Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Funny Event of the Weekend...

Okay, so I had the most random, funny day in the world Saturday!

This weekend the campus ministry at Landmark participated in another Extreme Home Makeover service project. A single mother of 2 young children was in need of a new home, so she found one, but it was in REALLY bad shape. That is where we came in. A man from our church and his construction crew were in charge fixing the big stuff (like putting up some new walls, etc) and we were in charge of the inside. We cleaned,scraped, and painted all of the rooms, and the carpet should be in by now. It was great to be involved in such a big project. (this is not the funny part...)

After we were finished painting Saturday afternoon, we decided to grab some food before going back to school. (this is where the random funniness starts) Now of course we look horrible. Paint all over us...dirty Tshirts and painted scrubs...bandanas over some pigtail braids... we just look out of place driving through Montgomery apparently. Cars were passing us, and the passengers would be staring at us. It was kinda strange, but nothing too weird. UNTIL this one car passed us. It was full of young teenage girls (by young I mean they looked to young to be by themselves in a vehicle) and all of them had turned around in their seats to stare at us as they drove by. We couldn't figure out what the deal was!

A few minutes later we pulled up beside that car at a redlight. Not meaning any harm by it, just trying to be funny, we all turned and looked at them...not even staring, just smiling at them! Well they didn't like that too much. The next thing I know, we are being cursed at!!! These too-young-to-be-driving preteen girls were flipping us off and screaming curse words in our direction. Now we were just laughing cause we had NO IDEA why all this was happening! It was crazy!!!

The light turned green, the car sped off, we just keep driving towards Sonic, thinking the moment had passed... but oh no... Those girls were not finished with us! As they were waiting to turn into the mall and we were passing them to get to Sonic, the girl on the passenger side rolled down her window and held her arm up flipping us off. She kept it up until we were out of sight. WHAT?!?! How CRAZY!! And sadly enough, that wasn't the end of the craziness. From the preteens at Sonic that didn't approve of our fashion statement (paint is not cool), to the game of pass the pigs with the old people (this was actually the funnest thing EVER), and the hair dye catastrophe in the midnight hours... Saturday was definitely the funniest day of the New Year so far.

And that is my story. The End.

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Flexibility or Fear?

For some reason I have become so apprehensive about limiting myself. I am scared of making decisions that will box me in. I have become scared of putting anything in a box. Especially myself. Especially now. So much is unknown...so much I want...to limit might mean to miss out on something that gets left out of that box. But at the same time, I want to find my place. Even if that place limits me... but where is that place? How do I find it? How do I choose? So many directions I could go.. so many things I could do. What do I want?

I have faith, and I want my goals to be faith-full, but the fear is crippling. It leaves me with so many questions left unanswered. So many thoughts that won't form into words that could form into questions that could obtain answers.

That is what I feel like I am this year. An abundant mass of thoughts all tangled up.. a lot of words that don't do the job.. don't express the bundle of thoughts...

Monday, January 23, 2006

Goals vs. Flexibility

"What do you want to do when you graduate?" ~a large # of people
"I am not really sure, but I'm not worried. I know God will provide me opportunities. He has so far, and He will. I'll just be flexible... I figure, really, that's the best way to do it- just have faith." ~me

Well, I have come to the conclusion that I was wrong. Wrong to let that be my blanket statement...a security blanket.. yeah, that is not faith.

I need to set goals. Strive for them. Because flexibility can only come when there is a plan to modify. As of now. I haven't had a plan. And that is not good.

Working on that....

Rhetoric... I think I am going to like this class.

Thank you Jason Bybee for commenting on my last post. Someone does read this thing!! Well, has read. haha

This was my first journal entry for advanced comp....

Rhetoric is an art/discipline that I really want to master. It is quite possible that this class will advance me further down the path to becoming an advanced rhetorician than I have ever imagined I might go. If I fully take advantage of this class, it will be a launching pad for me; it will only be the beginning of the adventure.

I like the fact that rhetoric is refered to as an art and a discipline in the first sentence of chapter one. (I already read the first chapter. I thought it was our homework for Wednesday.) I like that it is refered to as both because each description appeals to me in two different ways.

Rhetoric as an art creates a mental image that excites me. One that sends an inspiring chill through the core of my being. I like to mold and shape things. I love to harmonize. I love to blend my voice with another in ways that both contrast and compliment. I love to hear a violin as it is being tuned. The hand of the musician slowly shapes the sound until it is beautiful. I love seeing myself as a piece of clay being molding in the hands of a potter. I love art. An artist of words has much influence; I want to be an artist of words.

Rhetoric as a discipline doesn't invigorate me with the same sort of passion, but it puts reason behind that passion. It puts a concrete element into the equation, and an individual needs to have something concrete to stand on. Discipline seems to be the foundation that the rhetorician can build his art on. That image excites me as well.

I know that I can become an advanced rhetorician. It is in this class that I hope to be prepared, tuned, and molded.

Tuesday, January 03, 2006

I don't think anyone reads this... but..

The new year has begun. Diets are already being broken, exercise machines have yet to be assembled...another year of resolutions.. resolutions that last long enough for you to write them down and tell your co-workers all about them. But what then?

I decided this year, that I wasn't going to do a list. And I like lists. But I decided against it for this year. You see, I'm always trying to fix something about myself anyways. Practically everyday of the year. I suppose that is a good thing... recognizing faults... working to improve...

I have decided to take things a step at a time. This semester. I have managed to de-clutter, which was a goal of mine before this past semester. Now my goal is to learn to love. I am going to end on that note for now, and then come back later and elaborate.