility.
To say I'm intolerant of the person because I disagree with his ideas is confused. Ironically, it results in elitism regarding persons. If I think my ideas are better than another's, I can be ill-treated as a person, publicly marginalized and verbally abused as bigoted, disrespectful, ignorant, indecent and—can you believe it—intolerant. Sometimes I can even be sued, punished by law, or forced to attend re-education programs.
Tolerance has thus gone topsy-turvy: Tolerate most beliefs, but don't tolerate (show respect for) those who take exception with those beliefs. Contrary opinions are labeled as "imposing your view on others" and quickly silenced.
This is nonsense and should be abandoned. The myth of tolerance forces everyone into an inevitable "Catch-22," because each person in any debate has a point of view he thinks is correct.
Catch-22
Classical tolerance involves three elements: (1) permitting or allowing (2) a conduct or point of view one disagrees with (3) while respecting the person in the process.
Notice that we can't truly tolerate someone unless we disagree with him. This is critical. We don't "tolerate" people who share our views. They're on our side. There's nothing to put up with. Tolerance is reserved for those we think are wrong, yet we still choose to treat decently and with respect.
This essential element of classical tolerance—disagreement (elitism regarding ideas)—has been completely lost in the modern distortion of the concept. Nowadays if you think someone is wrong, you're called intolerant no matter how you treat him.
This presents a curious problem. One must first think another is wrong in order to exercise true tolerance, yet saying so brings the accusation of intolerance. It's a "Catch-22." According to this approach, true tolerance becomes impossible.
Intellectual Cowardice
Most of what passes for tolerance today is nothing more than intellectual cowardice, a fear of intelligent engagement. Those who brandish the word "intolerant" are unwilling to be challenged by other views or grapple with contrary opinions, or even to consider them. It's easier to hurl an insult—"you intolerant bigot"—than to confront an idea and either refute it or be changed by it. In the modern era, "tolerance" has become intolerance.
Whenever you're charged with intolerance, always ask for a definition. When tolerance means neutrality, that all views are equally valid and true, then no one is ever tolerant because no one is ever neutral about his own views. Point out the contradiction built into the new definition. Point out that this kind tolerance is a myth.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I love that! It was great. Now some of my own thoughts (=  I'm starting 'something' I really don't know what to call it. Something of an essay or a thesis, but it's long. the title is "the church of the wind" from Ephesians 2: 1 & 2

“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient” 

A lot of it is talking about not quarreling with people about Christian Liberties or believing in myths. actually reading the bible to see what it says. 2^nd Timothy 4:3-5 1^st Timothy 6: 4-5 &20, 1: 4-7 Titus 1:10-13 3:9-11.

·         Christian Liberties (what are and what they aren’t) Romans 14The Weak and the Strong  ¹ Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters.

On the issue of weaker and stronger brothers and sisters: I had a moment like this. I disagreed with my dad about tattoos and breaking & entering. Every time my dad proceeds to take me into private property or historical areas that we are not supposed to be in my heart cringes and I start sweating bullets. i've tried to overcome this but I really can't. I want to run. He, he is free as a bird doesn't feel any shame. i don't really think he is doing anything wrong but it feels wrong to me. On the other, He thought that men looked at women with tattoos as being loose and easy so he didn’t want me having one. Yet I had met many men on the contrary to that belief so I didn’t agree with him. Needless to say I went and got a tattoo. After I got it a friend of mine saw it and started reciting verses to me and saying that my body was a temple and what I had just done was putting graffiti on the temple. I thought well graffiti is ugly; my tattoo was more of an inscription because it represented a scripture. But then he said something that will stick with me forever; “what makes you think that you can improve on God’s creation”. It’s true I can’t he was right. Although I still don’t regret getting the tattoo. My conscience hasn’t been seared in getting one. But because of what he said I probably won’t get another one. I respect that those are his beliefs and even though I see nothing wrong with it and can understand where he is coming from. I’m not going to set him against me by getting as many tattoos as I darn well please.

If a gray area comes up and you don't know which side you're on here are some things to ask:

Is there anything wrong with this activity? Is it lawful? (I Cor 10:23)

Is it profitable (spiritually)? (I Cor 10:23)

Is it edifying? (I Cor 10:23)

Is it self-serving at the expense of someone else’s benefit? (I Cor 10:33, 15:1-2)

Is this something I can thank God for? (I Cor 10:30, Rom14:6)

Is this something that will glorify God? (I Cor 10:31)

Is it worth imitating? (I Cor 11:1)

Is this following the example of Christ? (I Cor 11:1, Rom 15:7-8)  (p. 381).

What my life might be like now...

I've been waiting for this moment for awhile. I told everyone around me, all my friends and family and even strangers that today was the day that I would be free from the brace. Because today was my doctor's appointment and we would figure out how to get rid of this cyst so I could live my life without the inconvenience or pain. Well first I was already in a rough mood, then I was lost getting there and then I had to wait for an hour in the cold waiting room. When he finally came in, he looked at it, twisted it around a bit and then tested my strength. Then he told me that there was nothing he could do, surgery was ill advised, the pain might go away, but I would have it for the rest of my life. He said that I should be able to do normal things and it wasn't a big deal. I kind of became angry at that point because right now I can't even grasp a doorknob without feeling pain or discomfort, I can't carry a glass pan without my wrist giving way. The doctor at the ER had given me hope that as soon as I was able to see another doctor that I would be healed and I wouldn't have to worry that I couldn't get into bed or type for long periods of time or cut anything. You can tell that I'm bitter can't you? Maybe just a little. Because on the way home from that downfall the radio was playing a hundred years by Five for Fighting and I was rearranging my visions of how I wanted my future to go, now with a brace on my arm and not being able to serve or do anything for myself. I'm a little melodramatic right now but seriously I had my hopes up and I really had such a little opinion of my cyst. That it was an easy fix. But since I've had my brace I've been one handed which is frustrating. Anyway I'm waiting for a second opinion or at least surgery. In other happier news, I had a wonderful time in culpeper with Krystell! I love her family! They are wonderful hospitable people, thank you so much if you are reading this! We went to davis street and had a wonderful time and hung out with her family, playing volley ball. When we came back to campus Liliya had done some spring cleaning. The floors were GOREGEOUS!! I am so thankful for her. It's too bad she is thinking of moving off campus. i hope she does well (= Anyway then later we went over to the westover and watched Once Upon a Time. I'm really starting to get addicted to that show even though some of the acting is horrible. At least Rumpelstiltskin is amazing! Andy made me an awesome cd at my persistence. Ironically enough, any cd that a guy has given me has had the hallelujah song. Weird. Thanks for the CD! I'm enjoying the new sounds. This morning was the weirdest morning ever! well at least for awkward moments between roommates. Claire, Krystell and I had gone to breakfast but Krystell was falling asleep in the booth. Then she went to tickle my knee. NoT OKaY! She said she would stop if she could hold my "baby" hands. She thinks they are adorable cause they can't even fit around an orange. So she's sitting there just feeling my hands. I am so weirded out by this roommate. Claire looks over and asks, "why are you caressing her hand?" Krystell-" Cause it's a wittle baby hand." (Baby talk). I just look over, "Yeah that's a little odd." Krystell says, "It's okay, we're roommates, we do weird stuff all the time." I laugh "actually Krystell that makes it all the more worse haha, remember the convo on friday and control yourself haha." as I remove my hand from her's. If anyone doesn't know what convo was on friday, it's okay. It was highly inappropriate because we had parents and cfaw in the room during a homosexuality talk. >.< Not Okay.

Just a litte thought

God knew! He knows! really He does. If you ever had an issue with anything, He will pound away at it until it is fully formed. I mean look at me, I'm a mess and yet God still intends on using me for good (whatever that may be). As all of you might have now realized, am socially awkward. Especially those who are close to me, they KnOW I have NO idea what I'm doing half the time or what I say. But now here in Lynchburg with the help of wonderful friends and the direction and purpose of God, I am no longer as socially awkward. that's so weird. But really I asked God to direct me relationally cause I felt like I didn't know how to be around people. I was very.....well the elephant in the room. The white elephant. But I have found a great friend in Krystell (my roommate). If you get us talking be prepared cause we won't stop talking until the day is through. Oh and it's not one sided like most of the conversations were before. I actually make sounds. They form words. Maybe not at first as many of the people notice I stutter...they make fun (= but it's cool I have fun with them as well. I have found that I can talk to people without having a purpose in the conversation! I don't have to be just talking to you because I forgot something or I something on my mind or a need a favor. I can genuinely speak nonsense with people, isn't it great? People here are marvelous (= they are so much fun and so weird while still being secure in God.

The Panda Wars

I have decided that sleep and I have a dysfunctional relationship. I don't get into bed until 2am and then I leave at 6:40, then when I do try and spend some time with him we end up getting interrupted by noises and lights or I toss and turn. I tried to actually make amends with him the other day 9:30-7 but alas now I just have sleep coma. Oh well it was never meant to be. On another note never never EVER! give a guy your phone number. I mean even if you are doing it for a project. I did that and now this guy won't leave me alone! we've had all of two real conversation but he keeps on inviting me to things I don't want to go to, five things in a span of four days! AND never talk to them either. We have a waffle bar in the 'rot' (cafeteria) and I went to drop off my coffee while my waffle was in the waffle maker. Out of the corner of my eye I see a guy start to flip it back over so I run quickly to his side to stop him. He laughs and moves on But the guy next to him won't. He comes over to me and starts commenting on my fastness and then he starts talking about invader zim for some reason, I don't know why!  as I try and sneak away he jabs in, "my name is Mike, what's yours?"...I turn around and say Emily "oh Emily, that's a beautiful name, it's like the name of a princess, are you a princess?" FOR GOODNESS SAKE all I wanted was a WAFFLE! this is when I make a quick getaway. Boys....stop being creepy. Really? I mean ReAlLy?! WHY? I do not want to date, I am so marvelously happy being single. Coincidentally Krystell tells me that I seem like I'm the kind of girl to already be married. In other news, Pandas are near the brink of extinction. That is what lead to the eventual hanging of the stuffed panda bear in my room. My roommate has a thing for panda bears, and she's doing an speech on raising awareness about the panda bear situation. Therefore one of my friends on my hall decided it would be funny to hack her facebook posting picture of a panda that read, "I hate panda bears, they should all die!". This lead to ultimate panda explosion on the Ethernet.  All of my roommate's friends were like, NOOO I can't believe you would say that, Pandas are part of God's creation!  While she tried to explain to them that it was a joke, the girl from down the hall came into our room and kidnapped a small stuffed panda bear resulting in a hanging. All this to say, my hall is weird and I can't sleep at night with that thing staring at me.

Funny Events You never Heard of

The River Bed

There are days when God seems like a blocked stream, trickling onto leaves. You sit in the river bed and wait impatiently for the dam to break, but the water doesn't pour forth. Even though you are standing in His path, you can only absorb the water through your finger tips. This feeling makes me want to jump in a lake or river even though it's close 57 degrees outside and raining. I usually really enjoy the rain, but I didn't sleep last night and I'm in a fog. My brain is all mixed up and I feel like I need some encouragement. But not in the sense of "Oh Emily, I'm sorry I hope you feel better". I want a devotion. I look to God, I'm reading his word more and more but I feel like I need another person to come along side me and tell me something personal and biblical. I've had so many girls come into my dorm and ask questions, telling me their stories. Each time I send them away with scripture but I wish there was someone I could go to. It's not as though there aren't wonderful people around me that couldn't help me. I'm just not sure what's wrong with me. I want to feel exhilarated again. I almost had it today, The bus stopped earlier than my bus stop so I just got off there and decided to walk the rest of the way. Then I looked over where the train tracks were and I saw a path, so I went over and the path went on between trees and alongside the train tracks. I finally felt a bit of God there. I was alone and had my thoughts to myself and God. The ground was wet and I felt as if I could walk forever. eventually the road ended but it reminded me so much of Oregon, i felt a little homesick. I miss walking out my front door and smelling Autumn. I miss being able to walk where ever without fearing for my safety, that I could go on long walks in the rain and snow in fallen leaves and completely surrounded by life untouched. All week i wanted to find a swing set, I miss swinging but even if I did find one I don't think I could be there alone. God has made my life more blessed than I could have ever imagined though. I mean I have so much to be thankful for, that I ever did have those feelings of discovery and mystery. That he gave me an eye for seeing the beauty in things that normally are plain or ugly. God really has blessed me with a wonderful family, extended included and amazingly funny and spiritual friends. Even the friends that aren't spiritual challenge me to pour into them all I have because if I only have one life to live I'm going to try and make the people around me as happy and blessed as I am. God has wonderful things in store for me. If I intend to live an extraordinary life i have to start becoming an extraordinary person. and these little ditches in the road are God's way of shaping my character. I need to schedule some God and me time all alone in the wilderness, cause that's where I usually find him. it's where I talk to him out loud and cry for his spirit. He makes me better and fills my soul so I can pour it out once more. Just writing this helps the dam in the metaphor break a little more. Soon the river bed will be filled again and I can regain my strength. If i follow in the way of the Lord I will not be defeated. Choosing his course will push me further to speak for his cause. If he is willing to use me then i want him to clean me out.

Star Wars

Without fail, the electric guitarist, Devon Coogan, proceeds to dress up like Hans Solo for Convo. I'm thinking now is a good time for the rest of the band to get their act together. I call upon Justin Kintzel as Luke Skywalker, Erin Wilson for Laya, Brandon Sharp for the role as C3PO, Sarah Kinas as R2 D2, and Charles Wright can be Chubaka! poor drum guy...what shall he have? Does Jordan Spicer want to be Obi one? or Darth Vader? hmmmm I shall ask. As for me, I have had the most fun in the world the past couple of weeks as you can tell because I have stopped posting. Firstly I won third place in my photography class for the most amount of pictures in the smallest amount of time. First place won a tripod. next time they say there are prizes I will try to win cause honestly I thought when he said 'prize' he meant maybe ten dollar gift card for the winner. He bought a tripod (60-100 dollars), and then three books on editing, style, and purchasing. I went for editing cause that's my favorite part of the process. Embarrassment hit me in Evan class. We had a guest speaker come and say "if everyone in the world was like you, what kind of place would that be?" it was supposed to make us reflect on all of our bad decisions and rethink how we should behave in the world but no sooner had he posed the question than I thought If everyone was like me, it would be a better world. DANG NABIT! I'm horrible. I should never think that. No matter how many times I told that story to people though, they keep telling me that's okay cause it's true. WHAT!? NO! I should not be having thoughts like that. I'm glad people like me and agree with what I thought but no. Last week I had most my tests! I am so relieved that they are done! To celebrate Krystell and I went swing dancing. I had sooooooo much fun! But I arrived late so the instructor had to pull me to the side to teach me when they started open floor dancing. He was so short and I was in heels. I'm so glad that I'm not taller than i am. average is good. Especially when dancing. then i was dragged onto the floor by what is considered a extremely attractive man. He was blonde, tan, and wearing a hot pink polo. these boys are not my type but he had the brightest smile in the world. We danced for awhile and i taught him a new move, but my favorite part of the night was when this one guy who was dressed up in 30's attire asked me to dance and no joke, I didn't have to remember the steps. I naturally went there. But we only danced for close to two minutes. I wish it had been longer )=. Krystell and I went home and we were so pumped we ran around the block a couple times haha. Lilyia came into the dorm one day and proclaimed, 'we should rearrange our room!"......ummmm we've been leaving here for over a month and you want to move everything around?...reluctantly I followed suit and Lilyia is AMAZING!! the room looks sooooo much better now and my desk is right by the window! I'm actually getting natural light! Not that that matters cause I've been spending all my weekends over at the westover hahaha. Yesterday we went to Charlottesville and hung out at the Mellow Mushroom (=. Dude this place my have like 500 drug references but the pizza is to die for. I wish I had saved more. After we walked and climbed all over the University. Honestly I think I want to take up parkour now. Really I love to climb. it invigorates me. I also have decided that next semester I am going to join a softball or lacrosse team. i need a sport I just have to be doing something. Time and time again I have told my friends here that although football is great I would rather be playing it then watching it. i also want to continue on my book that I'm writing. But mainly I think I'm going to use a pen name. cause I've been getting so many compliments this week on a variety of things and i realize i really don't like it. I never know what to say in those instances. I feel like i really don't deserve it and thank you is too small a thing to say. Anyway, I love you all thank you for reading and commenting. You all mean sooooo much to me and I wish I was there to talk to my Oregonians!
Emily

Awkwartunity

This school rocks! i was on espn, there were fireworks for every time we scored a touchdown and then after the game. I swear I go to school at disneyland. But when I say awkwartunity, I'm happily joining awkward and opportunity in marriage. Because in the case of the Price family, we find every opportunity to be awkward. Today my photography class cancelled the quiz we were supposed to take. Instead we listened to our teacher discuss which blades of grass he didn't like....mkay. Then I watched John the Gospel in my New Testament class. There's a part where Jesus is breathing on the disciples. It was like he was Aslan. I laughed so hard I cried. In my History class we had a huge exam and the guys behind me are trying to get everyone encouraged and pumped. One of the guys asks me what my major is and when I told him it was VCAR he's like, "oh, I'm not allowed to date you." way to go on the whole encouragement thing. I took some AMAZING pictures of my roommate Krystell, and had some help with edditing from Gabe. Gabe, you scared Krystell, she doesn't know that you're a pro hahaha.The next night, I worked out with Cesia, Abby, and Erin. I really need to do it more often, I LOVE IT! I miss working out, I miss working out for 2 hours before practicing lacrosse. no really, I do. I was sitting in my bed after the night was over wishing I could do some suicide runs on the basketball court and those jogging sprints where you run in a line of 5 people and the person in the back has to run to the front of the line and when they reach the front it starts all over again......I wanted to do that. I was so pumped. Anyways after working out we watched the guys play basket ball. Jenny came and asked me to go deliver a strawberry banana smoothie to Hotcakes (Dillon). So I go get the smoothie, park outside his dorm, and call him.
"hey! come out I'm at your dorm with a smoothie!",
"No really? Jenny didn't have to do that. I'm at c-lab though.",
"really?",
"yes, but just give it to my roommate Matius"

So I go up to the dorm door and I'm thinking about the interaction that me and matius are about to have.
Knock, knock.
Hello?-Matius
Hey Matius, you don't know me. But I know you. I'm Jenny's sister. Dillon told me to leave this with you."
As I hand him a Banana Strawberry Smoothie that says 'I Love You Hotcakes!' and run away.

Thankfully he wasn't there.
Later that night I was so tired but I knew I had a bunch of homework to do, I missed my family so much right then. So I texted my mom how much I loved her and missed her..... Later I realized I had sent the text to Dillon.
Fail.

Tribute to Eva

Revelations

Okay i know i haven't written lately. Sorry but I'm working really hard to get my degree! so to sum up. Block party was so much fun, I didn't go to the speed dating thing. In fact I haven't even met my brother dorm haha. oh well there's a tailgate party this saturday before the game. Maybe I'll meet them then. In my spiritual life is this and many more things but this is a really long tangent so I'll leave it at that. I was assigned to do some reflections on the book of Mark so this is what I have written and either discovered or declared how I feel about the text-

Book of Mark: chapter eight if you read it right, Jesus is saying that the four thousand have literally been listening to him teach for three days, three days! That’s incredible, and not to have had anything to eat? This was a dedicated crowd. I have spent countless days in church and no one can even stand an hour of teaching, but when I traveled to India church was held every day for an hour and on Sunday it was six! People were standing up and praying and disciplining to others. How can God look on the Western church and say that we meditate on his words day and night when we can’t even spend an hour in his Holy Place. God is in our hearts but I think we ignore him or refuse to let him influence our daily decisions. The hardest part about being a Christian is not the big choices, it’s the little ones. In chapter ten verses 13-16 Jesus talks about the little children being welcomed in Heaven, and in Deuteronomy 1:39 it says, “ And the little ones that you said would be taken captive, your children who do not yet know good from bad—they will enter the land. I will give it to them and they will take possession of it” which makes me wonder if in Heaven our glorified bodies would be that of children. Which makes sense since Jesus also says in Mark 12: 25 that there will be no marriage in heaven.

Chapters 11-16

            In verse 15 Jesus proceeds to turn over tables of people selling wares in the church. Is this how we should be treating mega churches that put a Starbucks inside their doors? Or even have people pay for food there? I don’t entirely agree with that but I don’t agree that we should be having companies inside the church. The only thing that should be allowed to sell wares is the library. Only books, no t-shirts with “I love Jesus, how ‘bout you?!” written on the front because the House of the Lord is a place of learning. People should be able to read the books for free and then be able to buy them at the same place. In twelve, Jesus talks about how there will be no marriage in heaven. With that said I can understand why Paul advises against it, saying it will distract you from worshiping God. I can see the merit in having an intimate accountability partner but if I’m not going to have one when I die, what’s the point in having one while I live? If I can be my own accountability partner in the areas of my life that I don’t share with others, than I would rather not be distracted. But if God intends for me to have a suitor then he knows I am not strong enough to recognize when I am deceiving myself. Then in the last part of the text in chapter sixteen, my bible says that verses 9-20 weren’t found in the earliest manuscripts. Does this mean that they weren’t supposed to be a part of Mark?  Also at the end it says, “and these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people and they will get well” (16:17-18) Does this mean that if I don’t posses all these things I am not a believer? I’ve always wondered that, and it frustrates me because I would like to be able to do all those things because I am bent on being a believer. I am like the man in 9:24 who says, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief”. If I do not have enough faith in God to do these works in me, they will not happen. Yet I am frightened by the power of God so much that I do not want to be able to heal the sick or drive out demons.

Thanks to all my readers! Eva, Mom, Dad, Grandma Diane, Savannah and others Of whom I don't know viewed it! I love you all and keep commenting!

Shakin' not stirred

I saw my first firefly!!!! I'm going to catch one and stick one of the huge spiders in with it so it can eat the spider and live a few more days. Impossible I know, but I wish that was a plausible solution to huge spiders. School is hard. Homework is heavy, literally and figuratively. I think I may die. This is the first time I have ever fallen asleep while reading, It was a theology book no less! I know it doesn't show at this moment but like learning and reading, in fact I have a great quote which I totally forgot and I don't have my book at this moment so I can't quote it for you but It makes an excellent point. I like my classes, the teachers are very spirited and they all pray before class begins (=. I need to figure out my schedule so I have time to eat on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Tuesdays I have four classes straight in a row and Thursday I have five. there is not enough time between classes to get something to eat so I need to bring it with me, along with all my books and my camera cause me first class is digital photography. I'm sitting in my history class having a slightly awkward conversation with my neighbor. This is partly because I have no social skills and partly because I have no interest in accounting. But suddenly the conversation became increasingly exciting when it dawned on us that the room was shaking. Like the feeling you would get if you were sitting on top of the dryer. I thought it must have been the construction, later do I find out that we were a part of a 5.9 earthquake! I'll pull you away for a second to tell you that I have spent countless days under my desk practicing for the real thing yet have never actually experienced it and when I finally do it's in Virginia?! what?! Not only that but Hurricane Irene is supposed to hit this weekend. Forewarning I will be out in the wind and rain taking pictures of the event..or just enjoying it. So if you see a tent out in the intramural fields, that's me.  Pray that I don't get carried away with a flash flood!

Love you all and God Bless!

p.s. We are speed dating our brother dorm on saturday at 4. I will give you the details about that later but I'm just finding it a little too much "ring before spring" here. For me it will be speed meeting! haha

"Bendy Snap Bracelet" Arm

Dear Liberty Admissions,
Stop being so confusing. My roomate is going postal. On the behalf of both of our safety, I would suggest that you explain what is required of Freshmen and what is optional for us Transfer Students. Thank you!
Sincerely -the other roomate.
A time ago I realized that worrying does nothing to help. It says so in the bible. So I let everything just handle itself or fix the problem if I could, I was not going to let fear take over my life. But this hasn't dawned on other people so I was a bit frustrated by the tense atmosphere in my dorm when events that I was relatively sure weren't for transfer students became required.....then turned out to be optional upon arrival. I'm so glad I slept in for that. I was about to go to something that was 'required' but I decided to sleep in and catch the next one. I later received a text that said it wasn't. Even after all of this I hadn't realized how much I had been judging her. I didn't know where she had come from, I was in the exact same position once. But I still don't feel like I'd be able to help her relax a bit. i still don't know what makes her comfortable. I want this to be a great experience for her but it seems right now all it is is stressful. I hope that changes soon.
Through all the hecktecness I think my first week went pretty well though. I ended up setting off the alarms at the airport. I danced in huge droplets of rain and then proceeded to jump in the pool with all my clothes on. I swear this place reminds me so much of Hawaii and India because of the humidity. Today is the day I finally bought everything i need and I think I still need some more hahaha. I realized I don't have any utensils and ended up eating my leftover spaghetti with a post-it note.Even though things are kind of crazy I feel like God wants me to stay at the circle instead of going to live at the Annex where all of my friends are. I swear these people are crazy! I love them so much already. Dillon is very generous, Cesia is super sweet, Abby is freaking hilarious, so is Ryan. I saw him leaving a classroom I was about to go into and when i told him who my teacher was and he winced and ran away! darnit hard teachers are the worst, but I think I'll like this one. i already like the people I'm sitting next to. Andy and Jared are like big brothers (=. I had a random yet awesome conversation with Chris. Jenny you are so lucky I'm sorry you are leaving but I think I'll enjoy this freaky friday. This school is fantastic they had a late night party at target. it opened for liberty students at 10:30 and the employees were handing out free food and supplies. then you walk over to the baby department and there's a dance party!! A dance party in the middle of the baby department!! Gabe takes my fedora and starts bustin' a move hahaha it was awesome. I hope all days are like this. Rain, thunder storms, late night parties, swimming, bible, sunrises, theology, photography and friends.

ps Jenny wanted me to let you know I have a bendy snap bracelet arm. yes I think I might have broken it at one point and it never fully healed cause sometimes it will pop out of place (in the middle of the bone not at the joint) and then pop back. it feels kind of funky not painful.

Prologue- Where I'm heading and What I'm Doing

Hello Readers (people I forced to read this and Eva!), I get too excited for everything. When I found out I was accepted to Liberty University I packed all my clothes and belongings.....Now I'm no longer allowed to pack anymore because i accidentally shipped all of my shirts >.< . At least it gives me the chance to buy some clothes before I have to abide by Virginia state tax laws. Now here is where I'm going and what I am doing! Lynchburg, VA. Yes it sounds kind of ominous but for the next two years it's home! Underneath take a look at the campus! I'm living on the circle next to the building that looks like a giant astronomy tower. This campus is bigger than the whole town! I'm leaving on tuesday Morning at 11 for those who are counting down the days that I leave. I'll be stopping in Seattle for an hour and then flying all the  way to Washington D.C. and driving to Lynchburg. Switching Time Zones will prove to be quiet helpful. I'm going to Liberty to become a photographer. My major is Visual Communications..so i'll be taking way more things than just Photography. i get to delve into painting and sculpture....since I can't draw or sculpt I'll have to be creative. Till I leave then!

Digital Campus - Liberty University - Resident Admissions

Digital Campus - Liberty University - Resident Admissions