Musings of Melanie

Random Rock formation on campus (that i never noticed before!)

SO in looking at my "Everything a girl needs." post i realize... i will have none of that for about 5 weeks... maybe i just proved myself wrong...

So in less then a week i will be in Africa. Finally. It seems like it has taken forever to get here... but has come up very suddenly at the same time. There is so much left to do that i am scared i will still be packing an hour before time to get on the plane. My list goes something like this:

*finish Interp paper
*make a list of everything i wanna take (pack)
*make a list of thank you notes
*make a list of post cards
*make a list of prayers
*make a list of fears
(prayers and fears are a crazy thing i do that helps me see the the wonderful things happening... i'll make a list of prayers and praises when i get back(and prob along the way) and then compare...)
*make a list of things i still need to obtain
*make a master list of my list (no laughing)
*FIND MY PASSPORT! (maybe this should be first)
*pen a letter
*mail the letter
*pay for my compassion kid
*clean my room
*buy my dad something for Father's Day
*PACK
*email Stacy
*get rid of the bug that is hovering around my computer right now (done.)
*finish my 101 cards
*figure out a way to prove i typed this while laying down (# 75)
*read my internship book by Tuesday
*take a moment to breathe
*enjoy my friends for a few hours
*Get travelers checks
*Stop Blogging and work on interp
*Buy Dramamine for the NINETEEN hour plane ride


ok.. so a lot, but not TOO much....

For a road trip that is... with a bag of popcorn added... (i might have thrown it away before picture time...)

Something interesting happened on Monday morning that i can't stop thinking about. Well I saw something more then something happened...

My dad brought me back to school, and as is his choice went all the way to Cleveland Avenue before exiting I-75 ( Mom and i prefer Henry Ford) It was the first time i had been on Cleveland Avenue in a while, at least that i can remember. As my dad is driving i notice a homeless man sitting in a wheel chair next to the south bound exit ramp, beside him a black man is sitting on the ground. They had obviously shared a joke because each one was laughing.

This may not seem like much to you unless you are Sunni, Shasta or April.

In Spring 2008 i had Biblical Theology, and in this class we had to do a "Theology in Life" project. Sunni, Shasta, April and I went around handing out coupons for Chick-Fil-a to people in the area. That was over a year ago. I can’t say it any better then how i have already said it in my paper for the class:


"Most people who received the coupons took them, said “Thank you” (maybe) and kept on with their business. Except for Michael and Garret. April and I had an opportunity to stand and talk for about 5 minutes with these two homeless men. Michael was a war veteran in a wheel chair and Garret was a friend. They were sitting on the exit ramp of I-75 at Cleveland Avenue. When we walked up to then and handed them coupons the looks and words they gave us will remain in my head forever. “Bless You. God. Bless. You.” were the words Garret spoke to us. We stood and talked some more about ACC, and introduced ourselves, and then as me and April are about to leave Garret stops us and says “Since you’ve given me something I wanna give you something.” Immediately we started to deny anything, but before we could get the words out Garret continued: “Hebrews 13:1; ‘Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.’ Y’all are my angels.” I didn’t know what to say at first I just stood there beaming, I had gone out to do the work of God, to spread his love and so on and so forth, but instead Garret spread God’s love to me. Even now I cant stop smiling and feeling that love. The endless label writing and sticking, the life threatening driving of Sunni and the hot weather where all worth it for those 5 minutes I spent talking to Michael and Garret. "



Monday morning when I saw those two men still sitting there, and I have no doubt they were the Michael and Garret, I instantly started thinking about that afternoon so many months ago. I wonder if they even remember it.

I then decided that I wanna be the kind of person that people remember. The person that 10 years from now someone remembers as someone who loved on them in a way that showed them God’s love.



.

So i have this habit of throwing whatever i have into a pan and cooking it. My dad calls this Jambalaya cooking. Well, seeing as i had only 3 weeks in this apartment i did not do any extensive grocery shopping. I was given a lot and bought little. Well, i have reached the point that requires creativity. Today's recipe:

1 bag frozen corn (from mom)
1 can black beans (from Prisca)
the rest of the salsa in my frig as follows:
garlic and lime (from me),
berries and yummieness (also me),
generic salsa (Anna)
1 tiny bit of taco salsa (from Jessie)
A little Extra virgin olive oil (also Jessie)

Instructions for preperation:
(1) Empty corn into pan, drizzle EVOO in pan as well, let cook till no longer frozen.
(2) Add Beans (do not drain) mix two togehter and let sit for a few minutes
(3) add Salsa
(4) Drain liquid out of pan
(5) Enjoy.

My GPS has a "Places of Worship" setting on it, select it and it will start listing all the churches that it knows of close to where ever you are. I did this the other day, curious to see the mileage from where i was to my church (which is where i was going...) Well, it took me forever to get through the list to my church (which was 17.3 miles away) because there where 2 within a mile of me, about 10 churches within a 2 mile radius and about 30 within 10 miles.

Now i dont look at the town i grew up in as a big town- buts its not tiny either. think about it. thats almost FORTY churches withina fifteen minute driving from me. and as i drove, the number only got larger.

My parents and i got to go to lunch on Sunday just the three of us- and it was fun, but something happened that made me sit up and listen. As we where driving to the place of food, i started talking about the number of churches in America, there's one on almost every corner! it seems a bit ridiculous. My dad referred to the reason as "the devil's best tool- Drama within the church." Skip ahead about an hour and we are safely at the resturant talking about other things, and a woman, who is a former member of my church, walks up to the table. Almost immediatly she begins preaching at us about why she left (which apparently directly due to something my mom said at a family meeting) She talked on and on for about 10 minutes before turning and walking away I did'nt know what to say. My mom looked about to cry, my dad reached over and hugged her, then looked at me and said asked me to do something that i hope i can live up to 9since i said i would try. HE asked me to promise to try and never let drama interfere with my spritiual life like so many people do. "When you start to allow your mind to dwell on hurtful things, the Devil will take hold and use it to his advantage, it doesnt matter how he convinces you, as long as he convinces you."

Thats a big promise to live up to. Let Drama go. How different would our churches, schools, groups of friends be if we just let Drama go? Dont get me wrong, there's a time and place to be hurt, and to tell people you are hurt, but that time and place is NOT 2 years latter at a resturant in front of someones loved ones! I think i will start doing some biblical research on this subject. I'll let you know what i find.

Not so sure of the feelings running through my veins right now, its an odd mixture or relief, sadness, excitement, nervousness and the overwhelming urge to cry. The semester is over, but i find that all i long for is something to not be doing. Weird. I have no papers i should be doing, no tests i should be studying for, and no reading to catch up on. I can literally do nothing, and not be procrastinating. I don't like it. The fact that tonight will be my last night with my current roommates, and im sitting in my apartment all alone probably adds to the restlessness. We will literally never live together again, and i thought i was ok with that, but here i sit, almost crying over it. not a feeling i like too very much. But hey as of RIGHT now, i only have 53 days, 15 hours, 21 min and 30 sec till i am in the place i most wanna be. (yay!)
But its hard to feel the excitement i have felt at its coming, cause all i can feel are the pressings of everything that has to be done in those 53 days.
1.Maymester.
2. VBS.
3.Internship details.
4.Raising the rest of my money to get there.
5. Buying all the stuff i must buy.
6. Moving out of this apartment.
7. Bring prpoerly excited about this wonderful trip coming.
8. enjoying life.
9. praise team.
10. adjusting to living somewhere else.

Did i mention that one of the things i HATE most in life is changing beds? I can sleep in the most horrible bed night after night and i am ok with it, but the minute i have to sleep somewhere else i suddenly cant sleep. I dont care if its my bed at home or my bed at school, i never sleep that first night back. Weird i know, but i like sleeping in the same place every night. ( i think this is one of the reasons i was not always eager for sleep overs as a kid) SO the idea of moving freaks me out.
Did i mention that i am also feeling a bit of randomness? (must have something to do with the restlessness)
Have i ever mentioned my fear of being alone? I get very anxious and i am unable to sleep. NOt good for a person who will be staying in an apartment by herself quite a bit here in a little while... :|

1. Stay connected to college friends
2. Journal the entire Old Testament
3. Journal The entire New Testament
4. Pray for a complete stranger
5. Vegetarian diet for 2 months
6. Make a significant new friend
7. GRADUATE UNDERGRAD
8. Own a turtle named Dr. KGo
9. Count calories for a month
10. Go to South Africa
11. Make a photo Album from South Africa
12. Get my tattoo fixed
13. Crochet a blanket
14. Read a non school related, non fiction book
15. Watch no tv for a week
16. Reread Twilight, taking my time (2 weeks)
17. Reread New Moon (2 weeks)
18. Reread Eclipse (2 weeks)
19. Reread Breaking Dawn (2 weeks)
20. Get organized, and stay that way for at least a month
21. Complete an assignment a week in advance
22. Write letters back and forth to someone (to Jessie)
23. Dye my hair an unnatural color
24. Have my own address
25. Road trip somewhere by myself
26. Visit Forks
27. Go a day in silence: no talking, not typing, and not writing.
28. Sit in a restaurant for 3 hours, for no reason.
29. Learn yoga
30. Do yoga every morning for a month
31. Get a new tattoo
32. Submit a secret to PostSecret
33. Submit a FML
34. Do laundry every two weeks during Senior Year
35. Save $1000 in my adoption fund
36. Keep up with paying for Akash for the whole time I’m working on this list.
37. Watch an entire season of something in a day
38. Watch 20 movies I’ve never seen before that where made before starting this list (April 2009)
39. Fast from the internet for a week
40. Go to New York
41. Go to Washington DC
42. Apply to grad school
43. Add 3 things to this list that I did that were “stretching” that I didn’t expect
44. Call hope house about my internship
45. Cry about something stupid and feel no guilt
46. Get DaNae to read Twilight
47. Go without my phone for a day
48. Paint a picture
49. Go without my phone for a week
50. Give away all the clothes I haven’t worn in the last year
51. Stand under a waterfall
52. Become Music Litterit
53. Learn to spell literate
54. Tell someone how I REALLY feel.
55. Find my perfect hand holding partner
56. Start a prayer wall
57. Work in a coffee shop
58. Save another $1000 for my adoption fund
59. Meet someone famous
60. Learn to enjoy jogging
61. Read 20 books that friends recommend
62. Go to a concert of a band I have never heard of.
63. Fill up a memory card with pictures of things I love
64. Print the pictures and make a scrap book
65. Make all A’s for a semester
66. Do my part to stop human trafficking in Atlanta
67. Win at trivia
68. Make baked goods everyday for a week
69. Buy something ridiculous at a flea market
70. Finish a self help book
71. Read my text book for a class
72. Make Donna brownies
73. Make Jessie Brownies
74. Buy something Totally ridiculous and display it in my apartment
75. Learn to type laying down
76. Drink nothing but water for a year
77. Get a fish
78. Go to another concert of a band I have never heard of
79. Travel at least 10 hours to hear a band play
80. Frame the poster of our bowling shoes
81. Make a birdhouse
82. Make a picture collage
83. Go to 3 braves games
84. Return ALL of Craig’s books to him.
85. Send April and Jessie postcards/letters while in Africa(more than 1 each) =)
86. Go to Savannah at least once a year for JAM reunion
87. Own more socks
88. Get a dog
89. Play on Pixie Hollow everyday
90. Go to a Thrashers Hockey game
91. Get a new computer
92. Go to Orange next year
93. Get Toms that fit
94. re-read Pride and Prejudice
95. make top 10 list to do in Fall Semester of Senior Year
96. Have a Pizza and Pirates weekend
97. Have a friend date lunch or dinner with Jessie at least once a month before she leaves in December
98. Go to NorthPoint at least one Sunday during the Fall semester with Jessie
99. Treat love as a verb not a noun
100. Enjoy being a CLM no matter what the job throws at you
101. Make a movie


FYI: the last 15 or so were added by April and Jessie ;)


Creating your own 1001 Day Project

The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as new year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

Some common goal setting tips:
1. Be decisive. Know exactly what you want, why you want it, and how you plan to achieve it.

2. Stay Focused. Any goal requires sustained focus from beginning to end. Constantly evaluate your progress.

3. Welcome Failure. Frequently, very little is learned from a venture that did not experience failure in some form. Failure presents the opportunity to learn and makes the success more worthy.

4. Write down your goals. It clarifies your thinking and reinforces your commitment.

5. Keep your goals in sight. Review them frequently, and ensure that they are always at the forefront of your thinking.

I started something today that i think is going to be amazing. (OK well i started two things, but one a bit more fun than the other) At a conference this weekend i was given a great idea. Journal God's Word. Instantly i became excited by the prospect of having the whole bible in my handwriting. Not only will it be awesome to have a shelf dedicated to the notebooks that will be filled with the bible, but to know that i read, payed attention and wrote... amazing feeling. My plan was to start in Genesis and work my way thru, but i decided against that, cause I've had about all of Genesis i can take for at least a summer. So then began the decision making, where to start? There are so many passages and stories and thoughts and encouragements in the bible that i couldn't decide. Good thing i don't make most of my own decisions. In Sunday school it was my turn to teach the lesson, and the story was of Esther. (which just happens to be the book of the bible that kinda sorta changed the way i view my approach to life...) And decision made. Esther is such a wonderful book. I have read it many times, its always been my go to book when i pick up my bible for no reason.
And so, i found my self with a book and translation chosen and a notebook bought. I sat down on Sunday and started journaling the first couple verses, simply copying word for word, with occasional symbols drawn in and certain words emphasized... but after a few verses it felt wrong, i don't think i liked that translation very much... So today i opened MY bible to the well worn piece of ribbon marking the place and started new. I journaled 20 verses in what felt like mere seconds (but turned out to be like 30 minutes.) And something amazing happened. Already, not even one complete chapter into the book Ive read countless times i have noticed new things. Esther hasn't even entered the story yet, in fact Vashti hasn't even left, and already i am discovering new details. Writing the words that have become common and undemanding has made them come alive.

When i saw this today, it reminded me of a thought i have had many times, like almost every time someone asks about my desire to adopt. It would be so much easier to say its cause i can't have my own. I mean, don't get me wrong, my reasons for adoption are completely legit, but hard to explain. They are more passion and feeling then bullet points. There are so many children who NEED homes and need people to love them that i want to be the person that loves at one of them.

1. Granddaddy
2. Jael
3. Zooey Deschanel
4. Darren Wilson
5. Jesus
6. Francis Chan
7. Emmett Cullen
8. Dakota Fanning
9. Daddy
10. Kimberly

Anna's bridal Shower gift:

From Todays Post Secret. :)

So I'm starting a new project.
Everyday i am gonna post a picture of something that God has said to me that day. (well, hopefully everyday...)
Sometimes I'll explain.. sometimes i wont...

So lately i have been noticing God's Creation more and more. Driving down the road I find myself slowing down to look at the tree that is beside the road, I’ll take an extra long time walking to class, cause there’s so much to marvel at, I’ll be late to work cause I had to stop and take pictures of stuff along the way, I even found myself crying the other day because I suddenly realized just how stinkin’ creative this creator of this world was (and still is.) It kinda hurts me to realize how much I have not noticed it till now. I have been doing this for a couple weeks now, but it all kinda blindsided me a couple weeks ago when it snowed. Snow has always been one of my favorite things! Being a Georgia girl I don’t get to see that wonderful stuff to often. (It has always been a dream of mine to live somewhere that it snows all the time, but I wonder if my enchantment with it would go away if I saw it all the time?) But when I do see, I cry and squeal like a little girl. I get so caught in just watching it and thinking about its wonderful creator, I mean how crazy would you have to be to decide to make something like snow? Who would just decide one day, “I think ill freeze that rain (and don’t get me started on rain…) and make it into tiny tiny little pieces of white fluffy stuff that will fall to the earth and collect so that people can throw it at each other, make crazy things with it and freeze their butts off all at the same time?” A crazy AWESOME God, that’s who. Then I went to rock city in TN. AMAZING place! We spent like 4 hours just looking at all the creativeness of God. To think that all this was thought up and created by one being and that that being is an all powerful God that cares deeply for me is mind boggling. I don’t know how to wrap my head around that.

My number one new years resolution was to not just teach the kids i work with with every week but to learn as well. I realized that i was always teaching, teaching, teaching, but never learning. So I wanted to make an effort to learn everything that i ask them to learn. All the memory verses, bottom lines and virtues. I am doing a poor job. I can tell you the virtues for this year so far... Resourcefullness: using what you have to get the job done. Hope: believing something good can come out of something bad. And Fairness: making sure Everyone is treated respectfully. (and i had to look up the last one....) I am kinda disappointed. I havent learned a single memory verse (with the exception of the one i already knew) or bottom line outside of week it was given.

My number two was to stay on task with my school work. Yea right. I began really well, i had all my assignment done ahead of time and even wrote a few papers in advance. Now i am stuck in the habit of doing what needs to done for the next day... which does not work so well with a 10 page research paper...


And I only had TWO. How easy should it have been... simple time management would have worked. So when i realized that i was completely off of my resolutions i decided it was time for a new resoultion. NO MORE WASTING TIME when there are things to done. (which quickly lead to a day scheduled to the hour...) and no more staying up till midnight... in bed by 10! (except the scheduled late nights for birthdays and Dho...)

Well the schedule lasted all of one day before it was broken.... So i've moved on to plan 2 of resolution recovery, which consists of To Do lists.....

but i keep losing them.



I'm hopeless.