Little Crazy

Things around here are a little crazy! Days are too short with too much to do. Next week is dead week at school...which is supposed to mean things are going to be quiet and teachers won't give finals that week. But art students find dead week to be killer (like that pun?) because EVERYTHING is pretty much due so teachers can have portfolios or projects graded and returned (they don't want to keep your stuff. It's not like a test that they can file or shred when they've finished with it.) by finals week. Every morning when I wake up my body really hurts. I keep pulling late nights at school and managing long days. But the more tired I become the more unproductive I become. So it's a vicious cycle.

Anyway. My roommate picked up on this and left me a note. Thanks roommate! I needed that!

Hopefully I'll have good projects to post here soon. :)

A night at the ballet!

A few weekends ago I went to see a ballet performance of The Snow Queen with some friends.

We got dinner together first at a local Chinese restaurant.

My beautiful Asian friends.

The performance was great! The majority of the performers were from a local dance school and the community, but there were special guests from a dance company based in Pittsburgh with dancers who were from Russia or had been on Avatar. The Reindeer was my favorite, but it was all great!

While taking this photo my friend Meng Lei said, we are one Korean and three and a half Chinese girls. I loved visiting with them. I love that she identified me with them. I am so grateful for the chance to be friends with these lovely girls. :)

Colors

I find different things to be so inspiring. I love going shopping mostly to see the way colors and textures and patterns are paired and played together (although the fabrics being used to make clothing today is so cheap!!! All polyester...can we go back to real fabric soon?). The other day, it struck me while I was cooking up these vegetables that the colors and patterns and textures I was handing were beautiful too! I'm thinking some little lotus root motifs may be kinda fun and funky things to add to my pots. Not too contrived or perfect, but quirky and unique. Also, colorful food makes me happy.

Courage

It takes courage to live life.
To wake each day trusting you will make it through.
To believe it is worth it when nothing makes sense.
To wait and see how things will turn out.

It takes courage to concern yourselves with the problems of others.
To let them know they are cared for.
To know you cannot fix their problems for them.
To love people dearly and to hold them loosely.

It takes courage to trust God with your concerns.
To know He loves.
To know He keeps His promises in His time.
To ask for His will instead of your own desires.

It takes courage to move forward.
To embrace new things.
To let go of your past.
To move into the unknown.

It takes courage to deal with the sad things around you.
It takes courage to love other people.
It takes courage to do what is right.
It takes courage to trust God.

Psalm 27:14 "Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord."

A few things on the first day of break.

I found these two blogs + website today: Amelia Herbertson's drawing and printing site, Lisa Currie's blog and the site for her project "The Scribble Diary." Both fun in different ways with creative ideas and pretty photos.

This project is kind of inspiring. I would love a letter.

On a sad and important note, my dear friend who was my roommate in China and graduated from the same program I am in let us know that her little sister passed away on Saturday. This breaks my heart so terribly. Thoughts and prayers go out to my friend Jessica and her family.

I think my heart wants someone to love.
Someone to be friends with.
For forever.
To be committed to.
Someone to come alongside and encourage.
Someone to take care of...
And dream with...
And build a future together.
Someone on the same page as me.

It's a nice dream to hope for. :)

3 AM

The world looks different to me today.
It's the same as it always was, and yet I see it with new eyes.
Somehow your words became a key that unlocked a door my heart and mind stood behind
And provided a view to the world which I was unaware existed.
A world of beauty, color, and life; tragedy and death.
Beauty and sorrow holding each other tightly by the hand.
Suddenly I realize I have been trapped in my inner thoughts...thinking myself the center of the universe.
Now I see I am but a tiny part of the big picture; a dot on the canvas of life.
Oh, teach this curious heart about deeper and greater things.
Unlock more doors; tear down more walls; reveal more paths
Draw me nearer to Yourself.

Post-Election thoughts

It's 1 am, November 7. The only thing I'm grateful for is that the election is over. I believe God is in complete control of who takes and leaves office and as a result I should not put more stock in my governing leaders than I do His plans.  I didn't care for either Mitt Romney or Obama and feel that my life will continue relatively the same as it has up till now. But I have to say, I'm so sick of reading peoples' Facebook statuses about the victories in seeing same-sex marriage becoming legal in some states. Or their joy in seeing the legalization of small doses of marijuana. Worst of all their joy over saving women's right to choose abortion. Hurray for the loss of self-control and  lack of discipline, for the promotion of selfishness, and murder. I will never celebrate a platform that stands behind the murder of babies. Not only stands behind, but celebrates it.

In short, I'm less sad about Obama winning than I am about what my peers see as victories. It's very telling of our country's spiritual climate. And rather than post about it on Facebook I will just put up a little blurb about it here.

Remembering John 16:33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will face trouble. But fear not. I have overcome the world."

I turned 24!

 My older sister baked me a cake.

My little sister sent me a card that made me laugh. And she sent me a free cup of coffee. Thanks sisters. <3

I feel like 24 is a good age. You are more of a grown up at 24, right?

I got to take a little road trip with some friends to go back home (I didn't have to drive! Yay!). I spent the weekend with my older sister, brother-in-law, niece, and nephew. I came home again and enjoyed a great time of fellowship and Bible study with my small group from church.

It was one of those weekends that made me feel grateful. :)