That's the Good Stuff

I would like to wax eloquent about my double chocolatey chip frappuccino with peppermint from Starbucks

but there are no words

only slurping sounds as I try to get every last drop out of my cup

















*sluuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrpppppp*

Why does it have to be gone?

Happy Feet

Last year, whenever it rained, my feet were in agony. I had two choices: 1) I could wear high heels, keeping my feet dry, but killing them with pain in the process or 2) I could wear regular shoes, which weren't painful, but they got really wet, thus chilling me to the bone and leaving me susceptible to getting a cold. So really, my choices were 1) pain or 2) sickness. Ok, I'm just going to say it... rainy days at college were just miserable.

Notice the past tense form of the linking verb. Rainy days at college were miserable. As in, they are no longer miserable!

*trumpeting* Do-do-do-dah! *enter my amazing galoshes*

"Thank you, thank you!!"

My galoshes are trying to be humble, but they are actually very prideful of themselves.

"Due to our hard work, and stunning good looks, Mareena no longer has to worry about pain or sickness due to rainy days, ever again!"

Ha. Now they're sounding like a lame infomercial.

"Our thick rubber skin seals out the cold and wet, while the exceptional quality of our cottony inside warms her feet. Her smile of happiness is enough to chase away any dreary feelings on a rainy day."

Wait for it... wait for it...

"Your future happiness waits for you! Run out to buy your own pair of galoshes TODAY! "

See? Aren't they terrible? Always talking about themselves. I would be angry, but, they're just so awesome and it is all truthful...

Rainy Days and Mondays

I love rainy days because I love the sound and smell of rain and the feel of it in the air. I love Mondays because they are the fresh start of a brand new week. Tomorrow is a Monday AND a rainy day! I'm already excited. And not only that, I got...

New rainboots!!!



I get to wear them for the first time tomorrow. I'm so excited, I'm thinking about wearing them to bed tonight. My feet might get hot though. Ok, maybe I won't. But I'm still very excited. Rainy days!

Me and My Gang

Ever since the Hartzler kids and I started our band by singing the theme song to Speed Racer together, we've been trying to take 'band' pictures. Today, we had lovely temporary tattoos (tattoos of candy, cupcakes, and ice cream...) and my webcam, so it seemed like a good day to sit down and have a photoshoot. Here are some of the end results

Our band name is the Mach 5. You know, Speed Racer's car?

Our first CD cover.

I just think that Juji looks adorable. And Erica's tongue makes me laugh. It looks like someone is choking her

Dogpile. Me, Caroline, Erica, and then Julia on top

One of our candid shots. It will be very popular once we become famous

Aren't they cute? I like my band

Mach 5

The Muffin Man

I never would have thought that this...



could make these...



in a dorm room. But I have been proved wrong. And it was all part of this nutritious breakfast...



We made blueberry muffins in a sandwich maker!!! I'm still geekin' out about it.

I may not know the Muffin Man, but I am friends with the Muffin Woman. And she lives in MM233. I like her. And her muffins. A lot.

The Scoop on Strangers

I thought I had made a huge mistake. But somehow it all worked out better than I could have imagined...

Two weeks ago, I visited the Indie Craft Parade. It's this amazing exhibition for artists in downtown Greenville, where they can exhibit their goods and the visitors can buy some amazing stuff. They have pottery, paintings, jewelry, blankets, woven goods, chocolates, photographs, metalwork, stuffed animals, vintage clothing, and so many other creative and exciting things. I was enthralled. I actually got to meet an artist who was originally from BJ. During one of my trips to the college during high school, I had seen and LOVED his artwork. It was amazing to meet him and he's bringing more of his work to show at BJ in November!
So, between trying chocolate, getting my picture taken with my favorite 8 yr old, Erica, and admiring all the artwork, I did two things.

First, I gave all my personal information to a complete stranger.
Second, I bought a pretty little handmade flower pin for $10.

If you could choose one decision out of those two to change, which would it be?


hurry and choose! I'm about to tell you which one I would have changed. Don't cheat. You have to decide before you scroll down. I'm using the honor system here. What is your integrity worth? I would have changed...









the second choice! and now you all may sit in bewilderment to wonder about my decision making skills.

Kidding. The flower pin, while cute and interesting, is somehow not my style. I have yet to wear it with anything and I don't even know if it actually matches any of my clothes. It's pinned to my shoe hanger right now, brightening my closet. I didn't plan to pay $10 to brighten my closet. But here's the twist.. you know the personal information I gave to the random stranger? It was actually a drawing for these really cool pendants. I saw them, wanted them, saw they were $30 and immediately tampered the longing for a cool pendant. Until I saw they had this nifty little box where you place a business card (stink. I don't have one) oooooor, your personal information. how much is a pendant worth? I ask myself. Is it worth your email address, mailing address, name, and possibly the chance that you will forever be on a mailing/advertisement list? I ponder. Yes. I filled out my information and handed it over to a complete stranger, and then promptly forgot about it.
That is, I forgot about it until I opened up my P.O. box the other day to an unexpected little package. Oh what joy and what surprise when I opened up my eyes to see my own cool pendant laying there in front of me! I won the drawing! I was screaming with astonishment. I WON THE DRAWING!

So in the end, I may have spent $1o on something that I don't really use, but I got something that costs $30 for nothing! My income statement looks pretty good right now. I like my pendant. I think I will give out my information to strangers more often

Extraordinary Feats

Jumping. I'm an addict to jumping these days. Ever since I bought a jump rope I am always thinking about jumping somewhere. Because it seems much more fun than just...getting there. So I jump. No, I'm not skipping or hopping from class to class. Here is how I jump...

1. With my rope. Fast, slow, big hops, little hops, and throw in a jump rope twist to make it interesting

2. On the volleyball court. The ball is coming, I'm going to set it, I jump up to get it... I feel like an athlete. I go up for a tip and smack it over a tall girl's head... I really feel like an athlete. I am told I have mad 'hops'. I think that's a good thing. And I feel like an athlete.

3. In my room. I sleep on the bottom bunk, but I do my homework on the top bunk. I could climb there, but leaping onto it from a chair is so much more fun. But it hurts when I miss. But I jump anyways. And I have my roommates watch. That way they can laugh when I miss. I like to bring joy with my jumping.

Jumping is fun. And it's good cardio

That's What I Love About Sundays

I'm just full of contentment. I'm fairly bubbling over in it actually. No, everything in my life is not perfect and happy right now. I still have gallons of homework (due tomorrow), I'm still hit everyday by how spiritually weak I am, and I'm working through other trials too... but. Today is Sunday. And I LOVE Sundays.

I use to see church as a super place. Not only did I get to see all my friends, but there was also no schoolwork involved! Church was my fellowship hall and Sundays were a happy party day. I mean, I learned good things through the sermons, but that was not what Sunday was about to me.

Enter this summer. All my reasons for enjoying church completely changed. I was at a church that was not my home church, all my college friends had gone away home for the semester, and I wasn't sure how it was all going to work. God definitely did though. He got me into two ministries that I absolutely adore, because I get to work with kids. Through my pastor's sermons, I saw God opening my eyes to lessons that I had been missing my entire life. I saw my pastor's heart for ministry and his love for God and His Word. Pastor Whitcomb became my pastor. Community became my church. It wasn't just a place I was visiting anymore. It was my place of worship, ministry, and fellowship.

This morning, all the college students shared testimonies from the summer in Sunday School. It was amazing because we all went different places but God knew exactly where we needed to be so that we could learn what we needed to learn. We shared our experiences, victories, trials, and challenges. That is what church is about. The learning and sharing that we do among the saints. I'm in awe over God's plan for the church, and I love that I am a part of it. I don't go to church to be with friends anymore. I go because it's one of the places where we meet God. We worship Him within the church body and it is so refreshing. I cannot imagine a week without church. It has become a necessary part of me.

Ministry, fellowship, God, worship, kids, smiles, sharing, giving, loving. That's what I love about Sundays.

The Sandlot

I'm sitting on the floor pulling on my old knee pads with small rips in them when they walk in...the Beta Chi Bear Cubs. All of them have trim, athletic builds, slick uniforms, perfect ponytails, and that walk that let's you know that they know that they own this court. I glance back at the other members of my team. All four of them that are there. Doesn't it take 6 to make a team? My confidence starts to run away. I grab it by its collar and demand it come back and stay with me, at least until the game starts.

As the rest of my team filters in and we stand together, I can't help glancing from my team to ... the other team. As I do, I have the vague sense of being caught in a movie plot that I've seen recently. What was it?

Aaaaahh yes. The Sandlot. Cool, sharply dressed baseball team with bicycles comes to challenge the small neighborhood gang of kids to play a ball game. It doesn't look so good for the neighbor kids from the sandlot, but they've got heart. And in the movies, we all know what heart gets ya. A big fat win to throw in the cool guys faces. Oh yeah! Suddenly, I'm feelin' a lot better about this game. The little guy contending against a bigger one is just supposed to end well for the little guy.

triumphant theme music playing ... spikes ... confounded looks from the other side of the net ... slow motion action of amazingness ... super serves ... VICTORY!!!! We are carried from the court by a cheering crowd as they scream our society's name... Chi Kappa! Chi Kappa! Chi Kappa!

too bad that didn't happen.

We lost.

The little guy just can't catch a break.

Draw Me Nearer

I was going to write an extremely exciting post about getting my hair cut for the 2nd time in one week. For FREE. It was going to be riveting, and also offer a nice plug for Great Clips. (it's a great place. So walk right in, sit right down, and baby let your hair hang down...) but feelings pass quickly, and I have another pennies worth of thoughts to throw in my jar.

Sometimes things happen in our lives that we wouldn't have chosen for ourselves or the people around us. These discouraging and disappointing things just feel . . . unfair, and you wonder how it can all be fixed. I don't know about fixing everything but I do know this. The outcome really comes down to where we go when those things happen. Do we run to God and lay our worries at His feet, or do we choose to deal with it ourselves? I know the right answer. I think you all do too. But it's not that easy, is it? We let the very things that should bring us closer to God push us in the opposite direction.

My room leader was sharing tonight about the verse that says, "Draw nigh unto God and He will draw nigh unto you." My God is so good. He never forsakes us in times of trial; He never forsakes us when we forsake Him. All the times I have forgotten to turn to Him, running to friends or work or time alone to fix my problems, He hasn't forgotten me. He's always always always there.
He's waiting to draw us close to Him as soon as we reach out our arms in His direction. I'm not going to lie... that has to be the coolest hug ever.

Oh, the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God
I commune as friend with friend!

There are depths of love that I cannot know
Till I cross the narrow sea;
There are heights of joy that I may not reach
Till I rest in peace with Thee.

Draw me nearer
To the cross where thou hast died
Draw me nearer
To thy precious bleeding side
Draw me nearer

Quote Bubbles

Dinner time was always interesting at my house. When you have 7 kids at one table, 4 of which are boys, it has to be interesting. Being all together with food tended to make us more rambunctious, but parental figures endeavored to keep the commotion to a dull roar. Maybe we were just bad conversationalists, but me and my brothers usually ended up quoting the latest commercial/funny movie/comedian that we had heard until my dad demanded original thoughts and ideas to come out of our mouths.

It's just how we are. My siblings and I have just been blessed with memories that remember funny things that we've heard. But only the funny things. If all our school lessons had been put in the form of comedic routines, I swear we would never have had to study. We would've just quoted our lessons at dinner time, and my dad wouldn't have said a thing. Alas, most teachers thought it necessary to teach out of the textbook and use lesson plans. Prehistoric ideas, I know.

While it gave me something in common with my brothers, I have to admit that a memory for movie quotes is a blessing and a curse. Do you know how many times I have quoted a movie that fit soooo perfectly into the conversation, but no one ever noticed it? I felt trapped in my own bubble of movie quotes. I had my own quote bubble and it was lonely. Only when I went home did the bubble enlarge and contain other minds similar to my own.

However, as much as I love movies and movie quotes, I still have to wonder at myself when, in the middle of prayer meeting when someone is praying that missionaries are 'protected from harm' all I think is...

"This dragon tattoo will protect me from harm!"
*punch*
"I hope you get your money back!"

Just Another Day in the Life

Get up, get dressed, go to class, do homework, go to bed.

...

Ha! College is soooo much more interesting than that.

Because when you wake up, you stumble around in the dark before realizing that all your roommates are already up. They were just stumbling around in the dark until you got up. (I have nice roommates :)

And when you go to Grab 'N Go breakfast, there are so many delicious choices, that you end up sharing two items between you and your friend. (Yay for sausage & cheese sandwiches and chocolate chocolate chip muffins!)

And when you go to class, you realize that it is a class full of juniors and seniors while you are only a sophomore. So that little rush of panic is a perfect way to start the day. Then you realize that you aren't here to impress anyone, you're here to learn.

And when that class is finished, you get to go to the library, which is a magical place indeed, for an hour before chapel.

And when you go to chapel, the Lord not only blesses you by letting you sit next to some of your closest friends to fellowship with them, He also speaks to your heart and challenges you to get closer to Him. "Our goal is not to be good, but to be godly."

And when you have to skip lunch for handbell class, you realize just how much you miss music and you are glad to skip lunch every Tuesday and Thursday for a chance to play again.

And when that 1 o'clock class lasts forever and you feel like you may not make it out of the classroom alive....you do. And you get to eat lunch as a reward for surviving. Aaaahhh, the taste of success.

And when you get to your Hermeneutics class (it's not a disease, it's a Bible class) and the size of the class seems overwhelming, the teacher is so good that you don't even mind by the end.

And when you go to dinner, you get to eat with one of your closest friends and share those deep thinking things inside your head that you only discuss at dinner. (ha) Not only that, but you also get to eat chicken salad and drink punch! Trust me, it's the best.

And when you go to finish your accounting homework, you actually finish it instead of falling asleep on it (as has happened previously). And your friend next door gives you a vanilla cafe frappuccino, just because.

And when it's time to go to bed, well, you get to sleep. Which is pretty awesome.

Just another day...