ONE MORE WEEK!!

(Ok, ok, two weeks, but one more week of classes, and then finals.)

I'm so excited. Not that you could tell or anything, I'm sure.

Next week is dead week, which the school in it's desire to be more PC has deemed quiet week. Quiet week? That makes it sound like we're all going to be relaxing and taking naps all week. Ha! Why not call it like it is? Dead week is much more fitting.

Also...so, I want to continue with the Days of Grace thing, but I can't keep listing 5 things I am thankful for. I know, it sounds like I am trying to get out of being thankful. But I assure you, I am not. It's just that it's difficult to think of 5 things to share with you every day, because so much of what I'm thankful for are the little things that wouldn't seem significant to anyone else, they're just things I thank God for in prayer. So, I am going to try to post 1 thing I am thankful for with every entry, rather than 5.

I am thankful that God always listens.

The Guy's Bible Study...and Me

Every Thursday night I have been going to this Bible study a guy from my church leads at a coffee shop here in town. It is aimed toward people who are 18-29 years old or so, and most of the people are usually about college-age or just finished with college fairly recently. Usually there are 10 or so people, with maybe 4-5 girls including me. Well...that wasn't the case tonight. 10 people did in fact show up, but 9 of them were guys, and 1 of them (me) was a girl. It was still a good study, it just bordered on the slightly awkward side as the guys were all talking with each other about guy stuff. That's not to say they didn't talk with me also, just you know, I was feelin' a bit like a girl in a guy's Bible study :)

Today, I am thankful:
1. That I did well on my math midterm that I took last week--I got a 106% on it! All that studying paid off :)
2. For snow covered mountains. I was driving home from school yesterday and noticed that they looked incredibly beautiful and majestic.
3. There are only 2 more weeks of winter term!! (2 days of Spanish and 2 days of art history left!)
4. I had a good time in practicum today (as always). I helped 3 groups of kids with practing their spelling words, like I do every week. It challenging...especially because the kids I work with are the kids who are at the lowest reading level. Most of them are reading well below grade level, actually. It's hard to get them to focus, and when they do, it's hard to watch as they can't read simple words like "her" or "river" when they are in first grade. But at the same time, I enjoy helping them and find it really rewarding when they start to catch on.
5. I can sleep in tomorrow! Well, compared to this morning, anyway. I can get up tomorrow morning the same time I was already at the elementary school this morning.

Weekend Stuff and Days of Grace #8

Well, it's the end of another weekend. How is it that the weekends always go by so fast? Yesterday I worked pretty much all day and then I went to the mall to be in the 3rd(?) annual Valentine's Day (a little late this year) family photo with my mom, sister, nieces, and my sister's mother-in-law. While the people with the money (the adults minus me) were deciding which pictures they wanted to buy afterwards, us girls (including two of my nieces, Baylee, 8, and Rylie, 6) spent our time smelling the Yankee candles that were on display outside of the photo place at JC Penny. I know, who spends their time smelling candles? But it was that or take them to look at stuff in other stores, so I opted for staying close and checking out the candles.

After that was all done, my friend Chelsea and I went to church. It's pretty exciting that Chelsea has been coming to church with me, because she hadn't been going to church regularly for months now. Then I invited her to come with me a couple weeks ago, and the message really spoke to her heart, so she's been coming with me lately. We're even both going on the college retreat that my church is going to have in a few weeks! I can't wait.

Then last night after church we watched A Walk to Remember. I know it's not the most realistic movie and Jamie does the whole missionary dating thing...but I still love the movie. I'm pretty sure I cried my way through the whole second half though. But I want to watch it again!

Today was pretty much like last Sunday. I spent pretty much all day on homework. I will be SO HAPPY when this term is over! There's just this week, then "dead" week (how fun), and then finals week, then spring break! So I basically just have to get through the next couple of weeks. I don't really mind finals week. I actually kind of like it. There's no homework or essays or anything, just studying and tests. I can handle that! Unfortunately, my final project for Spanish (which I have been dreading all term) is due on Wednesday (the first draft anyway), along with a test on subjunctive (which I completely don't understand), and then the Wednesday after is when I have to give a horrid 10 minutes presentation about my final project. I'm still trying to stretch out my 4 page paper into a 6 page one, so I haven't started making a powerpoint yet. Sigh.

Ok, now time for being thankful :)

1. The girl at Kinkos today scanned a copy of my transcript onto a flash drive for me and didn't charge me for it. I think she was supposed to, but we got to talking while she was working and then she told me that it was free and to have a nice day.
2. I only have to go to Spanish class 4 more times!!
3. I guess all of the studying I did paid off, because the math midterm that I took on Friday was super easy! I hope I did as well as I'm thinking I did!
4. Ok so this didn't happen today, but I guess my mom was talking with my niece, Baylee, a few days ago about American Girl dolls or something, and Baylee said that if she could pick any of their names to have for herself, she'd pick Ashley. I just thought that was cute. :)
5. I had dinner tonight with a friend for free, because she had gift certificates! I'm always thankful for free food.

Days of Grace #...7?

1. My band prof didn't say a word to me about how I skipped class. Yeah!
2. The Kutless concert was awesome! Although I ended up leaving before Kutless was done because they didn't start playing until about 9:30 (the concert started at 7:00 but there were 3 bands before them.) There weren't any chairs or anything, so after 3 hours standing in a hot, crowded room full of crazy people, we ended up leaving. But the part of Kutless' performance that I saw was GREAT. Seriously, it was really, really good.
3. My speech for Spanish is DONE! (Of course, my final paper and project aren't, but eh...)
4. We had DVR installed over the weekend. It's so cool.
5. Mounds bars. (Notice how nearly every time I share what I'm thankful for, at least one of the things is food/chocolate? I love food.)
Actually, scratch that.
Real #5. My wondeful mom, who gave me the Mounds bar.

Ashley the REBEL!

I am such of a rebel today--I am skipping my first class (ever, I think)! You see, I was going to go to each of my classes today, and then sprint out of my last class (band) so that I could make it to the Kutless concert tonight which I am super excited for, I just figured I might miss dinner but no biggie. But then I found out that my 2:00 class was canceled today because the teacher is sick (coincidentally, this is my Spanish class, the one I spent about 5 HOURS doing homework for yesterday, and the class that I was supposed to have a speech in). So, I had a dilemma. I could either hang out for another 2 hours (I had already been hanging out for 2 hours, since my last class ended at 11:50. But I went to SOMA, it was good. Anyway.) and then go to my band class, which was supposed to end early today if it went as planned, and then race to the concert. OR...I could come home, relax, write a blog, do some homework, and actually make it to the conert on time.

Guess which one I chose?

You're right! I chose the latter. But I have to admit that even as I write this, I'm feeling a bit guilty. I'm not a class skipper! I'm not really a rebel! The closest I've come to skipping a class was that time in high school when some friends and I left a band class to go to Wendy's and have a frosty and fries and then we went back to class (but, in my defense, it wasn't really class that day. we were supposed to sit in the auditorium for 1 1/2 hours and watch some play rehearsal or something.) (side note: What is it with band? I never skip anything else.)

So, now that I've gotten that off my chest, I am going to go enjoy the next couple of hours before I leave for the concert. While trying not to feel bad about being a skipper.

Here are my 5 things I'm thankful for today:
1. The lovely sun and wind that was in Ashland today
2. Not having to give my speech in Spanish today. Whew!
3. My math midterm being postponed until Friday.
4. The Kutless concert!!
5. That I think I have my schedule figured out for next term finally. And that, in an email, my advisor said that I am "thoughtful and make good decisions!" Ha. :)

Days of Grace #5

1. Paychecks!!
2. Clean sheets.
3. Italian sodas...so good.
4. That time of the evening when the sky is light blue and the clouds are all dark and mysterious looking.
5. The book Personality Plus (I bought it yesterday, and have read most of it already).

Days of Grace #4

1. The teaching tonight at Bible study. It was one of those things where I pretty much felt like the pastor was speaking directly to me. Basically about everything I wrote about yesterday.

2. 1st graders! They are so cute. Today, I was:

-told my face looks like this little girl's sister's face (told to me while I was leading a reading group...quite random)
-asked if I had new shoes (nope, exact same shoes I've worn the last 4 times I've gone [they're cute, ok?]) then told about his shoes
-asked about 3 times if I'd still be there when they got back from recess and lunch
-given a hug for no reason

I love it.

3. The Office.

4. http://stufffchristianslike.blogspot.com/

5. The auto-save feature on this. My internet explorer has frozen and restarted twice now, but this was saved.

SOU and Days of Grace #3

Here's the deal: if the professor for the education class that I was hoping to get into doesn't email me back soon (I wrote to him on Monday!) then I may take a martial arts PE class instead. Basically just because 1) this ed. class is the only one my advisor advised me to take instead of spanish, 2) I don't know what other class I can take instead because every other class I need is "upper division" and I'll be finishing up my "lower division" classes this term, 3) I would actually like to take one class just for fun, and 4) I've been wanting to start working out anyway, and a beginning martial arts/self-defense class would be a good way to make me do that. I actually LOVE to take the swimming PE class, but it's only offered when during the only time my astronomy class is offered. Maybe next year I'll take it.

Anyway. So I've been thinking a lot today. The past couple of weeks, actually. One thing we talk about in SOMA (it's a Bible study on campus) each week is our role as Christians on campus and reaching out to those on campus who aren't saved and just need some hope and truth in the midst of a dark school. What I've been really thinking about this week is how I want to do that--to reach out to others, to point them to Christ--but how I often I fail at that. Time to get honest and personal...basically, I am a fearful person. I inwardly fear what others think of me, worrying that I'll say or do the wrong thing. It frankly is something that holds me back, and I know it, but I don't know how to change it. It's not like I can simply say to myself, "self, stop worrying about what others will think. just do it. just say what you're thinking. raise your hand in class, participate in the prayer at Bible study, stop your heart from pounding and your hands from sweating." (well, I can say that to myself, I do in fact, but it doesn't help much.) It's something I've been praying about lately, because I realize that there's no way I can overcome any of it on my own.

Anyway, I didn't mean for this to be all about me--what I meant to say is that I've been feeling a bit disheartened this week because of the lack of hope--the lack of God--at SOU. There is one person in particular who has been in my mind over the last couple of weeks, ever since I overheard a conversation in which one person said her parents were worried that SOU was "turning her wiccan", and the other person responded with, "well, this school has turned me atheist!" I know that people make their own decisions, but I also believe that the school can have a strong influence on students. Hearing that person say that he considered the school responsible for his believing God doesn't exist...wow. I don't even know what to say.

So, I am praying that God will do both a work in me--taking away my hesitations and doubts, and replacing them with strength and courage--and in my school. I know that there are some positive things going on at SOU (various Bible studies that are encouraging the believers, discussions about God [in classes and in the newspaper...I just read an article today. it was actually pretty full of "we are all just looking for happiness, it doesn't matter what you believe", but at least it was a discussion and asking for opinions. i thought about writing in. i still may, if i can find the paper again because i didn't keep it] and such).

I just pray that God will do a work in the school, in the students, and in the people of Ashland. If you think about it this week, maybe you can pray also.

So I don't have to post another entry, here are the 5 things I'm thankful for today:
1. God's love, mercy, and strength.
2. Chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting.
3. Mornings that are warm enough that my the windshield of my car is not frozen.
4. Exams that are super easy.
5. Wind.

Days Of Grace #2

1. Finding $5 in my pocket yesterday that I thought I had lost.
2. SOMA Bible study on Mondays. It's so encouraging.
3. I have a test tonight in health class, which means that I will probably get home around 6:45 instead of around 8:30.
4. Yesterday my Spanish teacher told me that I'm a good student and she wished I'd continue taking Spanish classes, and then she proceeded to convince me by telling me what classes I could take to make it work. I'm writing this as something I'm thankful for, because I had no idea my professer thought I was any good at Spanish, and I was actually shocked that she told me that. All this term the class has been hard for me and I completely thought she didn't like me. Of course, she just made me even more confused and undecisive.
5. Friends.

DOG #1

There is this thing called "365 Days of Grace", in which you post five things that you are thankful for/that are good/that make you happy each day, which I found via my friend Brooke's blog. I've decided to participate as well, but since I probably won't be posting each day, I'm sure it will take me way longer than 365 days. But I'm going to try anyway. So, here we go...


1. Sunny, windy mornings.
2. See's chocolate left over from Valentine's Day. Yummm.
3. A job. Even when it involves me getting over my telophonophobia (this is a real word, which means "the persistent, abnormal, and unwarranted fear of telephones"...so, ok, I am not actually telophonophobic, but I don't feel all that comfortable talking to people I don't know about a subject that I really know nothing about [taxes] and occasionally having to do so in Spanish {on a side note, I did overhear a couple Mexican clients talking about me in Spanish, and they called me "the pretty girl", so I guess it's not so bad}, but I have to admit, it got much easier as the day progressed, and by the end of the day it wasn't so bad). (Another side note: does the period go inside or outside the parenthesis? It's opposite in English and Spanish, and now I can't remember which one is which. Maybe I'll do both until someone helps me out. That way I'm covered either way.). Back to the topic...I am thankful for my job.
4. Taking a friend to church who hasn't been going, and having her tell me after, "I feel like that sermon was just for me." Then her telling you that she wants to keep going to church!
5. Being able to register for classes waaay before everyone else (other than graduate students and others in the acc. bacc. program) so you are guarenteed to get into the classes you need (even if you not sure yet about a class...). And being able to do so at home while in your pajamas!