WHOA INAUGURATION!

PHEW! 

Life in DC from the 18th-20th has been particularly interesting and out of the ordinary! 

Only now is life returning to the usual, boring routine of classes, rehearsals, blah, blah, blah... 

I feel really cool to be a resident of Washington, DC. I've said it a million times and I'll say it again-- I absolutely LOVE living here! Where else can someone walk down the street and see the opening Inaugural ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial and watch actors and singers speak and perform? 

It's so interesting talking to people outside of this city. I really feel like they're ignorant as to what's really going on. My mom is still convinced that Obama got elected because he is black and that the only people who don't like him are racist--what?! 

Obama got elected for several reasons: But I think it's mainly because he promises change from George Bush's administration and policies. No one wants Bush anymore and what's more promising than a young, charismatic, and America-loving person? He just happened to be African-American and make history. 

It's so interesting to see just how worlds apart I am from home... and it's only 1800 miles. CRAZY! 

2009 school year!!

Well classes have officially started and are well on their way! 

And I gotta say.. I have a nose for good classes! 

Multivariable Calculus is going to be fun. I'm so excited!! 

Abnormal Psych... with the abnormal teacher. SO funny.. she cracks me up. 

Criminology will be with my favorite  professor

Socio-cultural Anthro--- I LOVE my professor! He's SO awesome. If I were like 30 years older I'd have a crush on him. lol. 

And choir and voice lessons of course. 

O and swimming.. holy cow I'm taking 7 classes. But three of them are kind of lame-sauce classes so whatever. 

I think this semester is going to be really fun. Stressful yes. BUT I think it's going to be really good. I'm finally getting to the point where I'm studying the things that I am interested in. I'm no longer studying things that people tell me to study simply because they want me to. I don't have required classes that have nothing to do with what I WANT to do. I mean, I know that is useful knowledge and its good for high school and middle school minds. But all through high school, all I could think was, "Man I can't wait to get out there and start studying the things that I WANT to study!" And here we are! It's kind of a dream come true... lame dream. But one that many people don't have the opportunity to fulfill. Once again I find myself thanking God for letting me live in America with a good and supportive family. 

This is it. This is my life now. I'm studying things that have to do with people, culture, and crime. And I LOVE it. 

2009

... is off to a start. 

Neither good nor bad. But nothing disastrous has happened to me (so far). So that's definitely something to be thankful for. :)

Last night was fun. A bunch of my church friends and I went downtown for the 9 pm fireworks show. (Which was LAMMMEE). But after that we all came to my house for movies, food, and pool. It was fun-celebrating New Years with some of my closest and best friends. It was good. 

Andrea spent the night so she wouldn't die at 2 in the morning by drunk driver. And the morning was great to just hang out and talk and whatnot. She and I are a lot alike. And I love that. I relate to her more than most people in my life. Which is why we get along so well. Yay Andrea! 

2009 is here, whether we like it or not. 

Here we go: the first 21 hours of 2009 for me. 

CONS:

-My best friend and her boyfriend of three year broke up a few days ago. 

---she's heartbroken and so is he. They're both needing companionship and love. They both still want it from each other-but know that it's not possible. Being a mutual friend, I am helping out both sides and I love them both. I will always be there for both of them. But it's difficult seeing two friends I love suffer through pain. 

-My friend Manuel and I want to hang out but it may be very difficult since I leave on Tuesday. 

-I've been feeling incredibly and increasingly lonely for the past few days.

PROS:

-I wrote a lullaby today. :)

-My family and I have had a great day so far.

-I have had time to read for fun-something that doesn't happen at school

-My friends rock

It's a good year I think. So far. Hahaha--the first 21 hours at least. :D

Hello 2009--I hope we get along. 

Twilight

Everyone has been raving about this novel series, starting with Twilight. 

So. I'm in Barnes and Noble (one of my FAVE stores) and I happen across a paperback copy priced at $11. That's a goooodd price! So, on a bit of a whim, I buy it. Just to see what all the fuss is about. 

For those of you who don't know, the series is about a human and a vampire falling in love, but obviously it has some twists that a "normal" love story would lack! Anyways, I finished reading this book last night. (I bought it Saturday.. I have time on breaks! woot)..

....

and the verdict...

It was good. Not great, but good. And I certainly disagree with any person who says it is the new Harry Potter series. You're wrong. I got into the novel. And vampire stories have always fascinated me for whatever reason (O... there's the tiny bit of goth in Jeenie?). I loved how utterly in love the two characters were with one another. And I loved how everything was depicted--the limitations on touch they had, what first attracted them to one another, etc. It was a different vampire story than what I'm used to. The only thing that constantly bothered me was how annoying that girl was!! She would just get mad at random, small things and it really irritated me. But then again, so did he.. at least he has the excuse of being a vampire! (I always imagined them very moody... what would be bipolar to a human. lol) And the fact that they made obsession look like romance... I didn't like that either. I dislike the movie The Notebook for that very reason. But I guess you can get away with a lot when there's a vampire in the story. How strange. 

I'm not going to lie. The book really called out to my punk-dark side. Not in the evil sense of the word. More just my fascination for the darker side of everything. I don't like it... but I am intrigued. Hence the criminal justice major. I don't like rapists and murderers.. but something about them intrigues me. First, put them behind bars-- then psychoanalyze them. If God wills, my life will revolve around the darker side of humanity. And as strange as it is-- I can't wait. I want to bring just a smidgeon more of justice into this dying, pathetic world. If that's what I'm meant to do, I'll do it with flying colors. IF being the key word. 

Overall I'd recommend the book. I'm going to try and read the next one--although I don't think I'll buy it. We'll see I suppose. It's captured my attention better than I thought it would. :D

Hallelujah!

Merry CHRISTmas everybody!!!!

I have some praise to share! :D

Last night my brother and I got bored and decided to hang out in my room. Somehow, he mentioned something on evolution. Well this definitely got a conversation started. He said he believed it because there was "proof" and whatnot--to which I said, "It's called a THEORY. There's evidence, but not proof." Anyways he tried to use his argument of science being able to disprove Creationism. I loved that. Why? Because I believe God created science and the more I study it, the more I'm convinced. So what did I do? Being the nerd I am, I pulled out a periodic table. That's right. I showed him all the periodic trends--size of elements, electronegativity, etc. Then I showed him how it all seemed to be perfect. It is. The only thing we humans did was put it in numerical order. Anyways, we got into this huge conversation. 

He was under the impression that good people go to heaven and bad people go to hell. I quickly disproved that. And I explained to him how I don't blame people when they say they hate Christians--the only ones they see are the crazy ones. People who protested Heath Ledger's funeral because he played a gay cowboy in a movie once--those people, I would argue, are not convicted by Christ. I tried to explain to him how the most important basis of Christianity is love--but not the love he knows. True love. I pulled out Scripture verses. He asked me about Judaism. He asked me a whole bunch of really awesome questions!!! And I am like a million percent sure God was talking because I might have been stumped by some of those. Thank God! 

Anyways that's my praise today everyone!

Merry Christmas. Keep the CHRIST in Christmas and always remember:: Jesus is the reason for the season! 

Dear World,

You suck. 

Hard core. And I hate you. 

(I'm ok. I just needed to get that out.)

:)

I love Colorado. 

Broncos lost today. That sucked. 

BUT I got to hang out with my bestest and that was all awesome. 

I went to church at Riverside Baptist this morning!! O it feels so good to be home. It's welcoming to think of the wonderful people who all helped me start my real Walk with Christ. What a blessing these people are. 

Andrea is leaving January 8th for YWAM--a missionary program. She'll be gone for six months, first training in Hawaii and then going to wherever the Lord leads her team. 

Sam is also leaving with YWAM, either in January or May. Either way he'll be gone for two full years--living among those who are afflicted and lost. 

There is no doubt in my heart or mind that God will use these individuals and their teams to spread the Word and the Good News. And He will use every and any opportunity to preach salvation. I can't wait to hear about updates and awesome conversions! And I can't wait to see how God works in each of them. 

I miss all my friends from my home church. So much. I am so happy to be home.