So I went to London over spring break with one of my English classes. While there, I didn't have consistent wifi and had a ton of things I wanted to post on Twitter (because I'm a Twitter fiend). So I made a list of things I would've said. They don't include hashtags and I don't know how many characters, for those who are on the tweet police. Here we go.
Plane to London:
If there aren't any good movies on this flight I'm not gonna be happy.
Oooh, cute British boy next to me on the plane. Helloooo there.
WHERE THE HECK IS MY MINI TV
Oh, hiding in my armrest. Homeboy (not the cute one) who has bad breath helped me out.
The Bourne Legacy. Not that great of a movie. Redeeming point: Jeremy Renner.
I've literally slept an hour on this flight. Yeah, it's as miserable as it sounds.
Looper is also a very strange movie. Still trying to figure that one out.
FINALLY. THIS FLIGHT IS OVER.
Cute boy is married. In case anyone was curious.
Day 1
It's raining y'all. Shocker.
The highway looks remarkably like I35. Except everyone is driving on the wrong side of the road.
Metric system. What is this.
Why does America not conform to normal ways of measurement? This is getting complicated.
Those little black cabs aren't just in movies. They're real. Resisting urge to take a picture.
Harrod's is the Macy's of London. Except like a million times more absurd.
The mesh between modern and historical is nuts.
Piccadilly Circus isn't actually a circus, for those of you who are as confused as I was
One of my roommates just said "I brought money for booze and food", so this week will be an adventure.
Day 2
My apartment is so hot that I didn't even sleep under the covers. Yeesh.
DANG IT'S SO COLD OUTSIDE.
I love London.
Homeboy tour guide keeps cracking himself up with jokes we don't get. Awkward.
I've seen JK Rowling's, George Orwell's, and Sean Connery's London homes. Wow.
There's an absurd amount of sports cars here. And there's perpetually traffic.
I just saw the places Jack the Ripper killed his victims. Dang.
I'm a boss at the tube. DON'T STOP ME NOW
Day 3
Welp. Woke up late this morning and my TA yelled at me. Because she wasn't 30 minutes late yesterday or anything...
This post WWII architectural tour of the London business district is probably the most miserable experience of my life. Boring, and it's -8C outside.
So this morning is basically the worst.
Are you kidding me. She just skipped the spot where Diagon Alley was filmed. ARE YOU KIDDING ME.
Dr. V, bless you for letting us escape.
I still can't believe she skipped Harry Potter. What is wrong with that woman.
In other news, the Tower of London is the coolest thing ever.
It's like 1000 years old. Literally.
French food is shockingly delicious. Said the American.
Day 4
It's bitterly cold. And snowing. Disaster.
Tour guide is an hour late. AKA time for breakfast.
Our guide is adorable, but I can't feel my toes. Win-lose situation.
No, cashier homeboy. Not every American is from NYC.
This lecture on 20th century London is pretty boring.
WADDEP LES MISERABLE ON STAGE IN LONDON.
Wow. BRB weeping. That was beautiful.
Oh yeah sure, Berry the theater manager. We would love a tour of the stage.
That just happened. Oh my gosh.
Day 5
Wind is probably the worst thing ever.
Walking through the East End. My tour guide is a weirdo, but hilarious.
Just saw where the Liberty Bell was made. I love history.
Westminster Abbey. Holy cow.
There is a remarkable number of dead nobility and royalty.
Okay. Churchill's War Rooms rock. If you don't know what that is, google it.
Spotted: couple making out on the tube.
"Old Times" is a terrible play. Don't ever see it.
Day 6
Finally. A day where the wind isn't blowing my face off.
The Dickens museum is pretty cool. Not a huge Dickens fan, but, hey, I was just in homeboy's house!
That moment when you can't remember the name of a song and some cute, British boy next to you calls "Get Low" and you're like "YES."
Now the Sherlock Holmes museum is what I've really been waiting for.
Aw yeah. That was awesome. I love Sherlock Holmes.
The London Eye. Yes. So much yes.
London is a pretty incredible city, y'all.
Day 7
The Tate Museum of Modern Art? Nope. Exiled. Get me to Trafalgar Square.
But I did get to cross that one bridge that the Death Eaters wrecked in HP6
The British Library is so cool.
I just saw some of Shakespeare's manuscripts. My mind is so blown right now.
WHEN MYLES AND LINLEY MEET IN LONDON!!! Who really gets to see their roommate while they're both abroad? Like, this is awesome.
I just navigated the tube by myself. I win life.
Day 8
I just climbed 175 stairs. Pro status.
Athens Parthenon sculptures. So awesome I can't even handle it.
The Rosetta Stone is huge. I rename it the Rosetta Boulder.
Helloooo Windsor Castle.
This is the coolest place ever. I'm so blown away.
The Queen is in the building. WHERE YOU AT HOMEGIRL.
I've come full circle. Started the trip in the rain and am ending it in the rain.
Craving Fuego so badly right now.
Last dinner in London. Crazy. But it's time.
Day 9
It's 5:15 in the morning. Yep.
Oh my gosh. It's so dang cold out here.
Boom. All my pounds spent. I got some socks with the map of the London tube on them.
Sitting next to my prof on the plane.
He just said that the movie Bridesmaids was "a classic". All the lolz.
Homeboy in front of us has been hitting the happy juice like it's his job.
He definitely just stumbled into the bathroom, running into the food cart along the way. Nice.
Movie time. First choice: Spider-Man. Why hello there, Andrew Garfield.
Dr. V is passed out. Mouth open and everything.
Casino Royale Time. Waddup James Bond.
90% of my favorite fictional characters are British. And cover everything from Ron Weasley to James Bond.
All I want is Fuego right now.
How the heck am I supposed to go to the bathroom when my prof, who is still sound asleep, is in my way.
Boom. He just got up to check on everyone. I'm probably telepathic.
And my third movie of the flight is 101 Dalmatians.
Y'all. Cruella DeVil is a total psycho. And Anita and Rodger got married extraordinarily fast.
When Mr. Weasley and Dr. House steal 15 puppies...
Seriously, why did my parents let me watch this movie?
What the heck. All of Downton Abbey season 2 has been on British Airways TV and I didn't even know it. THIS IS THE WORST. Only have time for like 2 episodes.
Back in College Station. Customs took two hours. Hurrumph.
What. The trunk to the van that brought us up is super stuck.
Been sitting here for two hours while people try to wrench this thing open.
OF COURSE. Right when I leave to go get my car, they pop the trunk open. Typical.
FUEGO AT LONG LAST.
Home. In bed. What a trip.
So that was my London adventures in tweet form. It was an awesome trip, full of new discoveries, cool accents, the tube, freezing cold mornings, and a ton of incredible history. I can't wait to go back someday.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Update on my life
I need to be a lot better at blogging. So here's a random life update.
1. The house-hunting front is still going strong. We're following some leads. It's like we're detectives or something. But no lease has been signed and I'm getting antsy. No shocker on that one.
2. London is in about 18 days I think. So less than 3 weeks, which is pretty crazy. I'm so excited to go. And--hey! All my ducks got in a row and submitted online, which is awesome. I'm not normally that on top of things. Deadlines really put a fire under your belly.
3. It's pretty weird being a repeat counselor. It's great, of course. But my new camp does not understand my sense of humor and it has to change. Because it gets awkward.
4. I ran into one of my professors at church today. It was really cool because she's a cool professor. But also really pretty alarming because it was so unexpected. Like, was I supposed to talk about school with her? I don't know. It was just one of those situations where I didn't know how to react.
5. Mom and Dad, I apologize in advance for my awful math grades. Bear with me for a semester and all the pain will be over.
6. Related to that, it's pretty dang awesome to know that you're in the right major. That's one of the many areas that God has really blessed me--clarity.
7. Every weekend comes too slowly and goes too fast. Why does A&M not celebrate every holiday? Come on, regents board. Would celebrating President's Day really be so awful?
8. Recently learned that hammocks do not, in fact, come with straps. So I will be making a trip to Academy in the near future.
Yep, there's my life as of mid-February. Welcome to my jumbled, blessed hot mess.
1. The house-hunting front is still going strong. We're following some leads. It's like we're detectives or something. But no lease has been signed and I'm getting antsy. No shocker on that one.
2. London is in about 18 days I think. So less than 3 weeks, which is pretty crazy. I'm so excited to go. And--hey! All my ducks got in a row and submitted online, which is awesome. I'm not normally that on top of things. Deadlines really put a fire under your belly.
3. It's pretty weird being a repeat counselor. It's great, of course. But my new camp does not understand my sense of humor and it has to change. Because it gets awkward.
4. I ran into one of my professors at church today. It was really cool because she's a cool professor. But also really pretty alarming because it was so unexpected. Like, was I supposed to talk about school with her? I don't know. It was just one of those situations where I didn't know how to react.
5. Mom and Dad, I apologize in advance for my awful math grades. Bear with me for a semester and all the pain will be over.
6. Related to that, it's pretty dang awesome to know that you're in the right major. That's one of the many areas that God has really blessed me--clarity.
7. Every weekend comes too slowly and goes too fast. Why does A&M not celebrate every holiday? Come on, regents board. Would celebrating President's Day really be so awful?
8. Recently learned that hammocks do not, in fact, come with straps. So I will be making a trip to Academy in the near future.
Yep, there's my life as of mid-February. Welcome to my jumbled, blessed hot mess.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Impact...AGAIN!
Yes, so this is a thing now. Linley scares the incoming freshman of A&M/Blinn: round two. After lots of tears, two roommates who are frighteningly good at lying (or just hiding the truth), several pages of journal entries, and one lost appetite, I woke up this morning to find an email from Impact waiting for me. And it confirmed what I'd been afraid to feel for the past 2 weeks: that I'm supposed to be involved in Impact.
Recap for the new readers: Impact is the Christian orientation camp at Texas A&M. It's mission is to serve the incoming freshman and bring them into the body of Christ in their new college community. There are 3 sessions (alpha, delta, and omega) and 9 camps named after the tribes of Israel (Asher, Benji, Judah, Gad, Zebulin, Reuben, Issachar, Naphtali, and Simeon). Each camp is in each session, so, for example, I was in Delta Asher last year. Within each camp was a structure of leadership. There are cochairs--which are a guy and a girl and they are in charge of the camp (run logistics, plan events, general leaders). Then there is the prayer team--again, another guy/girl combo and they're sole job is to pray and serve everyone involved in that camp and in Impact as a whole. Lastly, there are the counselors. 7 guys and 7 girls who are the ones who will be directly building relationships with the freshman. Retreat is in August and the whole spring semester before is bonding with your camp and getting ready to meet these new college kids and love them with the love of Christ.
So it's a pretty sweet deal.
Applying to be a repeat counselor was never something I doubted I would do. It was always just an obvious thing that I would. One of my roommates applied and got cochair and one of my other roommates applied and got prayer team. And the two weeks between me applying and me finding out were some of the most stressful weeks ever. Particularly the 48 hours between my roommates knowing and me knowing. Let's just suffice to say that I shed a lot of stress tears. A lot. Unfortunately, I didn't stick with what I knew and let myself be swayed by my over analytical mind. And all the over analyzing suggested that no, I would not be an Impact counselor again this year.
So my email this morning was a pleasant surprise. Truthfully, I'm learning a lot about the Lord's faithfulness. And how--after having the verse memorized for the past 5 years--I'm still forgetting the message behind Jeremiah 29:11. Would I have been devastated if Impact was a no-go? No, I don't believe so. The thing I was most stressed about was the not knowing. It could've gone either way and I would've been peaceful about the situation. But it was the fact that everyone in my apartment knew something that affected me directly and I didn't. The frustration was palpable. But Jesus tells us in Matthew that we aren't to worry about tomorrow, because it has it's own worries. After 21 years, you would think I would know that lesson now too.
Will it be pretty sad to have a new group message with 17 new people and to not rock the light blue (probably) all semester? Yeah. Definitely. Delta Asher was the best. But I'm pretty stoked to come together in a close friendship with 17 new people where our only bond will be the Gospel of Christ...and a new favorite color.
To my new cochairs: Everyone keeps talking about how awesome you are. And even though I meet you on Wednesday, know that I'm doing some investigating. I will discover this secret.
God is big. I'm not.
2 Corinthians 12:9.
Recap for the new readers: Impact is the Christian orientation camp at Texas A&M. It's mission is to serve the incoming freshman and bring them into the body of Christ in their new college community. There are 3 sessions (alpha, delta, and omega) and 9 camps named after the tribes of Israel (Asher, Benji, Judah, Gad, Zebulin, Reuben, Issachar, Naphtali, and Simeon). Each camp is in each session, so, for example, I was in Delta Asher last year. Within each camp was a structure of leadership. There are cochairs--which are a guy and a girl and they are in charge of the camp (run logistics, plan events, general leaders). Then there is the prayer team--again, another guy/girl combo and they're sole job is to pray and serve everyone involved in that camp and in Impact as a whole. Lastly, there are the counselors. 7 guys and 7 girls who are the ones who will be directly building relationships with the freshman. Retreat is in August and the whole spring semester before is bonding with your camp and getting ready to meet these new college kids and love them with the love of Christ.
So it's a pretty sweet deal.
Applying to be a repeat counselor was never something I doubted I would do. It was always just an obvious thing that I would. One of my roommates applied and got cochair and one of my other roommates applied and got prayer team. And the two weeks between me applying and me finding out were some of the most stressful weeks ever. Particularly the 48 hours between my roommates knowing and me knowing. Let's just suffice to say that I shed a lot of stress tears. A lot. Unfortunately, I didn't stick with what I knew and let myself be swayed by my over analytical mind. And all the over analyzing suggested that no, I would not be an Impact counselor again this year.
So my email this morning was a pleasant surprise. Truthfully, I'm learning a lot about the Lord's faithfulness. And how--after having the verse memorized for the past 5 years--I'm still forgetting the message behind Jeremiah 29:11. Would I have been devastated if Impact was a no-go? No, I don't believe so. The thing I was most stressed about was the not knowing. It could've gone either way and I would've been peaceful about the situation. But it was the fact that everyone in my apartment knew something that affected me directly and I didn't. The frustration was palpable. But Jesus tells us in Matthew that we aren't to worry about tomorrow, because it has it's own worries. After 21 years, you would think I would know that lesson now too.
Will it be pretty sad to have a new group message with 17 new people and to not rock the light blue (probably) all semester? Yeah. Definitely. Delta Asher was the best. But I'm pretty stoked to come together in a close friendship with 17 new people where our only bond will be the Gospel of Christ...and a new favorite color.
To my new cochairs: Everyone keeps talking about how awesome you are. And even though I meet you on Wednesday, know that I'm doing some investigating. I will discover this secret.
God is big. I'm not.
2 Corinthians 12:9.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
The Gospel of Love
At A&M, every year, this one guy and his wife come and stand in the central area of campus and carry on about how everyone is going to hell. They particularly like to focus on sex, but any sort of sin will do for them to rant and rave about. And every year, a crowd of people forms around them and watches all day to hear what this guy--Brother Jed--is talking about (the wrath of God, the condemnation of our souls, etc).
Frankly, it's pretty frustrating.
Here's the deal, y'all. Brother Jed and I both believe in an all-powerful God who will be the one to pass the ultimate judgment. But I'm pretty sure that's where the similarities stop. Where he uses the fear of hell to scare people to run to a God who just sits up on his throne and condemns people (according to Jed), I try (operating word) to show people the God who, yes, passes judgment, but he also loves. Call me crazy, but I kind of don't think that anyone who gets yelled at for being a sinner by some dude who doesn't know he/she isn't going to be real receptive to whatever the angry man is saying about them. I know I wouldn't be.
Brother Jed is showing only a small part of God's judgment--and not even well. But Jed is far from perfect and the only person who can judge anyone else is God because he IS perfect. Jed is doing an excellent job, however, of making Christianity a mockery. He's embodying everything that non-Christians don't like about Christians: judgmental, rude, loud, opinionated, self-righteous. And we only encourage his behavior by circling around him and listening to what he's saying.
This afternoon, there was a guy standing about 100 yards from Jed. This guy was speaking truth. Granted, he was going about it the same way Jed was--yelling. But I walked by him slowly and listened. This dude knew the Bible and everything that he was talking about was good stuff. I don't necessarily agree with the tactic, but I agree with his intentions. Jed is, from my observations, a modern day false prophet. Or like the pharises from the New Testament who just blurt things out and try to make their own rules. But why weren't people listening to this other guy instead of Jed? Because there were more theatrics in the latter? Because what this other guy was saying was actually truth?
I'm not bashing preaching. I take the Great Commission seriously when Christians are told to go out and make disciples and I think those spiritual leaders who devote their lives to the holy word of God are necessary. But is all this fire-and-brimstone fanfare the right way to go about it? I'm not inclined to think so. If anything, it's turning people away from God.
Our God is wrathful, yeah, because the world is messed up. But he solved the problem by sending his flawless son Jesus Christ to come die on the cross. Jesus lived in an imperfect world but was totally perfect. And he died to take the blame for every single sin that would ever be committed ever. God's wrath against humanity was unleashed on Jesus Christ so that we wouldn't have to take the hit for our own failures. As one of my favorite songs puts it "the wrath of God was satisfied/for every sin on Him was laid/here in the death of Christ, I live". Why did he do this? Because we are so desperately loved that God couldn't bear the thought of being separated from humanity. He was willing to sacrifice someone who had never screwed up in order that the rest of humanity may have hope of life after earth in a Heaven, together with God forever.
That's what Jed should be preaching. Not about hell and death and torture and why we're going to experience that if we don't "turn or burn".
My God is just, but Jesus already took the heat. Now, he's about forgiveness, grace, and unconditional love.
Frankly, it's pretty frustrating.
Here's the deal, y'all. Brother Jed and I both believe in an all-powerful God who will be the one to pass the ultimate judgment. But I'm pretty sure that's where the similarities stop. Where he uses the fear of hell to scare people to run to a God who just sits up on his throne and condemns people (according to Jed), I try (operating word) to show people the God who, yes, passes judgment, but he also loves. Call me crazy, but I kind of don't think that anyone who gets yelled at for being a sinner by some dude who doesn't know he/she isn't going to be real receptive to whatever the angry man is saying about them. I know I wouldn't be.
Brother Jed is showing only a small part of God's judgment--and not even well. But Jed is far from perfect and the only person who can judge anyone else is God because he IS perfect. Jed is doing an excellent job, however, of making Christianity a mockery. He's embodying everything that non-Christians don't like about Christians: judgmental, rude, loud, opinionated, self-righteous. And we only encourage his behavior by circling around him and listening to what he's saying.
This afternoon, there was a guy standing about 100 yards from Jed. This guy was speaking truth. Granted, he was going about it the same way Jed was--yelling. But I walked by him slowly and listened. This dude knew the Bible and everything that he was talking about was good stuff. I don't necessarily agree with the tactic, but I agree with his intentions. Jed is, from my observations, a modern day false prophet. Or like the pharises from the New Testament who just blurt things out and try to make their own rules. But why weren't people listening to this other guy instead of Jed? Because there were more theatrics in the latter? Because what this other guy was saying was actually truth?
I'm not bashing preaching. I take the Great Commission seriously when Christians are told to go out and make disciples and I think those spiritual leaders who devote their lives to the holy word of God are necessary. But is all this fire-and-brimstone fanfare the right way to go about it? I'm not inclined to think so. If anything, it's turning people away from God.
Our God is wrathful, yeah, because the world is messed up. But he solved the problem by sending his flawless son Jesus Christ to come die on the cross. Jesus lived in an imperfect world but was totally perfect. And he died to take the blame for every single sin that would ever be committed ever. God's wrath against humanity was unleashed on Jesus Christ so that we wouldn't have to take the hit for our own failures. As one of my favorite songs puts it "the wrath of God was satisfied/for every sin on Him was laid/here in the death of Christ, I live". Why did he do this? Because we are so desperately loved that God couldn't bear the thought of being separated from humanity. He was willing to sacrifice someone who had never screwed up in order that the rest of humanity may have hope of life after earth in a Heaven, together with God forever.
That's what Jed should be preaching. Not about hell and death and torture and why we're going to experience that if we don't "turn or burn".
My God is just, but Jesus already took the heat. Now, he's about forgiveness, grace, and unconditional love.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
So this year already...
We're 23 days into 2013--the year that wasn't supposed to exist. And it's already promising to be quite an adventure. Here's why.
1. It's house hunting season in College Station y'all. That means people are going crazy and our nice college town is well on it's way to becoming a shark tank. So far, I've looked at a few houses that I like, each with their ups and downs. The current focus is sort of a fixer-upper, but nothing a power sprayer, an extra layer of paint on the front door, and some shrubbery can't fix. I'll keep you posted on that one though.
2. I'm going to London this spring break. So that will be pretty neat. But also requires me to get all my ducks in a row and keep them there. My ducks are typically all over the place. I guess I'll keep you posted on that too.
3. Impact counselor applications, interviews, and rev nights are coming up in the next 2 weeks. I feel like Impact is where I'm supposed to be and I have such a heart for it, but the Lord works in mysterious ways, so we'll see! One more thing I'll keep you posted on.
4. Oh hey. So A&M is ranked #2 in the preseason college football standings. That is something we'll all get to wait and see on. Gig 'em.
5. Speaking of A&M's football team, we have a pretty awesome quarterback. Won the Heisman as a freshman. It's fine. And this little English nerd/sports fanatic happened to run into him in an elevator and took a picture with him. So that's something that my great-grandchildren will know about and have the picture of. Yes world, I have a picture with Johnny Manziel. Bask in my excellent timing and knowledge of football and rare moment of boldness.
6. This semester will probably be crazy. But I have a few things keeping me going. London. My picture with Johnny Football. And, above all, the knowledge that God is good.
So reader, I'll keep you posted.
1. It's house hunting season in College Station y'all. That means people are going crazy and our nice college town is well on it's way to becoming a shark tank. So far, I've looked at a few houses that I like, each with their ups and downs. The current focus is sort of a fixer-upper, but nothing a power sprayer, an extra layer of paint on the front door, and some shrubbery can't fix. I'll keep you posted on that one though.
2. I'm going to London this spring break. So that will be pretty neat. But also requires me to get all my ducks in a row and keep them there. My ducks are typically all over the place. I guess I'll keep you posted on that too.
3. Impact counselor applications, interviews, and rev nights are coming up in the next 2 weeks. I feel like Impact is where I'm supposed to be and I have such a heart for it, but the Lord works in mysterious ways, so we'll see! One more thing I'll keep you posted on.
4. Oh hey. So A&M is ranked #2 in the preseason college football standings. That is something we'll all get to wait and see on. Gig 'em.
5. Speaking of A&M's football team, we have a pretty awesome quarterback. Won the Heisman as a freshman. It's fine. And this little English nerd/sports fanatic happened to run into him in an elevator and took a picture with him. So that's something that my great-grandchildren will know about and have the picture of. Yes world, I have a picture with Johnny Manziel. Bask in my excellent timing and knowledge of football and rare moment of boldness.
6. This semester will probably be crazy. But I have a few things keeping me going. London. My picture with Johnny Football. And, above all, the knowledge that God is good.
So reader, I'll keep you posted.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
2012 in review
Sorry I've been so bad at blogging y'all. I blame finals, work, and Netflix.
Anyways. Here's my recap of 2012 in a nutshell.
It started rough. Rejections from 4 camps was not the most prime way to start a year, but the Lord was quick to show me his faithfulness in giving me Impact. Spring semester was defined by resting in how I was being so cared for by my friends, family, and God. Namely God. Impact was a huge blessing to me because it renewed a hope that I'd lost and pulled me off the wandering road I was on.
Spring ended and summer began. New lessons came in the form of patience, tolerance, and confidence. When you work somewhere that doesn't have a strong Christian basis, it's going to make you adapt and make a choice: follow Christ or slip into the world. And after having a semester where I was totally surrounded by people who were sold out for Christ, it was a bit of a culture shock. I was asked to go party several Saturday nights and had to explain why I didn't drink. I had to make sure that I wasn't being rude to people I didn't like and not complaining about things I disagreed with. As for confidence...let's just say that I was reaffirmed of my socially acceptable personality and started seeing myself through the Lord's eyes and not my own.
Impact began on August. FINALLY. After preparing all spring semester and all summer, I met the freshman I'd been praying for over the past 8 months. And they were worth the wait. My fellow counselors and I were blown away by how open they were to listening to us and wanted to hang out with us. The Lord has been so good in helping me to keep relationships with the freshman who I can now call my friends. They're awesome and I've seen God do some awesome things in their lives.
Fall semester was another semester of figuring out college. I rested in Christ more than ever and was peaceful, joyful, and hopeful. I also learned that dropping a class was okay. Who knew? The Lord also was constant in reminding me how I was lovable--he wouldn't die for someone who wasn't. Am I right? And my living situation took a turn from "good" to "excellent" as I moved into an apartment with 3 of my closest friends, where not wearing pants is acceptable and you must have all the songs of "Pitch Perfect" memorized. Obviously, I befriended the right group of girls. Beyond them, my friend group continued to grow and our activities became more hilarious (see "the great apartment rearrangement" story for example). I would say "blessed" is an understatement.
So now we're at 2013 and it's promising to look like an excellent year. I'm pumped to see where the Lord will take me (He's shown me a few snippets already) and how I'm going to grow this year.
There's my sappy wrap-up post. I'll keep ya posted.
Anyways. Here's my recap of 2012 in a nutshell.
It started rough. Rejections from 4 camps was not the most prime way to start a year, but the Lord was quick to show me his faithfulness in giving me Impact. Spring semester was defined by resting in how I was being so cared for by my friends, family, and God. Namely God. Impact was a huge blessing to me because it renewed a hope that I'd lost and pulled me off the wandering road I was on.
Spring ended and summer began. New lessons came in the form of patience, tolerance, and confidence. When you work somewhere that doesn't have a strong Christian basis, it's going to make you adapt and make a choice: follow Christ or slip into the world. And after having a semester where I was totally surrounded by people who were sold out for Christ, it was a bit of a culture shock. I was asked to go party several Saturday nights and had to explain why I didn't drink. I had to make sure that I wasn't being rude to people I didn't like and not complaining about things I disagreed with. As for confidence...let's just say that I was reaffirmed of my socially acceptable personality and started seeing myself through the Lord's eyes and not my own.
Impact began on August. FINALLY. After preparing all spring semester and all summer, I met the freshman I'd been praying for over the past 8 months. And they were worth the wait. My fellow counselors and I were blown away by how open they were to listening to us and wanted to hang out with us. The Lord has been so good in helping me to keep relationships with the freshman who I can now call my friends. They're awesome and I've seen God do some awesome things in their lives.
Fall semester was another semester of figuring out college. I rested in Christ more than ever and was peaceful, joyful, and hopeful. I also learned that dropping a class was okay. Who knew? The Lord also was constant in reminding me how I was lovable--he wouldn't die for someone who wasn't. Am I right? And my living situation took a turn from "good" to "excellent" as I moved into an apartment with 3 of my closest friends, where not wearing pants is acceptable and you must have all the songs of "Pitch Perfect" memorized. Obviously, I befriended the right group of girls. Beyond them, my friend group continued to grow and our activities became more hilarious (see "the great apartment rearrangement" story for example). I would say "blessed" is an understatement.
So now we're at 2013 and it's promising to look like an excellent year. I'm pumped to see where the Lord will take me (He's shown me a few snippets already) and how I'm going to grow this year.
There's my sappy wrap-up post. I'll keep ya posted.
Saturday, December 8, 2012
The Legend of Johnny Football
Or maybe it should be of Johnny Heisman. Either way, never have I been more proud and overwhelmed by football. Yes, this tops the Aggie vs. Bama game. Barely. But it does. Maybe because that was the major catalyst for him to become the front runner for the Heisman. But both feats--the Heisman and Bama victories--were team efforts. The 12th man stands strong and proud as ever, but maybe that 3rd quarter slump that everyone feels is a little less potent. Maybe our knees and backs are just a little bit strengthened to stand for just a little while longer.
Johnny said that this [the Heisman Trophy] was for the 12th man. I genuinely believe that the 12th Man Spirit was part of his success. But I think we were so pumped because he was always so pumped and we knew how capable his hands were. His victories were our victories. Our campus is always bustling and alive, but Johnny and the fightin' Texas Aggie football team gave us a little extra fire. We anxiously waited to see how he would stun us every weekend, what amazing play he would pull, how he could find Swope or McNeal or Nwachukwu or Evans while he was on the move. How he could turn 3rd-and-23 into a touchdown by some quick moves and his sheer speed. I'm thrilled to be part of his 12th Man. I wouldn't have this season go any other way.
You have to give props to his offensive line. Luke Joekel said it well in his Outlander Defensive Player speech when he said "It's hard to protect someone when you don't know where he is." Johnny's O-Line protected him when he would refuse to stay in the pocket. They blocked. They defended. They stopped. They are a huge reason why the Aggies had such a successful season and why Johnny stayed off of his back and on his feet (most of the time).
I also have to give a thank you shout out to our Brazos River neighbor up in Wacky Waco for taking down Collin Klein. Baylor's defense showed up at the most opportune moment this season and I will always be grateful for that unlikely game where they were able to stop the ball. So, sic 'em?
Manti Te'o and Collin Klein are unbelievable football players and both of whom should have long, successful pro careers. I can't (and won't) take away how incredible they both are at what they do and both of them were well deserving of their nomination. I'm excited to watch both of them perform in their bowl games.
But, Te'o, you'll have to excuse me for pulling against you. Nothing personal--just want to keep those SEC National Champions rolling in. Plus, it'll make A&M look even better because we'll have beaten the champions. So, roll tide?
To everyone who scoffed, snickered, or joked before this season began about A&M in the SEC: You may have been validated then, but please don't try and take away our victories now. We've all seen the error of our ways by rolling our eyes at the idea of a competitive A&M in the nation's toughest conference. Yet it's become clear that the Ags are definitely formidable to anyone. By counting us out, you made our wins even sweeter and, every game, we won a little bit more appreciation and recognition. Let's just all make a pact and not make the same mistake for next season, shall we? Sweet.
It's still amazing to me that a freshman pulled out the win for the Heisman. He's a fellow member of the class of 2015. He threw up some unreal numbers--topping Cam Newton's total offensive yards in one fewer game. He's humble. He's classy. He's appreciative. He's Johnny Football.
I've said it once and I'll say it again:
New coach. New HEISMAN WINNING quarterback. New conference. New victories.
Same Old Army.
Gig 'em, Aggies.
Johnny said that this [the Heisman Trophy] was for the 12th man. I genuinely believe that the 12th Man Spirit was part of his success. But I think we were so pumped because he was always so pumped and we knew how capable his hands were. His victories were our victories. Our campus is always bustling and alive, but Johnny and the fightin' Texas Aggie football team gave us a little extra fire. We anxiously waited to see how he would stun us every weekend, what amazing play he would pull, how he could find Swope or McNeal or Nwachukwu or Evans while he was on the move. How he could turn 3rd-and-23 into a touchdown by some quick moves and his sheer speed. I'm thrilled to be part of his 12th Man. I wouldn't have this season go any other way.
You have to give props to his offensive line. Luke Joekel said it well in his Outlander Defensive Player speech when he said "It's hard to protect someone when you don't know where he is." Johnny's O-Line protected him when he would refuse to stay in the pocket. They blocked. They defended. They stopped. They are a huge reason why the Aggies had such a successful season and why Johnny stayed off of his back and on his feet (most of the time).
I also have to give a thank you shout out to our Brazos River neighbor up in Wacky Waco for taking down Collin Klein. Baylor's defense showed up at the most opportune moment this season and I will always be grateful for that unlikely game where they were able to stop the ball. So, sic 'em?
Manti Te'o and Collin Klein are unbelievable football players and both of whom should have long, successful pro careers. I can't (and won't) take away how incredible they both are at what they do and both of them were well deserving of their nomination. I'm excited to watch both of them perform in their bowl games.
But, Te'o, you'll have to excuse me for pulling against you. Nothing personal--just want to keep those SEC National Champions rolling in. Plus, it'll make A&M look even better because we'll have beaten the champions. So, roll tide?
To everyone who scoffed, snickered, or joked before this season began about A&M in the SEC: You may have been validated then, but please don't try and take away our victories now. We've all seen the error of our ways by rolling our eyes at the idea of a competitive A&M in the nation's toughest conference. Yet it's become clear that the Ags are definitely formidable to anyone. By counting us out, you made our wins even sweeter and, every game, we won a little bit more appreciation and recognition. Let's just all make a pact and not make the same mistake for next season, shall we? Sweet.
It's still amazing to me that a freshman pulled out the win for the Heisman. He's a fellow member of the class of 2015. He threw up some unreal numbers--topping Cam Newton's total offensive yards in one fewer game. He's humble. He's classy. He's appreciative. He's Johnny Football.
I've said it once and I'll say it again:
New coach. New HEISMAN WINNING quarterback. New conference. New victories.
Same Old Army.
Gig 'em, Aggies.
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