4,105 balloons. 4,105 dreams. The number represents each person at CBU and each balloon represents their dream. But how can that be? I fee like just on my own I have 4,105 dreams.
Sure, my dreams have very much changed over the years and many have faded. I used to dream of being in a rock band, of playing college ball or going to the Olympics with my horse… but things happen, injuries occur, paths change and before you know it you wind up feeling like you have no dreams at all.
So then what do you do when you come to this place? Everything you have ever wished for is gone. Everything you have worked hard for no longer matters. The time you spent on it seems wasted and whatever you do from that point on seems useless.
If you can’t tell, I have been in this place; on more than one occasion I might add. It is not a fun place to be in; dark and unsure. Audrey Hepburn put it ever so well in her role as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s when she said, “The blues are because you're getting fat and maybe it's been raining too long, you're just sad that's all. The mean reds are horrible. Suddenly you're afraid and you don't know what you're afraid of.” I feel like I have often been in this state where the mean reds sneak up on me. Depression sets in and before you know it you are feeling completely empty. This is truly one of the most difficult places to be, easiest places to fall and hardest to get out of. But it is possible.
It took me reaching my lowest of lows to realize that God has a bigger plan for me; His dream [will]. It took me a long time to realize it and to be okay with it. At times I still struggle with it and those darn mean reds sneak up, but I know that I am where He wants me to be and doing what He wants me to do and what will bring Him glory in the end. That is what brings me the true joy that I have, the knowledge that I am pleasing Him and living His dream [will] for me.
So what is my dream? What is His will for me? I would spell it out for you if I could, but I do not think it is really that easy. It is something I know in my heart though and something I strive after with everything that I am.
What does 4,105 balloons mean to me? Nothing. What does God’s will mean to me? Everything.
*Posted for credit for JRN412
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
So What Is Blogging Anyway?
Blogging. Some use it to vent about the horrible fight they had with their boyfriend, show the world what an adorable puppy they have and how no one on earth seems to understand them. Others use it as a way of reaching others with their work, sharing news, breaking news and announcing new products. It has also been one of the leading tools of convergent media and allowing freelance writers to get their work out there and noticed.
So what then is it really all about? I know my blog has taken the role of getting school assignments done. That’s not all that I want it to be, but with the busyness of college life that is where it stands.
But what do others blog about? And why? This is the question that plagues me today, so let’s just take a look shall we?
The first blog I stumbled upon is http://thegrublog.blogspot.com. This blog is run by four different people and describes the purpose of their blog as, “a non-profit writing center dedicated to nurturing writers and connecting readers with the wealth of writing talent in the Boston area.”
The writing style changes with every post, as they are being written by different writers, but overall I like the flow of their writing. A lot of the subject matter (which seems to mostly consist of baseball) lost my interest however, though that could be due to the fact that it’s all very local based, and well, I’m not from Boston.
I did however enjoy the fact that they have a guest writer every Friday to sort of spruce things up as it were.
Now onto blog #2 http://birdsblog.blogspot.com. I really enjoy this blog. The writer has yet to reveal her identity and blogs under the alias of “Bird”. I’m kind of a fan of this. She states the purpose of her blog as, “Poetry, musings, observations, commentary, rants, confessions...and who knows what else!” So, pretty much whatever floats its way into her mind will find its way to becoming a blog post. She does everything from “Top Ten Milestones Indicating You Are No Longer Dating But Are In A Relationship” to her trip to Europe to a rant about birth control.
I like her writing style, though that could be because it reminds me of my own voice from time to time.
So, here we have three different types of blogs: My own, with the purpose of passing my classes, Grublog, with the purpose of connecting readers and writers together and Bird with the purpose of, well, being Bird. But what role does blogging play in media today? I would assume a rather large one.
Blogs can be used in sending out the latest news, announcing the release of a new product, providing advertisement and getting consumer reports on how business is doing.
Blogs serve a multitude of different purposes, but overall they are one of the leading forms of social media today and are certainly things to be mastered.
*Posted for credit for JRN371
So what then is it really all about? I know my blog has taken the role of getting school assignments done. That’s not all that I want it to be, but with the busyness of college life that is where it stands.
But what do others blog about? And why? This is the question that plagues me today, so let’s just take a look shall we?
The first blog I stumbled upon is http://thegrublog.blogspot.com. This blog is run by four different people and describes the purpose of their blog as, “a non-profit writing center dedicated to nurturing writers and connecting readers with the wealth of writing talent in the Boston area.”
The writing style changes with every post, as they are being written by different writers, but overall I like the flow of their writing. A lot of the subject matter (which seems to mostly consist of baseball) lost my interest however, though that could be due to the fact that it’s all very local based, and well, I’m not from Boston.
I did however enjoy the fact that they have a guest writer every Friday to sort of spruce things up as it were.
Now onto blog #2 http://birdsblog.blogspot.com. I really enjoy this blog. The writer has yet to reveal her identity and blogs under the alias of “Bird”. I’m kind of a fan of this. She states the purpose of her blog as, “Poetry, musings, observations, commentary, rants, confessions...and who knows what else!” So, pretty much whatever floats its way into her mind will find its way to becoming a blog post. She does everything from “Top Ten Milestones Indicating You Are No Longer Dating But Are In A Relationship” to her trip to Europe to a rant about birth control.
I like her writing style, though that could be because it reminds me of my own voice from time to time.
So, here we have three different types of blogs: My own, with the purpose of passing my classes, Grublog, with the purpose of connecting readers and writers together and Bird with the purpose of, well, being Bird. But what role does blogging play in media today? I would assume a rather large one.
Blogs can be used in sending out the latest news, announcing the release of a new product, providing advertisement and getting consumer reports on how business is doing.
Blogs serve a multitude of different purposes, but overall they are one of the leading forms of social media today and are certainly things to be mastered.
*Posted for credit for JRN371
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Hearing God's Voice
Hearing God’s voice. It’s something every Christian will talk about. Whether it be “yielding to His will” or “Feeling His spirit” or countless other names that we as Christians label hearing God’s voice speak to us. It’s something we all strive for and something that doesn’t always come so easy to some as it does others.
Hearing God’s voice is not something that came easily to me. I am a very independent person who likes to have control over things that are going on. I need to know what’s going on at all times and know at least three ways of bailing out if need be. It’s a security thing for me I guess you could say. Because of this though it took me years to finally figure out how to listen and yield to God’s voice. Here are some quick tips on how I was able to finally settle myself down and hear God speak to me. These may not work for everyone, but they have certainly helped me out.
First of all, I need to be alone. I need my space away from the world and from the typical distractions of the day. I turn off my phone for a bit and if I’m home I tell friends and family to not bother me or that I’m taking a nap or something so I won’t be disturbed.
Secondly, I pray. I pray for God’s help in clearing my mind of trivial things and from trying to take control and go with the answer I want or am looking for. I pray for discernment, guidance and sometimes to just be slapped over the head with His will because sometimes that’s the only way it will get through to me.
Next, I pull out my Bible. The Bible is the Word of God, so why not start there when I’m trying to hear from him?
After praying and reading for awhile I will sit and reflect and be as “still” as possible. (Figuratively, not physically) I again attempt to clear my mind and really focus on what God is trying to say to me. Usually I will also wrestle with certain thoughts and outcomes in my head.
Typically after that I will journal as a way to organize my thoughts and be able to look back at what I felt like God was telling me.
I will then close with a short prayer and go about my day.
And there you have it. This is not the only way I hear God's voice, but when I really need guidance or am making a big decision this is what I do. It may not be the “best” way or even the most organized way of hearing God’s voice, but it is something that has worked for me personally and who knows, maybe some of these tips will work for you as well.
*Posted for credit for JRN371
Hearing God’s voice is not something that came easily to me. I am a very independent person who likes to have control over things that are going on. I need to know what’s going on at all times and know at least three ways of bailing out if need be. It’s a security thing for me I guess you could say. Because of this though it took me years to finally figure out how to listen and yield to God’s voice. Here are some quick tips on how I was able to finally settle myself down and hear God speak to me. These may not work for everyone, but they have certainly helped me out.
First of all, I need to be alone. I need my space away from the world and from the typical distractions of the day. I turn off my phone for a bit and if I’m home I tell friends and family to not bother me or that I’m taking a nap or something so I won’t be disturbed.
Secondly, I pray. I pray for God’s help in clearing my mind of trivial things and from trying to take control and go with the answer I want or am looking for. I pray for discernment, guidance and sometimes to just be slapped over the head with His will because sometimes that’s the only way it will get through to me.
Next, I pull out my Bible. The Bible is the Word of God, so why not start there when I’m trying to hear from him?
After praying and reading for awhile I will sit and reflect and be as “still” as possible. (Figuratively, not physically) I again attempt to clear my mind and really focus on what God is trying to say to me. Usually I will also wrestle with certain thoughts and outcomes in my head.
Typically after that I will journal as a way to organize my thoughts and be able to look back at what I felt like God was telling me.
I will then close with a short prayer and go about my day.
And there you have it. This is not the only way I hear God's voice, but when I really need guidance or am making a big decision this is what I do. It may not be the “best” way or even the most organized way of hearing God’s voice, but it is something that has worked for me personally and who knows, maybe some of these tips will work for you as well.
*Posted for credit for JRN371
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Spoiled Rotten
Valentine’s Day. Single Awareness Day (S.A.D.). Whatever you call it, you cannot escape it.
Pink, red and white suddenly become every girl’s new favorite color. Teddy bears, flowers, chocolates and little blue boxes holding their supposed “best friend” consume the woman’s every thought.
Are you seeing a trend here?
Candle lit dinners, cute romantic comedies and little limericks to show his affection. Elaborate dates, expensive gifts and the simple hope for a goodnight kiss.
How about now? No? Let me help you out. How many of the things listed above apply to men? Other than the fact that they are the ones breaking their backs to attempt to please their girl by being sweet to her? This seems to constantly be the trend with Valentine’s Day. Girls expect their men to spoil them rotten and typically do nothing in return other than a nice homemade card he’ll naturally forget about or throw away. Why is this the trend?
I suppose I can’t exactly single this attitude out to only applying on Valentine’s Day. Every single day of the year men are taken advantage of. Women can at times be spoiled, obnoxious, selfish brats. And I’ll admit, I definitely have my moments of taking the gold for each of those categories. And the ever growing number of Hollywood romance movies filling our minds with this stigma isn’t helping matters much.
So why not change things? Why not take your guy out go-kart racing every once in awhile? Why not surprise him with a date YOU planned for HIM? Out of 10 different guys I talked to they all agreed that they would really appreciated it if their girlfriends did something special for them.
So there you have it. Short. Simple. To the point.
Make your guy feel special— he deserves it.
*Posted for credit for JRN371
Pink, red and white suddenly become every girl’s new favorite color. Teddy bears, flowers, chocolates and little blue boxes holding their supposed “best friend” consume the woman’s every thought.
Are you seeing a trend here?
Candle lit dinners, cute romantic comedies and little limericks to show his affection. Elaborate dates, expensive gifts and the simple hope for a goodnight kiss.
How about now? No? Let me help you out. How many of the things listed above apply to men? Other than the fact that they are the ones breaking their backs to attempt to please their girl by being sweet to her? This seems to constantly be the trend with Valentine’s Day. Girls expect their men to spoil them rotten and typically do nothing in return other than a nice homemade card he’ll naturally forget about or throw away. Why is this the trend?
I suppose I can’t exactly single this attitude out to only applying on Valentine’s Day. Every single day of the year men are taken advantage of. Women can at times be spoiled, obnoxious, selfish brats. And I’ll admit, I definitely have my moments of taking the gold for each of those categories. And the ever growing number of Hollywood romance movies filling our minds with this stigma isn’t helping matters much.
So why not change things? Why not take your guy out go-kart racing every once in awhile? Why not surprise him with a date YOU planned for HIM? Out of 10 different guys I talked to they all agreed that they would really appreciated it if their girlfriends did something special for them.
So there you have it. Short. Simple. To the point.
Make your guy feel special— he deserves it.
*Posted for credit for JRN371
Sunday, January 24, 2010
"Hope for Haiti"
It’s incredible how it takes a disaster to recognize a nation. Now I’m not saying that I’m miss perfect over here and recognize all of the poverty that surrounds us in this world; I am just as guilty as the next person when it comes to not taking the time to educate myself on such things. If you were to ask me a few weeks ago where Haiti was or if it were even a country at all I couldn’t have told you or even taken a guess. Why is it that it takes a catastrophe, such as a 7.0 earthquake striking, in order to make a country known? Are we really that caught up in our own lives that we don’t recognize the poverty in the world or the fact that people all over the world are living on less than $2.00 a day, like those in Haiti, while we’re spending $5.00 every morning on our Starbucks fix?
We go about our daily lives without a care in the world, other than the typical drama we seem to always have floating around, while those in places such as Haiti are starving, infected with HIV or Tuberculosis, are completely illiterate and living in poverty with no hope of getting out. Now, I have never really been one to go out and take a stand on being globally aware, but this disaster has kind of smacked me in the head and made me think and begin to realize that we need to care about what’s going on in the world. It shouldn’t take a 7.0 earthquake killing thousands of helpless bystanders to wake us up. We should be active in aiding countries around the world before a disaster strikes.
There have been reports of over 150,000 people killed, some may still be buried alive and others are dealing with the aftermath of the quake, such as injuries and breakouts of infections. There is only one hope for Haiti and that is to rely on the strength, the kindness and the donations of others to get through this time. You have the information, you have the means— what are you going to do about it?
Ways to give:
http://www.worldvision.org/worldvision/eappeal.nsf/egift-haiti-earthquake-relief?Open&campaign=113655125&cmp=KNC-113655125
https://my.care.org/site/Donation2?df_id=5080&5080.donation=form1&s_src=171040000000&s_subsrc=redghaitiearthquake110&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=haiti%20relief&utm_content=careisproviding&utm_campaign=redhaiti5080
You can also send aid via text message and have it on your next phone bill:
Text “Yele” to 501501 to make a $5.00 donation
Text “HAITI” to 20222 to make a $10.00 donation
Text “Haiti” to 90999 to make a $10.00 donation
*Posted for credit for JRN 371
Saturday, January 9, 2010
New Year's Eve: Fail
Everyone’s always looking for adventure on New Year’s Eve and most everyone comes back with some sort of tale of grandeur. Typically, as everyone brags about their stories to see who ends up as top dog, I tend to try to fade into the background and hope to not have to share my New Year’s Eve story of boring ho-hum. However, this year, I decided things were going to be different.
It started off fairly typical, so I decided to shake things up. I had heard that my friend, Alysa, would be down in Riverside, so I developed a plan to kidnap her. As I should have expected, things went horribly wrong and I ended up utterly lost and confused in the most dreadful apartment complex I have ever had the so called “pleasure” of encountering. After maneuvering between to the 20 plus buildings making up this contraption I had no choice but to call for back up, which also meant ruining the surprise.
Alysa was still shocked to see me, so I guess it didn’t all go to waste. We then proceeded to head to my house, dolled ourselves up and headed out to our favorite place, Yardhouse. The bar was pretty legit that night and the ever so enchanting acts of catching up ensued; beginning with break and school and leading down the ever so juicy roads of family and guys. Alysa and I were treated to a gorgeous waiter with quite possibly the most random name, Fabion- we called him Fabio.
Fabio was all too good to us during dinner and even offered to not card my friend or I for some of the house’s specialty drinks. My ever so sheltered friend stared at the brute in utter disbelief, so I quickly jump in informing Fabio we would be driving in a short bit so we shouldn’t have anything, but were deeply flattered by the offer. He then picked up the tab on our check and we headed out. Thanks for dinner, Fabio.
The long car ride of rocking out to Kesha and Lady GaGa followed our pre-game at Yardhouse as we headed south to visit the wonderful Miss Katie. We ended up lost; although I’m not really sure one could consider it lost. We were on the same street, the right street too I might add, but it took us 20 minutes to find the blasted house. Note to self, find friends who don’t live in the middle of nowhere, or at least have street lights to aide in finding addresses.
The party was pretty typical, the clock struck twelve and everyone immediately broke off into their ever so evenly paired off couples. Alysa, who just broke up with her boyfriend, and me, whose heart could not be any more confused at the moment as to what it wants, stood awkwardly and decided that was our cue to leave.
Final Count: Getting lost twice, one hott waiter, one free dinner, one rock out dance session, one majorly awkward moment, six drunk dials throughout the night and still a typical ho-hum New Year’s Eve.
Such is my life.
*Posted for credit for JRN 371
It started off fairly typical, so I decided to shake things up. I had heard that my friend, Alysa, would be down in Riverside, so I developed a plan to kidnap her. As I should have expected, things went horribly wrong and I ended up utterly lost and confused in the most dreadful apartment complex I have ever had the so called “pleasure” of encountering. After maneuvering between to the 20 plus buildings making up this contraption I had no choice but to call for back up, which also meant ruining the surprise.
Alysa was still shocked to see me, so I guess it didn’t all go to waste. We then proceeded to head to my house, dolled ourselves up and headed out to our favorite place, Yardhouse. The bar was pretty legit that night and the ever so enchanting acts of catching up ensued; beginning with break and school and leading down the ever so juicy roads of family and guys. Alysa and I were treated to a gorgeous waiter with quite possibly the most random name, Fabion- we called him Fabio.
Fabio was all too good to us during dinner and even offered to not card my friend or I for some of the house’s specialty drinks. My ever so sheltered friend stared at the brute in utter disbelief, so I quickly jump in informing Fabio we would be driving in a short bit so we shouldn’t have anything, but were deeply flattered by the offer. He then picked up the tab on our check and we headed out. Thanks for dinner, Fabio.
The long car ride of rocking out to Kesha and Lady GaGa followed our pre-game at Yardhouse as we headed south to visit the wonderful Miss Katie. We ended up lost; although I’m not really sure one could consider it lost. We were on the same street, the right street too I might add, but it took us 20 minutes to find the blasted house. Note to self, find friends who don’t live in the middle of nowhere, or at least have street lights to aide in finding addresses.
The party was pretty typical, the clock struck twelve and everyone immediately broke off into their ever so evenly paired off couples. Alysa, who just broke up with her boyfriend, and me, whose heart could not be any more confused at the moment as to what it wants, stood awkwardly and decided that was our cue to leave.
Final Count: Getting lost twice, one hott waiter, one free dinner, one rock out dance session, one majorly awkward moment, six drunk dials throughout the night and still a typical ho-hum New Year’s Eve.
Such is my life.
*Posted for credit for JRN 371
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
How to clean your tack
Alright, you’ve got that big show coming up and you’re prepared in just about every way possible to go for the gold, but there’s one problem: you haven’t cleaned your tack.
Any equestrian will tell you that you don’t have a chance of placing in competition if your tack doesn’t have that certain shine the judges are looking for. Not sure how to get it? Well don’t you fret my friend; I have a simple guide of how to quickly achieve that sparkle that’ll bring you home the gold.
1.First, gather all of your supplies. The last thing you need to do is be covered in soap or oil and have to go stumbling through the stable looking for things. The essentials include: Two small buckets filled with warm water, a rag, a sponge, some form of mouthwash (I suggest Listerine, the horses seem to like that the best), glycerin soap, oils for the leather and polish.
2.After you’ve gathered everything you need it’s time to lay out your tack. Keep your saddle on a saddle rack and be sure to take off your leathers and irons. At this point you can through your irons in one of the buckets of water to begin soaking. Hang your leathers off the side of the saddle rack.
3.Next, you want to prepare your bridle for cleaning by taking it apart as well and hanging it from the saddle rack.
4.Pour mouthwash into the opposite bucket that your irons are soaking in and place your bits in to soak.
5.Pour some soap in with your irons, dampen a sponge and begin cleaning them. Be sure to remove the rubber pads and clean under those as well; You know judges are crazy and will look anywhere they can for the slightest sign of dirt.
6.Once finished with your irons hang them out to dry and begin the process of wiping down your saddle.
7.After scrubbing down your saddle, proceed to do the same to all of the pieces of your bridle. Be sure to pay special attention to cheek pieces and the browband as these are the areas that accumulate the most sweat and dirt.
8.After scrubbing everything down, pour some leather oil on your rag and begin working it into the leather of the bridle and saddle
9.After allowing some time for the oil to soak in, add a leather polish to your saddle and bridle.
10.Allow ample drying time for the polish to dry and proceed to put everything back together.
Helpful tips:
Never use soap on a bit. Your horse will refuse to take it and it is also dangerous because you never know if you got all of the soap off.
Toothbrushes work great in areas you’re really having trouble getting dirt and grime off.
If you’re having a really hard time making your bit and irons shine, put them in the dishwasher. Yes, I’m aware that it sounds ridiculous, but trust me nothing works better! Just be sure to soak your bits in mouthwash after you wash them.
*Posted for credit for JRN212
Any equestrian will tell you that you don’t have a chance of placing in competition if your tack doesn’t have that certain shine the judges are looking for. Not sure how to get it? Well don’t you fret my friend; I have a simple guide of how to quickly achieve that sparkle that’ll bring you home the gold.
1.First, gather all of your supplies. The last thing you need to do is be covered in soap or oil and have to go stumbling through the stable looking for things. The essentials include: Two small buckets filled with warm water, a rag, a sponge, some form of mouthwash (I suggest Listerine, the horses seem to like that the best), glycerin soap, oils for the leather and polish.
2.After you’ve gathered everything you need it’s time to lay out your tack. Keep your saddle on a saddle rack and be sure to take off your leathers and irons. At this point you can through your irons in one of the buckets of water to begin soaking. Hang your leathers off the side of the saddle rack.
3.Next, you want to prepare your bridle for cleaning by taking it apart as well and hanging it from the saddle rack.
4.Pour mouthwash into the opposite bucket that your irons are soaking in and place your bits in to soak.
5.Pour some soap in with your irons, dampen a sponge and begin cleaning them. Be sure to remove the rubber pads and clean under those as well; You know judges are crazy and will look anywhere they can for the slightest sign of dirt.
6.Once finished with your irons hang them out to dry and begin the process of wiping down your saddle.
7.After scrubbing down your saddle, proceed to do the same to all of the pieces of your bridle. Be sure to pay special attention to cheek pieces and the browband as these are the areas that accumulate the most sweat and dirt.
8.After scrubbing everything down, pour some leather oil on your rag and begin working it into the leather of the bridle and saddle
9.After allowing some time for the oil to soak in, add a leather polish to your saddle and bridle.
10.Allow ample drying time for the polish to dry and proceed to put everything back together.
Helpful tips:
Never use soap on a bit. Your horse will refuse to take it and it is also dangerous because you never know if you got all of the soap off.
Toothbrushes work great in areas you’re really having trouble getting dirt and grime off.
If you’re having a really hard time making your bit and irons shine, put them in the dishwasher. Yes, I’m aware that it sounds ridiculous, but trust me nothing works better! Just be sure to soak your bits in mouthwash after you wash them.
*Posted for credit for JRN212
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