Let the games begin!

So classes officially started on Monday and are now to a full swing with homework and a project being due in addition to taking a quiz in the glorious class of, that's right you guessed it, Calculus 3. Needless to say i have an interesting semester ahead of me between calc 3, education classes, biology, etc. Along with the beginning of a new semester comes questions such as what is biology? what is life? what is the meaning of life? why do you want to teach? what is (fill your topic of choice in here)? But my all time favorite question is the dreaded "what do you hope to get from this class?" Almost every teacher asks this and most add the comment "other than getting the 3 or 4 hour credit." (Now as a side note here this in my opinion is one of those questions where you're setting students and yourself up to fail because 9 out of 10 times they are in there because they have to be, but they simply say to learn more about whatever subject it is. But the truth is they have never thought of what they wanted to gain from the class until you asked it.) So as i am sitting in my health class contemplating my answer and i honestly think. . . nothing. I expect nothing out of this class. I have never had expectations for classes or hopes to gain one thing in particular because you see i like to just go along for the ride and look at the outcome in the end. And might i just add i have yet to not learn something from a class or be disappointed about one. But anyway tomorrow will now be the second day for the tuesday/thursday classes so hopefully most of those questions are done  and the madness can begin filled with chapters, tests, projects, observation hours, and portfolios. Oh the joys of being a student. It truly is amazing though how much knowledge is at our fingertips and what you can do with it. I often wonder while in classes who invented this? or how did they decide this is how it would be done? or who made it that way? Seriously though if you think about it who first learned and decided how surgery would be done for different ailments and how did they learn it? Who decided what the words in english would be? Or how did we know how to make sounds and associate them with letters and how to say them? Who made not having a comma in a list improper? So as you can see i work myself into a web of why? how? who? wow that's so interesting to me's and get lost in my thoughts. Needless to say i love school and learning. Hence why i want to become a teacher. But in this process of becoming a teacher you must take many education classes which prepare you but also ask you questions to make you plan and think ahead. Questions like. . . What setting do you want to teach in? What subject? Is teaching a good fit for you? What is your goal? Will you join a union? And on and on the list goes. These questions along with many others are to help you in looking ahead as a future teacher but i think sometimes since we are always looking ahead at a desired goal and how to prepare for it we miss some important things right now. We miss the opportunities that God gives us to see Him, spend time with Him, share Him with others, and many other things. Too often we are looking for the next step, the next goal because as a society we are taught goals and problem solving. All these are good things but at the same time we don't see the big picture so we need to enjoy where God has us right now and learn what he has for us in this moment because it may impact the next. We get so caught up in planning ahead and trying to control everything but we miss things in the process. One of my favorite quotes is "You don't need to know what tomorrow holds. All you need to know is the one who holds tomorrow." So what is the point in all this jibber jabber? The point is to look for God and what he wants to teach you each day while still doing your everyday routine. I may not know what tomorrow holds but i know the one who does. And i know that He has me exactly where He wants me and is going to teach me so much this semester in the midst of all the craziness and chaos. I just have to look for it. But enough for now on all that considering i need to read a chapter in health, biology, and education and it's already 11:30. Oh well you know nothing ever happens how you plan it. But that's part of the fun. Until next time. . .

So this bird looking out on the railing of my porch

is what caused most of this thought because the bird

is looking out or ahead into the yard. Oh the things 

that make you think. lol

Odds, Ends, & Everything Lately

So it feels like forever since i have blogged but a lot has happened including a lot of trips. The first week of July i went to Missouri to see my grandparents, aunt, and cousins. The second week i babysat, and the third week i went to Centrifuge. Centrifuge was at Union University this year in Jackson, Tennessee. It was an amazing week and God taught me so much. It's funny how you often think that you have dealt with things and moved on only to have God bring them up and show you that you haven't. It seems as if there is always something. Something to learn, something to let go of, something to give to God and allow Him to transform it. I guess it's just part of life and growing up. People always say that we put God in a box, but i think it's the other way around. We put ourselves in a box and only open it to let God have some part but then close the flaps and hold on tightly to everything else. We need to open up our boxes, step out, and let God have everything. He knows the plans he has for us, so who are we to question him? We need to let go and let God. But back to the craziness that has been my life lately. So the week before Centrifuge i found out that i had made it to the third and final round of interviews for President's Ambassadors at Volstate. President's Ambassadors give student tours, stuff envelopes, work special events, etc. It is a service leadership kind of a role. But anywho I had made it past the first two rounds of interviews only to find out that my third interview was the friday of Centrifuge. So, i drove to camp, to my interview, and back on friday. After much nervousness and a crazy interview i was selected to be a President's Ambassador, which was truly exciting and added to all the craziness i call my life.

Crazy Camp fun at the Casey Jones General Store
Girls Just Wanna Have FUN!! lol

Gorgeous Sunset at Camp :)

 The week after camp and being selected as an Ambassador, my family went on vacay to Gatlinburg. I absolutely love Gatlinburg!! The mountains are beautiful and you can just see the work of God. I don't see how anyone can look at creation and not see the fingerprints and design of God. It just baffles me. But that's a different discussion for another time. While in Gatlinburg we climbed the 6,000 feet to Clingman's dome. It was clear and beautiful; however, in case anyone was wondering if altitude sickness is real i can definitely say it is. I was dizzy and nauseous the whole way up to Clingman's dome and back. Needless to say this girl and 6,000 feet don't tango well together. But the rest of the trip was great considering it was the last week before everything new started.

Beautiful Waterfall :)

View from top of Clingman's Dome

Overlook from Old Smokey Mountain
National Park

 August marked several new beginnings in my life along with a close to one. August was off to a bang the first week with me starting training at Talbots in Green Hills Mall. I am proud to say that i am now officially on the floor selling at Talbots as of today with a great start. However, working at Talbots marked the end of me babysitting everyday some of my favorite kiddos. It was an extremely hard decision because i love the kids i watch, but with much prayer i know Talbots is where God has me for this year. So i am now completely out of my element with starting a new job. In addition, i had Ambassador training and am now looking forward to our first event. Did i mention that there were only two days of training to be an Ambassador and now we are jumping in?? I don't know whether to be nervous or excited, or both?? Needless to say I have been learning a lot of information lately between Talbots and President's Ambassadors. Not to mention that school starts August 29th, and i still don't have my books. I am taking 14 hours this semester, and i will need to make one of those honors. So my days will soon be filled with not only school and Talbots, but also Ambassador meetings, office hours, and events, Phi Theta Kappa meetings, Monday night biblestudy, small groups, teaching sunday school, and many other odds and ends. hah. I think it's safe to say that my life is back to full swing. But i cannot wait to see what God has in store this school year and the opportunities he has placed me in. My prayer is that he continues to renew my heart to be moved by what moves His and that He teaches me  every day. So that's what my July and August has looked like so far. Whew! It has flown by. I'm so looking forward to fall. But enough for now. Catch ya'll sometime soon.