Conversations

To read some conversations on SoulForce and their visit to ACU as well as homosexuality go to this blog, scroll to the bottom right side and click on "ACU Welcomes Gays" and follow the comments for as long as you want to read.

Be Blessed!!!

Quote:

"You can't think your way into a new way of living, you have to live your way to a new way of thinking."

That said...

I'm sore!

Be Blessed!!!

The King of Wishful Thinking...

Well, I'm not a king, not really even royalty but in this song it's just a metaphor anyway so for now call me Queen Mandy.

I went on an Oldies craze last weekend and found a bunch of songs I hadn't heard in a while, one of them being, The King of Wishful Thinking. If you don't remember the tune I can't help you but maybe the words of the chorus will ring a bell...

I'll get over you..
I know I will
I'll pretend my ship's not sinking
And I'll tell myself
I'm over you 'cause
I'm the king of wishful thinking
I am the king of wishful thinking

This song typically is talking about a relationship, and while there are times when I feel like I am continually telling myself "I'm over him" or "I quit him" I still, deep down, think "maybe someday.." I don't think that's bad. I guess if you allow your "wishful thinking" to distract you or take away from relationships that grow elsewhere then maybe it's not such a good thing, but in my case I feel like it's ok to be a wishful thinker. I do 'quit' feelings a lot so maybe I should just admit that I am a wishful thinker and get over myself. Maybe someday..But for now, I'm happy and lovin' life the way it is.

ON A DIFFERENT NOTE:
I think our attitude effects our wishful thinking. Like I said I don't think it's always bad. If we never think wishfully what's the point. Story time...
Last night after sing song practice we had a girl ready to thrown in the towel. It's only been a week. She was frustrated and ready to quit and give up! I tried to talk to her and I listened to her tell me about her day. My conclusion was she had a not so great day and she hadn't gotten any sleep...thus she needed to sleep and get rested before making a decision to quit. Well, I generally think of myself as a happy person but as she kept talking I realized that regardless of how little sleep she got or how bad her day was, it doesn't merit her less than positive attitude. We talked about that for a second, her realizing her attitude stunk, and then as I got ready to leave the words no sing song director, or club/class member, wants to hear..."I don't know why we try. We're gonna lose anyway!" Wow! That's disheartening. She kept going, I could hear her until I started the music in my car. I don't necessarily care as much about winning as I do about having a good time, but no one wants to lose. Where's the wishful thinking? That was rough. On that note I told to go home and sleep and we'll talk at practice tomorrow (today).

Wishful thinking...It's a good thing. Happy thoughts!!!

Be Blessed!!!

P.S. Even if we don't win, we are sure gonna give everyone a run for their money!!!

Brokeback Mountain

With this new movie out in theaters and the controversy that seems to have always existed between the homosexual community and the church/Christianity, ACU has been named as one of the 19 stops on the Equality Ride. A group called SoulForce has decided that a stop at ACU is in order to push the issue of academic freedom for the gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender. For now we are just preparing for this group and we are in prayer that what happens during their visit will be a productive effort on all parts to understand each other but to hold to our Christian faith, beliefs and values. Be in prayer.

Be Blessed!!!

One of those night...

Have you ever had one of those nights where contrary to the clock you didn't get any sleep? That was me last night. I got home from sing song practice, which went well, and we had a roommate meeting and then I pretty much went right to bed only to feel like I woke up 5 minutes later when, in fact, I obtained 6 hours and 45 minutes of sleep! YEAH RIGHT!! I think I got more sleep in the 2 minutes between rolling over and looking at the clock at 6:43 and when my alarm went off at 6:45 than I got all night. My mind was racing all night. I couldn't seem to turn it off. I was directing our sing song music in my sleep. Who does that? Weird! I know!

Well, no matter. Practice was very productive yesterday. Last night we almosted completed learning our sing song music. Now we still have to work on it, polishing it and such but knowing what it is supposed to sound like it half the battle. One song left! I can't wait for Wednesday when we can sing all the way through the show! Choreography starts Wednesday also! Yay!

I am starting to feel like a real director. I actually cut the group off and started them on the new section of themusic last night. I have A LOT of practicing to do but I'm not as nervous as I used to be. Praise God! I have a real appreciation and love for the girls in my club. They work so hard and are ready to serve in anyway possible.

I know I have been writing a lot about sing song lately but, welcome to my life. Sing Song has take over. If you are interested in learning more about sing song or if you need to get tickets follow this link -->Sing Song

Be Blessed!!!

P.S. It's kind of chilly today...I wish I had gotten some Hot Chocolate before I came to work. Mmmm..hot chocolate!

Here's To You...Billy Joel!!!

Well, the first official sing song practice has come and gone, and what a relief. I don't think I have been so nervous in my whole life as I was yesterday anticipating the first practice. I have never taught music to anyone before, let alone 80 girls.

They were great. Our section leaders sang through the first page of music and the girls successfully learned it. It sounds so good. I think we have a shot this year. A shot at taking the title that is. As much as I want to win, however, I have a different appreciation for sing song and all the people involved in it. As a participant the last three years it was easy to get wrapped up in the competition paying little attention to other clubs and classes; But now from this point of view, the director's point of view, I am finding that everyone works SO hard to do three shows. It's fun to win but the real fun, at least for me now, is in the getting there. Working hard and learning and singing silly words to familiar tunes. I want to win, but the journey has been so exciting thus far and only promises to get better. Praise God for the journey!

***I would like to dedicate this blog post to Billy Joel who wrote the tune to two pages of our Sing Song Music! Thank you Billy for making "For The Longest Time" a popular song so we could use it!***

Be Blessed!!!

Praise Team Practice

Well, tonight we had our first praise team practice. It was really exciting. I did a lot of praying about whether or not to be a part of this praise team and I am glad that God put it on my heart to participate.

It's definitely a commitment. We practice on Tuesday nights and then Sing on Thursdays for "Come As You Are" Chapel. The exception is this week. We are not having Thursday chapel and we are leading chapel tomorrow. It's a great group of people. Most of them I knew before tonight but some of them I didn't know. I am always glad to meet new people so tonight I was blessed to get to sing with a great group of old and new friends.

I pray that God will bless our semester and will use our group to glorify his name.

On a different note I am now reading Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell. It's pretty good. Raises a lot of questions. So far I would it a thumbs up. More on it when I am done.

Classes start tomorrow thus time for bed is quickly approaching.

Be Blessed!!!

M & M's Yum

We had our section leader practice this afternoon. We got through the first page of music. It sounds good so far! I am getting excited about sing song.

Hope you all are having a great day!

Be Blessed!!!

Hum...

Well... I have finished the class part of my short course. I wish that all of you could take this class. The title might have been Sexuality and Personal Issues of Sexuality but the content was so much more than that. While some of the class had to so with sexual issues and eroticism, the bulk of it had to do with relationships outside of sex. A lot of self reflection and confrontations went of.

The biggest reality check, for me, was learning to ask myself the question, "what does this say about me?" It was the realization that if I don't like someone, or if I get upset about something then I need to look at myself first and ask myself what is going on with me that this upset me or makes me feel a certain way toward a person.

This week was about facing my demons and re-evaluating my opinions. It was an amazing class. In some ways I feel like my friends and I might have misrepresented it only talking about the awkward moments in class, i.e. staring into someone's eyes for one minute, hugging someone for one minute, holding someone's hand for 2 minutes, along with many other interesting moments. It was was weird, awkward and uncomfortable but in my opinion it's about time.

Why don't we talk about sexuality in our churches? It is a part of society and a part of growing up, and for goodness sakes the Bible is littered with sexuality and eroticism. If we ever expect our children to get the right idea about what God intended sex and sexuality to be like then we have to teach them. It is my prayer in the future that we will make our friends and family uncomfortable for a little while; and once the discomfort has passed, we will be able to see the beauty and good intentions in sex between a husband and his wife.

Ok Ok. I know this is out of the blue but I have just been thinking about it since I spent a week in class about it. Hope it wasn't to weird for all of you. Feel free to ask questions. I love talking about the class, Mark Clancey is a victim of that.

I hope everyone has a great week!

Be Blessed!!!

from class today...

The letter exercise filled my heart with joy and, for me, the apology part some how became an issue that was redeemable and I felt like I was able to fellowship with God and love him and talk to him in a way that I for so long have failed to do. I want to share my letter to Abba Father if that is ok:

Abba Father-
Thank you so much for my life. Daddy thank you for the people you have put in my life that I have struggled to love. Thank you for the friends you have put in my life that show me what love is. Thank you for Lauren and her heart of gold. Thank you for the example of Christ she is for the kids. Thank you for Jonathan and his struggles. Thank you for giving him the courage to be so genuinely real in a fake and plastic world. Thank you for Clint and his drive to be a man of you. Thank you for his leadership and encouragement. Thank you for Chris and his humor. God I praise you for allowing me to see the joy you have given Chris and I thank you for working through him to share that joy with me. Thank you for Reid and his passion. Thank you for putting him in my life to give me an example of what overwhelming Christ-passion looks like.
Daddy, thank you for my family. Thank you for a father who loves every part of me; a daddy who leads me to you; a daddy who is like you. Thank you for my mom and her never-ending joy in life. Thank you for using my mom as an example of a Godly women who chooses to be positive and live life with a hope that is beyond this world. Thank you for a sister that test me and shows me the true meaning of love; for a sister who struggles but so desires you in her heart. Thank you for a brother who drives me crazy. Thank you for his perseverance in life. He has taught me what it means to never give up. Thank you for a sister-in-law and a nephew who have taught me true devotion through the love they show my brother. Thank you Daddy, Abba Father, for my life.
Dad, I am sorry for judging people because of my own insecurities. I am sorry for assuming things I know nothing about are the truth of the matter. I am sorry for the failures in my past to live up to the Holy life you have called me to as a woman of you. Daddy I am sorry for falling short and disappointing you.
Forgive me.

The 90s...

You know you're a 90's kid if...

>You've ever ended a sentence with the word "PSYCHE!"
>You can sing the rap to "The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air"
>You've worn skorts and felt stylish.
>You yearned to be part of the Baby-Sitters club.
>You use to love playing with your My Little Pet Shop.

>You know that "WOAH" comes from Joey from "Blossom" and that "How Rude!" comes from Stephanie from "Full House."
>You remember when it was actually worth getting up earlyon a Saturday to watch cartoons.
>You wore a ponytail on the side of your head and had fluffed bangs.
>You got super excited when it was Oregon Trail day in computer class at school.
>You remember reading "Goosebumps."

>You know the profound meaning of "Wax on, wax off."
>You have pondered why Smurfette was the only female smurf.
>You took plastic cartoon lunch boxes to school.
>You remember the craze then the banning of slap bracelets.
>You still get the urge to say "NOT" after (almost) every sentence... Not...

>You knew that Kimberly, the pink ranger, and Tommy, the green ranger, were meant to be together.
>You remember "I've fallen and I can't get up"
>You remember going to the skating rink before there were inline skates
>You ever got injured on a Slip 'n' Slide.
>You wore socks over leggings scrunched down."

>You can finish..."Miss Mary Mack, Mack, Mack, all dressed in black, black, black..."
>You remember boom boxes vs. cd players.
>You knew what it meant to say "Care Bear Stare."
>You remember Alf, the little brown alien from Melmac and Vicki the Robot from "My Little Wonder."
>You remember New Kids on The Block when they were cool.

>You knew all the characters names and their life stories on "Saved By The Bell."
>You played and or collected "Pogs."
>You used to pretend to be a MIGHTY MORPHIN Power Ranger >You owned a Skip It.
>You had at least one GigaPet or NanoBaby and brought it everywhere.
>You watched the original Care Bears, My Little Pony, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

>All your school supplies were "Lisa Frank" brand. (pencils, notebooks, binders, etc.)
>You used to wear those stick on earrings, not only on your ears, but at the corners of your eyes.
>You remember a time before the WB.

>You've gotten creeped out by "Are You Afraid of the Dark?"
>You thought it would be so cool to be Alex Mack.

>You know the Macarena by heart."
>Talk to the hand" ... enough said

What do you remember? Be Blessed!!!

The Box Car Children

When I was younger I read the Box Car Children books. To be perfectly honest I cannot remember what they were about but I remember owning a ton of them and reading them-not all the time but on a fairly consistent basis. I also read from the Babysitters Club and Sweet Valley High books.

Now my reading consist of books titled, Real Sex, The Ministry of Nurture, Blue Like Jazz, Velvet Elvis and so on. While these books are amazing and have taught me a lot, there is a part of me that misses the innocence of the Box Car Children. I want to read them again and know what they are about. I want to read them to my kids someday.

The books I missed out on when I was little were the Chronicles of Narnia Books. I have seen the new movie, twice now. I want to read the books. I ask for them for Christmas but they are kind of expensive to get the whole series. For New Years lunch we went over to a friends house and the little boy and his mom were reading through The Lion Witch and the Wardrobe. I wanted so badly to begin reading it but I am a big fan of doing things in order and The LWW is the second book in the series. I was able to make it for about 20 min before temptation overtook me and I began to read. I loved it. I read about 30 pages before they made me put it down and eat lunch.

I want to read them all. I have not enjoyed reading for a long time but since last summer I feel like I am always reading a book; by choice.

Reading is good for you. If you want me to recommend you a book let me know. I've got a few you can check out..."but you don't have to take my word for it." :o)

Be Blessed!!!

Unforgettable Faces...

....but really, whoo would want to forget them? Kevin, Zack, A.C., Randy, Cory. Those were the days ladies! You could turn on the T.V. at just about any time of day and see one of these hunk-a-hunk-a-burnin' loves! Whether it was The Wonder Years, Saved By The Bell, Home Improvement or Boy Meets World, T.V. when we were younger was at it's best.

I was looking back in my old yearbooks from Jr. High and High School today and just remembering what it use to be like. The thing that stuck out the most were those highlighted hearts I had drawn around the faces of the "loves of my life." Yes, that's plural. Apparently I was a player.

I'm convinced that I only knew two guys total in Jr. High so the others were just "dream guys," like those you see pictured here. Sometimes I wish I could just go back and be a kid. I wish I could have crushes and get my best friend to find out if the guy likes me. I wish I could go spend the night at a friends house and make videos of us singing and dancing with batons and ribbons. I wish I could talk on the phone for hours and not be bothered with what I have to do. I wish I could dream innocently knowing that I had years before those dreams would be potential realities.

But alas, here I stand at the threshold of adulthood. Those dreams are more realistic, closer to realities. While I still wish I could marry Cory Matthews, or at least a guy like him, I realize that life is not like Saved By The Bell, you do have to go to class, you will be tested and the principle will not always be your best friend.

While being home it has at times felt like a task, but improvement has taken place. My family loves each other. Although no one has ever glued their head to a table (I'm sure other things have happened that equal in stupidity) my family is silly and fun! Christmas and New Years were a blast but it's time to return to my friends; I love them; I miss them.

I know this is random and the mumblings may not make sense to you, but I like to remember and then look forward to what is to come! I don't know what God has in store for me but there is a Kevin Arnold or a Cory Matthews out there and no matter where he is, I'm gonna find him.

Whatever your dreams or realities may be, may you Be Blessed in your pursuit of them.

Snakes are NOT my thing....Even fake ones

So to ring in the new year my family, including the red-head sister we have (Elizabeth), decided to have dinner in Galveston and then come home and hang out and watch the ball drop in time square. WELL, this was exciting to me because it has been about 3-4 years since Valerie and I have spent new years with our parents.

I was particularly excited because we were going to eat at the rainforest cafe on the seawalk. You see, I had never been to this place so I was a rookie amongst seasoned rainforest eaters. No one warned me. I was not warned about the noises, the thunder and lightening storms and I most certainly was not warned about the MOVING ANIMALS!!! Yes that's right the animals move!

This probably would not have been a problem had I had my first experience with one of the all but dead creatures inside the restaurant. We were seated at a table far enough away from anything that was bigger than me that once they began to move I was not quite so startled.

However, my first experience was not in the restaurant but in the store while we were waiting to be seated. The ceiling in this place was all but normal. It was decorated with trees and vines and animals...Worst of all, snakes. MOVING snakes! Did I know the snake had a motion detector? No! Did the snake give me a heart attack when I walked under it and it moved! That's an affirmative ghost writer! What the heck! It scared the fire out of me!

So after that action I was a little on edge the rest of the night. My nervousness was only fed by the "soothing" river adventure me and Valerie and Mom went on. I would like to say I acted my age but as I told Jonathan, I was way too scared to be a 22 year old. I think together Valerie and I screaming broke the sound barrier. We screamed 5 times more then the boat that went infront of us-full of elementary age kids. Sad to say it but alas, I was freaked out! Glad to get off that ride.

So as my heart rate slowly simmered we went to Moody Gardens in Galveston and walked around the festival of lights, where I had a near death experience with a penguin. After that we decided home was the safest place and the five of us came home and played a game and rang in the new year with Dick Clark in NYC.

After we all pretended we lived on the East Coast and that our New Year had already begun everyone went to bed, Elizabeth left and here I sit, alone and blogging!

Hope everyone had a great 2005 and in the year 2006...

...Be Blessed!!!