Monday, August 30, 2010

First Day of Fall Semester

So today marks the first day of the semester. Even though I did not sleep very well and I failed to get up to work out like I planned, it was a pretty good morning. I had a good breakfast in the caf, and then got a cafe latte from the JBK. Good coffee makes any morning better. And it was kinda cloudy this morning which made it even better. I felt so collegiate walking across campus in my neopolitan colored outfit, classy backpack and a coffee in hand. I only had one class today and it was biology. Boo. What a great class to start the semester off with. It wasn't too bad though and my professor was pretty funny and chill. I still have to work desk and later tonight is my first program and then mandatory meeting. I'm nervous about speaking in front of all the 2nd floor girls, but it has to be done. I'm super excited about this semester and all the fun we are gonna have. I know that God has some big plans for this year, and I hope that my life reflects God's love. Even though I'm not really sure what my talents are, I hope that I'm able to eventually find out what they are and serve and glorify God in those areas.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Who Am I? And Why Won't I Stop Talking?

So since the dorms have opened, I have been really trying to be social and strike up conversations with people on my floor and to greet people with a smile when I'm at desk. This doesn't seem like a bad thing at all. The problem is that I am normally pretty quite and don't talk to a lot of people. So all my friends that have returned to school have realized that I talk a lot more. But I'm starting to annoy myself with how much I talk. Normally I just sit there and ponder my thoughts and chuckle to myself when I think of something funny. I enjoy being by myself and not always having to talk. But now I can't shut up, and I'm sick of it. I don't have an off switch. I need to find the happy medium, where I talk and get to know my residents and new people, but also can just be at peace with my own thoughts and not bore and weird my friends out with my peculiar thoughts and ideas.
I also have a goal this semester/year to discover a quaint little coffeeshop or restaurant that can be our new place to chill. A place that is super popular, but still is really cool, chill and fun to go to. Not to mention they need to have delicious coffee/ food. I think this would be a fun little adventure, but it could also be expensive, considering I'm a poor college student. I will have to choose wisely.
I'm also really glad to be back at school because when I'm at school I spend more time reading my Bible, going to worship and just spending time with my brothers and sisters in Christ. This summer I did not take a lot of time to grow in my faith, so by the end of the summer I felt really drained. I'm ready to worship God and pray with a community of believers, be involved in a Bible study, and serve the Lord every day. I want to have God's word written on my heart (Hebrews 8:10).So even if I am talking a lot, that I would be talking about the right things and what God has done in my life.  I want it be obvious what I'm living for.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Busyness

So I have been doing RA training for the past few days. Its a lot of fun, but its also overwhelming. I'm trying to remember so much information, and I'm kinda a slow learner at stuff like this. I'm getting stressed out and the school year hasn't even begun. I know that I'm gonna have a ton of fun being an RA and getting to hang out with all the wonderful girls living in Cross Hall. But still its gonna take me a little bit to get used to all this change. I don't deal well with change...at all. I had trouble dealing with my family replacing the microwave that we have had my whole life with a new one. So being an RA with all this new responsibility will take me time to adjust to, but I know that God has placed me here, as RA in Cross Hall right now for a reason. I'm gonna do my best to serve Him every day.
Because I have been in RA training, I have kinda been slacking on my half marathon training. I also realized because of other commitments that I can't run in the half marathon I wanted to. So I'm really considering postponing a half marathon for a little bit. Especially since I have a lot going on with school starting. I will probably still run in a few 5 and 10ks. I also want to be focus on getting back where I need to be with God. I have been really lazy in my faith this summer, so I think I need to make that a priority before running. So much busyness going on, but I've kinda missed all this craziness. So I'm glad to be where I am.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Canyon, Sweet Canyon

So I have finally returned to the wonderful Cross Hall. I'm so glad to be back. Today was the first day of RA training, and it went pretty well. I'm sad that the hall is pretty empty. I can't wait to all the girls return, especially my Level 2 family. I thought it would be easier to eat healthier once I got to school, but not so much. For one, I'm getting fed free meals, so I really don't get to choose exactly what I want to eat. That shouldn't be my excuse because I could still eat smaller portions. My big problem is that when I'm at school, I eat to be social. It's just part of the college experience. I need to either be able to say no and miss out on certain eating excursions, or learn portion and self control. I think what I really need is an accountability partner that will encourage me and let me know when to drop the cookie and back away. I feel frustrated all the time by my eating habits. I feel like I'm obsessing over it, and that is not how I want it to be. I did wake up early though this morning and run for forty minutes. The weather is really nice here in the mornings so I think that will be helpful with my training. I also forgot how beautiful the sunrises and sunsets are here. They are such a perfect display of God's beauty. 

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

So its been a few days since I've posted anything. I've been busy getting ready for school, and my family and I went to go visit my brother and sister-in-law in College Station. I love having my whole family together. It was a lot of fun getting to watch some Rangers games with my brother (who loves Rangers baseball more than me), eating frozen yogurt, going on a campus tour with my younger brother (making me feel old compared to all the freshmen on the tour), and witnessing my brother's dog eating 20-30 sugar cookies. I spent a good amount of time cutting these sugar cookies into cute animal shapes, but I couldn't be mad at her because it was an impressive feat that only a Propp could accomplish.
Also packing to go back to college is one of the most stressful things ever. I own so much crap and trying to fit it all in a vehicle is so difficult. But I'm so ready to get back to school. I will be an RA in my dorm this year, and its gonna be a ton of fun. I'm really nervous though,too, because I don't know if I will be a good RA. But I know that God has given me this opportunity because it will help me grow in faith. The dorms are a great place to serve and share God's love with people. I can't wait for all the fun I'm gonna have with the girls that God places on my floor.
I'm also ready to go back to school so that I'm back on a routine. I love having a routine. I love waking up in the morning and knowing exactly what I'm supposed to do that day. It makes working out so much easier. When I'm at home, I have so much free time on my hands that I will just sit around and tell myself I will work out later, but I never do. I will have a time when I will work out every day, which I hope will help keep me motivated in my half marathon training. Also it helps having my room because I will get to stock up my room with healthy food. At home, my parents stock up our kitchen pretty good, but it isn't the healthiest foods. So I'm tempted all the time by the endless cookies, candy, and ice cream. I also have more time on my hands, so I get bored and just eat. But at the same time, college life poses its own problems. For example, it is perfectly acceptable for college students to go to Ihop in the middle of the night. Also with the wonderfully convenient Buff Stop food just down stairs, it makes it hard not to snack. But I know that if I just stay motivated, then I can eat healthy and do my half marathon training.
I need to remember that this isn't the most important thing in my life, so its ok if I mess up every once in awhile (or all the time).  Mainly this year, I want to focus on spending more time in prayer and reading my Bible. I want to work on serving God and the people around me. I want to be an RA that lives out my faith and that my love for God would be obvious to everyone I meet.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Waiting for Something Significant

So I was reading in a book this morning called The Power of a Praying Woman. There was a part that really stuck with me.  It said," ...there is never a time when nothing is happening in your life." I don't know how many times I have said to myself or to someone else, how I can't wait for something significant to happen in my life. I live for the big moments or occasions that I have marked on my calendar. Sometimes I forget that I'm living my life right now. If nothing extremely exciting is going on, then I'm looking forward to the next thing that is. This is no way to live my life because I'm gonna miss out on so many wonderful opportunities. God placed me where I am right now for a reason. He didn't just drop me off here by accident. It may feel like nothing significant is happening, but God is using this time to mold me into the person He created me to be. I'm still struggling with the idea of who God wants me to be. All I know is that wherever He takes me in life, I am going to serve and praise Him with all my heart.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Dinosaurs and Ice Cream = Happiness

So yesterday my Mom and I went to an art museum and then the science museum. I'm not really a big fan of science or art so it was not the greatest adventure ever, but there were a few awesome things that happened. One being the fact that the science museum has a dinosaur exhibit. I mean come on, you can't get much better than that. Also the museum has this huge T-Rex outside that is probably the best part about the museum. I would trade in my car for a dinosaur any day. It was funny because last night, I had a dream about a dinosaur. Everyone was trying to find places to hide because there was a pretty good chance it was gonna eat us. But you might have noticed that I didn't call it a nightmare. That is because I would be totally excited if the way I died was from a dinosaur eating me. I mean seriously that's way cool, and no one would forget it. Years later they would say, "Remember that Becky girl, who got eaten by that dinosaur. Man that was crazy cool." 
Secondly, my Mom and I decided to stop by Dairy Queen on the way home to get some blizzards. This is was a wonderful idea except that when I get anywhere near ice cream, I lose all self control. If placed near a swimming pool full of ice cream, I would probably eat it all. So my plan was to just buy a mini blizzard because I knew that if I got a bigger size, I would eat the whole thing regardless if I was hungry or not. But my dear sweet Mother, who is the very person who passed down the I-love-ice-cream gene to me, convinced me that the mini blizzard was ridiculously too small so she got me a medium instead.  Bad move. I ate the entire thing, and part of the  extra blizzard that Dairy Queen decided to give us. I'm not gonna lie, it was super delicious. The problem though is that I felt horrible after consuming that much of a dairy product. I felt sick the rest of the night, and had a continuous ice cream cough (I don't know about you but every time I eat ice cream, I always have a weird cough afterwards). I also had guilt belly (knowing that you ate way too much, and having to deal with the consequences of working it off later). 
So this morning I woke up and ran, which was a struggle to say the least. I thought I was gonna pass out and die in the ditch on the side of the road. But after I finished running, I felt very accomplished. Even though I had a horrible fatty eating day yesterday, today is a new day. I started it off with a hard run, and I'm gonna try my best to eat healthy. I'm also excited because I think I know which half marathon I want to run in. This gives me a goal to work towards and that will keep me motivated on the mornings that I don't want to get up and run. But most of all the reason I knew it was gonna be a great day was because tonight I get to go to the Rangers game. I love the Ballpark in Arlington so much! I love me some Rangers baseball!

Monday, August 9, 2010

He Knows the Secrets of My Heart

I woke up this morning feeling a tad bit angry, and I'm not really sure why. Normally I'm at my happiest in the mornings because that's why favorite time of day. It wasn't until I was alone in my room having my quiet time that I realized what was wrong. I have pushed God to the side, and have been trying to run my life without his help. I have been feeling very weary and lost and confused lately, and its because I have been trying to do everything on my own. I haven't been  happy with the way I look so I try to fix it with things like eating healthier and training for a half marathon. These have both been slightly unsuccessful because it was my way of fixing it without handing it over to God. These two things aren't bad goals, but I had the wrong motives behind them. Eating healthy and running a half marathon aren't going to fulfill me. Irv from Cool Runnings (one of the best movies ever) said it best, "Derice, a gold medal is a wonderful thing. But if you're not enough without one, you'll never be enough with one." I need to find my joy and my worth in God alone. God knows the secrets of my heart (Psalm 44:21) and he knows that I'm weary and lonely and lost. He knows what I struggle with, but he also knows how to help me succeed. I need to make sure my relationship with God is my number one priority before my half marathon and healthy eating goals. Because if I trust in God and serve Him with all my heart, "he will give me the desires of my heart." (Psalm 37:4-5)


"My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word." -Psalm 119:28
"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." -Psalm 73: 26
"Let the king be enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord." -Psalm 45:11
"...you whom I have upheld since your birth, and have carried since you were born. Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you." -Isaiah 46:3-4

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Little Known Facts

Fun Fact #1
-Azle and Springtown, Texas are not the best places to go garage saleing.
-You may be asking yourself how I could  make this harsh statement. Well I know from experience. This morning I woke up at 6 am to go garage saleing with my dear mother. I was wide awake, coffee in hand and ready to take on the world. Little did I know what lay ahead of me. Crap, that's what lay ahead of me. I did not find anything except a book at any of the places I went. I have never been more disappointed in my life. But I guess you live and you learn. From now on, I know that Azle is a horrendous place to rummage through other people's second hand things. I will just have to wait till I return to school, where the garage sales are heavenly.

Fun Fact #2
-I am a sugar, candy or any type of dessert addict.
- I have come to the harsh realization that I have an uncontrollable love of sweets. They are just too delicious for me to handle. This has been a summer packed full of a plethora of supper yummy food. I have a tendency to eat almost anything that is in sight. I have acquired healthier eating tastes over the past couple years, but my love of unhealthy food has not gone away completely. I always set goals to eat healthier, but they always seem to crash and burn after a few days. My eating habits have not really had a big impact on my physical appearance. But today when I was getting dressed to go somewhere, I sadly realized that my clothes, particularly my shorts, did not fit like they used to. They were a little too snug for my liking. I knew that 8 weeks at camp had been really bad for my eating and exercise habits, but I was still shocked. So I decided that I'm not going to throw a pity party for myself, I'm going to change my habits instead. So starting tomorrow I'm going to stop eating like a man, and begin eating in a way that is healthy and glorifying to God. I'm going to challenge myself to eat less sugar, sweets, candy, desserts, etc. I'm going to attempt to eat the correct amounts from each food group and correct serving sizes. These are things I have struggled with for a long time, but I know that with God's strength I can accomplish them. And this is a great time to start eating healthier because it will help with my half marathon training.  I think that the reason I have been unsuccessful is because I have been unwilling to hand this problem over to God. I also will need lots of encouragment from my family and friends.  I know barely anybody reads this, but if you do please try to encourage me and hold me accountable to my goals.

Friday, August 6, 2010

Fairy Pancakes

So I just decided yesterday that I wanted to start writing a blog. I am a very imaginative person and so I feel like a blog would be a good place to jot down all my ideas. Mainly because I think my friends and family get tired of hearing my far-fetched thoughts.  For instance I like to create little poems every now and then. Most of the time I create them in my boring classes, when writing poems is the only way I can stay awake. Here is a little poem I created right now.

Fairy Pancakes
I love flapjacks,
Covered in syrup and peanut butter,
There is nothing they lack,
They make my heart flutter.
Delicious and round,
For breakfast or dinner,
Stacked up in a mound,
They are an absolute winner.
Sent straight from heaven,
They always make me smile,
If I eat more than seven,
I won't be able to run a mile.

Yeah, I know. Impressive, right.
I have also decided recently that I want to train for a half marathon. I also think this would be a good place for me to track my training progress. I feel like I may stay motivated if I'm writing about it. So I'm excited about this blog and getting the chance to share what God is doing in my life.