10 Things I'm Thankful for Right Now

1. Christmas gifts especially new clothing (my closet and drawers aren't doing so well)
2. Hot drinks (coffee, tea, and hot chocolate:)
3. A really great college
4. Easy access to the Bible
5. Really really cool friends both at GBS and at home in PA
6. The ability to walk
7. A family that cares about me
8. My VW Jetta that has carried me so many miles
9. My jobs as an RA and part-time housekeeper/babysitter
10. Jean skirts- it doesn't get much more comfortable than that
*the purpose of this post is to remind me to look at the glass as half full as admonished by a good friend, namely Brittney Brander. It feels good- I like it!

In Defense of Snow

I have certain friends who do not share my passion for snow. Whenever they get all "Bah, humbug," about snow, I feel like a little child who has been told that Santa Claus does not really exist. Who can't enjoy fluffy whiteness falling from the sky and making the city and country look beautiful and clean for at least a little while? The dancing snowflakes hold stories and memories of cups of hot chocolate, families laughing around a fireplace, people whipping down slopes on skis, and many a great scene from book or movie savored from childhood. My mind always travels to the Laura Ingall Wilder series and how Laura and her sisters would do these awesome things in the snow like sledding, sleigh riding, and snowball battles. I wish I had time and enough snow to enjoy these activities myself.
The cool thing about snow is that each snowflake is different. To me that reminds me that I don't have to just savor past wintery memories. Each new winter and snowfall is a fresh chance to try some new memory-making method. I am still hoping for that chance to sing "Jingle Bells" as I'm really riding in a sleigh on some snowy evening. I hope I have convinced at least several people that snow is worth it for the fun and beauty that it provides. Now bring on the SNOW!

Friday's Musings

The effect of a rainy Friday is not near what the effect of a rainy Monday would be. Sitting here in the DOW office of GBS, I feel peaceful and happy and the rain seems only friendly and comforting. Would it be a Monday, I would feel out of sorts and depressed by such weather. When I got back from a coffee run, I noticed that the birds are singing as well even though the rain is rather cold and uncomfortable. If I were a bird I don't think I would feel that good, but it was definitely cheering to hear them singing. This made me think that I should never ignore chances to reach out and encourage others no matter what the weather of my life may be like at the time. It may mean more than I can ever realize. Others have done that for me, and it is so cool when it comes at a time that you feel totally stressed and downhearted. So go out and be an encourager even in the cold, rainy times:)

Fall! How Beautiful!

I can resist no longer! I must blog about this delightful thing called fall.
So I was walking down the steps in my GBS approved open heeled shoes, when I tripped and can you believe it, FELL.
Thoughts on this delightful time: OUCH!

The Art of Convincing People

Yesterday I had the opportunity to watch an funny interchange which turned out to be a valuable learning experience as well. Some friends, namely Sam, Melissa, and Duane invited me to go out for Chinese with them. After we jumped in the car, the usual group decision making process began. "So are we still thinking Chinese?" asked Duane. "Yeah, that will work," says Sam. Mel and I don't much care because we've already eaten. "The only thing I would be interested in is a drink or dessert," says I. "Where would you like to go, Sam?" Duane asks politely. "Well, there's a place in Clifton and that other place over in _____. There pretty authentic" Sam says. "That could work," says Duane. "How about P. F. Chang's?" I pipe up with,"I've never been there before." "Alright, I'm thinking Chang's, plus Leanna's never been there before." We all settle in for the ride, relieved that the decision has been made. My mind has begun to wander, when Duane leans over with a satisfied smile and says, "I decided on P. F. Chang's in chapel."
Moral of the story: Just let people think they have a part in decision making and all will go your way:)

Stuff I've Read Recently

1. Ninety Minutes in Heaven - This book helped me start looking forward to heaven. As a young person, I could never quite grasp that excitement that older people have when they talk about going "home." It's going to be so wonderful, and this book helped me have a much better picture of the joy and fulfillment that is so tremendously unlike anything we can experience here on earth.
2. Dear Enemy, - A compilation of the correspondences of a young woman, this book records the growth of a pampered debutante who becomes a young woman whose passions are focused on helping orphans she is responsible for. Her fiery Scotch/Irish personality make her better fitted for the job of bringing new life to an orphanage and dealing with problematic individuals who stand in the way of her newfangled ideas than she herself wants to admit. Her most consistent opponent is a doctor whose very scientific ideas about how to deal with the children conflict with Sallie's directly. Hence he is addressed as Dear Enemy, in her letters to him. This amusing book culminates in the laying down of arms between the two young people as they realize their mutual respect and love for each other.
3. Call of the Wild - I get a little emotional when I read about how Buck was mistreated in this book because (firstly) I'm a girl and (secondly) because I really like dogs. Even though London is rather bleak in his books, he is a phenomenal writer who had an uncanny ability to see into the nature of a magnificent creature such as Buck. The whole fight for survival and all that makes for a really interesting read.

Well, I'm taking advantage of the slow start into classes and am preparing to tackle a trilogy by Ted Dekker which should be very exciting!

The Familiar Halls

My return to God's Bible School and College has been a fairly smooth transition. This has definitely been a blessing from God. I was rather amazed at myself when I realized how happy coming back here made me. As I contemplated this, I began to recognize how this is a place where I've seen really good things happen. I've seen the affects not only in my own life, but in the lives of many of my friends. Sometimes I wonder if I had more spiritualized eyes, if I could see God's presence hovering over this school. Yes, I know this isn't some utopian setting, but miracles happen here.
On the more everyday level, life seems very much the same here while yet having the potential to be profoundly different. I already miss some of my graduated friends, but the change will be that I get to make new ones among this year's freshman. My sister and best friend Cheryl left me for 3rd floor where she is now the R.A. so I'm rather at loose ends about who to bug or borrow clothes from. The cool thing is that now we are once again co-workers, and she has a big, new room with an air conditioner where we can crash.
I think my classes this semester will be very enriching as I navigate my first Dr. Brown class and also take a course in Shakespeare who I love reading. Hermeneutics will teach me how to better study the Bible, and I'm not sure what I'm going to learn in Hymnology but I'm sure it will be good.
Well, picture me holding a glass of some non-alcoholic beverage and giving a toast. "Here's to a great fall semester at God's Bible School and College!"