I have it good.
No- really. I have it really, really good.

My parents are here visiting me, as they do every year around Halloween.
I got to just sit and talk to them last night about life and all the things that were making me crazy... and they talked to me, prayed with me, and encouraged me. I feel relieved, lighter, and so thankful. I really have an amazing family.

My friends are also pretty awesome. I love spending time with them, or having phone/Skype dates when possible with those that are a little farther away.

It's the end of October and 66 degrees and sunny, and I love it. If it could be this warm all the time, I would be happy as a clam. I just can't get the hang of that winter stuff, despite growing up in the midwest.

I have a crazy work week this week- with three (sort of four) overnights, on top of my classes. In less than a week, I'll be putting in over 40 hours. Which stressed me out a lot, then I remembered that a) I like overnights and b) that's quite a bit of money- just in time for Christmas shopping!

So... though I'm one holiday ahead, that's some stuff I'm thankful for.

Happy Halloween.

Food For Thought

Not sure what exactly I think of everything said in this, but it certainly is interesting.

How to feed the world ? from Denis van Waerebeke on Vimeo.

A list of things that make me exceptionally happy:

- Getting exams over with
- Naps
- Coffee (and chai)
- Bacon
- Fuzzy blankets
- My roommates
- Silly pictures
- Sweatpants and sweatshirts
- Seeing items or hearing songs that have people I love associated with them





Also- Entirely unrelated thought: "Lean not on your own understanding." Just challenged the pants off me. About two seconds ago. I think I'll be realing for a while.

I always get so excited when I see that someone has posted a new blog... so I thought I'd post one, and maybe make someone else happy. I'm not sure what I have to say yet.

Last night, I worked at Banana Republic until 6 am. We put tons of stuff on sale, and it pretty much took that time to mark it all down. Which means.... Holiday stuff comes in soon! We've already got some jackets and sweaters and boots, but they are about to come in like ants at a picnic! I'm a summer person, mostly... but OH, do I love sweaters and hoodies and coffee and big, cozy comforters, and red and brown and yellow leaves... and apple cider! Fall is coming, slowly (we're scheduled for a nearly-ninety degree day this week!) but it's coming. Huzzah.

I heard a sermon the other day on the biblical view of women. He talked about the difference between what our culture tells us about ourselves versus what the Bible shows to be true, and he challenged us to fast for a week of all TV, movies, music, and magazines that project a wrong view of women. It's been really hard- I never really thought about how the television shows I watch show skewed versions of women, or how much music on the radio blasts wrong depictions of women, relationships, etc, at us.

School is back in full swing, and I'm enjoying it. I am rather ready to be done, though. Which brings up all those questions about the future. I am just as clueless about life after May as I was this summer...

Speaking of summer- I love seeing my summer roommates around campus- it makes me super happy. I just love them... AND I love my new roommates, Joy, Heather, and Meredith. They are just the cutest thing ever, and they're so sweet. I'm so blessed by the people I live with, just in encouragement and in a million different ways every day.

From an early age, we are taught the value of comparison. From homework assignments asking us "which circle is bigger?" to "which sentence is written correctly?" we have had ingrained in us the idea of comparison.
As we get a little older, we begin learning other things to compare- whose clothes are nicer, which backpack is cooler, and which classmate is more fun to play with on the playground.
The doozie hits in early adolescence-- Comparing attractiveness. She's prettier, and therefore, more favorable as a friend. He's cuter, so I'll have a crush on him. Comparisons teach us- how to behave, how to dress, how to be well-liked, and even who to avoid. With this so ingrained in us, we continue on in this fashion pretty much forever.
I've been thinking a lot about this recently. I've thought of many times in my life when I didn't know how to behave, so I watched others. I've thought of how I've justified by behaviors because I'm not as bad as they are. I've treated people differently based on their comparitive level of attractiveness. And I think if you're being really honest- so have you.
I've been trying to compare less recently- which is really hard, when we've all been trained to do it. But I need to remember that if I have to justify my actions because others are doing worse, I probably still shouldn't be acting like that, speaking like that, or whatever. If I don't know how to act or dress or something, I should do what I like to do, what I like to wear, etc. I should be comfortable in being myself, whether or not it's exactly how everybody else is doing things.
Anyways, take some time, evaluate how often you compare yourself and others. How often do you justify? How often do you take cues that don't matter at all? Think about it... act on it.

Things that have changed

I have all these grand aspirations of inspiring blogs, witty blogs, even mildly elloquent blogs... But instead, all that pops into my head are lists. I am a list maker by nature, so I guess... the list-blogs are what comes naturally. I do have a few deeper thoughts to go into at a later date... but not today. I'm sort of sleepy and don't have the wherewithal to be inspiring, witty, or elloquent. So I'm settling. And that, readers, means you will too.
So without further ado... a list of things that have changed since the last time I blogged.


- I have a new laptop. It's a little Asus notebook I've named Asa. It's tiny and I love it.
- Both my roommates have moved out... well, one has returned from England and THEN moved out, if we want to get technical. But they're both in their new apartment. I have four or five days until I move into my apartment for the school year, although I've already begun moving things over. I'm hoping it's a rather seamless transition come Saturday, moving only me and the last little bits left over.
- I have new things for our apartment! Like a toaster, and a silverware set, and a canister set for the counter... yay!
- I have done two more overnights at the Nanner. I really enjoy them, for I am a night person. And I really like the people I work with. I may have decided that I will continue to do overnights through the school year. I am taking such a small credit load, it may be possible to keep doing them.
- My sister goes to college for the first time this Saturday. It doesn't seem like she's really looking forward to it, but I think she'll be wonderful.
- Classes start in one week from today. Not particularly looking forward to this, to be honest... but it's the last school year, I think!
- New ideas for the future are rolling around in my head. I won't mention them, because I know at least one person will say to me (five years down the road) "But I thought you were going to *fill in the blank*" when really it was just an idea, and not an actual decision at all.
- I got bangs. I went home last weekend to see my family, and especially my sister. She and I decided to have a hair adventure, and the result is bangs for me. I like them, though they get in my eyes a lot.


See? Nothing insightful, and not much that is too interesting, either. But another change is coming, a final school year, and maybe when my brain gets working again, I will have some fascinating blogs for you.

Gah! It has been so long since I've blogged... or it seems that way to me. I have had all sorts of ideas for great posts, but none have come to fruition. This is because of my silly laptop, and its decision to have the battery be all but dead. The plug won't stay plugged in, so you have to hold it... which means typing one-handed, lest the computer die almost immediately.
So... a new laptop is in the works... at least, I've been saving up the last few paychecks in preparation... And when it comes, don't you worry- you'll be hit by a ton of new blog posts, all witty and full of inspiration. Or... you know, the normal weird stuff I come up with...