Only one thing stands between me and the sweet freedom of Christmas break. That annoying barrier to the ability to enjoy uninterrupted nothingness is my physics phinal on phriday at 7 PM. you heard that right, 7 PM!
so late. just about everyone has left clemson.
well, on the bright side, I have more time to study at least. If only I knew this material better. I feel so burnt out, and I'm just ready for these finals to be over.
What Physics Has Taught Me:
1. you don't remember everything that you learned in highschool. so you can't sleep through or in all of your classes, not pay attention, forget to do the homework, neglect to study and still expect an A
2. Life is in equilibrium. like the sum of all the forces or torques, everything is balanced. Good things happen and bad things happen, positive forces and negative forces. to solve the equation and put it all together, you have to assume that these two forces are balanced.
3. lazy people have to work twice. if only I had gotten just a B on that last test, I would have had a solid A and would have been exempt from the exam. yep... I wouldn't have to take a 7 PM final on the last day of exams. 'nuff said.
4. never schedule an 8 AM...ever again. for some reason having class at 8 is so much worse than having class at 9:05. I wake up at 6:50 everyday (unless my leap of faith onto the futon turns into a "well I'm just gonna rest my head here for a bit" landing) but I just can't manage to stay awake in my 8AM physics class. hence why I am void of notes and worried about this exam.gahhhhh
5. Energy cannot be created or destroyed. Go ahead, convert all of that potential energy into kinetic energy. apply a great deal of force over a long distance of time to work as best as you possibly can.
6. Be efficient. even more efficient than a carnot machine
7. Make your schedule like a sinusoidal wave. these waves oscillate at a constant rate and can continue on for ages without outside forces. They repeat the same motion over and over again. form healthy habits and stick to them like a true sinusoidal wave. A tried and true schedule leads to getting things done which leads to better grades which leads to a better job which leads to more money which leads to... well that's up for you to decide dear readers.
Lately I've had the wonderful opportunity to go to mass more. It's just the thing I need sometimes. It's the perfect remedy to the stress of college classes, staying up too late, and balancing a hectic schedule. I was in church one day right after the consecration of the Eucharist when I was praying and suddenly I starting singing this song by needtobreathe in my head. I have no idea why I started to sing this song, but it totally works. The lyrics struck me because of how applicable they are to Jesus' presence in the Eucharist.
The song states, "Hey now this is my desire, consume me like a fire, I just want something beautiful to touch me. I know that I'm in reach, I am down on my knees just waiting for, something beautiful."
how much more perfect could you get? right before receiving the most beautiful gift in the world, Jesus.
this song pumps me up and makes me want to climb a mountain or something.
1. TIGERS WON! (both of them heck yes)
2. great weekend in charlotte for the ACC championship with great friends.
3. thank goodness last week is over. way too much stress.
4. got to see dierks bentley for a little while in Charlotte...too fun!
5. went to play laser tag on friday!
6. I went to walmart tonight
7. I'm really tired.
and that is all for now. I don't know why but I was just diggin the list format tonight.
“He’s exactly right. They ain’t Alabama, they ain’t LSU and they’re certainly not Clemson,” Swinney said. “And that’s why Carolina is in Chapel Hill and USC’s in California and the university in this state always has been, always will be Clemson.
I know it's really late (that seems to be the only time I have time to post lately...) but I have a few thoughts to express.
I love being Catholic and I love my church here at Clemson. It's such a wonderful community to be a part of, and I feel so so so lucky to be fortunate enough to have found a parish that I feel so at home with. I'm super pumped that it's advent. It's time to reflect and step back to really see our present selves, our goals, and wait in joyful hope. This season also boasts the "let go let God" mentality. A prime example of this is Mary's "yes" to God's will. I pray I can be half as strong and willing to give everything like she did.
Thanksgiving came and went with much feasting, bonding with the fam, running the turkey trot (and getting beat by my brother..shh lets keep that on the DL.), catching up with friends, and just relaxing. Not to mention kayaking with friends in the LSU lakes and going to the football game. so much fun!! The only thing is, I'm always so so so tired when I go home for break. going home is so much fun, but it just wears me out! I can't wait for Christmas break because a.) it will be much much longer and I'll have time to actually relax and b.) I'll be finished with exams and everything stressful! I must say though that I might experience a little separation anxiety when I'm gone from clemson, I just love it here! (sometimes a little too much...can't help it, I'm just obnoxious about things that I love...running, guitar, tridelt, clemson...the list goes on) Anyway, now I'm ready to bundle up, hunker down, and get to doing some work so I can enjoy christmas. Before I left, we watched "It's a Wonderful Life". that is one of my all time favorite movies. EVER. It's a classic. soo soo soo good. it made me get super pumped for Christmas.
And since it's that time of year, I'll reflect on what makes me happy, and what I am so thankful to have in my life:
I want to go on intense adventures like these. scratch that, I can't wait to go on intense adventures like this.
I love perusing through the National Geographic website. It makes me crave the open sky, wind through my hair, and a carefree-ness that's difficult to encounter in everyday life.
a previously booked weekend suddenly cleared up and we spontaneously decided to go home with my friend back to Georgia. a road trip and super chill weekend with some of my Clemson best friends...it just doesn't get better than that!
I love clemson. Today I was walking on library bridge and there was music blaring with people giving free high fives saying, "have a great friday!" gosh I love it!
I made it through this week alive! This week has been so rough. it's left me feeling beaten, worn, and sad. BUT NOT ANYMORE. Today's been an awesome day. This weekend is rags to riches, the last home football game, and not to mention it's 11.11.11! yeah!!Rags to Riches is the tridelt semiformal function. The first night (last night) is rags where we all dressed as homeless people, and tonight is riches where we all dress in semiformal attire. SO MUCH FUN. {no worries, I'll post some pics later}
With today as 11.11.11, I feel as though I should be doing something significant. But I look around at my life today, and I'm perfectly content. What more could I wish for?
this is me slaloming last summer. I've been water skiing since I was 6.
it's so fuuuuuuuun!
I know I talk about this all the time, but I realize more and more each day the importance of a strong reliance on God. Call me cheesy, but it's true. I've been feeling worried about every little aspect of my life a lot today for some reason. Then I just stopped for a moment and thought...wait a second, I don't need to waste my time worrying. Worrying is just like rocking in a rocking chair; you move a lot but you really don't go anywhere. Dear readers, I'm ready to go somewhere.
I can just see myself struggling. I imagine myself trying to water ski without holding on to the rope. Each time I get up successfully and then suddenly decide it'll be a good idea to let go because I think I can do it on my own. however, I just begin to sink back into the water as soon as I let go of the rope.
you see, I think we all just forget to hold to the rope sometimes.
so today, I offer my worries up to God. Because He'll pull me through as long as I hold on.
remember, life is good. and God is very very good!
This past weekend, I went home with my roommate, Lauren. It was my first time visiting North Carolina, and I must say it was a good, relaxing time. We chilled for the most part on friday and sunday. However, we visited her beautiful family farm on Saturday for a party for her parent's 5th grade sunday school class complete with hayrides, bonfire, s'mores, more stars than you could count, and little kids running around and playing.
Before the party got started, we went fishing with Lauren's grandfather on the farm. My one catch of the evening didn't hold a candle to LJ's 12 or 14 fish. yes, I'm the family embarrassment when it comes to fishing... regardless, it was a blast and a half especially with her absolutely adorable grandfather. He waited on us like a true southern gentlemen. no matter how we protested, he insisted that he bait our lines and take the fish off the hook for us (granted, this didn't happen too often for me...). Secretly, I think these are my favorite parts of fishing: baiting, casting, and taking the fish off; probably just because these are the only parts of fishing that I actually get some action (well besides the taking the fish off part). I'm a really good caster. promise.
The beautiful 130 year old family farm was probably my most favorite part. I just love old houses. they are so interesting and cool! I wish those walls could have told me the abundant stories that must have occurred there over the many years of its existence. Lauren and I sat on the rocking chairs in the kitchen to warm up for a bit and it just made me feel like I was 80 years old. I decided then and there that I was going to sit in a rocking chair in my farm house much like that one when I get really old and grey and just observe life and order my family around. It's gonna be great.
All the fresh air, the wide open spaces, picking up pecans with her pawpaw, fishing, the bonfire, the rocking chairs. I just loved it. Lauren's family was so hospitable and very nice, and I'm thankful they invited me back to Charlotte for the weekend!
Have a spectacular week my friends! I hope your weekend was stellar
I saw this on the side of my chacos box. makes me want to live it up.
which is why I've decided to take a leisure skills class.
for now, it's between shag, whitewater kayaking, marathon training, rock climbing, camping/backpacking, fly fishing, and photography (there are so many cool options to choose from!!)
but I think I'm leaning towards whitewater kayaking.
thought provoking picture. why were my friends posed like this?
it was completely candid. promise.
I realize that this blog is full of little realizations. it's truly been a method of discovery. Anytime I have a post that starts with "thoughts on..." it simply means that I've realized something that I find fits into the bigger picture of things. Other people probably look at these little realizations and just think, "wow, there's so much she doesn't even know yet. Just WAIT until life hits her. she'll be amazed" or maybe they think "wow this girl is so naive and idealistic, can't WAIT for life to hit her." Either way, life hits me, and I'm left to think it through.
Isn't it funny how much we don't know? We humans live our lives and get caught up in so many things only to realize that we don't have any control at all. Then we analyze the bejesus out of these things and think we have a grasp on life. Silly humans, we know nothing.
I bet all the angels and saints up in heaven are just laughing to death up there. I can just see all the angels sitting around talking and watching. I see them saying things like, "aw there goes that Kat girl again thinking she's so cool and thinking she has all of this figured out. oh man. little does she know..."
Why do we get so narrowly focused on all of these things that don't matter? there is so much more. this life is just like a pair of pants that you've grown into and have gotten a little too snug. It's comfortable and it's what we're used to, but we're meant for a bigger size. That's my point my friends! we're meant for such bigger and better things. and I can't wait to see these things.
so that's my goal for the week. to focus on the bigger picture. let the bigger picture humbly remind me that I really don't know anything at all.
I just don't know what's wrong today. I feel myself sinking into that hole again. I have a hypothesis. I've said it before, and I'll say it again...I believe that my mood is 100% reliant on the weather/time of year. I looked up my old blog stats from the past year and a half and it showed that my posts have been consistently and noticeably much better (with many more readers and general views) during the spring/summer months than the late fall/winter months. So with the onset of all of this cold weather, this little dip is to be expected I guess. Then again, maybe it's not that at all. maybe it's just the fact that I have oodles and bunches of homework and projects this week and I'm stressed out. or maybe its the fact that I slept through my physics class this morning. or maybe it's that I'm so far away from my family. or maybe it's the stress of making sure next semester's schedule is just right. or maybe it's the pile of laundry I need to do. or maybe its just the fact that it's late and I have an essay looming over my head all day. it's like a little monster eating away at my insides and I don't know why. honestly the only time I was feeling good today was during church celebrating all saints day.
regardless, happiness is a choice. Part of me wants to make this choice but part of me wants to sink in this little hole and sleep. I have so much to be thankful for, I have no reason to be feeling this way.
I've found through my measly 18 and a half years of existence that the awkward moment is hard to avoid. When you can come to terms with this, life is so much better. Lately, I've seemed to forget that I am indeed an average human and that I am not perfect. I was getting frustrated with myself when I would say something I found wrong or just plain awkward. But then I remember...awkward is a mental state. My roommate so cleverly pointed out that we often find ourselves in awkward situations, but that doesn't make you awkward. So I clung to this idea like a lifeboat in a drowning sea.
Lately I've just felt like an awkward human. What can I say... maybe I am.
Even writing doesn't feel natural this week for some reason.
I just feel like a big robot. that. is. so. darn. awkward.
So my goal for the week is to embrace my awkwardness. I will confront it by remembering that I'm comfortable in my own skin (and in my weirdness). sometimes we just need to be reminded of this. Because, once again, awkward is only a mental state that we make for ourselves. When I rely on God for strength and confidence, I find myself feeling oodles and bunches less awk. Simply put, when you are comfortable in your own skin, you glow with a beauty unlike any other. a true attractiveness that is understood , unmatched, and uncompromised.
I'm loving that both of my tigers are winning right now. There's nothing more exciting than a college football game. The tailgating, the food, the friends, and the fuuuuuuuuuuuuun. I have oodles and oodles of good memories such as watching grown men play "little sally walker", observing over-served individuals, eating way too much food, dancing like nobody's watching at a tailgate, visiting with friends (or meeting new friends!), and singing along to both the tiger bands play "eye of the tiger". it's just an all around good thing that I've enjoyed for the majority of my life. And now with Clemson as #7 and LSU as #1, I couldn't be happier. needless to say, today is going to be an exciting day with LSU playing Auburn and Clemson playing UNC.
When I was back home last weekend and we were awaiting the BCS rankings, I kept confusing people because I would refer to both LSU and Clemson as "we". For example, I would say, "So do you think we will be ranked number 1!?" and they would respond, "no you won't be that high up, probably around 7 or 8"
and for the first time since I've been at Clemson, I don't feel like talking to people or being friendly at all. WHAT IS THIS!? I feel so awkward. I need to sleep or something. then maybe my headache will go away. and I'll stop longing for the life of a hermit.
You see dear readers, I love love love to kayak. It all started back in kindergarten. I remember asking my mother repeatedly for a kayak (and for a guitar...but that's a different story). Obviously, she refused such a large and odd request from my 5 year old self thinking it would eventually die down like the rest of my random obsessions. but she didn't know just how determined I was to get a kayak. A few years passed with no kayak, but that all changed when the 4th grade rolled around. I saved up all my birthday money and convinced my mom that I was ready to take the leap: I bought a $60 inflatable kayak. After proving my determination and commitment to kayaking through this flotation device that you could hardly call a boat, my parents finally agreed to let me purchase a real one. After some research and mustering up every spare penny I had earned, I finally paid for half of my very own kayak while my parents bought the other half for my birthday. It was a grand day my friends.
While this 'yak saw little to no use in my middle school years, I was out and about with friends all the time once I dawned on my driving years. It's just so fun to hang out on a lake or river. And while my friend patrick might think he started the kayaking trend in baton rouge with his two-seater yellow ocean kayak, it was definitely me. (while we both like to claim it, we more than likely didn't actually start it...I guess the world will never know. but we'll just keep pretending like we do) it's even fun just riding around town with a kayak on the car. it just makes you feel more legit.
We used to pile as many people as we could into the car with as many kayaks/canoes/inflatable kayaks tied down to the top. It was quite a sight to see. Then we would proceed to pile all of us into these boats. Lots and lots of fun. Most of these trips were high on the fun scale and small on the intensity scale (hate to say it but that's when the boy ratio > girl ratio). Needless to say, I'm ready to find some legitimate kayaking here at Clemson someday, rather than just a social outing with a change of scenery.
I look back on those kayaking trips and remember the sunshine, the open water, the freedom, and the love. The love that i felt from each of my friends and the love that we all shared for our favorite pastime. I will never forget how awesome it felt to go for a run early early in the morning and then finish it off by paddling to the middle of the lake and enjoying homemade biscuits and watching the sunrise. a kodak moment for sure.
There's really nothing better than kayaking with good friends. except one thing. it's almost as good as riding around town with your best friends with the windows down and the music up.
to read about the only kayaking adventure that I've recorded on this blog, click HERE.
Shagging is a
popular dance here at Clemson. It's basically like a type of swing dance. Like
any guy-girl dance, the guy leads while the girl follows along. The girl has to
give up control, go with the flow, and follow the guy's lead. While Clemson
taught me to physically dance the shag (kind of...), Clemson has also taught me to dance
through life in general. Jumping out of my comfort zone and coming to Clemson gave me the opportunity to begin to discover myself. I thought that I would come
here and have more control over my life for the most part since I
was calling the shots for myself. It isn't that way at all. Rather, it's taught me to let go, lose
control, and follow God's lead. I've learned to go with the flow even more and
enjoy the ride of life.
Ladies and Gentlemen, introducing the one, the only, LJ COOL J! only the coolest roommate around. Whether it be listening to Dolly or educating me on the latest goals of the republican party, Lauren is definitely a unique human and I am fortunate to call her my roommate. Leaving her for this fall break has shown me how much I really do miss her! While we definitely are two completely different people, we couldn't be getting along any better. I'm so fortunate to have lucked out like I have. Our differences compliment each other and make life that much more interesting. There is literally too much awesome in that dorm... hahaha oh man...but for real, LJ is so smart, so pretty, and one of the nicest people ever. She jokingly picks at me for being so strange, but hey I do the same to her! (come on, she wears christmas socks... but then again, I wear joverall jresses around the dorm..)
yeah, it seems to be working out just perfectly for both of us.
plus she loves Christmas. You know someone is a good person when they love Christmas.
She loves Christmas and me so much that she started a blog about us.
(she's my stalker now...HELP.)
just kidding my friends, I am flattered that she wants to write about me.
what's happier than that!? an angel baby with sunshine pouring down. too sweet
I only recently mustered up the courage to tell people about this here blog. It is scary to show people my vulnerable thoughts and feelings, and I fear the rejection of others. While I've always been the uncool kid (you can read about that here), I've also realized that I am not always comfortable in my own identity like I appear to be. But then again, who is!? For the most part, I'm proud of my "off the beaten path" -ness. but there are some days when I just tear myself up or try to change. I generally don't care what people think at all, but I'm still learning this lesson more and more with each passing day. I'm getting better...which is why I now have enough courage to share this blog. it's still crazy scary. but then, I just figured it's their loss if they don't like it! So I told a few of my new awesome church friends (good lord yes! good church friends!! hahaha) about my blog... After perusing through some posts, my friend meg asked me, "How are you so joyful?"So I mulled over that question for a while.
hmmmmm What is joy? where can we find it? and why does everyone want it?
many different answers to these questions are thrown at us everyday. I decided to compile a list of reasons for joy. more specifically, a list of how I maintain joy in my own everyday life. I know it's cliche and definitely all stuff we've all heard before, but it's on my mind so here it goes.
1. it's a choice. My mom always told me that joy was a choice. She said that everyday you wake up, you have a decision: happy or sad. While I absolutely hated this little statement when I was in a bad mood on the way to middle school, it rocks. I only hated it cause I knew it was true deep down.
2. it's about pumping the brakes. People are often so close to joy, and all they need is literally a "renovation of thoughts" (like in this post). When you slow down and take time to smell the roses and spend some personal time alone, you literally enjoy life more. Admittedly, this is a hard one for me.
3. it's training your thoughts. Sometimes you just think rotten thoughts. We all do it. You can't let this little monster inside of you tangle your emotions and trick you into thinking these things! First you must acknowledge these bad thoughts, then you must annihilate them like nobody's business. Become aware of these thoughts. stop them in their tracks, rewind them, and remake them into something beautiful. Remember that everything has a flip side.
the little girl I babysit with one of her "pets"
4. it's the little things. sisters to make you laugh, ella dressing herself, robert playing the piano, spontaneous dance parties, grannie's cooking, cookie break in the dining hall, morning runs, freshly shaved legs, pretty jewelry, awesome friends, early morning kayaking to watch the sunrise, homemade christmas decorations, random songwriting sessions, Eucharistic adoration, or meeting new people. simply put, when you cherish the awesome inside of these small things, you realize just how awesome the big things are. A good practice for helping you realize these gifts is to journal about it each day or even just make lists.
5. it's about going with the flow. don't let little issues or hardships hold you hostage. they are a waste of time and the best at stealing your joy. I sometimes get caught up in these pointless things of little importance only to realize how much time I had wasted and how much joy I had shut out from my life. kick back, relax, and don't worry yourself with small problems. Usually they will blow over and not mean anything after a short time
my younger sister annie. she always knew how to make me smile. hilda and greta
6. it's a smile. Anything from a simple smile or to saying hello to someone in the dining hall will do. It'll make you feel good for uplifting others, and it will make you not focus on your own lack of joy. By trying to give others joy, you will subconsciously receive some for yourself.
7. it's about faking it until you make it. From someone who wears her emotions on her sleeve but tries to constantly deny them and/or hide them, sometimes you just feel like you simply cannot be joyful. These are the days when you just have to fake it. Eventually, the happiness will turn true and seep into your every pore without you even realizing it. But when faking it is just hard, revert to number 2, but not for too long.
8. it's being thankful. when you are grateful, everything is an awesome gift to be cherished. Who couldn't be happy with an awesome gift!? Everything becomes the best of the best.
9. it's all about Jesus! Jesus wants you to be happy. When you do everything for the glory of God, you realize that it never really was about you. So often our unhappiness is rooted in selfishness. When we only think about ourselves and our problems, it's impossible to be happy! We must ask Jesus to help us in our quest for a happy life. In "Heaven Speaks to Young Adults" one of my favorite little books to have lying around, Jesus says the following about happiness:
"As a follower of Jesus Christ the Returning King, you are entitled to joy. ... If you are not joyful, you are spending too much time on worldly thinking. Think in terms of heaven and you will feel joy. Should a soul who is surrounded by angels be dismayed? Should a soul who walks in the constant presence of Jesus Christ be sad and fearful? My loving smile is in your soul. I hold only good wishes for you. ...Sit peacefully now in this moment and allow me to calm you. I send My strength into your soul. I send you great trust in Me and in My presence. I am with you right now. ... I do not leave My friends when troubles come. Rather I give more graces. ... I am the only true security. Rely on me and you will find that your anxiety begins to diminish. Soon it will disappear because I will take it away. Ask Me for this. And then trust Me. Many great saints spent their lives working on trust. you will get better and better at trusting Me through practice. And your fears will get smaller and smaller. Those who live in unity with Me are at peace. The world cannot touch them because their sights are set on the next world, their true home, which is heaven."
It's such a long passage but truly so comforting. It really is all about Jesus, my friends!! Faith is kind of like the roux (for all my new clemson friends, if you aren't sure of what that is-- check it out here). In a gumbo, it doesn't matter how good of ingredients you have or how awesome your recipe may be if your roux isn't good. It's the base. It's the first and very imperative step to succeed in the gumbo. You see dear readers, you can follow any number of these recipes for joy. but without Jesus as your roux or base, it will be much more difficult to succeed in your endeavors for joy. And you can take that to the bank.
susan's bike. just cause this picture makes me happy.
I know these are all things that are wayyyyy easier said than done, but prayer is a powerful tool! "Ask and you shall receive"... I know that prayer is also a hard thing to do. But they go hand in hand. Work at it, and God will provide. I went through a rough time where I felt as if all my joy was 100% fake. looking back, it probably was because I had little to no relationship with Jesus. Sounds silly, but it's so true!
Sorry if this post got too long/religious on you my dear friends! There is so much in my brain that I feel like I'm not even doing my thoughts justice. but I like to keep my posts very light-hearted and not so cliche (I'm aware that I'm not succeeding this time...) these were just some thoughts I had to express.
have a joyous day my friends! and if you aren't, simply ask Jesus if you can borrow his smile!
If they gave an award for thinking up creative ways to procrastinate your time away, I would have a shelf's worth of trophies to display. You see, I've literally spent half the afternoon (or all of the afternoon) chillaxin' on the futon and doing random things. Surprisingly, none of this included playing guitar because I accidentally broke it... but no worries I'll have it replaced in no time at all! But seriously, is it really this late in the day?? I thought I just got out of class...Where did all the time go!?
on the other hand, if they gave awards for the individual with the most Christmas paraphernalia or even with the most Christmas spirit, my roommate LJcoolJ would definitely have that in the bag. We already have christmas signs on our door, she occasionally plays dolly parton christmas music, and is currently wearing Christmas socks. I mean...hey, it's the most wonderful time of the year, right? I can't wait to see what our dorm looks like when Christmas season actually rolls around! (shh don't tell her that I don't consider October 11 to be during Christmas season)
So my adventures tonight include studying oodles and oodles for upcoming tests, but more importantly, "Catholic dinner" at my church. It's only the third time I've been, but still I am super pumped! I'm hoping to get really involved there. I'm just loving church and my new church friends. and loving life in general. whoohooo hey holla!
Today's been a weird weird weird day. I woke up at 6 to go running only to fall back asleep and not wake up until 9:04...for my 9:05 class. I sprinted over to my class, so no worries. I have to say though I've been approximately 3 steps behind the whole day. crazy.. but the good in this is that I got 9 hours of sleep last night. DID YA HEAR!? 9 WHOLE HOURS! it was glorious.
That being said, the best part of my day today absolutely hands down has to be the music in java city, the coffee shop inside the library. While I sit here puzzled by my looming physics homework, the music quietly comforts whatever this "oops-I-woke-up-late" thing that has plagued my mind today. So today, I'm thankful for the good music taste of Java city. I mean, I walked in and they were playing "Momma Mia" by ABBA. How can you not smile when you hear that song?
Eons ago on facebook, I accidentally signed up for a silly application titled "God Wants You To Know" where daily messages would appear. I hadn't looked at it in a while because, while they are cute and fun little messages reassuring you of the good in the world, I just found them to be altogether pointless. I don't believe that this is actually God speaking through facebook; however, I do believe that everything happens for a reason. God must have inspired me to check today's message because it hit home better than babe ruth.
the message read,
Prayer is when you talk to God. Meditation is when you become quiet and listen to God. You've learned how to talk and ask well. Time to learn how to listen and hear, because God has been answering you.
So now I'm learning how to listen. I'm taking time to spend in solitude with myself to seek God, find peace, and refocus myself. Today marks the first day of this new endeavor. Currently, I am sitting outside in the beautiful amphitheater with the most beautiful weather you've ever seen. I just sat. and admired creation. and tried to listen. It struck me that I hadn't had time to myself and actually enjoyed it since I'd been at Clemson. (I say actually enjoyed it because my suitemates and roommate left this weekend and I was alone...needless to say I roamed the halls to find friends or just hung out with other peeps) So now I'm dedicating myself to listening, and to taking time alone to hear what God wants me to know in my life.
and plus...I wouldn't have seen a really cool grasshoper had I not had this time of solitude!
I'm not good enough to hit it big, but I have a small glimmer of hope that I could maybe one day have a one time hit single. That would be so ideal. I wouldn't have to worry about crazy paparazzi or stalkers, and I could proceed in living my life as a normal person once my one-time stardom burns out (if i'm even normal in the first place...)
Just imagine. get your 15 minutes of fame, rock out on a huge stage with lots of people, and then be able to go home at the end of the day without so much as a second thought.
then continue on to do something else awesome.
cause life's too short not to be.
whoop whoop!
Here's a song I wrote last summer...don't h8. I know it's cheezy. and it doesn't sound very good... but what the hey.
and for kicks and giggles and as an added bonus, here's a vid of me singing a song I posted to my sister's wall. I really do miss that girl.
For the past week I've been plugging and chugging to get all of my school work done. You see, dear readers, I had my first architecture project due this week. A very daunting task, it took me half of forever to get this thing done. The final rough draft was due today, so I'll add a few touch ups and turn it in for real on Monday! We had to map campus and record our experience. Here's a few pictures for your fancy.
My daily sleeping schedule is so out of wack right now. I usually go to bed somewhere north of 1:00 AM and wake up at 6:50...unless I crash on the futon and oversleep. When I wake up, I take a leap of faith from my lofted bed onto the futon every morning. As of late, that's where I've remained for a while until I can muster up the strength to combat my exhaustion and jump in the shower. I didn't do that one day this week however, I slept straight through my physics class. I swear if anything can bring me down in college, the futon will definitely be my downfall.
I'm just jumping in for a flash to tell of our adventures of late. The next collection of photos are compiled from accidental adventures that we stumbled upon on the verge of exploration around Clemson. you never know what any day will bring!
I am sitting in the library.. on a friday afternoon...just trying to get some homework done before the weekend. While this seems like the least interesting thing about my life, I just want you all to know that I am absolutely loving clemson. I miss my family and friends so much, but these new horizons are just invigorating (especially when they have a few mountains dotted on them).
And dear readers, if you were wondering, the school part of school is going pretty swell too. I actually had my first real architecture project. Granted, we were just instructed to construct a 2in x 2in x 2in box out of matte board. Regardless, I set up camp in the hallway, blasted music, and worked away on my little project. This was a great opportunity to meet new friends (or scare them off..) and wake the first floor of my dorm up for once. I even played my guitar up and down the halls to invite people to cookie break. Needless to say, it was ineffective. Seriously, the first floor is just not happening 97% of the time. maybe it's just an honors dorm thing....
Also, I reaallllllllllllllllllllyyyyyyyyyyyyy love meeting all of these new people. Especially in the beginning like this, everything is an open possibility. Really, anything could happen. Lots and Lots and Lots of new and awesome people. It's awesome. I've even made friends with the dining hall workers. I guess that's what happens when you spend more time in the cafeteria than you do the library. maybe I should make friends with the library workers..
A few of my new friends make fun of me for knowing so many people already. I know, it might be a little creepy when I just go up to random folks and barge in with "Hi I'm Kat, I'm from Louisiana. Want to be friends?" but it seems to be working out just fine. Well, most of the time. There are a few people that stare at me like I'm literally insane (I might be just a little), but people are generally welcoming for the most part. Actually, Clemson was voted #2 happiest students. and believe me, I can attest to this fact. I'm happier than ever and already bleeding orange. Go tigers! (both of them!)
Speaking of meeting people, I've met quite a few characters. You know those people that just add interesting spice to life?! Well since I've met a ton of people, I've also met my fair share of these gems. While the stories are too many to reiterate now, I will tell you that I met a nerd that told me I was beautiful and I had toned legs. Creepy? absofrickinlutely.
regardless, I am flattered.
There are a few downfalls to college, but I can only think of one right now. That one downfall would be my sleeping schedule. There is always something to do and someone to hang out with! I just never sleep anymore. I just like to think that I don't sleep that much so I can take advantage of all the opportunities that Clemson University has afforded me. whoop whoop yeah!
I hate to be so scatterbrained, but yet another fun thing about life is how many people that know how to play the guitar in college. Jam sessions until 3 am are the best. Hey you have a 9 am class? who cares! see previous paragraph about not sleeping. once again, the college experience > sleep. alwayz.
well dear readers, that is everything that you should want to hear about my present life. lots of things are happening and it is all such a whirlwind. I truly am thankful for these abundant opportunities and the many graces God has placed in my life. Life rocks!
situation #1 So you're sitting alone and you want to know how you're hair looks but you're without your handy dandy pocket mirror. What to do?
situation #2 you're looking very fly, but there's no one near to take your picture to prove to your friends that, yes, you indeed can be cute. How do you act?
situation #3 you're with your fave peeps and you want to commemorate the special occasion with a photo. You also want all of these "peeps" to be in this said photo. What course of action do you take?
Clearly the most logical way to proceed in any or all of these situations is to result to only one thing: the selfie. We've all done it. Admittedly, some more than others. Yes, we've all sunken down to that level where we stick out the arm and click that picture of ourselves. Despite the negative connotation of the selfie, this practice has become increasingly more popular. Even many phones these days encourage the selfie. For instance, the iphone 4 blatantly encourages such actions with it's tempting double camera (yes, you can see yourself and take a picture at the same time!)
For your enjoyment dearest readers, I've collected a montage of selfies from my phone.
I even walked all around campus to find my classes for tomorrow. Knowing me, I'd probably still get lost.
There's something legitimately wrong with me...I cannot for the life of me find my way around ANYWHERE. I get lost everywhere. whaaaaaaaaaaaaatttttt!??
but I'm feeling a little bit confident in my GPSing skills... hopefully.
I don't know what to think. This is so exciting/scary!
Last night I fell asleep deathly afraid that I would sleep talk or walk. I've been known to do such things, so it was a legitimate worry. The worst part about it, I never remember doing it so I could have potentially annoyed the bonkers out of my roommate! hope not...fingers crossed...
and now off to find the church! pray for me...hahahaha
