Morning Coffee

         My apologies for my lack of blogging lately, everyone.  Although I had the time for writing over the Christmas holiday, I wasn’t quite motivated nor inspired to do so.  Oddly enough, as my life picks back up and starts getting crazy again is when I make myself find the time to do these things….

        Nevertheless, this is what results:

        As I just mentioned, I’ve completed the first week and a half of my second semester back in college, and I’m already feeling the weight of stress bearing down on my shoulders.  Even before the semester started, I was not looking forward to the forever-dreaded BIO125 professor, whose name I cannot mention.  Now, this particular professor is an interesting character of sorts.  At first glance, I wouldn’t have even taken her as a professor.  In fact, as I was sitting in the room where my first lecture class with her would take place, I was watching the door every single time it opened, waiting to see the face of the person who would be responsible for my endless torture for 16 weeks.  This woman walked in, carrying all of these books, and I honestly just assumed that she was a non-traditional student.  But then I realized that she was heading to the front of the class, and my mind quickly became sidetracked.  She was nothing like what I expected, yet everything that I expected at the same time.  Without going into further detail, let’s just say that she has yet to live up to all of the rumors that I had heard prior to starting the semester.  Notice that I say “all.”  This is certainly implying that she has already lived up to some rumors…just not all.  Fortunately, I’ve always had a way with being on a teacher’s “good side,” and have already found a way to hopefully avoid being picked on and made fun of in front of the class (which is one of the rumors that have leaked out about the woman).  Call me a “Teacher’s Pet,” if you will.  I couldn’t care less.  I just want a good grade without being ridiculed in front of my peers.  =)

           As far as my other professors go, I have a crazy Indian (not Native American, but a man from India) man who is too smart for his own good, and should not be teaching a classroom full of 18-20-some year old students how to use the Internet.  Additionally, I have a Mr. Barbour (our Physics teacher in High School) clone who is also too smart for his own good to teach my Physics class.  However, I’d prefer listening to Physics Barbour clone any day over listening to a crazy Indian man from India talk about search engines and “How to use Google.”  Lastly, I have a communications class, taught by a very sweet, yet stern, older woman whose class consists of watching small clips of Shrek and arranging ourselves into small groups and learning how to talk to one another.

        Now, my descriptions of these courses and their professors are meant for the reader’s benefit of maybe getting a good chuckle in for the day.  I do, however, think that I have my work cut out for me this semester.  Although the communications and computer classes may be just “a walk in the park,” I think my Physics and Anatomy classes are going to be a bit more cut-throat.  

        In nearing the end of my first week of the semester, I was beginning to think, “This isn’t gonna be as bad as I thought.”  As Thursday came around, I suffered through an 8am-6:30pm day with one of the most terrible headaches/migraines that I have ever experienced.  I was praying to God just to get me through to the next class, then praying that He’d get me through 3 hours of Physics Lab.  Finally, it was the end of the day, and it was all I could to drive home.  How awful that my train of thought immediately went to, “I knew this week was going too well.”  I soon brushed it off and finished off the week.  Then came Tuesday.  Ohhhhh, Tuesday.  Tuesday is my other day of the week when I’m stuck at school from 8am-6:30pm.  Let me set the picture for you.  Monday night, I couldn’t fall asleep.  I was in bed at 9:30pm.  12am rolls around, and I’m still not asleep.  I keep tossing and turning, falling in and out of 15-minute intervals of sleep for another three hours.  Around 3:30am, I finally get out of bed and take something to help me savor the last three hours that I had to possibly sleep.  The next morning, my back was so incredibly sore, but I figured by midday, it would work itself out.  Midday Tuesday rolls around, and instead of the pain being relieved, I now have an aching back, a stiff neck, and a sore throat.  Again, I find myself sitting in classes with my hands folded in front of me, my head bowed, and praying to God to get me through this day.  Once again, the Lord pulled me through and I was at home, in the tub, talking to Curtis on the phone through the tears rolling down my face.  Today (Wednesday), I feel as though nothing was ever wrong with me yesterday.  

        “When you feel that you’re down to nothing, God is up to something.”:           

        This is exactly how I feel about my first two weeks this semester thus far.  Twice in two weeks, I was faced with putting my health in God’s hands to get me through the day…and that’s TWICE in two weeks that He’s pulled through for me.  How awesome a Savior we have?  What/Who are you looking to, to bring you through to the next day when you feel like you’re down to nothing?  The medicine?  The sound of a friendly voice on the other end of a phone?  A nice warm bath?  Or God?

        I don’t know about you, but I’d rather have God on my side than all of those others combined.  The rest falls into place from there.  

“How many Kings stepped down from their thrones?

How many Lords have abandoned their homes? 

How many Greats have become the least for me?

And how many Gods have poured out their hearts,

To romance a world that is torn all apart?

How many Fathers gave up their sons for me?

Only ONE did that for me…”

Excerpt from: How Many Kings by Downhere

As the year is coming to an end, you’ll find those who are starting to prepare their New Year’s Resolutions.  However tempting it is to fall into the “habit” of making yet another promise to myself that I don’t keep, I urge everyone, instead, to simply just be thankful.  Instead of worrying what the new year is going to bring, be thankful for everything that the previous year has already brought.

I haven’t written in a while, so I figured I’d stop by and say a few words and maybe share a few things that I’m thanking God for this year:

1.   With all of the worry and commotion going on this year with the Swine Flu, I’m thanking God for my health.  He’s kept me out of harm’s way and out of the hospitals.  lol

2.  The Lord has also blessed me this year by keeping me safe during all of my travels this year.

3.  He has also provided for me earlier this year and gave me the strength to get through a hard time, financially, as I was faced with a hard decision of whether or not to move back home.

4.  God continues to show his ever amazing presence in Curtis and my relationship, blessing us with the strength to overcome the bad times and praise him for the good.

5.  While living back at home wasn’t my ideal plan, God’s plan had something different in store for me as my relationships with both my mom and dad continue to grow and become what they should have been years ago.

6.  Earlier this year, with God’s hand in it all, I made one of the hardest and yet the best decision of my life: to go back to school.  The Lord has continued to bless me as I have just completed my first semester back in two years…so far, carrying a 4.0 GPA!!  PRAISE GOD!!

7.  I would also like to thank God for blessing me with a wonderful second family, as Curtis’ family has come to feel a lot more like my own.  I think my name will forever be “Giggles” with that family…haha!  Thanks to Curtis’ dad for giving it to me.  =)

8.  I spent a lot of time in prayer this year, feeling somewhat alone for not having many girl friends to spend time with anymore as many of my friends are away at college.  God had yet another plan in store for me when I went to college, blessing me by bringing two really awesome young Christian women to my “doorstep.”  I foresee the three of us continuing on in our walks with God together and being great supporters and motivators for each other as we go through our years at school.  Thank-you, girls, for being there.

9.  This may sound a bit odd, but I really thank God for my animals.  I cannot even begin to describe how much of an animal-lover I am.  Furthermore, I cannot even describe how good it feels to come home after a really bad day at work or school and be loved unconditionally by your pet (especially a dog).  Some days, I couldn’t care less about talking to anyone when I got home…but I’m always greeted with sweet, quiet meows from my cats.  Sounds silly, I know…but I’m very thankful for them.  =)

The list is endless, but I just wanted to share a few things with you all.  If you took the time to read this, make a comment below and share one or two things that you would like to thank God for this year.  His presence in our lives is endless if we just continue to allow him to help.  Bring everything to him, with an open heart, in prayer.  I promise you that He will answer, but understand that it may not always be the answer that you wanted to hear.

I wish everyone a blessed Christmas.  Enjoy this special time in thanking God for sending his son to take all of our burdens upon His shoulders.

I’ll be praying for every one’s safety in their travels during the Christmas season, and have a wonderful New Year!

        The fourth week of my first semester back is almost over already, which means that the semester is also a quarter of the way through.  Time is going by so quickly and oddly enough, I’m also enjoying my time at the college.  It’s somewhat ironic that I now look forward to going to college more than I do going to work. 

        Among other things, I suppose the greatest changes in my life since going back to college are that I am trying contacts for the first time, and I also chopped off an entire foot of my hair.  I don’t think the back of my neck has seen this much sunlight since Elementary School.  It’s been a good change, though, and I couldn’t be happier with the results.  As for the contacts, I can’t say that they are going quite as smoothly.  It’s been almost a week and a half, and I think I’ve worn them…maybe…two full days.  I may just be being too picky.  However, I swear that my right eye feels blurry.  I went back to the eye doctor about this problem two days after getting the trial pair of contacts, and there was, in fact, some sort of substance covering both of the lenses.  So I thought, great, there in-lies my problem.  Now I’ll be able to see.   No such luck.  I still feel like there wasn’t any change.  I’m going back today, so I’m trying to stay hopeful.  I’m so tempted, though, to just pick out a pair of new frames.  I love how I look with glasses.  I think it adds a lot to my character. 

        On that note, I suppose I’ll end it here.  Because, quite frankly, I really don’t have much else to say.

“Someone please save us, us college kids!

What my parents told me is what I did

They said go to school and be a college kid

But in the end, I question why I did…”

Excerpt from: College Kids by Relient K

        Regardless of how many times I tell myself that it’s all going to be “okay,” this whole going-back-to-college thing is going to be stressful.  I’m already getting myself so worked up, and I’m not even there yet.  All I have is a little sheet in my hands, showing me what classes I have, where I’m supposed to be, and at what time I’m supposed to be there.  Why is this so hard for me?  Discussing my hesitation with my co-workers, the one says that she would love to go back to school.  In fact, she would love to just go to school for the rest of her life.  I believe we call that a “Professional Student.” 

        People are so different.  I know, “Talk about stating the obvious, Chels.”  I can’t tell you, though, how often I find myself, lying in my bed at night, praying that I would one day be able to enjoy school.  The only comfort that I’m getting out of this entire situation right now is knowing that it is completely and wholly in God’s hands.  All of it.  I’ve been trying my best to hand this all to Him (along with some other things, lately) and say, “Here ya go.  I don’t want it.  You take it, and do whatever you want with it…because I can’t control anything.”  That’s in my control, though.  I can control how much of my life I put in God’s hands.  Idealy, my entire life should be given to Him.  Unfortunately, there is seemingly always going to be something that I either don’t want to part with or I feel for some crazy reason unknown, even to me, that I can deal with it on my own. 

        The Lord knows that, now more than ever, I need His guidance through some rough spots in my life at the moment.  And I know that there are always going to be “rough spots,” but I also know that (given that I put my faith in Him) my Father will continue to walk by my side through every “rough spot” that life throws at me time and time again. 

Knowing that is the greatest feeling in the world…

“Oh, give it to me straight from the heart

Tell me we can make another start

You know I’ll never go — as long as I know

It’s comin’ straight from the heart…”

Excerpt from: Straight From the Heart by Bryan Adams