You lose control when you hold too tight

It's amazing how true that has held to my life lately.

Week eight is almost done and I'm still not quite sure how I got here or how I got here so quickly, but I'm here. The times when I try to hold too tight to my schedule and getting all of my work done, I lose control of everything. Sometimes, the best thing that I can do is just force myself to go to bed instead of staying up to do work. Oh well.

The retreat last weekend was sweet. I enjoyed the time with my girls, the boys enjoyed their time in the wilderness, the small group enjoyed being leadership-free for the weekend. All seems to still be rolling along quite well, however.

And, now, issue 5 of the Voice is ready to be put together, which is still so strange. It's become such an incredible, regular part of my routine. It's always such a delight to see what people are writing and then be able to put together the whole package.

I'm really ready to be done with school. I feel like it's just taking time away from other things I could be doing, and though I want to quit (honestly), I'll still finish and hopefully, finish strong. It just takes a lot of motivation sometimes.

Anyway, I'm here to drop off some more pictures from Lauren and Greg's wedding and issue 4 of the Voice, in case you're wondering what went into it. My story about women wanting to be traditional that I wrote last spring made it in, in its entirety. It's an article that I put a lot of work into, so that's exciting.

Here you go...


The reason for the occasion, Lauren and Greg. She's so pretty.


My best friend, Laura, and her husband, Andy. They got married a month after Lauren and Greg.


Chris and I at the wedding. I'm not quite sure what my face is doing, but it's weird.


Much better. You can barely see me at all. :)

And Issue #4 of The Student Voice!

Mood: Reluctant to go to class Listening to: Copeland, Eat, Sleep, Repeat
Reading: My second integration project for JT480

The Student Voice!!!

Here are the first three issues of the newspaper in .pdf format.

Just in case you're wondering what has been eating my life...

If you haven't checked it out, you should check it out.

Issue #1

Issue #2

Issue #3

Picture fun...

I took pictures off of Abra's camera... :) It's okay. She knew I was doing it (at least she knew I was looking for pictures for Mike's article for the SV yesterday, so... she kind of knew).


I like Abra. People always forget what happens when we're together and then they remember very quickly.


Chris and I don't take the best pictures. I have a tendency to look high, and he has a tendency to do strange things in order to try and make a better picture. This was on the way to Denver for GCLI Saturday morning. Crazy good stuff.


We were trying not to focus on the fact that Abra was taking a picture of us at IHOP a few weeks back. I'm not quite sure what's up with the crazy side view of my head, but the rest of the picture isn't that bad. Chris has shaved since then.

My time seems to be worth so much more than it used to...

I used to sit around between classes and talk to people. I used to play computer games and watch television and read books. Now, if I have free time, I'm usually asleep, working, at the front desk, or working at the boys' house. I have to force myself to take time out of my day and relax sometimes. It is at those times that I realize I am six weeks into my last semester of school.

In the past week, I worked 16 hours at the desk, three for CHI, 10 hours on the newspaper, went to seven of nine classes, contracted a cold, played guitar every day except yesterday, met with three of the ladies on our team, attended a myriad of events, conducted two interviews and decided that I wanted to quit everything.

Oh, if only I hadn't signed my graduation contract a few weeks back!

All in all, however, I'm doing more than fine most of the time. It just sucks when you're exhausted and you have a cold and you have to get work done, and all you want to do is crawl up into a ball and cry yourself to sleep (that's what happens when I'm supremely exhausted).

But God is faithful. He has placed a premium on my time, to be sure. I have so few chances to be lazy anymore, and that is such a blessing.

I get a break this week from the newspaper, as it's not a layout week and I don't have a story to write. I do, however, have the retreat to finalize (music and my talk for Sunday), my first article for my capstone due Wednesday and a big honkin' history exam Friday. Some days, I think I'm just along for the ride... trying to keep up with my life.

Whelp, I have to go drop off Christopher's stuff at the house and get to the church for the Student Voice meeting. Then, life kicks into gear again. At least my room is clean again.

Mood: Um... Listening to: The Waiting, Unfazed
Reading: The latest issue of the Student Voice - on stands Oct. 3!