Off and Running

I have just finished up m first week of classes at GWU. So far I think it is going to be a really good semester. Monday, I had George Washington and His World which takes place at the Mount Vernon Estate each week. I'm really excited about the tours coming up. I also have to figure out what I would like to do for my final paper/project. My professor would like me to do something Museum Studies related, but as I told him I don't really have much experience yet with my field, so we'll just see what happens. Tuesday, I had Exhibit Design Curatorial Planning. Basically we will be focusing on the role of a curator in the museum profession. This really pertains to my chosen track of Exhibitions, so I think that this class will help me in my future career. Thursday, I have Museum Management. Although, I'm probably the least excited about this class, I am confident that this class will help me understand how museums operate from the management perspective. Overall I think this will be an exciting semester full of new things.
I also have started attending National Community Church at Ballston. I really like how the church emphasizes community within as well as contributing to the surrounding community. They also preach straight from the Bible, and really emphasize one's personal relationship with God. I'm excited to become more involved in the church and meet more people there. I'm considering trying to join a small group this semester. However, with the scheduling between school and my new job, I don't know if I will be able to balance it all this semester.
Finally that brings me to my new job. I am now a "partner"/employee of Starbucks. Lots of free coffee! I love how God provides every time I need a job. He is constantly showing His hand in my life.

Passion 2011

Today I am leaving for what should be an amazing four days in Atlanta for Passion 2011. This college student conference will be a time of rejuvenation and just spending time with some great people and God. I was fortunate to go last year to Passion 2010 and although it was a very trying time. I also was given a vision for my life last year that I hope will also happen this year. I truly believe that this conference is the most brilliant thing ever created, and having the opportunity to listen to great speakers like Louis Gigilio, Francis Chan, and Beth Moore is just the tip of the iceburg. I also love having the opportunity to really make an impact on the community and world through Do Something Now!

If you have missed the opportunity for Passion 2011 in Atlanta. There will also be a second Passion 2011 in Fort Worth in April. I would recommend this conference for every college student!

Check out the website www.268generation.com for more information!

What have I gotten myself into!

So I basically fail at blogging about Europe. I don't like to blog about it if I can't get the pictures up and Belgium pictures are the trickiest. It was a crazy day and they are just a bunch of random monument pictures. But I'm going to get them soon. However my life has been consumed by school this past month. Senior Seminar is in full swing and I'm working on my lovely topic, which I changed the focus of two days ago. I'm writing about Nurses and other Women who served in Vietnam during the war. I orgianally was going to focus on their involvement with Vietnamese civilians, but now I'm going to argue that Vietnam was a transitional war for women's roles in war kinda thing. Oh man I have no idea how exactly it's going to work yet. But it'll be fine in fact I think it will turn out better than before.
In other news I am taking the GRE on Saturday. I've been dreading it for months and now I am finally taking it. Unfortunatly I haven't really studied for it so I am hoping that I do well. I will be able to find out my score on two of the three sections right away because it is a computer based test so that is nice. I will know whether or not I need to take it again. I'm hoping for not, but I have a feeling that I will need to.
Other than that I've just been hanging out in between the mountains of school work. I started the Beth Moore Revelation study at church which is amazing and I'm super invovled with Fusion still. Hopefully I'll blog about Belgium and Germany soon!

Books!

So this week has been filled with books! I've ordered my books for school and they have started trickling in and I'm having to find places to put them. I've also had a very challenging summer with the Lord. I have definitely been touched by the Holy Spirit many times and things are moving and shaking here in St. Aug at my church. I'm really excited for the avenues that God will use me this year. But I haven't really had a good time this summer with a regular time with God and Bible reading and such. So I decided to seek out the help of one of my mentors for book recommendations. She recommended several to me and I decided to go to Barnes and Noble to see what I could find. I only found one that she recommended and boy has it been amazing already.
The Power of a Praying Woman by Stormie Omartian. Apparently this book has been around for quite a while, but it still packs quite a punch. I love it already and I've only read the intro and chapter 1. I'm really excited for the journey that this book is going to take me on.
I also impulsively bought Crazy Love by Francis Chan. I had heard of the book and then went to Passion 2010 conference and heard him speak. I really liked him and have wanted to read this book ever since. Plus many people have recommended it. I'm looking forward to starting this book and also being challenged in my walk with God.
My final purchase but not at Barnes and Noble, Amazon. Was Come away my beloved by Frances Roberts. This is also a book that was recommended to me and has been around for a very long time. I do not know much about it except for that it is pretty amazing and I can't wait to get it!

So those have been my recent book purchases. I will be doing my next Europe post soon. My short adventure in Belgium that was very interesting. I just have to get the pictures organized then it's on to Germany and Austria. This has been a very memorable summer and I cannot believe that school is only a week and a half away.

School

Oh school how I loathe thee a little bit. you've been kicking my but lately and it's just a bit annoying. However, I know that I will be sad once you are done for the semester, so I'll just keep plugging along without trying to go to insane!

So yes this is my life lately. I have so much to do and so little time. And then I procrastinate by writing on my blog, twittering, facebooking, you name it and I do it. However school is going pretty well, but we are at the point in the semester where teachers are like oh yeah you need to have a test/quiz/paper due and they decide to do them all at the same time! That's my life.

Another thing I've been doing lately is a Bible Study with my church down here. I was in it part of last semester as well. However, we are studying the book Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge. And let me tell you it is awesome!! I have learned so much in the last 3 weeks about myself and why I do the things that I do. It's been amazing so far. I highly recommend every teenage girl, young woman, and every woman really to buy this book and read it. It will change your life!

Alrighty well I am going to go and enjoy my ICEE while studying for my test and quiz tomorrow because I have procrastinated on here enough.

Oh Fall

I knew fall weather wasn't going to last very long. I mean it's certainly not hot now but I'm so ready for sweater weather. School is starting to get busy now. I love going to class but boy do I hate studying for test. I'm so tired to, I just feel so exhausted. I need to sleep!! I went to a new church yesterday and it was really good. I mean it's not as good as FBC, but I think I'm going to end up going there the most. It's called Anastasia Baptist Church (ABC). And on a funny note, the wife of the college leader graduated from my high school. So cool. I haven't really been knitting much as I've been studying but I really want to, maybe when I get back to my room this afternoon I will. I'm soooo tired right now I just want to sleep! Well that is my life right now class, study, sleep. I did have a fun time this weekend though. I went to my sister's marching band competition. Whew it was such a long day. I was there from 9 a.m. until about 11:30 that night. They did so good though and I was impressed. They were best in class for Division 1 A and ended up placing 5th overall which if I remember correctly last year at this same competition they placed 6th so that is a good improvement. I really love going to marching band competitions they are so cool and I was never even in Marching Band. I kinda find that hilarious.

How Great is Our God

There are oh so many reasons why I love going to the youth service at my church even though technically I'm to0 old for it, but I still go sometimes (okay well a lot but that's because it's so good). Tonight my college and career leader actually spoke because the youth minister was having a meeting with the camp counselors. He spoke on prayer. It was just awesome. When I left I just felt like I wanted to keep worshiping God and I really wish that the praise and worship had been so much longer, one song we sang was How Great is Our God. Which can sometimes get a little old because we sing it so much, but tonight I really focused on the words and what the song was saying and I don't know, it was kinda like a camp moment. Then I was reading this blog about one of Beth Moore's conferences that someone had been to and so now I'm listening to Revelation Song on Youtube because that's the only way I can listen to it. I love worship music, especially the new songs coming out that are what I sometimes like to call rock worship. I don't know there is something about the music being so loud that I can't hear anything else but the music so that way I can focus on God more. I don't know it's kinda weird but awesome and amazing at the same time. I'm just marveling the in the awesomeness of God tonight. I don't normally write posts like this, but this is what I'm feeling.

Chaperoning

I just got back from my first trip as a chaperone and not a student. It was a totally different experience yet it was practically the same as going on a trip, except I was in charge of over 30 7th graders and that freaked me out a little. However it wasn't as bad as I was expecting. I had an okay time and it was totally fun to be an "adult." I really don't think it would have been so bad but it was so hot outside that everyone was miserable. Although what we did last week was for God and I'm glad that I went

Happy Independence Day!!

Happy 4th of July. Today has been pretty non eventful. We grilled some chicken and had that for lunch cause Mom and Dad were going out to eat with some of their friends. We met them at the restaurant and then went down to this place called Moosehaven and watched their fireworks. The fireworks were really good and I got a lot of really cool pictures that I will post later as I don't have my cord for my camera right now. Well thats all thats really going on with me right now. Oh I'm leaving Saturday to chaperone the 7th graders who are going on a mission trip from my church. That should be interesting to say the least. I guess I'll find out.

College and Career

This sunday was the first sunday that I was in college and career. While it is really different from highschool it is not boring like i've been told in the past. However I have a theory about the stories people have told me about it being boring. I think that under the old director it was boring but I believe that this year is when the new one came so it wasn't boring and I really liked it. Of course I totally miss my old sunday school teacher and the girls in my old class. But I can visit occasionaly if I want and I mean its not like I'm never going to see them around. I do miss walking to church with my girls but maybe we'll work something out so that we can walk to church together sometimes, who knows. Anyway so thats basically all thats new and exciting in my life. Oh and I opened up the comment section for non members so if my friends are reading this comment me.

SLI Trip

Here are some pictures from my SLI (Seniors Leadership Institute) Trip to Washington DC with church. I'll write more about it when I have time, but for now here are some of my favorite pictures.




The Lincoln Memorial



The White House



This is the door that the President walks through when he comes from the West Wing

The President and Vice President (Bush and Cheney)

The Ambassador from Fiji His Excellency "Vitu" (thats his nickname "Vitu" his real name is really long and is practically impossible to pronounce)

The center alter at the National Cathedral



The rose window stain glass at the National Cathedral

The National Cathedral

My Hero John Gorrie who invented air conditioning and refrigeration.

King Kamehameha I from Hawaii

The Arlington House AKA General Robert E. Lee's House

The Capitol