Spring Sing - 1 day

I like to call today Relaxation Day.
No Spring Sing related activities, although I have been singing the songs all day. They will be eternally stuck in my head!

Yes, Relaxation Day.
I took a lot of pictures of my daily activities. I think it was because the 80 degree breezy weather and bright blue sky just made me cheery.

I present to you (in a photo montage) my day of relaxation from SS.

Bible class outside.

Harding is blooming! Beautiful flowers everywhere..

I spent 4 hours on the front lawn. Blanket, laptop, headphones = a wonderful afternoon in the sun!

Wednesday's most students go to private devotionals instead of church. I go to one on campus that students organized because they couldn't find one they liked. It's amazing. It was in Shore's Chapel tonight, which has been converted into a pray room. I was moved by all of the prayer requests.

Dinner at Wings To Go. I'm no photographer, but I LOVE this picture.It's so urban-esk. Love it!

p.s. No class tomorrow!

Spring

Sing

Begins!

Spring Sing - 2 days

Dress rehearsal tonight!

Oh boy, it was fun.

We met in the McInteer room 150 like last night.

(And like I do everyday at 12 for Old Testament)

There we stayed from 5-7:45.
Time there included doing hair & makeup--80's style!

At 7:45 we went to the Rhodes (fieldhouse) and ran our show.

Then all of our clubs did chants from Club Week.

Ya know (eenie meenie miny mo, all you girls in the clubs wanna know--IOTA CHI!)

After all of that fun we headed to the Benson and ran our show with lights/props

andallthatgood stuff!

Memories of the night include

the boys wanting their eye-makeup like ours.

Pictured: random girl doing random boys eyes

dancing to Britney Spears, Justin Bieber, & the Cupid Shuffle. On tables, no less.

& amazing times with friends

Quotes:

"Do the shopping cart!"

"My hot dad crush is George Clooney."

Me: "Wes that eyeshadow really brings out your eyes."
Wes: "If I didn't know better I'd say you were hitting on me."

Me: "I don't hit on guys wearing eyeshadow."

I heart Spring Sing.

Spring Sing - 3 days

As you can see, Jersey Night was a lot of fun! I have to say I'm a fan of our big green & pink bows. And lets not forget the tu-tu's!

I was really nervous tonight.

Like, have-to-pee nervous.

But all went well--we "rocked!"

(Our theme is Rock n' Roll)

Memories of the night:

Mean stage director lady yelling at us.

Dancing backstage (in the dark) to African music.

"That's what she said."

Papa Wes: "If you forget a part, just start guitaring!"

So true Wes. So true.

Spring Sing - 4 days

It's getting closer!

Today in Spring Sing land, there were

lots of Facebook messages pertaining to jersey night, costumes, meeting times, hair/makeup requirements, & other interesting things like that

skirts to finish

and there was

worship service for all clubs involved in the show.

Unfortunately I didn't get to go to the worship service because my suitemate just found out her parents are getting divorced. Through a phone call. And she's in a different state. Needless to say, there has been a lot of girl time this afternoon. Pray for her family.

Spring Sing - 5 days

A costume making party.

And the countdown to Spring Sing begins!

This is my first blog "series" and I'm very excited.

Every day this week I'll be sharing the Spring Sing events taking place because, well,

it's kind of a big deal.

****

Today was our last practice before we perform for jersey night on Monday.

Jersey night is when all of the clubs wear their jerseys during the performance instead of their actual costumes. It's also an opportunity to see what the other clubs have come up with. I've see a few shows already because I've watched their practices, but definitely not all!

Our practice today was tech practice. The man in charge of lights, props, stunts, and music talked to us and told us how it would all "run down" come show time!

Ya know, stuff like

"You have 7 seconds once the lights go off to get backstage or 1 of 2 things will happen--you will be the only one on the side of the curtain with the audience, or you'll be knocked over by the curtains and have a concussion. Embarrassment or pain!"

It also consisted of running our 7 1/2 minute show about 6 times. Phew!

After practice we had a costume making party. Fun times, this Spring Sing stuff.

Pity Party

I have been generally happy in my singleness. In ways it's good. I don't have to worry about anniversaries, presents, "checking in" with someone, and all of those things that come with being a girlfriend.

But in ways it's bad.

I don't get to have anniversaries. I don't get to buy expensive cologne for my boyfriend. I don't get to worry about a jealous boyfriend.

In high school it wasn't something I worried about. I didn't mind not having a boyfriend (in high school they are all immature anyways) But here at Harding, its hard to not worry about it. Maybe it's because it's a Christian university. It seems like everyone around me is in a serious relationship or engaged. I've been to 4 ring ceremonies for girls in my club, and another friend of mine is engaged as well. We have white swings all over campus with legends of "three swings & a ring." And no lie, the on-campus post office stamps have wedding rings on them.

I know I'm relatively young and marriage shouldn't be on my mind. I'm in college--I should be enjoying all of this time I have for myself! The thing is, though, is that I don't need time to myself anymore. My first year of college is almost over and I have myself figured out. I know who I am, I know what I want in life, and I know that I can take care of myself.

Are my standards too high? I don't think I'm asking for much. An amazing Christian guy--perhaps majoring as preacher or youth minister--who will love God more than he will love me, who wants a large family (because we all know I want like 7 kids!), and who can deal with my baking habits/random art moods/intense obsession with blogging. And someone who will watch One Tree Hill with me. Oh yeah, and someone who wouldn't mind living in different states, because there are like 10 places I want to live!

Again, I know I probably shouldn't be worrying about this. I can't help it, though. I've never even been on a date before, much less held hands with a guy, and my first kiss experience was stupid and something I only did for the "experience." Which sucked.

Alright, pity party is over. I just needed to get that off of my chest before I broke down in tears to my roommate, Ali. Even though she would be so supportive. I love her. I'm giving it all to God and trusting that when the time is right I will find what I've been searching for. And if it comes down to me being a single missionary in Africa when I'm 30, that's where I will go and what I will do. Sometimes its hard to accept that the plans I have for my life may not be the ones God has.

I'll let you know how it unfolds.

Storm's a-brewin'

Today was a pretty chill day. The sky looked like this on my drive to Walmart & Hastings. Frighteing, huh? I'm pretty sure it never rained, though. A threat from the sky, I guess!

The cookbook section at Hastings. I love flipping through the 'cupcake' books. Someday I will open a cupcake shop.

Someday...

After drooling over recipes, Beth and I grabbed some dinner, I wrote my research paper (topic: should mental illness be used a defense in court?), and then we hit up Spring Sing practice for two hours. Now I'm showered, drousy, and 99.999% sure Ali and I are about to start watching my 'Friends' DVDs. Like every night. Our little tradition.

p.s.

Working out?

Cleaning?

Energized?

Need to be?

Listen to Jai Ho by the Pussycat Dolls.

It will get you pumped ^up!!

Front Lawn Love

Harding really is it's own little world. We have a Taco Bell & Chik-Fil-A, a mini mart- the HUMM (Harding University Mini-Mart), social clubs, and the front lawn. The front lawn is like a little meadow enclosed by buildings. There are trees (with outlets to plug in computers, naturally), flowers, and of course white swings. I'm actually reporting from said front lawn right now, propped up against a tree (which my computer is plugged into). The sun is shining so bright and warm and there is a light breeze.

I just love this delicious weather and so does the rest of campus. There are people everywhere; tossing Frisbees, swinging, napping on blankets, doing homework, and laughing with friends. Photography and Art majors are going crazy capturing the changing season. It was probably the smartest thing Harding has done. Making this front lawn, that is. It's so nice to know that after class you can grab a blanket and head outside instead of staying cooped up in your dorm room.

I'm ready for the trees to have their vibrant green leaves. I can see some trees are sprouting and it excites me! I love spring.

I will truly miss this little oasis when I pack up and leave for the summer. Not that my backyard isn't good for sitting outside or anything. But it's not Harding, it's not the front lawn, and it won't bring me the sense of calm that I feel right now.

We love you, Beaux!

Beaux.
Pronounced "bo's" for those of you wondering.
In the wonderful world of Harding University, we have men & women social clubs. Women social clubs will "beau" guys, and guys will "queen" girls.

Basically, the guys represent your club, cheer on your club sports, and is a shoulder to lean on when anyone in the club needs it. They are also dates for functions if any girl in the club needs a date!

Last night was the night to pick our beaux! It's a pretty lengthy process of nominating guys, weighing the pro's and con's of each of the nominees, voting, and then beauing them. It can get competitive though, because other clubs are beauing at the same time you are and may have the same guys on their "board".

After we have voted in our four choice beaux, we go out and find them. We sneak up on them (like true creepers), stampede towards them screaming and cheering, throw an Iota Chi jersey over their head and sing our beau song!

Then, we throw them in the fountain.

"We love you beaux, oh yes we do!"

Human Trafficking

"Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality."

-Romans 12:13

Over 800,000 girls are trafficked across international borders each year for the purpose of sexual exploitation. These girls have no voice, so it's our job to cry out for them.

Organizations like NightLight International and She Dances help us do that.

Iota Chi -the social club I'm in- is very involved with She Dances. Our president last semester actually went to Honduras and worked at the home they keep rescued girls in. And we're doing a fundraiser to raise awareness about trafficking and the organization in April here at Harding University. We hope a lot of students will get involved!

But you don't have to wait. You can get involved now! You can check out the She Dances store and buy a tshirt (ALL proceeds further the She Dances mission) or the NightLight International store.

I urge you to help "people walking in darkness" and help them "see a great light." (Isaiah 9:2)

Spring all around

Thursdays are always my favorite day of the week.

Today was no exception.

The weather was amazing!

So amazing that

we had class outside...

...which made me happy because these were around.

Smelling good.

Blowing in the breeze.

And being so vibrantly colorful compared to the drab ground!

Oh boy, I loved today.

Dreams

Yesterday in Psychology we started talking about dreams.

I'm always really interested to learn about other peoples dreams.

People in my class were saying their dreams are in black and white. Only. Never any color.

Other people have a "white fog" over everything in their dreams.

A lot of people say in their dreams they change familiar faces into people they don't even know, yet somehow they are still aware of who the person is. Some people see themselves in their dreams. Some see through their eyes.

I was fascinated. It got me to thinking of the only reoccurring dream I've ever had in my life. I haven't had it in years, which makes me kind of sad because I wonder how I would react to it now. In the dream, everyone I love is in this box (all very small!) and these big blocks are stepping on them and killing them. In the end I'm on the only one left, backed up against a wall, staring up at my impending death. And then I wake up.

And every time I wake up, I'm sick. An ear infection, fever, vomiting- some kind of illness. It never, ever failed.

I never knew how to interpret that dream. Aren't they all supposed to mean something? Maybe it's to cherish all of the amazing people in my life. Yeah, I'll go with that.

Any reoccurring dreams? or

do you see in black and white? or

do you see yourself in your dreams? or

does it vary?

Harding, I missed thee!

Well, spring break has come & gone.

Can I just say that it is SO good to be back at Harding?

It is SO good to be back at Harding!

I missed:

My freedom

My roommate

Chapel

I have to admit that I take chapel for granted a lot. It's a tough thing to roll out of bed and get to chapel by 9 a.m., and I've definitely taken advantage of my 15 allotted skips. But it's such an amazing thing to worship God every morning with the entire campus. Students & faculty. It's the reason I picked Harding. I wanted that "church camp" spiritual high all the time.

And how wonderful that we live in a country where worshipping God isn't something we have to hide or possibly be killed for.

So today I'm thankful:

For a God that is abounding in steadfast love

Harding University

That I was born in the good ole' USA. In the bible belt, as well!

Sad/Happy

I'm sad right now for a few reasons.

1) Spring break is closing up shop

2) Remember Me is quite depressing

3) Rent costs a lot. A lot.

Basically, my parents are under the impression that I'm 12, so my siblings and I are looking at getting a house in Conway this summer. It's going to cost a pretty penny, though. Price you pay for becoming an adult, I guess.

On a different note, I'm happy because:

1) Rob Pat was glorious in Remember Me
2) Half of my semester is over, and summer is on the horizon

3) I might have my own house this summer!

See how you can look on the flip side of things like that?

Awesome.

My Faith

I have been inspired by Kaylee & Kelly to talk a little bit about my church & faith.

I am a member of the Church of Christ. I was googling and found a pretty good run-down of our basic beliefs, so I thought I would share!

1. Communion, or the "Lord's Supper," is observed every first day of the week (Acts 20:7). All those who have been baptized partake.

2. Only adult believers who confess their faith in Christ as the Son of God, our Savior, are baptized (by full immersion) for the forgiveness of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Acts 8:26-39; Acts 22:16) and the promise of eternal life. The church of Christ does not teach "once saved, always saved," as the NT warns of the danger of being "estranged from Christ" (Galatians 5:4) and admonishes Christians to be "faithful unto death" (Revelation 2:10). One does not "join" the church of Christ; one is "added" to the church (by the Lord, not by vote or proclamation) when they are baptized (Acts 2:47; Acts 5:14). Infant baptism or alternate modes (pouring, sprinkling) are not practiced.

3. There is no "clergy" and "laity." Church leaders do not take titles. (Matthew 23:8-10). Members simply refer to one another as "brother" and "sister" (1 Timothy 5:1, 2).

4. Scripture is seen as all-sufficient (2 Timothy 3:16, 17). Therefore the church of Christ has no "creed," nor does it use "prayer books" (Matthew 6:7).

5. Congregations are autonymous. There is no council, synod, or governing body overseeing multiple congregations. Each congregation is to have "elders" (which in the New Testament is synonymous with the terms "pastor," "bishop," and "presbyter") and "deacons." Put simply, elders are responsible for the congregation's spiritual well-being while deacons see to its physical well-being (1 Timothy 3; Titus 1). Again, these men hold no honorific titles, nor do preachers. Calling a preacher "Pastor Smith," for example, is both a misuse of the term "pastor" and a violation of Jesus' prohibition against titles.

6. Music in the church of Christ is a capella congregational singing (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16). There are no mechanical instruments, choirs or "praise groups." This belief is becuase there are no biblical examples of music being used in a worship service.

7. Women do not aspire to leadership roles over men (1 Corinthians 11:3; 1 Timothy 2:12), nor do they preach, teach or lead public prayer (except in women's and children's groups).

(1 Timothy 2:11).

8. "Saints" are not venerated. In New Testament usage, a saint (Greek hagios - "most holy thing") is anyone who has obeyed the gospel and been sanctified (made holy) by faith in Christ (Hebrews 2:11). It is a descriptive word, not a title (Romans 1:7).

9. Worship services are not "charismatic" in nature; no speaking in tongues, no latter day prophecy, no "being slain in the Spirit." It has been said that members of the church of Christ do not believe in spiritual gifts. This is incorrect. They believe that the necessity for spiritual gifts of miraculous nature (which were to help spread and confirm the gospel message) was supplanted by the completion of God's revealed word, the Bible (1 Corinthians 13:8-10). The "gift of the Holy Spirit" is given to all who obey (Acts 2:38), and the Spirit is continuously at work within the heart of the believer (Romans 8:14; Romans 8:26; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 1 John 3:24).

10. The church of Christ is grieved by the divisions among those who profess to follow Jesus, and will forevermore appeal for unity among believers (Ephesians 4:3). This may be her single most telling mark of distinction. There is no "church of your choice" in the New Testament, there is only the church that Christ built through the Spirit-led efforts of His first-century followers. There are other distinctions, but these are some major fundamentals that set the church of Christ apart from others. In short, the church strives to worship and serve ONLY by scriptural precept and example in order to resemble, as closely as possible, the church of the first century. As individuals, members of the church of Christ should be (one cannot say "will be," as we all fall short of the ideal) models of decency (Matthew 5:16), humble in word and deed (2 Timothy 2:25), caring and concerned about others (Galatians 5:22, 23; Titus 3:2).

If you're interested in knowing more you can just comment and ask me questions! I love talking about my faith and the things I believe to be true.

Rain

I was in the middle of my 7 1/2 hour shift at Sonic.

A baseball game had just gotten out and I was scurrying around.

I grabbed my tray and was out the door when I smelled it.

Rain.

You know the smell?

The delightful, delicious, divine smell?

And then I heard the pitter-patter as it hit the concrete.

That's when I longed to be laying in my bed, window open,

listening and smelling the rain.

Kind of like now.

Mmm...rain.

Spring Break Beginning

My spring break began this week.
A break from school has been much needed!
My weekend was fabulous.

I've enjoyed carhopping in this beautiful weather,

& the money is SO appreciated since I haven't worked in oh.so.long!

Friday I went out with my best friend, Katie, for dinner. We never get to see each other when I'm away at school so it was nice to talk and see her face! We went to Moe's Southwest Grill and chowed on some tacos & queso, then headed to Marble Slab for some cotton candy ice cream with sprinkles.

Saturday I worked some more, then headed to Little Rock for Katie's birthday dinner. The whole gang was together (minus Emma, who was serving the Lord!) and we dined at Genghis Grill. It's Mongolian and I definitely recommend it. It's a build your own bowl type of restaurant. You go through a line and pick out your meats, veggies, seasonings, and sauce. They stir fry it up and deliver it to your table. Yum. Yum.

Kaylee and I whipped up some cupcakes for the occasion. Aren't they presh? So shabby chic- my vision for them was a success!

I bet you're drooling over those cupcakes, huh?!

My Daily Life

This weeks "Show Us Your Life" from Kelly's Korner is how our typical day is. Since I have different classes MWF and TR, I'll just give a general run down!

8:35 - Wake up and scramble to get ready

9:00 - Chapel

9:40 - Chapel is over, go back to dorm & eat quick breakfast (yum, oatmeal!)

10 - Class (World Lit or Psychology)

11 - Lunch

12 - Old Testament (everyday)

1 - Class (Comp. 2)

2 - Nap time

4 - Go out/hangout. Walmart, Goodwill, Hastings.

5-6 - Dinner

7 - Chill or clean

8-11 - Homework/study

11 - Shower & get ready for bed

12-1 - Watch TV (One Tree Hill, Friends, or Laguna Beach) with the roommate

Then sleep!

These days Spring Sing practice is throwing me way off, which is usually 2 hours a few times a week. After spring break we will practice every day. Oh, the fun!

So there you have it:

The typical day of a college student!

Definitive Moments

I was a senior in high school when it happened. I went to sleep with severe abdominal pain. I woke up with severe abdominal pain. It was blinding and nauseating.

My mom quickly took me to the emergency room where I was scanned, x-rayed, poked and prodded. Doctors and nurses pressed on my belly, asked me my symptoms, checked things off of their list.

Kidney stones? No. Appendicitis? No.

Alas, CT scan results were back and my doctor entered my room. Her face was solemn and I knew that things couldn’t be good. She threw out a lot of words- radiologists, oncologists, ovaries, tumors, malignant.

Cancer, Cancer, Cancer.

I could hear my heartbeat in my ears; I could see my vision blur. I couldn’t feel though. It’s an odd experience when someone tells you that you have cancer. Your body goes numb and your mind starts trying to grasp what cancer means.

My 18-year old mind couldn’t get past the thought that prom was in a month, much less process that the radiologist was sure that I had malignant tumors on my ovaries.

Going home was a blur of pain medication and talks of treatment. I went straight to my bed and within an hour my entire extended family was beside me. My brother and sister even drove home from college. I was beginning to realize what a big deal this was.

Over the following days, my parents talked with specialists about saving my ovaries, saving my life, and where the best place to go was. We decided on UAMS and within a week I had an appointment with a top-of-the-line oncologist.

I went to surgery with a heavy heart. I needed babies in my future and surgery held the potential to end that dream forever. Plus, what if the cancer had spread? What if they couldn’t get it all? There were so many questions. I remember saying a prayer to God before I was anesthetized, begging and pleading to spare my ovaries and rid me of cancer.

My next memory was waking up in the post-OP room with my mom standing beside me. “Autumn, they were benign!” My first thought was, I’m dead. My second thought was, she’s crazy. But sure enough, the tumors “weren’t malignant after all.” I didn’t have cancer. Oh, the relief!

The whole experience was dramatic. The days were hard and there were a lot of tears. I wouldn’t trade the experience, though. Throughout everything, I have never felt God’s presence more in my life.

I woke up thinking of what a consuming fire God is and went to sleep with assurance that He was holding me in his hands. The Christian community reached out to me in prayer, visits, food, flowers and cards, and I was so thankful for everything.

Before it happened, Harding was so far off of my radar. I was already accepted at another university, had a roommate and a housing assignment. God had a plan, though, and opened the door to Harding.

I know that God had a divine purpose in everything that I went through. He brought me closer to Him and opened doors to opportunities I am still seeing the fruits of.

"God is able to do immeasurably more than all we could ask or imagine."
-Ephesians 3:20

Guilty Spring Pleasure

Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County

Definition: a reality TV show centering around lame high school drama

i.e. my guilty pleasure

It's spring now, which means I have broken out my Laguna Beach DVD's. It always gets me in the mood for warm weather and summertime!

& later tonight...

Spring Sing practice

I feel like I may owe all a Spring Sing definition. Spring Sing is a musical Harding University puts on every year in the spring semester. All of the social clubs (remember, we don't have frats/sors) put on a 7 minute show. It's not ever one club per show, though.

For example, my club (Iota Chi) is doing our show with Gamma Sigma Phi,

Delta Nu, and Pi Theta Phi. Our theme is Rock n Roll.

We dance choreograph and change the lyrics to really popular songs.

For example, Stop and Stare.

Real lyrics: "Stop and stare, I think I'm moving but I go nowhere."

Our lyrics: "Stop and stare, look at that rocker she has got big hair."

If you're interested in buying tickets to the show, you can go here to do so!