Say It With Me Now: F-L-A-K-E Spells Me!

Guess where I am!

If you said "At school, duh, since it started today," you're dead wrong. And if you said "On the way to school," you're wrong too and also you're a li'l bit silly since, if I were at this moment riding on some instrument of transportation I could not at the same moment be typing this here entry and publishing it online. Come on now.

So, where am I?

Ha! I'm still at home. That's right. I spent Easter with my father and brother and not on some durn bus. And by a stroke of (bad?) fortune and a some of my own whimsy, I decided to spend Monday helping them settle in to the new house.

I know, I know. I was just saying how I needed to leave and go somewhere else, but yeah, right. When it comes down to it I like being with my family. So I'm missing two days of school. Just because. Lol. That's my flaky crust coming off right there. It's kinda weird looking, but it sure is appetizing, isn't it? Mmm hmm. You wish you had it.

Well, anyway. The new house isn't yet settled, but I don't have any more expendable days so I either have to leave tomorrow morning or drop out of school. Still debating at this point.

J/k, j/k.

I am really feeling the "enter" key tonight. Don't know why, but I thought I'd mention it, just in case someone's reading this and saying to him/herself, "Man, this chick is really into new paragraphs!" Just letting y'all know that I'm aware of this. I am.

After an entire week of completely dull gray sky here in Kansas City -- and I do mean completely dull gray, from dawn to dusk, not a cloud or sunbeam in the sky, just this thick sheet of dull, gray, dull grayness -- the sun came out yesterday morning. Easter Sunday morning. And I know it wasn't sunny everywhere in the world, but the symbolism I found in the weather really touched my heart. We were oppressed here under this cloud of darkness, just like the world was drowning under the weight of its own sins and shames, until Jesus sacrificed himself. The dawny sunshine that greeted me here yesterday morning just served as a quite powerful reminder of the utter gloominess and despair of sin, and the glorious light that God brings into my life. I'm so glad, SO glad, that Jesus lifted me.

Yeah, that came out of nowhere, didn't it? No transition at all. But just let it marinate anyway. Indulge me. Humor me. 'Tis the end of Easter Monday, dears. I'm going to school tomorry.

Enter.

Enter.

Enter.

Enter.

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A Song (Excerpt) (Well, Okay. It's Almost The Whole Song) for You Today

Nichole Nordeman ~ Home
This Mystery (2000)

Bright are the stars that shine
in somebody else's sky,
green is the grass that grows
someplace different.
More possibilities,
more than You offered me.
More than I care to see,
from a distance.

I was certain that the truth would be
in a place that kept eluding me.
But every stone turned and unturned again
would only serve to prove
that I never had to move to find You.

And You will always be
the only love I'll ever know.
And You have made for me
the only place I'll ever go home.

The Mystery of your love for me
is not as hidden as it seemed to be.
Should have known then when you said to me
"seek and you will find,"
it was right there all the time.

I believe in the quest and the journey.
I believe that the answers come in time.
And where we begin is where we are arrive.

Yes, Dears, It Really Is ALL Joy.

I shall open with the following:

:)

That's right. I am no longer frowny-face; I am smiley-face. Nothing new has happened, nothing has changed. It's just that I never stay down in the dumps for long, thank the Lord. This spell lasted about a day and a half, for those who are curious. I think it's some kind of cleansing thing. Usually I take my life as it comes -- very good, bad, or bland as the case may be. So I was a bit confused at myself the other day, when I didn't even want to see things in a good way; I'm not used to feeling like that. But the feeling came and went, and I believe it has been a good lesson for me. Whom the Lord loves as His child, He disciplines, as the Mysterious Stranger wrote to the Hebrews long, long ago.

Moving on! And I mean that literally and figuratively, as my father and brother are in fact moving to a new house this Saturday. (See how I did that there? With the play on words? Yeah!) So, they're moving right before I leave for school. I'm just in time to help with all the packing and cleaning and lifting and organizing and such. Yay!! If you know me, you know how I feel about moving. It's not really yay. But I am kinda excited to see the new house and get it set up, get the furniture together and all. So maybe it's a mini-yay.

For this and other very obvious reasons, I am mad that school begins the day after Easter. This is not conducive to properly celebrating with my family in our new house, and I am seriously considering arriving at Carleton on Monday. In the afternoon. Missing my class. Seriously. We shall see what happens. Although, I guess I'd better decide quickly. Gotta get a ticket today, lol.

Okay. I decided. Monday it is. Yup. Which slightly changes my countdown. I do not, as you may have thought, have 7 days before I am thrown back into that swirling void of unreasonably hectic academia and a few lovely people better known to some but not many as Carleton College.

I have 8.

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A Verse for All Today:

My brothers and sisters, count it all joy whenever you face trials of any kind, because you know that tests bring perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing. ~ James 1: 2-5

In The Doldrums

Not much going on in my mind today. I feel like I'm in some kind of a malaise. . .like it's too much of an effort to actually do anything. Meh.

So I got a cavity filled the other day and hurt like I never expected to. Which means it didn't hurt at all. Was expecting pain and none came, except my jaw is a little sore from holding my mouth open for an hour.

Many of my friends are off traveling to fabulous places, having fabulous breaks. They better take lots of pictures, because I'm gonna need to live vicariously through them. Have fun in New York, Boston, New Orleans, St. Louis, etc, etc!!! I'm not going anywhere. My sister was supposed to come visit all the way from across the country, but she just found out she can't have the days off of work. All in all I am very :( Yes. I am very frowny-face. Which is not usual for me. And I don't like it.

I believe what it is is, I have been "on break" for entirely too long. November through March. 'S time for me to return to school. We're counting down until spring term begins. I'll try to make the most out of these last few days at home. Right now I think they're too languid and routine, but I need to be grateful for the peace they bring. In a couple of weeks I'll probably be wishing for some stress-free time like this.

11 days to go.

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A Verse for Me Today:

I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. ~ Psalm 4:8

And So It Goes. . .

I didn't realize how busy I've been these past few days. Last comps revisions, dental appointments (By the way, what a sadistic profession dentists have! Why would anyone want to be a dentist? Goodness. Okay so I found out I have a cavity and I'm a teeny bit bitter. So?), whirlwind weekend in Minneapolis (whooo!), etc, etc, etc. Lots going on, which is not the norm for me at all. Yet, even in my busiest days these past months, I haven't come up against anything so stressful as what some of my closest friends are about to go through. What, you ask?

*dum dum DUMMMMM*

It's finals week at Carleton. So, here are some random shout-outs of my support:

Nakina, Amenah, Danielle, Edaeni, Rashika, Banke, Cedrina, Cheryl, LaShell, Amina, Monee, Kilang, Heather, Leslie, Jason, Denicia, Love, Sinele, Violette, Peter, pastor, members, and friends, everyones, everyones --

I know you're all totally brilliant people, so I wish you good luck with all your work. Papers. Tests. Presentations. COMPS!! Lab finals. Et cetera. Knock 'em out!! My prayers for your strength and utter brilliance to shine on through.

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A Verse for You Forever:

I will sing of your strength; in the morning I will sing of your love. For you are my fortress, my refuge in times of stress. O, my Strength, I sing praises to You. You, O God, are my fortress, my loving God. ~ Psalm 59: 16-17