Thursday, March 26

psh

For some reason, I always have a strong urge to blog when I need to study.

I have been feeling very opinionated recently. There is something else I have been wanting to write here, but I have resisted. Maybe some other time.

Have you ever been in the middle of a conversation with someone, and the topic makes you so angry that you can't contain yourself and you go off on a rant about the subject, and the other people are just sitting there staring at you, not because they disagree, but because your sentence was so long they thought you were going to pass out from lack of air to the lungs?
Once, I was sitting with a group of stufuers, and we were discussing mega-churches, and the pros and cons. That led to a very drawn out, never ending sentence about how these churches line their children ministry walls with flat screen tvs and gaming systems and spend millions of dollars for uber nice facilities etc. for a couple hours of comfort a week while there are people literally on the other side of those walls who are sleeping on the ground and starving every day. Yes, those churches may be reaching lost souls... But even a small portion of that million dollar budget could actually care for the least of these just down the block. And maybe the children won't get to play Wii during sunday school. (I'm trying really hard not to be sarcastic right now, so this topic ends here.)
A couple of days ago, some friends and I were discussing how some kids at Baylor think it's so cool not to wear shoes anywhere... rain, shine, whatev, they don't wear shoes... It's not because they don't have shoes... Or even because they gave their shoes to someone who doesn't have them. No, actually, sometimes their chacos are hanging from their backpacks. My friend actually got asked why he wears shoes when it feels so much better not to. Now, I hate shoes. Seriously. I think it has to do with growing up running around a gym. But there are people who can't afford shoes. There are people in Dallas who wear houseshoes as they walk around Downtown because they don't have any other kind of shoe. And that's in America. There are people in other countries who get crippling diseases because they don't have shoes. A lot of people. And we snotty, hippie-wanna-be Baylor students have the audacity to walk around with no shoes because we think it looks cool.
I also find it horrifying that some people are more concerned with saving animals than people. Ok ok, the puppies are cute, they all need a home. It really would be really sad if certain animals went extinct... I'm being serious, in case that sounds like mockery. But sometimes I really get the feeling that some of these people would rather the tigers and dogs live than people. Is this another America thing? I really don't know... I do know that there are orphans, homeless people, starving people, neglected children... I feel like at least SOME of this money going to save the dogs and cats could be put to better use feeding humans. Or providing medical care for humans. I'm not saying let all the animals run loose and to let all the elephants die out... But I have serious problems with choosing to feed them and find homes for them and save them when we can't even find homes for the children who have no hope, no food, and no future.

Where there is pain, let there be grace...
Where there is suffering, bring serenity...
For those afraid, help them be brave...
Where there is misery, bring expectancy...
And surely we can change, surely we can change... something.
Let us be the remedy. Let us bring the Remedy.
[dc*b]

Tuesday, March 24

i'm the bomb like tick tick

So, just to let the 3 people who read this know, I am not dead. Almost, but not quite. I'm supposed to be studying for a forensic psychology test. But... I had to take a break. I'm going to be up much later anyway... I just made a common grounds run and got a No Bull. Cowboy Coffee with espresso instead of coffee. I thought about getting the Nervous Breakdown, that has 4 shots of espresso, but I was scared of how the results might turn out. haha. I also got a bag of Cheetos. These are my friends on this dismal night. Along with Matt Nathanson, Miranda Lambert, Jennifer Nettles, Lil Wayne, Beyonce, and Lady Gaga. Please don't criticize my music choice... it's going to be a late night.

The other day, my intramural soccer team played in a tourney... somehow, I ended up as goalie. HAHA. Pictures to come later. Anyway, I guess it turned out ok... Only because I'm not scared of the ball... or people... and the fact that my hand-eye coordination is much better than my foot-eye coordination. Plus the fact that I am ambidextrous so I can never decide which foot to kick the ball with makes offense difficult. It's a disease, I'm sure of it. I also enjoyed making the opponents mad enough that they started cussing me out when I wouldn't let the ball through... SUCCESS. hah. However, I now have bruises all over my legs. Oh and a girl kicked my fingers... inches away from my face. That was awesome.

Bearathon this weekend... I'll be up at 4! sweet! OH and StuFu was asked to attend a reception in our honor at President Garland's house this week! Something that we have no record of ever happening before! It's funny, bc a couple of weeks ago, I was walking past the President's House and thought, "I really want to see the inside of that place someday..."

mk well I am going to end on this note... it's from my Forensic Psych textbook:

* "Each week, child protective services agencies in the US receive approximately 60,000 referrals alleging that children have been abused or neglected. During 2004, an estimated total of 3 million referrals, including approximately 5.5 million children, were made to CPS."

* "The United States has 3 times as many animal shelters as battered women shelters."

Thursday, March 12

Tuesday, March 3

it's kind of tough getting older

I feel like now is as good a time as ever to blog about this past weekend. Oh my goodness.

Ok so ASAP leadership conference.... It was at University of Houston. And we stayed at the Hilton Americas in downtown Houston. An incredible hotel. It had 24 floors, and we were on the 18th! There were so many groups of people staying there, it was crazy.
We were the only group from a private school, much less a Christian school. And it showed. Here are some other schools who were in attendance: Texas Tech, Texas State, UTA, TWU, UTD, UCDavis, UTEP, Utah, New Mexico, Central Arkansas, Southern Arkansas, New Orleans... Ok so please imagine the UC Davis group and the Southern Arkansas group interacting. Probably the most incredible culture block I have ever seen. haha! The Californians were horrified that we had styrofoam cups and plates. The Southern Arkansasians probably don't even realize that there is a green movement going on. I'm sorry, it's true. It was seriously shocking, the way they behaved in public, and the way they gave their presentations, and the way they talked about things. They cussed and screamed innapropriate things on the bus and used PDA in their group presentation. It was so weird.

On Friday night, there was 2 hours of karaoke. To songs like "Baby Got Back" and "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy." This was put on by the university! Oh, ps, UofH has a bar on campus. hah. I really wouldn't have expected the type of dancing and singing by anyone other than drunk middle schoolers. But apparently I have high standards. That night was interesting, to say the least.

I can honestly say that I came away with a HUGE appreciation for Student Foundation and what we do... No other school does everything we do with such success. I also have a new appreciation for Baylor. I have been so blessed to go to the school I do... They give me the responsibility of representing the University by myself to high school students... They provide a nurturing, Christian atmosphere. It really was shocking to see the difference between everyone.

Here is an example of the culture shock I experienced... Our group was sitting in between the UC Davis and Southern Arkansas groups on the bus on the way back to the hotel on Saturday night. The student leader for UofH was telling everyone goodbye and had given club suggestions for anyone who wanted to go party (hah). And he suggested that the Californians tell people about hyphe. I had no idea what hyphe was, and neither did the Southern Arkansas people. So their advisor was like "hey show us hyphe!" to the California group, and a California girl was like "well, I don't think I can... it's a movement..." He replied with, "well then get up and show us!" The California people really didn't know how to respond to that... They were really confused and were trying to figure out how to explain themselves better... All while they are talking to each other, the Arkansas man is saying, "Come on, show us your moves..." Finally, frustraited with the confused, I yelled, "It's a movement, not a move... like the hippies[held up a peace sign]" The Arkansas man says, "oh..." It was hilarious seeing the difference in cultures. haha.

I had a great time with my group. We really got to know each other well. We played loaded questions... That was probably the hardest I have laughed in a long time.

I have decided I don't like the death penalty.

Spring Break next week! 2 tests before then! Ah!

Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts,
in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true.
Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent.
[Hebrews 6:11-12]

I've been thinking a lot about leadership, and what it means to be a real leader, and I was reading in Hebrews the other day, and it talks about how Jesus giving his life made him the perfect leader... and I think that is such a cool description... Jesus is the picture of perfect leadership, because He sacrificed Himself... Isn't that what a leader should be doing? Sacrificing him or herself for those he or she is leading? Leading them by serving them? Putting them first?

Mk... I just need to make it to Friday.

Current playlist:
Lucky-- Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat
Magic-- Colbie Caillat
Older-- Colbie Caillat
Come On Get Higher-- Matt Nathanson
You Found Me-- The Fray
Put Your Records On-- Corinne Bailey Rae
Bubble Toes-- Jack Johnson
Kiss The Girl-- Colbie Caillat
Still Fighting It-- Ben Folds


ps- Kimberly and Allison, I miss you both mucho!