Did you know it was possible to make cookies and brownies in a muffin maker? Well it is. Zandy and I are geniuses. Plain and simple. We both started craving cookies after my Mom told me that my brother was baking some at home. So we decided to experiment...with our muffin magic appliance. We decided to drive on over to Club Publix and buy a few goodies, aka. break-apart cookie dough, break-apart brownie dough (they were having a sale!), funfetti cake mix, and blueberry muffin mix. Yes, my room has become a bakery! :o) Many of the women in the house flocked to our room to taste our creations...of course we let them taste our cookies and they left satisfied. We took pictures to record this momentous occasion, so maybe one of these days I'll post them online. But for now, I've put a picture of what our Muffin Magic looks like...we've named her Matilda, "The Muffin" for short! ;)

Such a lovely family to have running the country...better looking than some other one's I've seen. ;) I'm just so glad that he won, God is definitely being gracious to this country. 

Congrats President and Mrs. Bush! I am sooo glad that they are in the White House another 4 years. :) Aren't they the cutest couple in politics? Definitely my favorite President and First Lady (who is extremely elegant)! 

God is good

So after being in three spanish classes, I've finally found the one that fits me perfectly! My teacher speaks spanish the whole time, but pauses and repeats enough that I can follow along. He cracks jokes, and even makes fun of english! Today in class I felt challenged, but not so much that I'm overwhelmed with the material...yay for Spanish 1! (He even isn't that bad to look at...God knew it would take more motivation than graduation for me to get through Spanish! )

Another exciting thing is that I am understanding The Ambassadors by Henry James. He wrote that book in the 1903, and according to my teacher it is a very hard book to read and eventually we will get so frustrated with it that we will throw it across the room. For one thing it is really long, has lots of descriptive details, and has a very boring plot (some guy trying to find another guy in England and take him back home to America). BUT...the cool thing is that I am understanding...and actually have enjoyed reading it at times...this is a miracle. God is blessing me so much right now.

I heard through the grapevine that the English Education department lost a lot of students last semester because of their poor treatment to the students and horrible scheduling. There were around 70 students in the major, and now there are only 50ish. They cancelled two required classes in the middle of registration and decided to offer them in the summer, then one of the professors decided that she wasn't going to teach this semester and would come back over the summer...and they wonder why students are stressed and dropping the major....HA!

I'M SO GLAD I'M NOT IN THAT MESS! I feel like jumping around and clapping my hands--rejoicing that I am in the English department and on the pretty side of campus. Thank You, Lord, for putting the idea to change my major in my head! I love English Lit!

My Dad told me these stories in an email: "There is great despair. One of our staff leaders visited a Thai family who refused any help from us. They only asked for cyanide to commit suicide. Another man told the story that during the tsunami he was holding on to his sister who could not swim. But the wave was so great she was swept away from his grasp and she died. He is blaming himself and of course is in great distress." Please don't forget to pray for these people in Asia and Africa who have been hit with so much sadness...they need to see the Light and know their Savior.

It's difficult to imagine the devastation that has swept across so many countries because of the earthquake and resulting Tsunami. I cannot comprehend 147,000 people dying...a village in Thailand had 8,000 people living there, now there are only 4, 000. How can you deal with the reality that half your town has been wiped out?  

There are so many needing help. God, bring their hearts to Yourself and show them the One person who can fulfill their deepest need, who can make sense of this mixed up world we live in.

Broken vessel willing to be used

It's amazing to how quickly satan tries to discourage me here at school. It 's only been three days and the feelings have hit. Tired, overwhelmed, inadequate. The thing is, it's true. I am unable to do this on my own. I cannot survive this semester without Your strength, God. I will be depending on You fully this semester, in so many areas of my life--school, my daily witness in phi mu, sharing my faith with the women You have placed on my heart: Elizabeth, Nicole, Taylor, Zandy, and Jamie--Father, I still feel so young in my faith, so much to learn and experience and understand about Your character. Will we grow intimate this semester? Will I hear Your heartbeat; hear Your still, small voice; see You in this house? I hope that I will not live for the future, but use everyday as an opportunity to glorify You. To serve You, pushing aside my desires, and pointless 'needs'.

Lord, be my first Love, don't let my heart be led astray to other things that take my focus off You...idols. Break me, God...break my will. Break my heart for the people around me. Let me know deeply how much You love them and how much they are dying. I want to weep for their souls, cry in joy and awe over what You have done for me, and then have the boldness to go and share with them what You have done for them.

driving four hours to tally

I'm sitting here waiting for the asprin to start working as I sip my 7-Up. I'm not feeling too well...which could be partly due to a number of things like: the fact that I've been sick lately, I stayed up 'till the wee hours of the morning today talking with my two new favorite guys, I have to drive four hours to Tallahassee to start school tomorrow, I haven't eaten lunch yet, Satan is discouraging me about my ministry in Phi Mu--which is ridiculous that he can hit so quickly after God has so clearly reconfirmed me being there! Ugh! It's frustrating that's for sure! God beat him down please and give me the strength to endure...

Well now I've eaten lunch...the asprin seems to be working...so I'll write more after I've arrived in Tally...