This Day

You're a fan of where??? You didn't go to school there!

2012-01-18T22:42:00.004-06:00

I've learned a few things over the years, and one thing that drives good Christian people to hatred and slander is... sports (myself included).

So let me vent out some frustrations now--frustrations that I often have bubbling inside of me.

There is NO list of rules about being a fan of something. You did not have to attend the school; you do not have to know all the players' names. You do not have to attend the games. You DO NOT have to pull for the team of the school you attend or attended (learn that there are other reasons people attend a school).

Type in a google search the definition of fan and this is what you get: A person who has a strong interest in or admiration for a particular sport, art or entertainment form, or famous person. Notice that all those things I listed above that some people think are requirements are not in the definition. Glad to see that.

I'm pretty sure if you want to pull for a team because their mascot is easy to draw or because they have a funny name is juuuuuuust fine. Actually, guess what? It is just fine because no one should be ridiculed for pulling for a sports team. Good grief, people. Sports are a temporary thing. Teams are great, then some years later, they stink.

Yes, I post this because I like the University of Alabama. No, I didn't go there. (OH my goodness!! Call the police!). I also like Ole Miss. (What's that you say? You like two teams at the same time? I cannot fathom how a brain could do such a thing!!!!! How do you exist?!). Yes, I do currently attend the University of Mississippi. Either way, I pull for who I want to pull for and no one can tell me I have to do otherwise.

End of sarcasm and end of rant. Forgive me if I have offended anyone.

2 down

2011-09-09T18:00:00.002-05:00

I have now completed 2 full rotations. Psychiatry finished up this morning when I placed that bubbled-in shelf exam scantron into the wanting hands of the psychiatry secretary.

Psychiatry was a very interesting rotation. I met some peculiar people, some with strange stories and others with very sad ones. In the end, it opened my eyes to the fact that we all handle stress and emotions in different ways. Sometimes we can handle it by talking with friends, and other times we need medication to help us... and that's okay. Psychiatry isn't a bunch of voodoo, full of patients who need to suck it up and deal with it. Don't get me wrong--sometimes that could be the case (in my personal opinion), but in the end, we never know exactly what someone is going through.

I saw several patients who not only didn't have a social life outside of family time, but they couldn't even name one friend they had. This broke me heart for these patients because sometimes that was the very thing they needed. I found myself saying small prayers for different patients throughout the day because I honestly didn't know what else to do. I guess more than anything, this rotation really helped me appreciate the balanced life God has given me.

Happy weekend, everyone!

Holla Hiatus

2011-08-30T20:35:00.002-05:00

I am back... for the time being. I've learned that when I have plenty of time to update my blog, I don't do it, yet when I have no time to update it, I somehow use my procrastination abilities to find time. Ridiculous. Sounds like most people, right? Let's hope.

Anyway, a few things of note:
1. I PASSED MY STEP EXAM!
2. I started my third year on June 6 and have already completed one full rotation.
3. Third year is 10,934,823 times better than second year (which was still better than first year).
4. I have already fallen in love with pediatrics.

So, I finished one rotation, peds, and I am now halfway through my psychiatry rotation. Specialties ruled in: peds. I learned that I actually really do like kids, and dadgummit I'm fulfilling the stereotype by saying that I want to do peds. You know what? I don't even care! I like kids and I don't care who knows it! I'm a girl! I can't help it! The biggest draw (besides helping kids, of course) is all the people who I worked alongside in the peds department here at UMC. I really enjoy how kind people seemed to be. Two thumbs way up!

Psychiatry is a really interesting field. I'll get back to ya more on it when I'm finished with it all. I sure do have some interesting stories and quotes from patients.

Irony

2011-05-21T19:17:00.002-05:00

So I'm studying my rear off for my upcoming Step 1 test and thought I'd share a fun bit of information.

There is a disease called hemochromatosis, where you basically have too much iron in your body. Doesn't really seem too bad, right? Yeah, right. Minus all the really terrible things that can come along with it (i.e. liver cirrhosis, congestive heart failure, risk of liver cancer....) the weirdest side effect of it is this: you can have so much iron in you that you could set off a metal detector in an airport.

Could you imagine that? How would one go about explaining that to the fine folks in security? "Uh, well you see, I don't have any metal on me.. it's actually IN me.." Saying that would probably stick you on the no-fly list. Talk about worst airport stories. I thought it was bad enough having to take off my shoes. Guess I won't be complaining (as much?) anymore!

Hope everyone is doing well. I'm officially taking my test on June 1st. I appreciate all the prayers.. I surely need all the help I can get!

Tornado Alley

2011-04-27T22:24:00.003-05:00

Today, Tuscaloosa, AL, among many other cities in Alabama and Mississippi, was hit by a mile-wide tornado. It ripped through the town, destroying much of the city and harming anyone in its path. My sister lives over there, and she is safe. She said that she watched as the tornado headed her direction from only a mile away. It didn't make its way to her complex, thank the Lord. All my friends in Tuscaloosa are safe (thank you facebook statuses). Many families have lost loved ones, lost houses, lost businesses...

Please keep the families of Mississippi and Alabama in your prayers. A long road of recovery is ahead of them.

To see a video of the tornado, click here

To see a video of what the city of Tuscaloosa looks like after the tornado, click here

Edit: Please keep Georgia in your prayers as well. Looks like the tornadoes made their way all the way across the heart of the south.

A,B,C... Easy as 1,2,3..

2011-04-11T00:17:00.004-05:00

I like to avoid studying, and my friend Lauren had this post on her blog. Hooray for procrastination!

A: Age, 25
B: Bed size: Queen
C: Chore I dislike most: Vacuuming (when you live in a house holding 3 girls--lots of hair gets shed)
D: Dogs: I don't have one, but I puppy sit some for my brother and sister-in-law and even sometimes my sister, and I love love looooooooove their doggies (especiallly Bowzer because he's still a puppy :D see previous posts for pictures)
E: Essential start to my day: COFFEE and some good TV show to distract me and make me late for wherever I'm going
F: Favorite color: Green
G: Gold or silver: silver or white gold :)
H: Height: 5' 7 3/4"
I: Instruments I play: Piano--I can claim this if i know how but don't utilize the ability, right?
J: Job: Professional student
K: Kids: well, I'd prefer to do things in the proper order and get married before having any of these
L: Live: Madison, MS
M: Mom's name: Laura
N: Nickname: Daybird, Dayders, Dayday, Daytona, Daytime, Daisy, Day-Z, Day-O, HeyDay, (i'm going to stop because this could take several DAYS.... hahaha see what I did there?)
O: Overnight hospital stays: Zero (praise Jesus!)
P: Pet peeves: Most grammatical errors/misspellings that happen because people are lazy. Biggest of them all: thinking a lot is ONE WORD
Q: Quote from a movie: "It's Dr. Evil. I didn't spend six years in Evil Medical School to be called 'mister,' thank you very much."
R: Right/Left: Right
S: Siblings: Two bros and a seesy
T: Time I wake up: my current sleep schedule is from 2-10, unless a mandatory class is involved. I kiiiinda like sleeping in.
U: Underwear: What?
V: Vegetables I dislike: Beets
W: What makes me run late: What doesn't make me run late is probably a better question.
X: X-rays I've had: bones of steel = no x-rays
Y: Yummy food I make: Chicken pesto pasta... But most of my specialty dishes are sweets. cookies and cupcakes mostly
Z: Zoo animal: umm, I guess penguins?

Rely on Him

2011-04-04T13:28:00.003-05:00

Times are getting pretty rough for the UMMC med school class of 2013. We're finishing up class, which is a plus, but we're also less than 2 months away from the USMLE Step 1 test. It's a nasty test, but as a patient, you would definitely want your doctor to be able to pass this test. It covers our first two years of school in excruciating detail and is a huge marker for how well we will do when getting placed for our residency. OK, now that I've succeeded in scaring myself again, I think now would be a good time to ask everyone for prayers for my classmates and I. We need motivation, wisdom, strength.... but most importantly we need a reminder that God is in control of this all, and that even when this seems unbearable, we can make it through. I'd like to share a verse that my friend Wesley posted on his facebook last week:

"For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead."
2 Corinthians 1:8-9

Here's to knowing someone much wiser and more powerful is in charge.

San Fran

2011-03-24T12:55:00.011-05:00

So last week, for the final spring break, Mom, Caitlyn, and I all went to Napa/San Francisco for about 6 days. It was absolutely gorgeous! I haven't edited any pictures, but here are a few I took while I was out there--it rained several days on us, but it was still a great trip!

Wine Tasting

A decanter being put to use

Not time for grapes!

Hot Trolley

FULL HOUSE!!!!!

Down at the Fisherman's Wharf

I've finally seen the Golden Gate in real life!

Well Hey Bridge.

Baby Ketchum

2011-03-01T15:10:00.004-06:00

Thomas Edward Ketchum has finally arrived! I'm sorry I'm late putting this up, MB, but you know how busy life gets--and I know yours just got even busier (but in a good way :D).

This precious baby boy was born to one of my best friends, and I just want everyone I know to see his smiling face! I stole this picture off of her facebook. I'm so happy for you and Michael. Yay for new life!

You two are going to make wonderful parents. I'm so glad that this little boy will be raised in an environment where Christ guides all decisons. He is already so blessed.

Rushed

2011-02-04T03:31:00.009-06:00

So I won't go another 2 months without posting, I'm going to post some pics of the last few weeks. I have my first test of 6 starting tomorrow so words aren't really on my mind (but procrastination is :D)

My beautiful family posing for our annual Christmas pic!

Several of my classmates and I at a family medicine interest group banquet

My friend Bronwyn and I celebrating New Year's Eve at the IP watching the Molly Ringwald's

Only the cutest puppy in the world, Bowzer. He's my sister's new long-haired chihuahua

Bowzer one more time :)

AHHH! Rabies!

2011-01-28T00:57:00.005-06:00

Medical tidbit of the day:

Currently in microbiology we are studying virology. Yesterday, we covered rabies, and naturally, what comes to mind? Cujo... and Old Yeller. As our teacher was going through her slides, she shared some interesting statistics with us. I thought I would share them with anyone who wants to read. Also, credit goes to our micro teacher Donna Sullivan.

There was a total of 48 cases of human rabies in the United States between 1990 and 2007. Of those 48, only TWO were contracted from dogs/coyotes here in the U.S. That's right... two... in all those years. The rest were mostly from bats or from dog bites while outside the U.S. Weird, right? I made sure to tell my friend Amanda, who is in vet school, that her very expensive rabies vaccine might have been in vain (except for the fact that vet school requires it). I might have found that more interesting than most, but there ya have it! No need in being worried about getting rabies.

I will say.. if I see a dog like this, I'll still probably run like the wind:

One Road

2010-12-12T23:17:00.003-06:00

Less than 2 weeks until Christmas. I've bought a grand total of.......... no Christmas presents. Yikes. Instead, I've been studying all sorts of things. We don't have finals, per se, this Christmas. We just have our 3rd test block of the semester. So we still have 5 tests between Thursday and next Tuesday, but fortunately these don't count anymore than any of our other tests. My classmates and I would love any extra prayers that you're willing to give us. More importantly, help us all to remember why this is an amazing time of year. I have been guilty, lately, of pushing my time with God aside or cutting it short because of responsibility. I came across a quote from my favorite author that help remind me of how important it is to stay on track:

"One road leads home and a thousand roads lead into the wilderness."
C.S.Lewis

Thank you, Clive Staples, for keeping me in check. Merry Christmas to all!

Why, thank you

2010-11-26T23:46:00.003-06:00

Thanksgiving has come and gone. Why does time slip by quicker every year? Maybe it's only seeming that way because as I've gotten older I've finally realized how important each day really is.

Naturally, the holidays seem to fly by faster than the average bear day because they are the days we long for the most and spend endless amounts of time daydreaming about. We imagine what we'll do on our time off and who we'll see. I am guilty of doing all of these things... and then my jaw drops when I realize that those 4 days were a lot shorter than the 4 days I had imagined in my head!

Either way, I am thankful for any 4 days off--be they short or not. I am even more thankful that I get to spend the holidays with my entire family--Mom, Dad, Todd and wife Rebecca, Corky, and Caitlyn. I'm so lucky to live so close to them all. It's times like yesterday that I realize how much I love being so near to them. Praise be to God for giving me so much more than I deserve. I will surely come into his presence with thanksgiving in my heart.

Oh, and who's excited about Christmas season??? Let the decorating, shopping, and music begin!

Inspiration

2010-11-10T00:13:00.004-06:00

Here lately, I've been struggling with my positive attitude towards school. I know it's normal to wake up and not want to study for the day, but I've been having too many moments that make it hard to stay motivated. I have needed to change something and somehow give myself a reminder of why in the world I decided to go through this schooling and become a doctor. Now that our test week is over, I'm spending a little time searching for reminders. My first and important boost of reassurance lies at this website: http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/index.cfm

Doctors without borders. Seeing those top news articles about how so many people in this world are struggling to get proper healthcare reminds me that I chose this career in order to help those in need. In my essay for my med school application, I even wrote about taking my M.D. outside of the U.S. and helping countries that are lacking in healthcare options. There will never be enough doctors in this world. We will always be needed somewhere. Knowing that will help me push along this long path that I chose. Not only did I choose it, but God also chose it. That's some great rejuvenating juice right there! Hopefully more reminders will come along the way, but I know that I have people praying for me daily and encouraging me.

"You need preparing. You need arming. But most of all, you need constant, never ceasing vigilance."
Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

"You know, a lot of people go to college for seven years."
"I know; they're called doctors."
Tommy Boy

God is good all the time. All the time, God is good.

2010-10-28T00:08:00.005-05:00

God is still God, and God is still good.

The Story of Zac Smith (New Score) from NewSpring Media on Vimeo.

If that video doesn't work, click here.

Luke 6:27-28

2010-10-25T23:06:00.003-05:00

Sometimes we need to remember we cannot stop loving people just because they are hard to love. In fact, this is when we need to love the most. That is one of the things that sets Christians apart from non-Christians. Even those who don't know Christ love people who are easy to love. To love an enemy--that, friends, is an amazing and glorious thing to do.

Luke 6:27-28
"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."

99

2010-10-21T00:09:00.006-05:00

In an Intro to Clinical Medicine small group yesterday, I found out something that was mildly interesting--

So you know how some doctors ask you to say something like "blue moon" or "toy boat" when they are listening to your lungs? You might not have heard that--but know that it happens. Well, some doctors might have asked you to say "ninety-nine" instead. While in some medical books it says to do this, we learned yesterday that it is wrong to say ninety-nine. What? A book in medicine was wrong? Here's the funny thing--the reason it is wrong is because it was a German who first discovered that deep "o" sounds are what we need to listen to (I won't bore you with details on why) in the lungs and guess what ninety-nine in German is? Neunundneunzig. Ok, I know few people know how to pronounce what I just wrote out. Here's a key factor: the eu in German is pronounced "oi." So, in German, ninety-nine gives you the deep "o" sound (like toy boat), but in English, it doesn't. Some pretty important things really are lost in translation. Funny how so many things come back to German.....

..Tschüss!!

FT

2010-10-12T01:22:00.007-05:00

I'm slacking again on the posts.. so until I make myself sit down and type something worth reading, I thought I'd use a couple of posts to give you an insight on some of the things we second year med students learn. I promise I'll try to make them somewhat interesting!

In microbiology right now, we just learned a little bit about antibiotics. Besides all the amazing things we've learned that they do, here's a special tidbit of information we found out in one of our lectures:

A man named Frank Tally did a lot of work with the Wyeth drug company. He's in all sorts of journals--pretty big deal--mostly because he helped develop antibiotics. Alas, after becoming an antibiotic guru, he got an antibiotic-resistant bacterial infection later in life and died.

Just when you think life can't get any more ironic, it does. Think of this post as a little reminder of how things could always be worse....

Seriously, if all that's on your hand, do not give me a high five.

Chuck Town

2010-09-07T18:37:00.016-05:00

Picture time! I've given up on taking time to edit these photos any time soon, so here are some shots of Charleston (from back in July). I miss it!

Good News

2010-08-30T00:05:00.007-05:00

‎"Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me." Psalm 51:12

This verse says so much in so few words. I don't know why I've never really turned to it before. Each of us fights our own battles--several, every single day. We grow weary. We sometimes feel like our strength will never return. This verse reminds me that I need only ask God for some help to remember why I am here. Remember that the gospel is rightly named because it is good news. Here's to knowing I am His, and I am joyful for his saving grace!

This picture is from the first day of blue skies in the spring time of Germany.
You don't realize how much you miss a blue sky and flowers until they're absent.

Baby Mama

2010-08-23T16:33:00.005-05:00

Just wanted to post the few pics I've seen of Katie and Luke's new baby boy, Peter Anthony Zumo a.k.a. Rocky

Congrats to you both!!!! I am so incredibly happy! Thanks to Kase Gonzales for his quick phone uploads :)

The new daddy with his baby

Such a beautiful boy!

So long summers.

2010-08-15T22:55:00.006-05:00

That title was scary to type. But I'll take a few moments to be dramatic here.. I have no more multiple month long summer breaks. Sure after college I did have a job or 2, but I conveniently started the first one in 2007 after summer was over and then quit and started my second job in 2008 after the summer was over... so, in one way or another, I've never had zero summer. Yikes. 25 years old and finally saying that.

I know those who have jobs gave up their summers long ago, but the difference right now between us med students and the working world is that we'll be paying people to keep us busy these next few "summers". Straight school, minimal breaks, you get the idea.

I'll be very honest with you.. I'm really nervous. I almost feel suffocated because I know what I am about to face. I remember last year, and every day I woke up and went to bed with the "I-should-be-studying" feeling. Even when I let myself take a break, I never really felt relief. But, I knew there was always something to look forward to--Christmas break, spring break, summer.. but this go round is different. While two of those breaks are still there, this time I also have the Step 1 test to study for at the same time as class.. so when I have those breaks, I won't actually enjoy them like I could last year. I know, I know. I signed up for this. I'm not saying I'm not going to make it through, or that I thought medical school would be easy. It's just an intimidating thing standing on this side with freedom, the day before it all begins. I know I can handle it. God doesn't give me things I can't handle. I know I will push through and come out a better person, but I just wanted to share a few feelings and ask for prayers and support for my classmates and me.

A lot of things are different this year for me, so I hope that with less distraction and more motivation I'll totally dominate medical school, year two. Have a great week!

Another shot from Charleston

Summer Winding Down?

2010-08-09T20:37:00.004-05:00

So after spending almost 2 weeks in Brazil, what else is there to do in a summer? Get a job? yeeeaaahh, sorry, not doing that during my last summer. I commend my fellow classmates for holding jobs/shadowing opportunities/research positions during the summer. I took another route because I knew that one day I would regret not taking advantage of this free time. It's who I am, and I'm completely okay with that :)

So back to the question of what else I did. Well, I'd like to say a lot of things. Let's start at the beginning:

I went and saw the musical Chicago with my good friend, Lauren, in Memphis at the Orpheum. Seeing such talented people perform is always a treat.

I watched several World Cup games.. and after the U.S. was eliminated, I pulled solely for wonderful Germany. Next world cup, boys, next world cup.

I visited Smith Lake in Alabama with my friends Jenna Lee and Kate plus 8.. (ok, there were other people, just maybe not 8); this was the first time in about 2 years where I actually got a tan (can it be true????). I saw several beautiful shows of fireworks from the boat. It's a delight to see the colors in the sky and in the water.

I went to Vicksburg, MS to watch my sister compete in the Miss MS pageant.. and was fortunate enough to be there when they announced her as 3rd runner up! Her family and friends were so proud of her! This same weekend Lauren, Jenna Lee, and I threw precious pregnant Katie Zumo a baby shower :) How old are we????

I went white water rafting for the 2nd time in my life down the Ocoee in Tennessee. I did fall out, naturally, but it was all part of our guide's plan. I promise. After about a minute into his "let's surf our raft" moment, all 6 passengers and the guide were out in the river. Thanks a lot, Treyton. This was also my first experience camping in a tent. I will go ahead and admit it--I didn't hate it. Nature isn't as big an enemy as I thought.

I spent 5 days touring Charleston with Lauren. This I won't go into as much detail as I hope to write a full post about it, pics included.

I visited the first ever Jackson Beer Fest. I just wanted to see what it was all about. I'm glad that I can mark that off the list of things to do in this life. Mississippi is slowly evolving. We may take longer than the other states, but we do things in our own stride.

Lastly, I was fortunate enough to help celebrate the wedding of a good friend of mine, Ashley Brown, this past weekend. She and Simon are that couple that makes you smile when you just see them walking together. The whole weekend was a mini-reunion, as well, because I saw friends from all over.. from Seattle to Atlanta. Weddings need to happen more often. I was so honored to be an honorary bridesmaid on Ashley and Simon's special day!

Most of those activities were on the weekends, so I spent the weekdays catching up with as many people as I could, catching as many movies as my checkbook would allow, and relaxing and sleeping as much as I could dream. Books were read, people were seen, and in the end, my summer was exactly as I would have hoped it to be.

Now what we all want to see.... pictures :)

Jenna Lee and I the night before we left for the lake!

The sis and I at Miss MS one night... rocking a C and an S

Pregnant Kage?!?!

Tent for two?

Jenna and Kate roasting marshmallows

Laur and I, first night in Charleston!

Some of the bridal party

Square dancin' at the rehearsal dinner

The beautiful blushing bride and I

Brazil, finally

2010-07-28T19:14:00.002-05:00

Well, here it is the end of July. I've been back from Brazil for about a month and a half, and I still miss it. I'm sorry to all my readers (the few of you who are left) for not writing on this for about 2 months. I've actually had a lot going on and lots to tell, but it got to the point where how much I needed to tell all added up and I didn't want to type it all out. SO hopefully I'll have a few posts over the next week or so to talk about my summer adventures.

First off, let me say a BIG thank you for all of you who supported me--financially or prayerfully or both--with Brazil.

This trip was different than all trips I have been on. I've left the country 3 times now. Since the first 2 times were to Europe, the cultural differences were less noticeable (at first, at least). Arriving in Brazil, I got a big WHAM! of cultural differences that made sure I knew I was no longer in the U.S. Things like "don't flush your toilet paper" or "don't drink the tap water." Sometimes even things like "here's a chicken heart; try it." In the end, I loved the differences in their culture and mine. Reaching that point is something I think most Americans find difficult. I could be wrong and just speaking for myself, but sometimes one gets a bit defensive of his or her own culture and doesn't want to live in someone else's. We Americans are a bit prideful (not that we don't have reason to be a lot of the time). It's taken me some time, but I finally arrived at that wonderful realization.

Brazil opened my eyes to medical missions. I didn't necessarily get to do a lot when it came to actually practicing medicine, but I did get to see how much doctors are needed there... and how much health care is lacking. People there came to see the docs for anything you could imagine. There weren't exactly any emergencies (thank goodness), but the people there are still sick. Every child came in with worms and lice. Most of the adults had them as well. Low blood pressures and high heart rates were common--mostly due to dehydration.

As far as the evangelism aspect goes, every person who saw a doctor was given the opportunity to hear about Jesus and why we were there. Over half of the ~700 people seen by the doctors claimed Jesus Christ as their Savior by the end of the week. There were several other outreach programs--with kids, with the neighborhood--so the word of God was spread all around.

I would love to make the trip there again next year and the next, but I'm pretty sure my school schedule won't allow it. I could be wrong, but in this instance, I'm about 90% positive I am right. One of the few times someone hates to be right. All in all, Brazil took a little piece of my heart, and I can't wait to go back one day to find it.

The Medical Team

A few of the children who liked the camera :)

All of the translators (oh yeah, plus me)

The translator I worked with the most, Denise, asking a patient about her complaints

Most of the MS volunteers

Some of the kids who came to see the doc :)

What would you give up?

2010-05-31T22:35:00.004-05:00

Tonight I've been thinking a lot about the question, "What would you give up in order for someone to know Christ?"

Ideally, we'd all answer, "Everything." That's easy enough to say out loud (or in your head), but when you get down to naming things in particular, it gets really hard. I did this once while I was in Germany, and it really makes your wheels turn. Here are a few things that I'd be willing to give up if it meant that someone would come to know my Savior. Some may seem silly--but they're all things that, in the end, are very close to me.

Some simple things like...
Being able to wear make-up
Watching movies
Eating Peanut Butter
The Internet
My cell phone
Hot showers
Contacts

Some more serious things like..
My worldly happiness (for I, like everyone else, seek happiness on this earth)
My vision
My ability to walk
Being able to see my family or friends
My language--or comprehension of any language
My reputation
My pride
...and ultimately, my life

Some of these things I did give up for awhile. It was hard--really hard. But, if it helped someone, it was worth it. It's an interesting thought, isn't it? Hope I've given you something to think about...

Donations

2010-05-17T18:04:00.010-05:00

Hey Everyone!

I'm currently trying to raise money for the Brazil trip I wrote about previously (click here to read it). I haven't had much time to get the word out, so I'm using all my resources now that school is out. I would absolutely love it if you would be willing to help me out financially. I honestly don't think I'd be able to thank you enough. If you read this and would like to donate (anything you're willing to give--be it $5 or $500), you can mail a check to my church. The donation is tax deductible, and my gratitude is everlasting.

If you choose to donate, checks can be made payable to First Baptist Church, and please write Day Smith on the memo line so they will know its a donation for me. We fly out on June 2, but it's ok if you still would like to send money after that. Here is my church's address:

First Baptist Church
P.O. Box 829
Columbus, MS 39701

Also, for those who would like to know more about what is going on, here is an excerpt from my support letter:

"First Baptist Church of Columbus is sending a mission team to the Pantanal, the world’s largest wetlands in Brazil, to minister to people living in very difficult and challenging areas. Our mission team efforts will involve medical, VBS Bible studies and ministry to children both at VBS and in the schools, evangelism and the construction of a new church for a congregation that does not have one. We will be working in conjunction with a Brazilian Baptist Church and its pastor, Carlos Alberto da Silva, who is a missionary pastor and part of the local Baptist Association."

Thank you for taking the time to read :)

less than 72 hours..

2010-05-12T17:56:00.003-05:00

Another short blog....

Just asking for prayers, prayers, and more prayers. Classes are finished, 1 test done (which went really well for us all!! Praise Jesus), but we have 4 left. The ones tomorrow will be the most difficult so I ask that you remember my classmates and me when talking to our Dad! Thank you so much. When we're done, we'll all be pros when it comes to the human brain/spinal cord. Freedom is so close that I can smell it...

So Close...

2010-05-04T11:31:00.003-05:00

Just barely a week left of classes. My last one is next Wednesday at 11. Naturally, there are plenty between now and then, but knowing I have a mere 8 days of classes left is amazing! Then 1 test on Thursday, 2 on Friday.... drum roll please.... and I'M DONE! My first year of medical school will be complete (Lord willing I pass Neuro).

I ask for your prayers for my classmates and me. We're all very worn out from studying and very, very tired.. and, for me at least, I've become very unmotivated. Please pray for strength to finish this last leg of the race!

Hope everyone is enjoying this grand Tuesday. Summer is almost here!

This is a picture of the buildings next to Wrigley Field in Chicago. There are stands on top of them. Crazy, right?

Brazil

2010-04-29T09:14:00.001-05:00

So, I have some exciting news. I've been waiting to tell people because I wanted to make sure that it would work out, and after Monday, I saw that it would. It is now official--From June 2 to June 13 I'll have the opportunity to serve our Lord with my home church in Columbus in Corumba, Brazil.

Brazil. South America. New continent. New Adventures.

I don't even know what to think about this all. I am not new to the "mission" trip scene--after all, I did have the opportunity to serve overseas for 5 months in Germany (anyone who has met me or read this blog knows about that, haha). So that also shows that I'm not new to leaving the country, nor doing it for reasons that are beyond my understanding. What IS new is the fact that I'm going to a continent that isn't Europe, that isn't westernized, that speaks a language I know nothing of... and will be completely out of my comfort zone.

Oddly enough, I know nothing about this city I will be visiting. What I do know is that a helping hand, mind, voice, etc. is always needed and my summer was oddly vacant. What better way to spend some of it than going somewhere that could need me? God has shown his hand in all of this and how it has worked out. I just so happened to call the week before everyone was getting their visas. Even though the deadline to sign up for this trip was about 2 months ago, they still were able to work me in and just at the last minute. Talk about perfect timing, right? Now comes the most daunting task--raising the money to go on the trip. I have to raise ~$2,500. Almost the same amount I needed for Germany (which shows me how much the IMB paid on behalf of me).

To see a video of previous years, click here and scroll to the bottom.

I would like to ask for your prayers in all areas of this trip. For our hearts, for the people we will encounter, for financial aid. More news to come later. Happy Thursday!

No time for writing

2010-04-21T00:45:00.006-05:00

don't really have a chance to write much.. but here are a few more pics of Chicago :)

Never second best

2010-04-02T22:38:00.006-05:00

Can't believe this weekend is Easter. With our first test block on Monday, it was almost overshadowed. BUT, only almost. I cannot let school try to take first place in my life. While it does need to move up on my priority list, there is one thing it will never beat--my faith. Thank you so much for what you have done for me, God. Don't ever let me forget the importance of your death and resurrection. I will not be satisfied if I put you on the back burner.. and I pray that you never let me be.

Teaser picture: The Cloud Gate in Chicago

That small break in spring..

2010-03-29T22:16:00.001-05:00

Well, I'm already in over my head with school and missing every moment of spring break! It was one of the best spring breaks of my life--for several different reasons. One of the obvious reasons being that it was a break from medical school and tests... the mental hiatus was certainly needed.

So what all did we do while we were there? I can't even remember everything we did, but I'll attempt to give a brief synopsis:

We did most of the typical touristy things you can do in Chicago. We went to the top of the Sears tower (Willis tower.. whatever), saw Lake Michigan, walked the Magnificent Mile, and ate deep dish. We visited several different museums:
The Museum of Contemporary Art (my definition of art was put into question... or maybe other people's definition of art should be put into question)
The Field Museum (saw "Sue" as well as some pretty cool diamonds--including one that was over 100 carats!)
The Art Institute (much more artistic in my opinion, and I was much more appreciative)
The Museum of Science and Industry (coolest museum I have EVER been to. I want to work there because they actually show people that science can be FUN!)
We also visited the Adler Planetarium, which taught me a whole heck of a lot about stars and Chicago accents.
Lincoln Park was pretty cool, and I thoroughly enjoyed walking around areas outside of downtown. I felt like I saw so much of the city, but there was still so much more to see.
We saw the cloud gate (aka mirror beany thing) and the really cool amphitheater right by it.

The food and company was the most amazing part. The weather was gorgeous and in the 60s all week until Saturday... when it snowed?! I could definitely go back up there for some more. It's a big city, but with people there that are down to earth and very friendly. On our ride to the hotel, we already had locals giving us suggestions on where to go or not to go. Not many people commented on our accents (thank goodness), and I hope I get the chance to go back up there soon!

Pictures soon....

Spring-a-ling break!

2010-03-14T20:20:00.004-05:00

Spring break is finally here!!!!!!!!!!

This week has been on my mind since January... but more so these past 3 weeks than ever. Over those weeks, we've had 2 board exams, 1 cumulative final, 3 regular tests, and a practical. Histology and genetics are both finished, and physiology is mostly done. I guess this week marks the "M1.75" mark for all of us first years. It feels good to say that!

So what to do on a week off of school? Travel with 2 of my favorite people--Mom and Caitlyn--to the windy city! We'll be flying out early-bird early tomorrow morning and arriving in Chicago around 9. That gives us all afternoon, along with the rest of the week, to enjoy museums, tall buildings, deep dish pizza, and fantastic architecture. I've made a rather long list of places to visit and restaurants to enjoy--and hopefully still having plenty of time to get lost in the city. I think I'm most excited about taking pictures and seeing what life is like for people who live in the 3rd largest city in the U.S.

Can't wait to let my mind relax for a week! Enjoying spring already!

Rodeo!

2010-02-27T22:12:00.004-06:00

I'm studying for my histology board exam, but I thought I'd update the blog real quick. This is a video from the rodeo I went to on Valentine's day and here's a video of the best bull rider at the rodeo! Glad I went.. can't wait for next year. I'm dressing much more appropriately this next go 'round.

This second video was pretty cool because you can see how dangerous these bulls are even after the bull riding is over!

Schnee!

2010-02-12T01:25:00.003-06:00

Well, here I am up late, for no reason. Typical. You'd think I'd try to go to bed early so I can get up at a normal hour. It's true that old habits die hard. One day I'll have a normal, adult sleeping schedule.

Tonight I do have somewhat of a reason to be up... and that reason is SNOW. And quite a decent amount, I must say. We've had classes cancelled so I get the whooooole day off. To study. Either way, I'm not skipping class this time. Plus, there's no new information for tomorrow = good possibility of catching up :)

This weekend should be a fun one. I'm planning to go see Valentine's Day (not exactly my choice) in honor of such a ..... "beloved".... holiday. Then Saturday night will lead to a night of salsa dancing (weather permitting) and Sunday will be the best day of all. No, it's not because its Hallmark Card day. It's because I'm going to the rodeo. Yep yep. My first time to experience the Dixie National Rodeo here in Jackson. It should be quite an adventure as I've only seen one rodeo before. I'm not your typical southerner in that respect.

Hopefully this weekend will be quite funfilled, as it's my last duty-free one until spring break. I can handle it though. Speaking of spring break--Mom, Caitlyn, and I are reuniting and heading to CHICAGO! more to come on that later. Merry Valentine's to all!

for you, Germany

2010-02-02T00:40:00.001-06:00

I am getting ready for bed so that I can get up and study more about the kidneys (trust me, you should looooove your kidneys for all they do). For some reason, I started feeling nostalgic for Germany.

I miss it. I can't believe I can actually say "this time last year..." about Germany. What? How? When did that happen? On Feb. 1 (guess it's really the 2nd), 2009, I was in process of learning the beautiful city of Dresden--learning places, people, customs, and culture... and still there is so much I didn't learn. Not until after I left. I pray for you Dresden, and for the Dietz family, and for Amy, because they are doing amazing things in that beautiful city.

Every time I think about that place, and those months, I tear up. Tears of joy? yes. Tears of sorrow? yes. Tears for fears? no. I changed because of you, Germany. I changed because of what God wanted me to do and become and see and believe because of you Germany. And I am forever grateful for you, Germany.

STILL here

2010-01-28T11:14:00.006-06:00

Yes, I am still alive, and I still use this blog. I realized its been over a month since my last post and I know the 5 people that read this are dying to know about my life, right? yeaaah, don't think I wanna know the response to that.

Either way, I am still here, back in school after a lovely 2 week break. We started on January 4, and things are much, much different this semester. Instead of having hours upon end of several different subjects, we've been focusing mostly on one subject: physiology. And we didn't have a test for the first three weeks of class. How can this be?

While it was all wonderful to not have tests, our first test ended up covering 26 lectures (ouch) so the whole catching up aspect was a bit intimidating. Fortunately, our next test is next week only a fewer amount of lectures. On top of that, we have a 3 day weekend this weekend. I've been able to talk to my friends and see them much more then last semester. I've taken breaks and actually had time to catch up... why, this semester seems much more promising!

I don't have much else to write about here. Just wanted to check in and prove that I still use this blog. Hope everyone is enjoying the beginning of 2010!

And one last thing....... GO COLTS!!

M1.5

2009-12-21T00:48:00.006-06:00

I made it! I finished it. Stick a fork in me--I am d-o-n-e.

I am officially on Christmas break and let me tell you--this is going to be the most cherished break I've had in life, so far. I have already spent a day doing absolutely nothing and loved every second of it. My week includes activities such as reading for pleasure, going to our local coffee shop and drinking my favorite white chocolate mocha, seeing friends who were kind enough to remain my friends after my semester long hiatus of friendship... you get the picture.

You know, it's weird to say that I'm IN med school now. I feel like I've talked about wanting to go.. or "I'm starting in the fall"... that the fact that I'm done with a semester (supposedly the worst of them all) is surreal. I guess I really will have the letters that aren't just letters at the end of my name: M.D. How crazy is that?

I'm excited to see familiar faces over the next 2 weeks--from faces of people that I haven't seen since BEFORE I went to Germany to some that I haven't seen in a few weeks. A lot has happened throughout this year, more so than I think any other time in my life. So many chapters in my life closed and opened, and its hard to believe it happened in such a short amount of time. God keeps me going through all the changes--good, bad, and ugly. I can't wait to see what He wants me to do as time goes on.

Another thought is I have bought a grand total of 2 Christmas presents so far. It's actually quite embarrassing. I blame it on school :) I hope to brave the crowds tomorrow or Wednesday to find what I need. For now, I need to figure out what I need. Yikes. In conclusion, merry Christmas. I hope your heart, feet, and other all body parts are warm as this winter chill is settling in--even in Mississippi!

here are a couple of shots from my first night of freedom: a tacky Christmas party at my house!

Ginormous Thank You

2009-12-13T17:28:00.002-06:00

For those of you who still read my blog, and for those people out there who were praying for me, THANK YOU.

I am officially finished with gross and developmental anatomy. That is, assuming I passed the boards in both classes. Either way, the prayers were what got me the grade I have in gross and developmental. I scored my highest in both classes on this last test, even with all the other tests in the way. There was so much I didn't know, but somehow I was tested on the material I DID know, and we all know that the only way that happened is by the grace of our Lord.

So, thank you for your prayers. I feel rejuvenated enough to hopefully kick some biochemistry tail, and by that I mean just pass the class. We have our final on Wednesday and our board in there on Friday. In other words, I'll be a M1.5 come Friday afternoon = 4 days and 18 hours away.

I hope that you could continue to pray for me as these last two tests approach. I may be rejuvenated, but these tests are covering more material than I've ever had in one semester. I will continue to push through because God has showed me, again, that this is the path He wants me to pursue. That gives me strength to move forward!

OOOOOH and MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL! Not much longer until the wonderful day of celebration is here. Hope everyone is enjoying the season, and most importantly, the reason behind it all.

Last call

2009-12-05T17:37:00.004-06:00

So I've made it through 3 tests this week, only 3 more tests, 2 board exams, and 1 cumulative exam left. Less than 2 weeks left in school--December 18th can't get here soon enough!

I would like to ask for any prayers right now. I am VERY nervous about this upcoming gross anatomy test, so nervous that I'm writing a blog solely to ask for your prayers. I need God's army to pull me through!!

2 last things:
ROLL TIDE!

and after the egg bowl, here is my only response... sung to the tune of here comes Santa Claus:

Here comes Ole Miss! Here comes Ole Miss! Right down Dexter Lane! Marshay and Hodge and all their teammates, are going to a bowl game. Hotty Toddy, Gosh Almighty we still have 8 wins. Buy your ticket and pack your bags cause Ole Miss plays again!

:)
Always proud to be an Ole Miss fan.

Edited

2009-11-17T14:18:00.015-06:00

Things have been a little more laid back these past 2 weeks. We've only had one test since the dreaded test debacle, and it could have been worse. Most of my class took it easy this past weekend, and we're now putting our noses back in the books to get ready for the tornado of December. We'll have a test in Phys and Histo the first week of the month, then Monday Dec. 7 we'll have our final gross anatomy test, followed 2 days later by the board exam--and then we'll be done with gross anatomy foreverrrrrrrrrrr!!! (assuming we all pass :/) then one week later we'll have a cumulative biochem exam, followed by the biochem board exam that friday, Dec. 18. SO, in other words, I ask that you keep my classmates and I in your prayers--that we'll finish strong and finish well. All I care about is passing, honestly :)

Moving on, I'd like to mention the fact that I've now been back from Germany longer than I was over there. I can't explain how weird that is to say out loud. It's unbelievable that the same amount of time I was in Germany has already been spent in America again. I wish words wouldn't fail me, but sometimes there's no explaining feelings. As I mentioned in a previous post, I haven't allowed myself to fully dwell on my time there. With school starting so soon after I got back, I didn't think emotionally I could handle it. So I avoided thinking about Jan-June. And here it is, November 17, and I'm still avoiding it.

Don't get me wrong--I haven't forgotten. No way in this lifetime could that happen. And I don't neglect thinking about Germany at all--on the contrary, I am reminded of it in little ways every day. I just refer to the whole experience--the things I learned, the memories I made, the lessons that were taught, the smiles and laughter, and of course, the tears. There's just.. gosh, why can't I put this into words? I just can't handle all the memories rushing back to me at once. I pray that God will show the right time, and I will eventually stop adding layers of bricks to the wall around the memories. Maybe I'll let them come bursting through. For now, I focus on my studies and relish in the fact that I changed in Germany, came back an "edited" version of me, and will hopefully allow myself to change more--for the good, of course. The world is big, and I'm ready to see more of it.

I'm including some fun shots of my teammates and I on our many adventures throughout Germany. We had some fun times with the camera. The last few pictures are some shots of the beautiful country that I do miss, and I hope that I'll have the opportunity, once more, to photograph it.

2009-11-03T13:43:00.004-06:00

Wow! Where have I been? Well, it turns out that after those 11 days of, um, horrible life, I realized that I had yet another round of tests just like it. Starting last Friday and until this coming Friday, I have 5 tests. I'm through with 4 of them (cue the choir singing praises), and I am still alive. My grades? barely hanging on. Either way, I'm still here and alive. I'm LOVING the fact that it's already November... although it's kind of bittersweet. I need more time to have grades I'm satisfied with, but at the same time, I just want to be through with this semester. I think I'll settle for being done soon--so soon that I can say I'm finished NEXT MONTH! December 18, 2009, exactly 44 days and 22 hours away, my life will have a pause, a break, a hiatus, a moment. to. breathe.

We have 2 weeks off for Christmas, and I don't think I've had a Christmas break which I yearned for more. I don't know how I'll get all I want to do, done, while at the same time doing absolutely nothing. I think I'll manage either way. I hate not having the opportunity to be there for my friends and be a part of their lives. I will do my best to make up for it after this semester. For now, text messages, emails, blog stalking, and the occasional phone call will have to suffice.

Happy fall.. and I hope everyone's Halloween was more entertaining than mine! Here's a shot from the hour I really enjoyed my costume. Nikki and I on the trolley to the UMC Halloween party:

11 long days...

2009-10-14T13:35:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to check in and mention that I think I'm officially experiencing the toughest 11 days of my life. From October 9 to October 19, I have 5 tests--pretty much one in every subject I'm taking, along with being a bridesmaid in a wedding this coming weekend (the 17th). But, I've made it through 3 of the tests, 1 of which was hands down the hardest of the 5. I'm pushing through, and once this is all over, I'll officially be over halfway through school :))))))

A random occurrence did put an interesting twist on my study time this week--a corneal abrasion. AKA scratch on my eye. How, you might ask? Beats me. I went to bed with an irritated eye Sunday night, and I awoke Monday morning with a red eye, watering and hurting. I decided that I would tough it out with my contacts because we had our gross anatomy test that afternoon (and who wants to be wearing glasses when you play with someone intestines?). Lo and behold, I went to the doc tuesday morning because things weren't any better and what do they tell me? I scratched my eye and have to wear an EYE PATCH for 24 hours.

If you've never worn an eye patch, let me tell you--it's weird. And don't be mistaken--its not the black pirate eye patch you're thinking about. It's a white patch that is taped onto my face. I am not allowed to drive (rightly so), nor do I have any depth perception. In fact, when I woke up this morning with it, I totally missed my toothbrush when I was trying to apply toothpaste. I skipped class, headed to the doc, and found out I have to wear a patch for ANOTHER 24 hours. For real. This time, I plan on drawing a skull and cross bones to dress it up for class tomorrow. Anyways, I'm off to read about biochemistry with one eye. Over and out!

"Hey Day, you better sleep with one eye open, just like when you're awake!!!"
Beth Brownlee

Hat made by Jodi--paper hat extraordinaire.

Heart and Soul

2009-10-03T13:21:00.006-05:00

Well hello October!

A few things have happened in these last few weeks in September. We actually had a nice change in weather--weather that would actually constitute fall weather. We've had the kind of temperatures that make you actually want to stay outside, whether to study or to play frisbee. Although, I'm sure we'd all choose the latter of the two.

I've been busy with school, as always. We've had tests in every subject, thus far, and in some cases, two or three. I'm seeing what I'm up against--and I'm not gonna lie, it's kind of intimidating. Not enough to keep me from going up against it, but enough to keep me aware that there's no way you can survive medical school without proper preparation. That's always fun to learn the hard way. There have been some pretty cool things happen--like the fact that I got to use a bone saw, and I've now held the heart and lungs in my hands. Let me tell you--your heart is a lot bigger than you think.

I feel pretty terrible about my lack of communication with my friends and family. I take all the blame, but I know that as much as I hate neglecting time on the phone and in person, I know that it will be better after Christmas. So apologies to any of you reading this blog.

As far as my walk with Christ goes, cool things are happening. I've already had a great moment that answered my question as to whether or not I need to pursue medicine. The answer is yes, by the way. That makes all this 10x more bearable. I didn't realize how much of a difference that could make. This semester, like the past spring semester, makes me rely on God fully. I can tell when I don't. He provides, always, and I can't believe how lucky I am to have his undying love.

I still think about Dresden often, and I pray for the people of that city.

Have a great day... and enjoy all the beautiful weather you can!

3 months

2009-09-20T17:51:00.007-05:00

So I have officially been back in the U.S. for over three months. We hit the 3 month marker about 5 days ago. Wait a minute... is that right? Has it really been that long?

I still have a hard time thinking about my time there. I know my trip to Germany was not easy, but in my own way, I do miss it. I haven't let myself think about Germany in quite awhile. With school constantly going, I just push my memories to a dark, far-away corner in my mind... a place where I can dig through later. Don't get me wrong; I have constant reminders that I went there, that I spent 5 months experiencing another culture, and that I came back changed. I will never go a day without thinking about my time, if only for a few seconds.

I guess what I am trying to say is that I have not let myself relive January through June. You know when you look at pictures and remember each detail of how the photo came to be, of the before and after moments, of the conversation that led to the picture? I haven't done that. I'm a tad bit scared. Honestly, I have not looked through most of my photo albums upon my return. It's something I've been putting off. I've been on trips before; I've experienced the bittersweet emotions, but this is different. This trip was like no other. When God wants to change you, there's no stopping Him. Sometimes it hurts during the process of changing, but when you look back, you miss that time.

I know I'm not making sense. It's taken me this long to even form those thoughts I've just written into words. I think I'm scared to relive some of the emotions I had while I was over there. On top of those emotions, I'll have new ones, from a different perspective... the "after I've had to time to think about it" perspective. One day I'll be a big girl and do that, but for now, know that I miss Germany.

Nice cut

2009-09-16T18:30:00.003-05:00

Well, as of Monday evening, I made it through my first gross anatomy tests. If you need to ask me about your arm, or back, just holler. I may (or may not) be able to answer it. It was actually quite entertaining to take the practical. Let me just set up the scene for you. Imagine about 40 metal boxes, elevated to about elbow level, long enough for a man of average height. All of them are open, with a dead body raised up either face up or down (faces covered). We walk in and go to an assigned table/box and begin. We must recognize what nerve/artery/vein/muscle/bone/ligament is tagged. After 1 minute and 10 seconds, an alarm goes off, and we move on. In a nutshell, it something like "musical cadavers" as my roommate puts it. We get our grades back tomorrow, so I may not be in such a great mood!

Another fun thing that happened today--I, for the first time ever (thank goodness), used a bone saw. On my cadaver, of course. It was quite empowering! There I was, holding an electric saw, vibrating in my hand, as a slowly cut through bone. My lab partner and I cut the front half of the rib cage off so that we could see our cadaver's lungs.... and wow. It..was...aawweeesooomme. We haven't seen the heart yet, but we're all meeting in lab on Friday to take it out. I have told about 140 different people today (yes, I'm exaggerating) because I felt like it was "something to write home about." I may have a heck of a time getting used to this whole non-social life/studying-my-brain-to-mush lifestyle, but at least some pretty cool perks come along with it!

Hope everyone is doing well. I hate that I don't talk to many people often, but I promise that come December I will be back to normal. Thanks for reading!

Happy Birthday Mama!

2009-09-12T10:37:00.008-05:00

OK, so my mom's birthday was on Tuesday of this week. It's saturday. Yeah yeah whatever. Either way, I just want to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY again to her. Don't worry, I talked to her plenty on the actual day, but now that I'm supposed to be studying for my gross anatomy tests on Monday, I naturally opted to write a blog instead.

Thank you so much for everything you do, Mama. I can't begin to describe how lucky I am to have you in my life. If you weren't the mom you are, I honestly don't think I would have done half the stuff that I did. Germany included. I thank the Lord that he gave me an organized and self-sacrificial mother because we both know that I'm not exactly "on top of things." I know I'm 24 years old and should probably be better, but you always come in and save me from the mess that I've somehow gotten myself into (due mostly to my procrastination). You've raised my siblings to be wonderful young adults, to whom I am proud to be related :) I hope that you've had a great week, and I love you with all of my heart. Our God knew what he was doing when he made you for us, for dad, and for this world.

Here are some great pictures for meine Mutter!

Mother, sister, and I at Miss Mississippi pageant

Ma and I in Dresden, visiting Grosser Garten

Corky taking mom for a spin at Todd and REB's wedding reception

Mama and I waiting for Michael Buble to serenade us

It was cold as we went to visit the Blue Wonder by the Elbe in Dresden!

Much easier than writing a new post.

2009-09-03T21:15:00.001-05:00

Finish these sentences...
Maybe I should...be studying for my biochem and genetics tests that are on tuesday..
My ex is....nonexistent.
I love...serving people.
People would say that I am....obsessed with watching movies.
I don't understand...how people think we'll understand all about the human body.
When I wake up in the morning...I should not hold a conversation for at least an hour.
I have lost...some memories that I wish I still had.
Life is full of...opportunities to see the world.
My past has taught me...that God seriously knows what He's doing.
I get annoyed...when I don't mark off all of my to-do list.
Parties are...the best when people dress up.
Dogs...are waaaay better than cats.
Cats...are worthless.
Tomorrow is...the beginning of the wonderful Labor Day weekend!
I have a low tolerance for...poor grammar.
If I had a million dollars...I'd travel to New Zealand.
I am terrified..of going blind.
I've come to realize that my last kiss...was something I don't think much about.
I am listening to...Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers soundtrack.. because that's some great study music.
I talk...on the phone more than necessary.
My friends... are so dependable and encouraging.
My first real kiss...is a quite a funny story to tell.
Love is...why I exist.
Marriage is...something you need to make sure you're ready for.
Somewhere, someone is thinking....about peanut butter.
I'll always...remember the Alamo.
The last time I really cried...was something I don't want to relive.
My cell phone is...how I stay in touch with friends.
Before I go to bed...I read my daily Bible.
Right now I am thinking about...how excited I am to drive home and see my family!
Babies...are no where in my near future.
Today I...did an awesome Arnold Schwarzenegger impression.
I really want to...already be done with medical school :)

Case o' bones

2009-08-19T16:22:00.002-05:00

So test block one--finished and done. I do not know how I did, but I'm ok with that because I want to put it off as long as possible....I'm rewarding myself by doing nothing school related today, and I'm loving every minute of it. As I only got 4 hours of sleep before my test last night, I've already covered the basic reward: a nap. Now what to do? We'll see. I really want to get out of the house before I get cabin fever.

Anyways, my main point of posting is to tell you this interesting tid bit. In my house, at this very moment, sits a box, or suitcase (whichever you prefer), of human bones. Yes, real human bones. Weird, isn't it? They're only from the vertebral column, but its enough to fit a case that would normally carry a trumpet or some other musical instrument. In fact, I'm pretty sure that's what the case is. But instead of carry a normal band instrument, we have some bones. We're supposed to look at them closely, identify them, you know, whatever you're supposed to do with bones. Can't wait.

Anyways, off to make myself look normal after that deep sleep nap. Happy Wednesday!

A week through doctor land

2009-08-15T17:48:00.004-05:00

typing as I'm thinking..

So, I've been a little absent from the blog world. A lot of things have been occupying my time--mostly school. I had a week long orientation last week, being overloaded with random information that I couldn't recall if you asked me to. It's ok, though, because who needs it anyway? Well, I hope I won't really need it. I met several of my new classmates and found out how many were feeling the same things I was feeling--anxiety, excitement, etc. I made it through the week, which was harder than I expected due to the lack of sleep (remember, I'm the get up around 10:30 or 11 type person).

This week began with classes. They hit in full force. I'm talking category 5 hurricane. Here I am, on Saturday, spending the lovely day inside, reading notes on my computer from lectures. We have our first block test this coming Wednesday, covering 3 different subjects. One of the subjects is Biochem. I was quickly reminded of my loathing for this subject.

I've been out of school for a little over 2 years now, so when I walk into my classroom and see over 100 computers staring back at me, I'm still caught off guard. Everyone has one (requirement, of course). You won't see anyone (almost) taking notes by hand. I actually haven't even bought a notebook. I wonder how long that will last.

Anyways, I will try to update here, but my life won't be particularly interesting over the next 4 months. We start gross anatomy next week, so I'll steal my first glimpse of my future dissectee. Maybe I'll find something neat on my cadaver in lab to tell you all about. We'll see. Anyways, hope everyone else is doing well.

I'm baaaaack

2009-07-28T17:11:00.008-05:00

Good news! I've moved back down to the greater Jackson area! I'm excited. I've got a house, new roommate, and cable. Food, adequate furniture, and my own internet? not so much. I'm making my way there. School orientation starts next week--a wonderful 4 day orientation. After that, REAL school starts, and my life will never be the same. Exciting? yes. Anxious? HECK yes. That's all for now. Maybe a few pictures that I never posted from my time in Europe. Yay.

Dresden by Night

Weesenstein Castle

Dachau Concentration Camp

Miss Mississippi

2009-07-20T21:35:00.006-05:00

I went to Vicksburg, MS this past week/weekend to support my sister in the Miss Mississippi pageant. There's isn't quite that much to do in Vicksburg, so we actually only spent 2 full days there, while commuting from Jackson on the other days. Caitlyn won a talent prelim on Thursday and was easily the most talented girl who competed in the pageant. Yes, I am biased, but I know plenty of less biased people who will agree :) Anyways, she didn't end up making the top ten (what a rip off), but she's doing her best to make the most of what she learned last week for future years. I know she's got a lot more up her sleeve!

During the days I was in Vicksburg, my mom and I went and visited the Mississippi River where I was able to take some fun shots. We also visited a battlefield park (memorial for the Civil War) where my mother and I thought we were going to be stuck there as we could NOT find the exit. We saw plenty of memorials several times. Anyways, here are some pics. Mississippi is a beautiful place!

We're going SHOOTIN'!

2009-07-13T18:12:00.016-05:00

Wow, what a super weekend! Since I've been home, I haven't done anything quite out of the ordinary (with the exception of seeing Wicked with Lauren!!). It has mostly involved catching up with old friends, driving to Jackson, watching movies, driving to Jackson, watching movies in Jackson.. you get the picture (you could imagine how many gas stations I've visited). OH yeah, and drinking mochas and lattes. Anyways, this weekend was quite the new experience.

On Saturday, I said bye to my sister as she headed off to Vicksburg for preparation for Miss Mississippi. Afterwards, I went to a wedding in, appropriately enough, Jackson. No, that's not out of the ordinary. It was quite beautiful, and it was a wonderful reason to see many of my friends and have a good time dancing to The Devil Went Down To Georgia. Afterwards, I spent the evening with some of my closer friends, having dinner, visiting Borders, getting ice cream. No, that's not out of the ordinary, either. It was a great time, though.

After a long Saturday, I left early from Jackson to drive over to Birmingham, AL. I was visiting one of my lifelong best friends, Jenna, and her husband Casey. We had plans to go out to the gun range and get a little shooting practice in! Yes, that is out of the ordinary... well, for me, at least. After grabbing some lunch with them two and Jenna's sister and brother-in-law, we geared up (or more Casey got everything ready while we sat there and talked) and headed out! Casey gave me a brief orientation with a .22 Caliber pistol--and I paid close attention as having only shot a BB gun and some type of rifle in my entire life. When we got out there, we picked targets and boy did they have a nice plethora of choices, including Osama bin Laden and Barney. I decided to have a little fun and grabbed Barney as a target :) After sticking in some ear plugs and making sure there was a green light (learned that this means the range is "hot"), I l stepped up, loaded the gun and took aim at Barney. I shot ten times (until the gun was empty), stepped away, and checked my damage to Barney. I ended up hitting him right smack on the target! I think it has a little something to do with my loathing of Barney, but that dinosaur best look at my target and stay away from me!

Jenna and I took turns shooting the .22, and we each took one turn shooting a 9 mm. That gun was tougher to shoot with--as in I only shot 2 bullets with it and let Casey finish it off. We stayed out at the gun range for about 2 hours! Even though it was scorching hot, I had LOADS of fun!!!!!! I can't wait to do that again. I decided I might even post my Barney target on my new place to warn intruders :) After our fun time at the range, we headed back to Jenna and Casey's, and Jenna and I baked some chocolate chip cookies (brownlee/smith tradition), complete with icing and sprinkles. Needless to say, I felt like I was going to be sick after a few and regretted eating so many immediately. The hours of feeling sick were worth the few minutes of enjoyment. Here are a few pics from the day!!!

Jenna taking aim at her Barney target

Now it's my turn at Barney!

Jenna actually has a gun in her holster

Too bad for Barney

Michael Jackson

2009-07-07T21:59:00.004-05:00

Ok, my friend Lauren wrote a post about this awhile ago, you know back when it happened. I'm not trying to copy her, but seriously people... Michael Jackson was a singer. He was not a god; he was not a hero; he was not really all that great of a guy, honestly. He WAS an amazing entertainer, but that about covers it. After seeing about 10 minutes of his memorial service on TV today, I was fed up. Who are these random famous people giving speeches because they were such close "friends" with him? Why do they act like Michael Jackson was the only good thing to happen to this world?

I don't see the men and women dying for our country getting a highly publicized memorial service. The people who are, you know, actually doing something for our nation. I feel like everyone forgot the looney, slightly disturbing things Michael Jackson did, i.e. holding his baby over a rail. I am not saying he doesn't deserve nice things said about him, or he shouldn't be recognized for the way he changed music. I just wish that people would remember he was just a person, like the rest of us, and not an idol to be worshiped. So CNN, Yahoo!, etc., report on the news! Michael Jackson is dead--it's not news anymore. Thanks.

This Too Shall Be Made Right

2009-06-25T21:42:00.006-05:00

I went to a Derek Webb concert a couple of years ago. The guy is talented, but for some reason when his songs come on my iPod, I seem to next them--except one. I heard this song awhile ago, and thought that the lyrics said it best. If you don't want to read them all, please read the last stanza. These words speak a lot of truth. Here are the lyrics to "This Too Shall Be Made Right"

"People love you the most for the things you hate
And hate you for loving the things that you cannot keep straight
People judge you on a curve
And tell you you’re getting what you deserve
This too shall be made right

Children cannot learn when children cannot eat
Stack them like lumber when children cannot sleep
Children dream of wishing wells
Whose waters quench all the fires of Hell
This too shall be made right

The earth and the sky and the sea are all holding their breath
Wars and abuses have nature groaning with death
We say we’re just trying to stay alive
But it looks so much more like a way to die
This too shall be made right

There’s a time for peace and there is a time for war
A time to forgive and a time to settle the score
A time for babies to lose their lives
A time for hunger and genocide
This too shall be made right

I don’t know the suffering of people outside my front door
I join the oppressors of those who I choose to ignore
I’m trading comfort for human life
And that’s not just murder it’s suicide
This too shall be made right."

I can no longer turn the other way. How am I any less blameless than the oppressors if I don't stand up for what is right?

I'm home? Really????

2009-06-16T12:09:00.005-05:00

I'm home. Really, I am here. This is not a dream. This isn't some sort of alternate reality. I am actually here--in America, in my favorite state, with my family and friends, back to home. I've said that to myself over and over and over.... because I am trying to convince myself that this is real. To hug my mama and daddy, to laugh next to my sister, to sit around the table at Borders with my friends, to eat dinner with my family... all these things I have been aching to do, and now I have finally done them. No more of this virtual life. I don't have to see my friends and family through a video camera with skype. I don't have to find out about important, life-altering news through facebook or gmail. This is real!

I have been officially back in the states 24 hours now and have some (but not a lot, yet) time to think. It's hard to grasp the fact the day I've been longing for has come. My heart went home before me, so it's nice to be reunited. Some people ask me how it feels to be here. What emotions am I experiencing? My answer is simple: my utterly blissful joy outweighs any other emotion. Yes, I have plenty of emotions stirring under the surface. At the moment, they are all being held at bay because I want to enjoy every moment of this. I told my friend Nikki yesterday that I don't think I have ever been this happy in my life. Sounds a little extreme, right? Well, it's the truth. I can't believe I am here.

When "reverse culture shock" attacks, I'll be sure to write about it. For now, know that I am happy to be home! I love you America!

Wrapping it up..

2009-06-08T11:56:00.005-05:00

Well, I've returned safely and soundly from vacation. I have to admit--Bavaria and the little of Austria I saw are INSANELY beautiful. It was picture perfect. I really hope to go back again one day. I spent 5 full days traveling. We stayed in Munich all 4 nights of our trip and used it as a base to visit the surrounding area. We had 3 days of sight-seeing: Day 1--Dachau concentration camp and Regensburg, Day 2--Schwangau, location of Mad King Ludwig's castle and the Alps, and Day 3--Salzburg, Austria.

Dachau was one of the most sobering places I've ever visited. The videos, pictures, and stories of the camp make you wonder how humans, in their right mind, ever treated anyone like that. The camp was the first one built under the Nazi Regime, and it served as a model for the camps to come. Regensburg holds a bridge that dates back to around 1135, used by crusaders who wanted to cross the Danube and head to the Holy Land. Neuschwanstein castle was as magical as I expected it to be. Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty would be right at home. The Alps were as breathtaking as I remembered them when I saw them on my previous visit to Europe... and Salzburg. If you've seen The Sound of Music then you've seen much of the city. Mozart was born here, and the city is full of culture and beauty. I definitely want to see more of Austria after visiting here.

On a completely different note, I'm now down to 3 full days left in Germany. Lord willing, I'll fly out to Paris early Friday morning, spend the weekend there for debriefing, and fly to the U.S. on Monday morning. It's hard to believe that my five month trip to Germany is coming to a close. It's been hard; it's been rough at times, but it's been worth it. God has taught me things about life that I would've never learned in the comfort of my life at home. He needed to remove me from everything I knew, from everyone I knew, and show me how much I need Him. It's been a life-changing experience.

As this long weekend approaches, I would like to ask for your prayers for safe travel. All the Hands-on teams located in Western Europe will be traveling to Paris on Friday, and either back to the U.S./back to their European locations on Monday. Please pray for our flights and trains. We really want to return back home safely! Can't wait to see you all.

pictures to come.

Vacation

2009-05-29T12:16:00.002-05:00

It's hard to believe in a little over 2 weeks I'll be home. I'm seeing the end of my last full week in Dresden. I feel like these last 5 months have been twice as long as most because, as my teammate Jennifer put it so perfectly, when God is teaching and changing you, time passes very slowly. We've got much lying ahead of us in these 2 weeks. First off, we're going to have to finish ministry work. That specifically involves saying good-bye to our conversation partners. We have four with whom we regularly meet, and we'll have to say bye to them all. I hate this part of leaving. What's even weirder is the fact that I'll probably never see any of them again. After we leave them, we just have to pray that we made some sort of impact on their lives and that they won't easily forget us.

You may be wondering why I won't have a full week in Dresden next week. Well, we do have a full week here in Germany next week, but that full week won't be in Dresden... because we're getting to go visit Bavaria for 5 days! For those who don't know where Bavaria is, it's the largest state in Germany, located in the southeast corner, and its capital in Munich. Most of the stereotypes people have for Germany come from Munich--including lederhosen. We'll see sites like Neuschwanstein Castle (the one Walt Disney used to model the Cinderella Castle), Dachau concentration camp, and maybe even a little of Austria. I cannot wait to see what some consider to be the most beautiful area of Germany. We'll let you know what we think--but I have a feeling that seeing the Alps on a crisp and clear day probably won't be disappointing.

In other news, our language tutor is recovering very quickly from her stroke. She has now moved out of the hospital and is in rehab. This is great news, but it also means that we probably won't see her again. We will continue to pray for her, and thank you all for your continued prayers for her as well as my team and I. I'll be back to post pictures of next week. Cannot wait!

This is STILL not Mississippi

2009-05-20T11:50:00.010-05:00

Here's the rest of my list of differences. Be it a European thing, a German thing, or just a Saxony thing--it's different than what I know back in the good ol' Mississippi.

24. You have to pay or tip to use most public restrooms.

25. You have to ask for your ticket to pay at a restaurant.

26. Their ketchup here is usually a lot sweeter than ours.

27. Peanut Butter isn’t used much. Even worse, PB&Js… thought of as weird. As a major fan of peanut butter, this hurts a little.

28. Warning: their water served in restaurants and in plastic bottles—do not, under any circumstances, drink it. It’s almost always carbonated. Even if you get "still water," it may "still" taste funny. Oivay.

29. Smiling at people for no reason apparently makes people think you’re “of weak mind”?

30. Dresden is not the fashion capital of the world--that’s for sure. :)

31. They don’t have any get-everything-you-need-in-one-stop stores.

32. Their mustard is full of horse radish (which I particularly like).

33. Public Transportation is absolutely amazing all over the country. Trams, metros, trains, buses, ferries...

34. Not only do you need to watch out for car traffic but also bike traffic!

35. When you are paying for a meal, they bring a change purse to the table with them and make your change right there.

36. Indecent exposure in movies—nothing to bat an eye at in Germany. Violence in movies—only if you’re old enough! Backwards, huh?

37. Their calendars start the week on Monday.

38. They have a shelf milk option that’s very common—you can keep it for as long as you want. You don’t even have to refrigerate it. That is, of course, if you don’t open it.

39. Speaking of refrigerating, they don’t refrigerate their eggs at the grocery store. They let them sit on the shelf.

40. Their chedder cheese is white?

41. Many German buildings, even those with 4 or 5 floors, have no elevators.

42. Even when the road is clear of all moving vehicles, people still don’t cross if the Ampelmann (the pedestrian crosswalk symbol) says not to.

43. The option for having an apartment without a kitchen is quite common.

And lastly,

44. ..... prostitution is legal.

Outside a bathroom in the mall.. 50 Euro cents first, please!

Wow, I must be of weak mind.

The Ampelmann says no, so we don't go.

Hamburger

2009-05-17T13:20:00.012-05:00

Well, I have to admit, this past week was superb. Within a dot over a week, my team and I went to Berlin, Hamburg, and Prague. I wrote a little about Berlin in the last post. It was an unplanned, decided at the last minute kind of outing.

Our experience in Hamburg was fantastic. It was nice to see what western Germany looks like. Yes, the wall fell 20 years ago, but there are still differences between the East and the West. Hamburg is quite an international city, and it was nice to hear English on their metros. We talked to several university students during our 2 full days there, and we even had one join us for dinner and games our last night! His name is Ivan, and he is from France. He's been to America before and thoroughly enjoyed it. He had a great time playing Connect Four and the Wii. It was a good trip!

On Saturday, our supervisor's wife took us to Prague. Let me tell you--it did NOT disappoint. If you ever have the chance to go there, do it. I would say it's the most beautiful city I have visited. We spent all day there, taking pictures, shopping, and watching an interesting "Zombie Walk." I hope I can go back there one day!

This week is back to beautiful Dresden and time for us to focus our efforts on the local University. Also, please keep our German "tutor" in your prayers. She suffered from a stroke on Friday (she is 86), and she is still in the hospital. We visited her today and she seems to be recovering well. I can only pray and hope she will fully recover. That's all for now. Tschuess!

German word:

die Gesundheit--health

Hamburg Rathaus

Hamburg city

Prague Church of Our Lady Before Tyn

View from Charles' Bridge

View of Prague

Prague Museum

Geburtstag

2009-05-12T16:53:00.002-05:00

Hello to all!!

Just wanted to say a big thank you to those of you who sent me cards, facebook messages, emails, etc. to wish me a happy birthday! I had the opportunity to go back to Berlin on a beautiful day and for a beautiful price. AND I was able to use my brand new Nikon D60 to take some more pictures (Thanks Mom and Dad.. and Caitlyn)!

I am currently in Hamburg, learning some tricks of the trade from a family who lives here. We're hoping to take some tips about talking with University students back to Dresden. When we return on Thursday, we'll have Friday in Dresden and then we're off to Prague for the day on Saturday. Looks like we'll be all over the place these next few days! More details and pictures to come later. And I haven't said this recently, but thank you for your continued prayers.

Victory Column in Berlin

My homemade strawberry birthday cake

German word:

Geburtstag--Birthday

American Love

2009-05-05T09:00:00.001-05:00

I love my family. I do believe I've written something like 2 blog posts about them already. I love my friends. I don't know if I've ever written a blog about them. It's high time for that to be fixed.

After being away from those whom I love, I’ve come to a point in my life that could (most likely) only have been reached by leaving them. When I set out for this 5 month long excursion, I had no idea what was in store for me. I just assumed I'd live in Germany, doing... well honestly, I hadn’t much of an idea what I would be doing. I just knew that I would be in one of the most beautiful countries in Europe, a place where I've always felt drawn.

After having many of my expectations tossed to the wind (we were warned about this in orientation), I’ve had to do a little adjusting. And by a little, I mean a lot. Sometimes adjusting to things is hard. And you know whom I’ve always had around me when I have hard times? My family. My friends. Going through this experience without them has shown me several things. Here are a few of them:

1. I need to rely on God much more than people. God never lets you down. In HIM I need to find my strength and hope first and foremost.
2. I have one of the best families in the universe. They always know when to talk and when to listen. They know what to say and how to encourage me. They make me laugh, and they love me.
3. My friends are truly a gift from God. He has placed some of the most compassionate, caring people in my path for me to lean on when I need support. Distance tests friendships, and mine have aced the trial. (My family is also included in the friend category).

So here’s to those of you to whom I am referring. I’m not going to sit and write a list of names, but I think most people will know if I am talking about them or not ☺. I cannot express how much I have taken for granted, but never again! I am eager to see your faces when I return to America in just a little over a month. Expect a big bear hug!

As no post is complete without pictures, I’ve decided to make a collage of several friends, and all family members included. I only had the ones on my computer to choose from, so I hope no one is offended if not pictured.

Wolverine

2009-04-30T19:43:00.002-05:00

I cannot believe I won't be in the States when this movie is in theaters! Take advantage of seeing it... if you can. Go X-Men!

Polska

2009-04-26T13:52:00.026-05:00

Let's see here, what's been going on.

Well, at lot of social interactions with Germans, for sure. We have a new conversation partner, named Sandra, that has gotten us involved with other people. She is somewhat new to Dresden, and through this thing that she calls "German facebook" has access to meeting new people who want to get involved in hanging out in Dresden. On the 17th of the month, we went with her to her hometown, Leipzig, and saw some pretty cool sites. We learned that the city holds the largest train station in Europe and yes, it. was. huge. We also saw the church at which Bach consistently played and a familiar site--Starbucks. On the train ride back, an interesting conversation happened that my teammate Jennifer writes about here. She gives a nice account of the story since she was the one with whom the conversation was held. I, sadly, slept on the ride back and missed out. Trust me--I never knew my sleeping could get in the way of things! I think it worked out for the best because Sandra might've been less open if she was discussing everything with all four of us, instead of just two. We are planning on seeing her again this coming Tuesday to go for a paddle boat ride on the Elbe.

Now, more currently--through Sandra we've met a guy named Mat. He likes movies and invited us all to go to one. So, this Wednesday, I finally saw my first movie IN THEATERS since January 11. Considering I go to the movies once a week at home, I've been suffering. Seriously--I have a test that proves that I will go into stress mode when I don't exhibit my "artistic" side, which just so happens to be movies (in my case). On top of going to the movies, the movie I watched just so happened to be Slumdog Millionaire. I was very impressed. I should be writing a review about it sometime soon!

We have met with a new conversation partner, Elizabeth, but only for about 10 minutes. She needed to leave and go practice the piano. In that time, we were able to find out that she attends a local Lutheran church and hopes to start playing church hymns soon. I'm excited to get the chance to know Elizabeth! We'll see more of her tomorrow.

Lastly, Jessica, Jennifer, and I ventured outside of Dresden on Saturday to visit the easternmost town in Germany: Görlitz. Some claims were thrown out there that it is considered the most beautiful city in Germany. Well, all I have to say is that Dresden is prettier :) It is still a beautiful city, though. We even found a place called Heiliges Grab, a copy of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, with representations of the scenes of Christ's Passion. After viewing most of the city, we walked across the border into Poland. Yep, we just walked on over. The Polish city's name is Zgorzelec, and it wasn't much to see. I don't really care too much about that because I can say I've now been to Poland! It was quite a difficult thing after we realized that we dont a) know the language, b) have a map, or c) have Polish money. We made it back to Germany safely, nonetheless.

That's most of what's going on around here. We have several meetings with people this week so we hope that they will all go well! And guess what? May starts this Friday! What a great month it will be!

German word: wünschen--to wish

Bach's statue in front of "his church"

Supersized Train Station

St. Peter's Kirche in Görlitz

Görlitz City Hall

Angel proclaiming that Jesus' tomb is empy!

A look down Brüderstrasse

Yes, I like Harry Potter

2009-04-19T07:57:00.008-05:00

So, I didn't really have time to write a post, but I saw the new Harry Potter trailer and thought I'd post it for all to see! I'm so excited to see it this summer!

If, for some reason, the Youtube video didn't work, here's the link to the Warner Brothers website with the trailer. :)
Harry Potter Trailer

I have seen the sun!

2009-04-15T05:47:00.009-05:00

So let's see here--last week. I have finally discovered that Germany DOES see the sun and oh what a beauty the country is when it is covered by a blue sky and adorned by flowers of all colors. My main picture at the top is one taken (in my opinion) on the first day of spring. I forgot what a joy it is to walk outside without a coat, scarf, and gloves. My how I've missed warmth! A plus about the warm weather here is the humidity is about 1/2 of the humidity at home, so now I know what normal temperatures are supposed to feel like!

Moving onto activities of last week: We had a retreat of sorts at a city about an hour and a half from here. The town is extremely small and with a name almost impossible to pronounce. Through the trip we learned a lot about ourselves, our teammates, and how we work together as a team. There were several other missionaries from Germany at the retreat, so it was also nice to meet others serving God in Germany! I wish everyone I knew could take this test. It's called Grip-Birkman, and it's one of the most elaborate tests I've ever taken. It describes you when you're just jim dandy, and what happens to you when you get stressed out. It shows your highest levels of interest (my top two were artistic and scientific..hint hint) which help people learn how to help you out when they see your stress signs. I believe in this test so much that I'm just going to save it in my email and hand it over to my future husband one day (who knows if email will even exist by that point). I think this test is so beneficial for teammates to have--I know it's already helped my fellow hands-on teammates and I!

Outside of the Grip-Birkman discussion times, we had a lot of free time in the late afternoon and evening. I was lucky enough to participate in my first ultimate frisbee game and show Team Dresden, as well as the rest of Germany, how truly competitive I am. The team I was on won both times, so I walked off the field happy. We also visited a local waterfall, as well as an Alpine slide. I've been on an Alpine slide once before, so I felt confident enough in the tracks to put my speed level on full steam ahead. All in all, last week was an amazing trip! We're hoping to see more of Germany in our last two months here!

German word:
niesen--to sneeze

Team Hands-on Dresden in front of the waterfall

On the way down on the alpine slide

The whole Alpine slide

Quickly, now

2009-04-05T14:50:00.008-05:00

So, I haven't much time to write a blog, but I'll see what I can do when I only have a 10 minute time window. Here goes!

Last weekend, I visited good ol' Berlin! You don't realize how blessed you are to live in country full of such history (even if some of it is pretty dark). I won't go into total detail of the places I saw here is a list of places including but not limited to: the Berliner Dom, the memorial to commemorate the book burning where over 20,000 books containing "un-German" ideas were burned on May 10, 1933, the memorial to all the murdered Jews in Europe, the Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate), the Reichstag (Parliament building), Checkpoint Charlie, remnants of the Berlin wall, and of course, the hotel where Michael Jackson held a baby out the window. The experience was unreal. I thank God for this opportunity and can't wait to share my experiences with others.

In other news, our conversation partner, Joanna, is as sweet as can be. She is teaching us a lot about Poland. She grew up there and still visits her family often. We are getting to know her much better. Also, the Hands-on team had the chance to hang out with the local Baptist church's youth group. We were able to encourage them as well as learn much about how their friends and family react to the gospel. A few of them are the only Christians in their family, and they explained how difficult that really is. Please keep this youth group in your prayers as they all are very vulnerable in their faith right now. They don't have much support from family or friends so you could imagine the difficult situations they've dealt with. Anyways, I have to hop of the computer now. Hopefully another update next Sunday!!

German word:

Sofort--Immediately

P.S. I will be at a retreat all week learning about my teammates and supervisors as well as myself. Pray for us all. We need to take all of this into account when we return to Dresden on Friday and continue this ministry.

Berliner Dom

Reichstag

Remnants of the Wall

Brandenburger Tor

Encouragement

2009-03-29T17:42:00.002-05:00

So, what's this? Two updates in less than one week? Well, I felt like dedicating an entire blog to my mom and sister's visit before posting this next one. The weekend of 20th and 21st was quite an interesting one. It was full of encouragement, more than anything, which just so happens to be what my team and I needed, more than anything. Let me see if I can fill you in with the abridged version without leaving out any important details. You can also check out my teammate's blog here if I've left out anything.

That weekend, we had a group of career missionaries come and visit us in Dresden. To see others who are in Europe serving Christ was, alone, an amazing thing. That wasn't the only reason I was encouraged by them. They came to Dresden to help us look at different methods of prayer walking and walked around the city in small groups with all of us. Each of the Hands-On girls was in a group with two older folks and prayer walked with them. They encouraged us by talking about the amazing things they saw going on in Dresden. I know that was a great thing for our supervisors to hear. I just had a full week of encouragement that week! Can I say encouragement enough?? Encouragement!

On top of all that encouragement, we were able to see two men come to Christ. One guy was a Neo-Nazi who has a major alcohol addiction. He is slowly relying on it less and less, but he still needs. His witness will be an amazing story to tell. The other guy's name is Benjamin, and he has his own struggles. Just pray for both of these men as attacks from the enemy will be really strong these next few weeks. That's all for now! Hopefully I'll be able to tell a little about Berlin in another post this week.

German word:
Frühling--Spring

Smith Tidings

2009-03-22T13:00:00.010-05:00

This week was a blessing for me. My mom and sister flew all the way over to Dresden to come visit me. Well, my mom came solely to visit me, while Cailtyn came to see me… as well as Dresden and Prague. :) Let’s be honest, that’s part of the reason why most people come visit friends in Western Europe, and I’m okay with that. I was able to show them both around the major highlights of Dresden with plenty of photo opportunities. They were able to meet my teammates as well as see where we live and where most of our ministry takes place.

It was great to have their encouragement and their love poured into me. Being away from your family and friends is never easy, so their visit helped fill my cup with strength and love. There's something about talking to people face-to-face instead of computer-to-computer or phone-to-phone, ya know? We humans are relational people, and physical presence is a must for those relationships to stay at full potential. If you don’t agree, that’s just fine, but this has proven true in every relationship in my life and was reconfirmed last week. Thank you mom and Caitlyn for being such a blessing in my life and showing how much you love me by flying across the world to see me!

In other news, my teammates and I will be traveling with our supervisor to Berlin this weekend! We have plans to see such sights as Checkpoint Charlie and remnants of the Wall (as well as many others). I’m so fortunate to see such amazing pieces of history. Plenty of pictures and stories to come, I’m sure!

German Word(s):
Mutter--Mother
Schwester--Sister

Englisch

2009-03-14T08:59:00.007-05:00

We met with two different people to help with their English this week. The first person was the guy I mentioned in the previous blog (Pyro). All four of us met with him, and our conversation with him was still strained. We know he doesn't believe in God, but he still feels very uncomfortable talking about religion in general. We are supposed to meet with him again, so we are praying that his heart will be more open to talking about God instead of closing the subject down as soon as it's brought up. The other person we met with was a girl named Caroline, and she is as cute as a button!! She is hopefully moving to the U.S. to get her Ph.D. in linguistics, so she wanted to know anything and everything about the U.S. We couldn't stop talking with her. Jessica, Jennifer, and I gave a very good review of the U.S. :) She is now more excited than ever to head to America! We do not know if she is a believer or not, but we have a good feeling about continually meeting with her.

The team had a very cultural night this past Thursday. The journeygirl here invited us over for dinner with some of her classmates and their friends. There were 12 people total, with 8 countries represented. It was quite a learning experience for us--especially the Americans since we come from such a large country where cross-cultural experiences aren't as common as they are for Europeans. In case you were wondering, the countries represented were Canada, Singapore, China, Malaysia, Germany, France, Scotland, and the U.S. My favorite part was comparing the U.K. with the U.S. I really need to visit there one day!

Anyways, things are picking up speed here. We now have relationships started on top of our prayer walking. We have a trip planned to Berlin on March 28. We're seeing a few more blue skies and the weather is warming up. And the most exciting thing for me currently is: my mom and sister will be here in Dresden tomorrow!!!!

German phrase:
der Wolkenkratzer - skyscraper (literally, the cloud scratcher)

Watch out for that.... drawing!

2009-03-08T10:27:00.009-05:00

Soo......

We went out around Neustadt again this Friday. We ran into some of the same people we saw last time we went out and about on a Friday night. One guy, named Pyro, began talking to us because, as always, he wanted to practice his English. Isn't it amazing how God is using our lack of knowing the language to reach out to people? We asked if we could pray for him, and he said he didn't want us to do that, so we didn't do it in front of him. We were able to give him our email addresses and he has already contacted us all. The best news of all is about one girl named Lila (she is the one we met last time we went out). Last time we talked to her, she was very adamant that we not pray for her or talk about God with her. She just wanted to practice her English. This time, she was an open book. She told us some of terrible things that have happened to her in the past and her struggles with believing that there is a God. We were did our best to answer her questions, and when we were finished, we all prayed over her with her there this time. We also exchanged email addresses with her, and hopefully will begin to practice English with her. Isn't that great news? We've been seeking out relationships, and God has provided. Pray for Pyro and Lila, please.

On a funnier note, I have an embarrassing story. We went to an art gallery opening at a local church here. Two of my teammates and I arrived right when it started, so we were looking to see if our supervisor had already arrived. We spotted him, and in my rush to go sit down (people were about to speak), I tripped over a set of drawings on the floor. Seriously. The artist had strategically placed several drawings on the floor (see picture below) and in my rush, I didn't even look down. Fortunately, I only stepped on 2 of them and nothing was broken... except my pride. It, at least, gave me something to think about while I listened to a woman speak German for 30 minutes straight.

Thank you, as always, for your continued prayer. The people here in Dresden need it more than ever, as well as my team and I!

German word:

genau--exactly

This is not Mississippi

2009-03-01T11:47:00.025-06:00

So, I haven't much to tell you, minus the fact that my mom and sister are for sure coming to visit me! They've made reservations at a local hotel, received their FIXED passports, and purchased airplane tickets. It is really happening, and I'm counting down the days! I want to update my blog, so I have been keeping a running list of differences between here and home. Some of these differences are European, some German, and some are just local to Dresden. There are plenty more to come.

1. They like to eat standing up at some places, like the mall or McDonalds.
2. You cannot leave your key in the door on the inside and expect to be able to open from the outside. Not cool.
3. They’re a lot more affectionate.
4. They like extreme colors in their hair.
5. Germans recycle everything. Including plastic bottles with soft drinks. And plastic bags for bread.
6. BODY ODOR.
7. Shoes are taken off at the front door and replaced with slippers.
8. They repeat outfits… a lot.
9. Toilets do not have handles.
10. Salsa = suck
11. Their tops to plastic bottles are really strange. Let me see if I can explain this: Instead of having two pieces break apart when the seal is broken, the lower half piece just splits apart from itself in two places, but stays connected to the top half of the top. VERY annoying.
12. They don’t commonly sell antiperspirant. Only deodorant.
13. Their light switches aren’t like ours. They’re similar to clickers.
14. They don’t give refills.
15. They don’t use ice in their drinks.
16. Their cars are tiny. Like a baby.
17. They don’t sell very spicy things.
18. They don’t like cinnamon candy.
19. You have to pay for bags for groceries and convenient stores.
20. They don’t use trashcans at fast food restaurants. Instead, they have places for you to set your tray.
21. They don’t tip. If they do, it’s very little.
22. They listen to American music everywhere.
23. They sell their milk and juice in VERY small cartons.

That's all for now. Stay tuned.

German word:
der Geschwindigkeitsbegrenzung--speed limit

Shoes to Slippers

Small Cartons

No handles for toilets

Crazy bottle top

Light "switch"

All the trash to be recylced

Gehen

2009-02-25T06:08:00.003-06:00

My friend Amanda encouraged me in an email I read a few days ago. She was at church and her pastor spoke on Mark 6:30-44 - 5 loaves and 2 fish. To quote her, “He was talking about nothing being impossible for God - he said that the Lord calls us to the impossible to produce through us the supernatural. He was saying that some people are motivated by comfort (happy and content where they are, and even if the Lord says move, they won't) - he said that God sometimes pushes us to uncomfortable places to produce the impossible for His glory.”

I just want to encourage anyone who feels comfortable and content where they are but feel God asking them to do something outside their comfort zone—do what He asks! You might THINK you are content, but when you’ve seen what he has had in store for you, you’ll realize you never knew the definition of content. I couldn’t be more excited in knowing that, even though I left all of my family and friends to move on with their lives for 5 months, I’m serving where my Lord wants me. To do what HE asks, and to do what HE desires me to do is the why I exist.

In other news, we've officially seen the university here in Dresden. It's a lot smaller than say, Mississippi State, but it's a decent size now that I've walked all over it. We're hoping to put up flyers offering to help with English. We haven't found much space on campus bulletin boards, but hopefully we'll figure out something. I feel really good about visiting the University! Check out my other teammates' blogs for more details.

p.s. I REALLY miss warm weather, as well as a MS blue sky.

German word:
Entschuldigung--Excuse me/pardon me/sorry

February 13

2009-02-21T10:36:00.005-06:00

Last weekend was a bit interesting. Friday, Feb. 13, marked the 64th anniversary of the bombing in Dresden near the end of WWII. If you haven’t heard about it, or read much about it, you can go here. The most devastating destruction was the falling of the Frauenkirche. The church wasn’t completely destroyed in the bombing, but the fires in the aftermath caused it to entirely collapse 2 days later. There is a memorial service held every year in remembrance, and this year it fell on a Friday night. The service was held at 7 at night, with singing and speeches. One speaker was a POW in Italy during WWII. All 4 of us Hands-on girls, along with Jason (our supervisor) and Amy (journeygirl), attended the service. We spoke as little English as possible that night. Neo-Nazis were coming to town, and they aren’t exactly the biggest fans of foreigners—especially Britons and Americans on that weekend. They usually have marches on the anniversary date, but because the anniversary was on a Friday, they saved their marches for Saturday.

Saturday was very uneventful for us because we were practically in hiding. There were protests held all over the city, including a place near our apartment, so we spent all of Saturday at the Dietz’s house. There were rumors of anywhere between 4,000 to 6,000 Neo-Nazis in town for the marches and protests. Over 4,000 police were here, as well as almost 10,000 Anti-Neo-Nazis. The Anti-Neo-Nazis had their own marches protesting the Neo-Nazis. As you can see, being in heart of the city was the last place we wanted to be. Fortunately, nothing big occurred, and we Americans are back out in the city once again.

Also, thank you to everyone who has been praying for my team and I. We have truly felt the prayers and have seen some of them answered. God is so amazing and deserves to be glorified!

German word:
groß—big

Visa

2009-02-13T16:47:00.003-06:00

Well, I have officially applied for a German Visa. Oddly enough, having my picture taken was the most adventurous part of the whole process. Why, you might ask? Because apparently smiling isn’t really permitted in official pictures over here. We went to a local place for someone to take our pictures. Four other girls went ahead of me and talked about theirs, and I still felt unprepared for a not-smiling picture. I went in, sat down, and the directions were, “you cannot show your teeth, but you can smile a little.” I don’t even know how to do that without looking a fool. So, I sat, put some sort of smirk on my face, and she took the picture. She took two, and I laughed after each one. I’m pretty sure the girl thought I was crazy, as she didn’t laugh at all. We were able to pick between the two pictures, and both of mine looked identical. Yet another picture to have to hide from people! The good news is I’ll have it taped inside my passport. How cool is that?

German word:
jetzt--now

Here's some sweet boots Jessica and I found:

Freitag

2009-02-08T13:37:00.002-06:00

Well, we American Dresdeners had quite a weekend this weekend. On Friday night we went to a local place where we prayed over the city. After much prayer, we took a break, ate some snacks including bread, cheese, meat, and jam. This is really common over here (or maybe other places in Europe, too). After gaining a second wind, a local Dresdener and we Americans went walking outside in Neustadt where all the younger people hang out at night. There are a lot of them just strolling around outside. Within a minute and a half of walking, a young man saw us, yelled "Christians!!", and immediately ran up to us. How did he know we were Christians, you ask? Not exactly sure. He may have known the woman we were with was a Christian and assumed, but I don't know. He comes up and says, "Bist du Christians?" out of nowhere (that translated means are you Christians). Considering the fact that he had a Satan patch on his jacket, we were a little freaked out at this situation. Our German friend told him we only spoke English, and so a few of us got to talk with him. I wasn't in the group that talked to the young guy, but I know the group who did talk to him prayed with him and talked with him about his struggles. The guy's name is Willy, so please keep him in your prayers. He seemed to have a lot of problems with drugs and alcohol (from what he said) so we pray that he'll be released from his addictions. This was our first interaction with nonbelievers asking us about Christ. It was an amazing thing!! We're up for another round of prayer walking, so I hope the Lord speaks through us this week. It's still really cold!

Prayer Walking

2009-02-06T15:47:00.000-06:00

We started our main focus here in Dresden this week: Prayer walking. Jason provided us with a map of an area of the city on which we were to focus. Some of it included Altstadt, but a lot of in covered neighborhoods and residential areas. We split in groups of two: Jessica and Jennifer were in one pair, and Sarah and I were the other pair. It was great to feel the power of God move around us and speak through us. We experienced the city in a whole new way. This did not go without struggles. Some days were really windy and cold, wearing down our high spirits. Nevertheless, we made it through and I look forward to moving to a new area this coming week!

Funny story: I wrote in an earlier blog back in October about being locked out of my brother’s house. Well, lo and behold it happened again. This time, it wasn’t the fact that we didn’t have a key to get back in, but our key failing to work. Apparently if you leave a key in the door on the inside of the apartment, you’re key won’t work on the outside of our apartment. Whoops. Fortunately, our landlady happened to be walking out of her door at the very moment that we discovered this. She gave us some suggestions, with a last resort of paying 50 Euros for a locksmith. Talk about burning a hole in your pocket! We returned home to see that none of her other options worked—which happened to be the cherry on top of a very discouraging day. Sarah and I sat there in anger at how so many things could go wrong. We asked God to help us out. We just need anything to lift our spirits. After a moment of frustration, Sarah put the key in the lock to try one last time, gave a huge, angry push, and BOOM!! The door opened! Praise Jesus! It was truly an answered prayer and a HUGE pick up. God shows himself in ways I would never expect, and I love that about him.

So Kalt

2009-02-04T12:50:00.006-06:00

Well, I’ve officially attended a German Baptist worship service. Naturally, I didn’t actually understand anything going on, whether it was during the worship songs or during the message. I also was fortunate enough to be there when their annual business meeting took place…which lasted an hour and a half. In German. Let’s just say I got some quality Bible reading in on Sunday. They also serve lunch, consisting of several types of dishes. No worries for I tried everything on the table. After church, my 3 teammates, Jason, Cheryl, and their kids, all had an English worship service at home. I can tell that this will definitely be needed the longer we are over in Germany and start craving a worship service that we understand ☺ For now, I want to thank you all for your prayers. I have seen some of them answered! With this cold weather here (we actually had a decent snowfall last Saturday), I am surely starting to miss my Mississippi weather!

German Word:
Schnee—snow

Hallo!

2009-02-01T08:57:00.013-06:00

Our first days in Dresden have been full of fabulous photo oppotunites. Our first full day here, the Dietz took us to Altstadt (old city) where all the historic buildings are. There is also Neustadt, (new city) which is where the 3 girls I’m serving with and I live. It’s where a lot of cafés and restaurants are located. The 3 other girls have short biographies that you can see if you visit the hope for Saxony link over to the right. Two of them, Sarah Fisk and Jennifer Chapman, have blogs linked over there as well. We have a cute apartment with a great view of an old church right across the street. The supermarket and Laundromat are both within close walking distance. For everything else, we take the tram. We’ve actually gotten pretty good at figuring out which number to take to get us around. It’s pretty exciting… or for me at least. Our ministry is starting off with prayer walking around neighborhoods, and hopefully, the more we go to cafés and local places, we’ll be able to build some relationships with people. Pray that God will put some people in our path. We’re also thinking about trying to get conversation partners to help us with the language. Three of the four of us have taken some German, but none of us are anywhere near a normal level of communicating with other German speakers. We’re doing our best by watching TV, almost all in German, and using the little we know when we talk to each other. I’ll write more soon. For now, here are some pictures!

All the girls in Meißen!

Very Gothic church in Meißen, Germany. The city is known for its beautiful porcelain.

This bridge is called "The Blue Wonder"

My first REAL german meal. Yum yum! I drank it with a Spezi, which is a combination of orange soda and coke.

The Zwinger.. well part of it. I was standing in the courtyard and it was all around me!

Semperoper. The opera building in downtown Dresden (also known as Altstadt). I tried to get a better picture, but a large group with a lot of yellow jackets was hindering me!

The Parade of Princes (or Dukes as I've also seen). Depiction of the rules of Saxony. The tiles survived the bombing and were put back together.

The Frauenkirche, or in English the Church of our lady. Destroyed in 1945 in the allied bombing and finally rebuilt in 2005. The darker stones are made of the original building.

Catholic church built by Augstus. He converted to Catholicism in order to become King of Poland.

Prayers Please

2009-01-30T14:31:00.003-06:00

So the Devil has been doing his hardest to get our spirits down over here in Europe. There were 9 different groups of people going all over western Europe and of those 9, 5 (that we know of) had a really rough time making it from Paris to our final destinations. One airline ticket was somehow never booked for one guy, train ticket somehow “disappeared" and another had to be bought for one girl, surprise luggage regulations for us Dresdeners, and the two groups going to the UK have yet to be allowed entrance into UK because of new regulations through immigration. They had to return to Paris and have been there since Sunday. Both groups have handled the situation pretty well, but if things don’t work out, they will be reassigned. Pray for their hearts right now. I know they are probably getting very discouraged. Updates to come.

Paris, anyone?

2009-01-25T15:25:00.005-06:00

Soooo.... I went to Paris for a week. Amazing. Beautiful. Can't describe how lucky I was to be there. My flight over was quite uneventful, thank goodness. I met 20 other people who are answering the call and coming to Europe to serve in Hands-On like me. Only 5 of those people (including me) will be in Germany. We all fell into step with one another through encouragement, joy, inside jokes, homesickness, jet lag.... you name it, and at least 5 of us felt the same way. God works in such amazing ways. We had an eventful trip from Paris to Dresden today, but I'll get to that in my next post. This one is for pictures. Enjoy! i miss mississippi a little :(

Why do I follow these trends?

2009-01-18T23:07:00.005-06:00

It's the night before I leave the country for 5 months, yet here I sit, wide awake. Since I won't be able to write in my blog while I'm spending my first week in Paris (well, not much of post, at least), I decided to follow the trend and fill out this survey. Can't help but admit it keeps my mind off things!

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before? Went whitewater rafting!
2. Did you keep your New Year’s Resolutions in '08, and have you made some for '09? I honestly have never been into the resolution for each year. Boring.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? A few people, actually
4. Did anyone close to you die? Thank goodness, no.
5. What countries did you visit? The U.S. of A. unless you count Epcot countries..
6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? Organizational Skills
7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? September 24th-the day I found out I'll be going to Germany & October 15th-the day I was accepted into med. school
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? I think getting accepted into med school wins this one
9. What was your biggest failure? Not studying German as much as I should have
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Not with these rock hard bones or killer WBCs
11. What was the best thing you bought? My new Macbook...ok ok, I didn't buy it, but I still got it.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? With all the amazing friends I've been blessed with, I can't begin to describe each one and their amazing accomplishments!
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? The American majority who didn't educate themselves on the Presidential candidates and went in to vote blindly.
14. Where did most of your money go? um... J.Crew. And Borders. :)
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? The fact that I get to go live in Germany for 5 months, come home, relax a bit, and finally start the long trek to becoming what I've desired to be since 8th grade... Dr. Day.
16. What song will always remind you of 2008? Muse-Time is Running Out.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:a) happier or sadder? happier b) thinner or fatter? I'm just going to say the same c) richer or poorer? I'm poorer, seeing as I no longer have a job :)
18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Traveling
19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Wasting away beautiful days outside
20. How did you spend Christmas? With the family+our new addition, Rebecca
21. Did you fall in love in 2008? Hahahahahaha. seriously? hasn't happened yet.
22. What was your favorite TV program? The Office, Scrubs
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? I ain't a hater.
24. What was the best book you read? Well, this was the year of books for me. I have to say Twilight (I know, I know) or Madeleine L'Engle's Time Quintet
25. What was your greatest musical discovery? Even though they've been around forever, I reallly started liking Muse.
26. What did you want and get? My beautiful little Macbook
27. What did you want and not get? um.. Rockband?
28. What was your favorite film of this year? Oh wow, I've forgotten all that I've seen. Probably, The Dark Knight.
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I was 23 and I got to study for the MCAT. Yay! I had a delayed birthday party, if that counts.
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Not a thing.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008? Anything and everything J.Crew.
32. What kept you sane? Spending time talking at borders with Nikki or Amanda
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Ooohwee. Christian Bale hands down.
34. What political issue stirred you the most? Abortion and healthcare
35. Who did you miss? I missed my Grandaddy.
36. Who was the best new person you met? Like I'm falling for that. I met way too many awesome people to say.
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008. I've learned this over and over, but it stills remains: family and friends make this life here on earth the most amazing. Not the place, not the time, just the people.
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. "And wrinkles only go where the smiles have been.." Jimmy Buffet

Auf Wiedersehen!

The Calling of Matthew

2009-01-15T01:47:00.004-06:00

As I was doing my daily Bible reading last night, I came across a verse that really spoke to me. I've read it numerous times, especially because doctors are talked about by Jesus :) Anyways, I thought I'd share the verse, and the few that lead up to it.

Matthew 9:10-13 (NIV)
While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"

On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but the sinners."

I bolded the section that really stood out to me. Here, Jesus is quoting the Old Testament--Hosea 6:6 to be exact. I've read those verses I've just quoted time and time again, but for some reason, last night, I actually grasped the statement "I desire mercy, not sacrifice." I always struggle to remember this. I've always paid attention to "For I have not come to call the righteous, but the sinners," which of course, is a VERY important lesson to remember. I just never paid close attention to the words before that quote. Interpret His words as you will. It's really cool to read the whole story behind Hosea 6:6.

German word:
helfen--to help

Last Week

2009-01-11T17:40:00.003-06:00

Well, here I am, about a week away from leaving for Germany. I cannot believe it!

I've been buying and organizing and making lists--checking all of them twice. I haven't really started packing yet. I'm hopping on that train tomorrow. It's hard to believe that I'll be living in another country for 5 whole months. I'm so utterly excited about it. Of course, I'm scared to death at the same time. I've never been away from my friends and family for that long. Ever. I know I can handle it.. and at times when I can't, I have God to lean on, as well as several other people who will know how I feel.

I hope to update my blog quite often while I'm over there. I'm sure none of the posts will be super long; I'll be focused more on posting pictures. I promise to be better at posting than I have been while IN the U.S. Oh, and by the way, German language is pretty dang hard. I hope I can find my 2 semesters of German class buried deep in my brain. Maybe they'll just surface once I'm there? Hope so. Anyways, off to clean my room and resurface 23 years of memories. I'm sure that'll make my leaving the country SO much easier (not).

German word:
grün--green (my favorite color!)

Retail Detail

2008-12-27T21:26:00.002-06:00

So, as I have not much interesting going on in my life at the moment, I thought I'd write about a few pointers, or suggestions, to remember when you're going shopping in a retail store. I've always tried to be somewhat conscious of the workers at stores, but being on the other side has shown me a thing or two. These are merely suggestions that would make a retail worker's day!

1. When trying on clothes, it would be so nice of you to hang up everything that you tried on (that is, if it came on a hanger) before leaving the fitting room--unless you plan on buying the item.

2. If you're looking at a stack of clothes that has recently been folded, it'd be real nice if you tried not to mess up the whole stack when you're looking for your size. I know that's not always possible; I'm just asking to make sure it doesn't look like a hurricane hit that pretty stack of clothes.

3. If you go into a store and have no intentions on buying anything, please don't try on 50 different items. It's such a tease!

4. If you see a worker helping out a customer, please don't interrupt him/her unless it's a last resort--especiallly when they seem overloaded, and it's a useless question such as asking about where another store is located.

5. If you see shirts folded in a unique way and you think you can refold it that way, be my guest. If not, don't fold it some obviously incorrect way and walk away, smirking. It's just going to look silly and have to be completely refolded anyway. You'll probably get the evil eye. I mean, did it actually look like the rest of the stack?

6. If you're trying to be one of those amazingly kind people who puts up their stuff after trying it on, it'd be even better if you put your size in the correct spot. If not, you can leave it to the fitting room attendant to put up, or leave it hanging in the area where the "clothes that didn't work" are located.

7. If someone is in the middle of a transaction at the register, please don't ask them to go do something. They can't just leave the register in the middle of things.

8. When you're asked who was helping you, do you best to name ANYONE who did. If you're asked this, commission is might be involved. If not commission, then the store is trying to keep up with how each associate is doing in sales. Either way, it's important. It's quite a pet peeve when someone helps a customer and then the customer says, "Oh, I helped myself." Yeah, I'm sure you magically opened up the jewelry case and got that necklace, woman.

9. Don't leave empty coffee cups or trash on a shelf in the store. You know good and well that the store is not a trash can.

10. If you knock something over, pretty please pick it up. Don't let it collect dust and footprints on the floor.

11. Don't be afraid to ask an associate for help. It's actually pretty fun when you can answer people's questions! And when you don't like something that was picked out, it's ok to say no. It helps him/her figure out what you're looking for!

12. Lastly, when you're really nice to the workers, it makes them want to help you even more. People who are rude might seem to get their way, but it puts everyone in a bad mood. Being cheerful makes things move along quicker, and everyone is better for it!

That's all I got for now. If I think of more, I'll add 'em.

German phrase:
Wie alt bist du?--How old are you?

Back in the game

2008-12-14T14:05:00.013-06:00

Wow, was my last post really at the end of November? I'm embarrassed. I am nothing short of a slacker. My apologies to all you "avid readers" a.k.a. "bored-out-of-your-mind-begging-for-something-to-do-at-work readers." You know who you are :) I'm glad to be back on the blog field. My fingers are a little rusty, but I doubt that will make much of a difference. My first post back will be to talk about the wonderful event that took place this weekend: My Kage's beautiful wedding. It's still hard to believe she's already had it. I mean, she's no longer just Katie Henry. She's Katie Zumo! Ah! All I have to say is... welcome to the end of the alphabet, Katie bug!

Well, for those of you who didn't go, you missed out on much. The church was absolutely gorgeous-- and the ceremony gave you plenty of time to admire it. The rehearsal began at 5:30 on Friday, but of course I arrived late, along with Harper Ferg a few minutes behind me. BUT it being Katie's wedding, we didn't stick out like a sore thumb at all. The rehearsal dinner was so laid back. I absolutely loved it. The only light in the whole room was candle light. So many people gave toasts to Luke, to Katie.. and to Katie AND Luke. It was truly an honor to hear the love each of them has given and received from all their friends and family.

The reception was my favorite part because I was finally able to see so many people that I hadn't seen in awhile, and even take a most obvious picture with a few of them. I mean, seriously, we blocked one of the walkways so that we could all get in a picture together. I love my life. It was worth it to all get together... I mean, who knew so many people from Heritage class of '03 were gonna make it to the big easy?? I think maybe a fourth of the class was there? (even if that's only out of about 50 people....)

Katie was such a beautiful bride, as was expected. She was all smiles as the Priest announced, for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Luke Zumo! That's yet another close friend who I've watch make one of the happiest decisions of her life. Well, that's all I need to write about this. Congrats my Kage!

German word:
lau--lukewarm.

Two Weeks Notice

2008-11-25T23:32:00.004-06:00

Well, I haven't been writing much in here because I feel like there's not much to update anyone. I doubt anyone really wants to here things like: woke up at 10 am, watched a few TV shows, got gas, met with my friends to cook dinner. That's pretty much the basis of my mundane life. I'm not complaining in the least, just explaining. I did have an exciting moment today, though. I finally turned in my 2 weeks notice J.Crew (a.k.a. the crew). Well, it's not exciting that I won't have anymore sweet deals, but it DOES mean that it's getting closer and closer to time for my German adventure.

My friend Laur and I got to chatting tonight (for some 3 or so hours, go figure), and I realized how much of a change I've seen in her. She has grown so much in so many ways over the course of our friendship, as well all do, but most obviously I've seen it spiritually in her these past few months. Our conversations often times drift into very humbling and inspiring conversations over points in theology. I just want to write a quick note to encourage her as she encourages me! Laur (or Springer--whatever you prefer), thanks for being there for me and listening when I've needed it. I hope I haven't embarrassed you :) *The picture is from a day we got to Disney, the happiest place on earth.*

Well, I think I've covered any important highlights in my life at the moment. Good night to all!

German word:
Was sagst du?--What are you saying?

Whatcha Got Cookin?

2008-11-16T22:15:00.002-06:00

Tip of the Day (oh, my name is so pun-ny):
When searching for a new recipe, go to AllRecipes.com. I discovered how useful that website is. Users rate and comment on recipes, and let you know how the food really tastes, sometimes including ways to improve the awful to almost perfect. Cooking has never been a strength of mine, and as I don't like receiving poor results in anything in life, I've sought out teaching myself how to cook. Needless to say, it's a very slow process :) I love receiving pointers and new recipes if you have any!

Click here if you want a great gingerbread cookie recipe. I have somewhat of a sweet tooth..and if I'm not careful, it'll be a sweet cavity.

Happy Week before Thanksgiving. The Twilight movie comes out this coming weekend for anyone who loves Edward Cullen!

German Word:
kochen--to cook

This Nation

2008-11-11T13:56:00.002-06:00

Well, I'm nervous about our new Presidential Elect. There, I said it. I didn't vote for him. I'm not ashamed. But, what comforts me to know is that God is still in control, no matter what human takes ahold of this nation. All things are done according to His purpose. It's been a week since the election, and people's nerves are calming down, including mine. I just hope all my suspicions are proven wrong (although I have to admit that deep down, I kinda hope they're right).

On a more positive note, Todd and Rebecca just returned from their honeymoon, two days late. One disappearing airplane, a cheap hotel with a sewage view, and an extra stay overnight in Charlotte later, that is. They were so happy to be home. We all are glad to have the Smiths back home too!

Happy November everyone... and don't worry, I don't think it's too early to listen to Christmas music!!

German Word:
das Handy--cell phone

The New Smith

2008-11-07T12:41:00.024-06:00

Disclaimer: Lots of pictures = the illusion of a long post. sorry!

So this weekend's wedding--SUCCESS! amazing. phenomenal. superb. loverly. It was one of THE best weddings I've been to! Probably most of that had to do with the fact that I knew 80% of the people at the wedding/reception, and was related to another 7%. There were people there I hadn't seen in awhile, and then there were people who I hadn't seen in around oooh, 6 years, like Chuck Gatton! I was so excited to see my old swim coach! He looks exactly the same. It was so great to get to talk with him, if only for a little while. I cannot explain how great everything went. I am so happy for my big bro! And now the smith kids' tally has moved up to 5, and I finally have an "older sister"! yahoo!

To give a few details, the luncheon was great--some FINE chicken salad and meeting of some fellow bridesmaids. The rehearsal dinner was great, bringing a few tears to my eyes and preventing me from making a speech (I'm a chicken; no dry eyes, no talk). My brother knows what I would have said, though. That's what is important. Oh, and did I mention that the food there was great? My Aunt Judy made some homemade german (Ja Ja!) chocolate cake that I most willingly devoured. The wedding ceremony was a bit longer than I expected, and a lot different since it was at Rebecca's parents church and they are Episcopal. So it was not the 25 minute wedding that I'm used to, but it did have some good singing.

Then there was the reception. SO GREAT. After talking my voice box empty and listening my ear off, I learned I missed the bouquet toss (I still haven't figured out how or why no one came to get me??? not that I would try to catch that sucker..) along with the garter toss. BUT then the fun began. Corky pulled mom on the dance floor, and after finishing, let my dad take over. I think that's probably the first time I've seen my parents dance together & just so happened to capture the most amazing picture of them smiling so big! --> After 70% of the reception attendants left, the dancing was the best. The band played some sweet late 80s/early 90s music. In other words, the perfect genre. Caitlyn, Corky, Todd, and I started breaking it down once Thriller hit, but what got us truly in tune with the music was Bon Jovi-Livin' on a prayer. I wish I had it one video. I've never been out of breath from basically lip syncing a song, but boy did I break a sweat on that one! I love my family! And my guitar hero skills came out when Sweet Child of Mine came on.. I knew that guitar part by heart.

Anyways, Todd and Rebecca ran out through a line of cherished family and friends, sparkling the way to the car. It was a beautiful sight. They rode off in a Bentley and flew out for Antigua Sunday! I hope everyone who came had so much fun. I loved seeing faces long forgotten and can't wait to have more memories that equate with this weekend.

German word:
Neu--New

A big smith weekend

2008-10-28T18:34:00.002-05:00

So, this upcoming week is spent on anxious nerves and excitement... at the upcoming wedding of my brother! He and Rebecca are getting married on Saturday. I cannot believe it's already here. It's a big to do in this family because he is the first of the 4 of us to get married. They've been dating for over 5 years now, so its not unexpected that they tie the knot. It's just different that its actually happening. I've told so many people, and, to be honest, it still hasn't hit me. I know it will once Friday night gets here with the rehearsal dinner. First wedding I've been in that I've been related to either the bride or groom! Yay! I know that it will be a totally different experience.

That's all my week entails--getting reading for the big I Do's and all the food that it includes!

German word:
heiraten--to marry

It's been awhile.

2008-10-23T23:15:00.003-05:00

I feel like I haven't told an awkward moment story in quite awhile (or ahwhile, if you like to say your w's like that. you know like "hwhat?") so here's one or two that have happened.

One moment happened yesterday. I don't know what it is with me and Borders workers sometimes, but I just don't click well with them (I've written a blog about a nice guy who gave me the stone face at a joke of mine..). So needless to say, the setting of the situation was at Borders. So there I am, with not much to do the rest of the day but read, and I have all afternoon to do it. YES! My day is looking bright. So I walk up, order my coffee, and sit down. Oh, did I mention this guy who took my order might be "batting for the other team"? Well, being the only one of about 4 people in the coffee section, the guy making my "coffee" (a.k.a. white chocolate mocha) yells out at me if I want whip cream. I kind of take that as my cue to walk up there and get my drink. After responding with a polite, "No thanks," he starts adding a little white chocolate syrup (I think that's what it was?) on the top in a cool design. I say, "ooooh, pretty!". Did I really just say that? Why didn't I just say thank you, or just nothing at all! And his response? "......." yeah, that's right. Nothing. He looks me in the face, no smile, nothing. Pushes me my drink, and walks away. I wasn't being sarcastic. I thought it was pretty! So, I walked away feeling like a complete dork. Yay for Day! I shouldn't be allowed to leave the house alone.

Well, I think that's all I can feel worthy about writing right now... except for the moment today when I spit water all over myself at cycling class. yep. I took a big drink of my water, and before I could even swallow it, I choked on it. And what did I do? I spit it out. All over myself and the floor. Do I have a brain? I guess I had no other choice, but everyone in there looked at me like.... um, what just happened? Good thing the lights in there are off! Maybe no one got a good look at me when I left? Hahahaha.. I love my life. Good night everyone!

German Word
schlafen--to sleep

A Week of Wonderful

2008-10-18T20:23:00.006-05:00

So this week as been full of exciting events.

First, as a mentioned earlier in this blog, I got to go see STOMP on Tuesday. Seriously, if you've heard of them or seen them, like them or hate them, you've got to go to their show. They are AMAZING at what they do! It easily makes you want to get up and go join them on stage. I kept hoping they were going to ask for a volunteer from the audience. If you know me, you know I don't have a problem making a fool of myself if it gets me on stage. Who am I kidding. I don't have a problem making a fool of myself in general. Moving along, they make music/beats with everyday objects like trashcans, boxes of matches, newspapers, brooms, chairs... you get the picture. There was even a moment where three of them come out and have huge metal trashcans strapped to their feet. Awesome. Youtube them immediately.

After heading back to Columbus on Wednesday, I met up with my mom and headed to Birmingham. We made a pit stop in Tuscaloosa to hang out with the sis until it was time to hit the road and go see Michael Bublé!!! The pair of tickets were one of my dad's birthday presents to my mom. I saw MB earlier this year, but like I'd be dumb enough to not go see him again! Plus, even though my mom isn't necessarily a big Michael listener, all of his music was familiar to her since she's heard most of the original singers sing his songs. I will say that ol' Mike is a bit, shall we say, risqué with his commentaries between songs. But I let it slide because he's beautiful and I hope to marry him.. one day. For now, I'll just let him sing me to sleep.

After getting home late from Birmingham, I received my email of congratulations from UMC for being accepted into med school (as you can see below) and thoroughly freaked out. I mean, I was at the point where I couldn't even move. I still don't feel like it is actually happening. Ah! I'm actually going to be Dr. Day now.. no more joking about it! Thanks to everyone who prayed for me!!

Well, I guess that's all she wrote for now. Have a great weekend!

German word:
Bestimmt!--Sure!

Doctor Day!

2008-10-16T11:15:00.003-05:00

Just had to make a real quick post to say....

I GOT INTO MEDICAL SCHOOL at UMC!!!

Thank you Lord for letting this amazing opportunity happen!

My parents even sent me these beautiful flowers:

I am so blessed!

Lock Down

2008-10-12T21:06:00.007-05:00

I had an interesting Friday night that I thought I might share. Here's the scene:

After posting my so exhilarating blog on Friday, I was (needless to say) running little behind schedule. I have half straight hair, not a drop of makeup ob, zero shoes, and 15 minutes to get ready. Well, we all know that when you get a little pushed for time, you get a little on edge. I had just let my brother's dog outside and he was already whining to get back inside. Something as small as that whine set me off. I stepped outside, shutting the door behind me, to tell him to quit whining. After telling him to sit, I turned around to go back inside... except I couldn't.. BECAUSE I LOCKED MYSELF OUT. Super. Awesome. This is so great. I LOVE my life. Oh, and did I mention that I left my phone inside?

So there I am, sitting outside the back door with just the doorknob locked. I don't know what in the world to do, and I'm already in a bad mood. Help. I first attempt to find anything that is outside that I can use to unlock the door. I came up empty. Sweet. So, after much contemplation and walking back and forth, I decide to go to my brother's neighbor's house (people to whom I have never said a word) and ask for help. I heard them talking outside and finally, I dug down deep inside to find some courage and politely said, "Excuse me? Is anyone over there?" I sounded harmless enough. I did feel quite silly, though. Fortunately, the wife answered and I quickly explained that I was locked out. Being the kindest woman ever, she let me borrow her cell phone. Now who I am going to call? The only people's numbers I know who could even think about helping are my parents (in Columbus), Todd (at his bachelor party), and Corky (at Todd's bachelor party). Gosh, this night just keeps getting better and better.

Well, after contacting my parents, with my mom probably wondering what kind of daughter she raised, I contacted Todd's future in-laws. No spare key in sight. The only spare key Todd has is, oh yeah, on my key chain, locked safely IN the door inside his house. Yay! The neighbors gave me a card to see if I could basically break into Todd's house, and the movies are liars. It is so not easy to get inside a locked house. Finally, after figuring there was nothing left to do, I call my parents back who have apparently already called a lock smith to come over. The neighbors have somewhere to go, so I thank them and watch them leave, along with my only means of contacting the outside world. Did I mention that, while this is happening, my friends are thoroughly freaking out because no one has heard from me, and its been 30 minutes since I was supposed to meet them.

Well, after all sunlight has gone, I sat in the driveway with nothing but a streetlight to comfort me, holding my brothers dog. I have no idea if the locksmith knows where I am, and I begin to get a little nervous. I began to pray because we all know that a girl by herself sitting in a driveway looks weird and unsafe. No lie, probably 2 minutes after I finished praying, my friends Nikki and Amanda drive up at Todd's, rescuing me from my near depression. Thank you Lord for answering my prayer and giving me amazing friends! About 5 minutes later, the locksmith arrived and so easily unlocked the door. At least it made for an interesting night. We'll holla!

German word:
Denken--to think
(..which apparently, I didn't do much of Friday night)

Who is that?

2008-10-10T18:02:00.001-05:00

As I was flipping through the channels the other day, I passed by Bewitched. I got to thinking. You know what I've always wondered? How tv shows think they can pull off changing actors/actresses who play main characters mid-series. You know what shows I mean--Harriet on Family Matters, Vivian on Fresh Prince, Darren on Bewitched...I mean, really. I understand that for whatever reason the actor/actress couldn't fulfill his/her roll that they couldn't just stop the show. That doesn't make it any better though. I couldn't imagine being around when those shows first came out and I saw the new Vivian for the first time. I mean, hello? Who is that woman and why is pretending to be married to Uncle Phil. Did they do a disclaimer at the beginning of the show? The internet wasn't really there to throw the news around about what happened. And, I don't know about you, but I never like the second actor/actress as much as the first. They always seemed to have more attitude. Well, at least the second Harriet did. Good grief.

Moving along, I get to see STOMP live and in action this coming Tuesday. How cool is that? I didn't know they were coming to the MS, but apparently they are, and apparently I have a ticket. I hope they rock out like they do on youtube.

Well, I don't need to ramble anymore, so I'm out! By the way, I'm sending out letters asking for support for my Germany trip. Let me know if you're interested! Just comment or email me. Happy weekend!!

German word:
Schwester--sister.

When Family comes to town..

2008-10-05T23:55:00.009-05:00

Do you ever have those moments when you are at home that make you doubt your plan in life and desire moving back home with your parents? Well, if you haven't, then I hope you experience it one day. I came to home to hang out with the parentals on Thursday and have yet to return to Jackson (keep in mind the fact that I don't have work again until this coming Thursday played a crucial role in that decision.) Since being home, I have seen every member of my amusing and different family.

After having dinner with my parents on Thursday night, I finally shared my time with them with my brothers. Todd and Corky both came to town Friday night, to a meal of pot roast, carrots, sweet potatoes, green beans, and some FINE rolls. All of these were prepared but my mother and yours truly (more of the mother and less of the yours truly, to be honest). I have to admit that having my whole family (minus Caitlyn, and yes you were missed, sister) sitting around eating dinner and being together was a great feeling--even if they devoted much of their Friday night to watching BASEBALL.

Saturday came with many errands on the brothers' parts, and after a Front Door lunch and half time of the Ole Miss game, they turned back onto the road from whence they came. The rest of Saturday I spent with my lovely mother and was promptly into my pajamas and reading by... 7:30. Yes, I am cool.

Today was the final installment of the family time because the youngest decided to join us in adventuring in Columbus. Caitlyn couldn't resist the fact that every other child had been in town for the weekend, so she jumped on the band wagon. The girls of the fam decided to satiate their cravings and go to the Mexican Kitchen for dinner. We were all so eager to go that we had arrived, eaten, and left before 6:15 even thought about being. I felt like an 80-year-old mamaw for eating at such a young hour, but it happens to the best of us. I guess I should have felt like an old woman when I realized it was okay to put on PJs at 7:30 P.M. After finishing dinner, I went with my dad and fell into our old routine of a Sunday night movie, and we saw Shia Labeouf rocking out in Eagle Eye (where I will have a review for here). That brings me to now, and now means it is time to sleep. I just want to remind everyone that family is such a crucial part of my life, and I hope that it is for you, too!

German Word:
lieben--to love

Real Quick..

2008-10-01T19:08:00.003-05:00

A quick note--I have actually reopened an old blog that I had where I review movies (yes, I have unnecessarily large amounts of time on my hands). I see way too many movies anyway, so I figure I might as well go ahead and put it to use. Whether its in the theaters or came out in 1953, I'm going to review it as soon as I watch it. Hope we have similar taste in movies! I added it to my links on the right. Happy Wednesdaying.

German word:
Ja--yes.
(say it like your from Sweden or something; basically its Ya)

Pump it Up

2008-09-29T14:17:00.002-05:00

So last Friday I had the opportunity to be a little kid again. You remember those big blow up things that you could go inside and jump on? Well, imagine that, but 11 different ones, each with something different to do. There were obstacle courses, slides, and jousting. IT WAS AWESOME!! I did come away with a few um.. I guess you call them rubber burns? But it was worth it. Especially when I got to race people on the obstacle course. Let's just say I got a little competitive. Just a little.

I did walk away with a carpet burn as well, but that didn't really have anything to do with the sliding. It had to do with sheer stupidity on my part. Let me just explain--so there I was, stepping out of one the enclosed ones that had steps outside it. Well, let me point out that everything about the blow up thing is just that--blown up. Full of air. So, the "support walls" around the step down are also blown up. Well, I thought I might just sit down for a second and proceeded, without thinking, to sit on this said support wall. Well, I sat, or so I thought I was going to, and instead flipped over sides ways, landing on the ridiculously hard carpet. Luckily, I've learned to tuck and roll in these situations, and just rolled away with a carpet burn. And don't worry, I had 2 people talking to me when I did it. Fabulous.

Anyways, I have my interview tomorrow morning at UMC and am getting pretty nervous about it! I hope that it goes well. Keep me in your prayers if you think about it. I'll post later to let anyone know how it went. Ta ta!

German word/phrase:

Wie bitte?--Excuse me?

I'm going on an adventuuuuuure, Charlie...

2008-09-24T23:14:00.003-05:00

DISCLAIMER: This one's a bit lengthy.

Well, I have some big, gigantic, awesome news. I'M GOING TO GERMANY!!!!!!!!!!! That's right. Deutschland. Home to Bratwurst and weiner schnitzels. I mean, what more can a girl ask for? The best part of it is--I'm going to live there for 5 months. How lucky am I? I've been wanting to go there ever since I took German my freshman year.

So, you may wonder the story behind it. Well, if you look at one of my August posts, you'll see that I started taking German again (hence the German word of the blog). I have been wanting to pick it back up, no matter how useless I thought it might be (I mean, we all know that living in the U.S. means you'd benefit learning Spanish). Well, if you know me, you know I'm not normal. German just calls my name. Anyways, I have really wanted to use this year off to live outside of Mississippi. I knew I would stay here until December (I have my brother's wedding and one of my lifelong best friend's wedding in Nov. and Dec., respectively). After December, anything was possible. I contemplated Colorado more than anything. So, I've been waiting. And waiting.

One day, after talking to my sister about studying abroad in Italy, I began researching Italy. I mean, if Caitlyn goes to Italy, I sure as heck am going, too! When else am I going to have the opportunity to do this? After looking at Italy, I just kept thinking--why Italy? You are learning German and you know where you want to go live in Europe: Germany. So I told my gut feeling--FINE. I'll look into it. Well, I went to the International Mission Board website (the same organization I have been through before) and looked up available positions in Germany. Mind you, I've done this before with no luck. So I clicked search, the whole timing so sure of not finding anything, when BOOM. 2 positions appear, both with dates from January to June. I can't explain what happened at that moment. So many feelings overwhelmed me--excitement, disbelief, eagerness, anxiety, concern, happiness--I just didn't believe it. How amazing is God and his orchestration?

After finding the position, I applied, got recommendation letters sent, and waited. I prayed that this is what God wanted for me and not what I wanted for me. I found out yesterday morning that I have been accepted for the position, and I have been sent a list of attachments explaining the next steps. It's so hard to believe that I will be living away from my family, friends, and country for so long! I ask for your prayers, as I now have to start raising the money to be sent over there. I also need to buckle down and pick up some German! That's all for now! I'm going to be a GERMAN!

German word:
lernen--to learn
(...since that's what I gotta do now!)