Graduation

This Friday will be my third time to graduate from an educational institute (didn't that sound smart?), but I've never been more excited than I am this time.

When I graduated from high school I was excited...but it was mostly because I was 18, I thought I was super cool, and my best friend, Desiree, and I were having a fun party and getting our belly buttons pierced that night (oh my). I was excited to be through with high school, but I was also a little scared and intimidated about entering into the "real world" of approaching adulthood. I was in the "what the heck am I going to do?" mode. What was my major going to be in college? (this would take me years to figure out) Was I going to like college? I wasn't exactly ready to be pushed from the nest yet.

When I graduated from college, it was bittersweet. It was time to move on, but I loved HBU. HBU was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I will always look back on those years with warm, fuzzy feelings in my heart. However, upon graduation from HBU, I was also, once again, kind of in "what the heck am I going to do?" mode. Haha. I had chosen fun liberal arts majors that translated into no obvious job opportunities.

Grad school seemed like a good answer. Kind of the sweet extension of college days - flexible schedule, time for naps, mom and dad still pay for some stuff. Oh, Lord, was I wrong, wrong, wrong (well mom and dad did pay for some stuff... :).

Now, in less than 1 week, I am graduating from graduate school. Hmm. I feel...well, we would need to sit down with a cup of coffee and a couple of free hours (maybe a whole afternoon) in order for me to explain to you how I feel. Suffice to say, I feel a mixture of extreme, overwhleming, awe-inspiring relief and joy. Not just pure joy, but the kind of joy that comes after you've gone through something very difficult - like the flu, running a marathon (like I've done that), or staying up all night (literally) to write a paper - and it's finally over. You feel good, but you also feel exhausted and like you need to rest, a lot. Recover. That's what I need to do. Recover from my grad school experience.

So, anyway, this is the countdown. Tonight I turned in (via email) my last school assigments ever. Wednesday I have one final. Thursday is graduation practice and Friday is THE DAY. Then, the Sunday after graduation (1 week from today), AJ and I are leaving for San Francisco for a whole week. Then it will be the Christmas holidays. So many fun things are ahead. The worst of grad school (and there was a lot of worst) is over. I almost can't believe it...

Home Sweet Home

Today I said good bye to my seminary home. We moved several weeks ago and finished cleaning it the week before Thanksgiving. Today, I just went to do the final touches, including spackling the holes in the walls from all the stuff we had hung up. I used my seminary ID to spread and scrape the spackling. Haha! I mean, I won't be needing it ever again really...

I really haven't been sad about moving at all, but today I felt a little nostalgic. I even cried a few (very brief) tears. Not for the home itself, of course, but just for all the memories. I lived there for over 2 years. That's the longest I've ever lived anywhere that wasn't with my parents. I was not always happy when I lived in that house, but I also learned invaluable lessons about life, relationships, and Jesus while I lived in that house. 

I've been feeling differently since moving to the new house.

Every once in a while, I really like to spend a whole day at home. But most days, I like to go places! Work, school, shopping, out to eat - I love to be out in a city. In college, I hardly spent any time in my dorm or apartment. I spent lots of time at Starbucks, Einstein's, La Madeleine and any where else I could study and drink coffee. 

The only place I've ever really, truly felt at home is my parents' house. 

But that's all changing now. I'm finding great joy in just being at home. And making home a place that is truly a home and not just a place to shower, sleep, and store my stuff. I want to cook meals at home instead of going out to eat, I want to make coffee at home instead of wasting my money at Starbucks. This fall I realized that ONE pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks cost over $3. At the grocery store, you can buy an ENTIRE bottle of pumpkin spice coffee creamer and have 20+ cups of coffee (not all in one day, I hope) for about the same price! And everything just tastes better & healthier when it's made at home.

If the Lord one day decides to bless me with a family of my own, I want to teach my kids that home is a place to love and cherish (...until death do you part. ha).

As soon as we get finished decorating (which is HARD to do while studying for finals and writings papers) I will post pictures of my new home :)

New House, Be Nice, & Graduation

I cannot even begin to explain to you how much I love my new house. We moved this weekend and it is even more fantastic with our stuff in it! We haven't unpacked everything yet, but I am already SO happy. And that has been a long time coming... In this season of my life, this home is perfect in pretty much every way. Once, it's all settled, I'll post pictures :)

On another note, having a kind employer really makes a huge difference. I've had jobs where my boss was rude to me and it really impacted my attitude while at work. Right now, I have a boss who is so exceptionally kind to me, and you know what? It makes me want to be a really, really, good employee.

Changing the subject again, I'm less than a month away from graduation. Really 2 weeks of classes, 1 week of Thanksgiving, and 1 week of finals. I've made a list of the assignment, large and small, that stand between me and freedom. Almost. Finished. Then, 2 days after graduation, AJ and I are going to San Francisco for a week. I don't think I'm going to be able to handle all the good things that are happening and about to happen.

I'm so glad the desert time is over.

I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart; 

I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.

I will be filled joy because of you.

I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.

My enemies retreated; 

they staggered and died when you appeared.

For you have judged in my favor;

from your throne you have judged with fairness.

Psalm 9:1-4 NLT

You know what I love? That God continually leads me to see things from different perspectives. Just when I feel passionate about one side, He leads me to see the other side and understand where the passionate people on that side are coming from. I love that. It tends to take away some of my passion, but that's ok because my passion comes from my limited, human mindset and I'll gladly trade it in for compassion, understanding, and love for others. I want more than anything to be passionate about loving the LORD and loving people. 

Take the recent presidential election, for instance. In the past I was very much on the conservative, Republican side. This time I was on Obama's side. I love it that I feel like I can understand both sides now. I don't have to completely agree or disagree with either side. I'm not saying I completely understand this, because there's no way that I could, but when I try to imagine what Obama's election means to black Americans, it fills me with joy. Life can be hard and I'm pretty sure God's wants us to all be in it together. We do need each other. 

In other news...my parents & brother came this past weekend to celebrate my birthday (since I was out of state the actual weekend). Of course we hung out in Dallas all day on Saturday. I got to open my birthday presents outside of The Corner Bakery, after eating a Sprinkles cupcake (heaven!). I got an i-pod touch! Eventually I want an i-phone, but until that distant day (I don't want to pay the phone bill), I got an i-pod touch. I'm obsessed! Email at my fingertips at all times! Haha. It was a very fun weekend. 

What else? Oh, I stayed up until 7 AM Monday night...or was that Tuesday morning? Yeah. I hadn't stayed up the whole night in a really long time and I hope I don't ever again. It was awful. But I did write a 15 page paper on schizophrenia. Not my best work...but probably the last research paper I'll ever write. I've been in school since I was 4. That's roughly 22 years. I graduate in 37 days. I have 12 more assignments standing between me and freedom from my education. I can feel it :)

The O-lympics, Kolaches, the Outlet Mall, and School

Like everyone else in the world, I've been watching the Olympics. This has been a very good Olympics, in my opinion, especially where gymnastics is concerned. With the women's team gold, the men's team bronze, Nastia's all-around gold, Nastia's and Shawn's medals in floor exercise, Johnathan's silver in high bar, and now Shawn's gold on beam it feels like it's been a very satisfying Olympic experience for the Americans. Even with all the scoring controversies and possibly-underage-Chinese-girls. I've been proud of the US team!

On the local news they featured a lady whose son is on the US track team and she said, "that's my baby, in the O-lympics!" It made me laugh and smile - he's a 20-something, huge, track star, but he's still her baby. :)

Yesterday was one of my last and only days of true summer freedom, so AJ and I went to the outlet mall in Hillsboro, outside of Waco. Yeah, it wasn't exactly a thriving outlet mall - nothing like the one in San Marcos. But it was really fun nonetheless, and I got 2 new pairs of Nine West shoes, 2 pairs of Nike shorts, 1 sweater from the Gap, and some icing decorating tips. Not bad! I was excited. We also stopped in West, outside of Waco, and got kolaches! So good!

Yes, school officially starts tomorrow. It's my last semester and I'll be taking Abnormal Psychology, Great Themes of the Old Testament, The Counselor as a Professional, and Elective Piano (private lessons :). I'm not too excited about any of these classes, but they don't look that bad either and it will be nice to be taking 10 hours instead of my usual 12. And...no counseling! For the first time in a year, I won't have any clients. This makes me happy. December 12 is graduation day - and as much as I can't wait for that day, I really want to enjoy this semester and finish strong as far as my school work goes. I have a lot of fun activities planned for this fall and I think that will make the school part and studying easier. Hopefully...