All done!

Farewell Boyce! 

I am GRADUATED!!!!!

Thoughst of College, Smells and Sounds of Home

Down to the last few days before leaving the Great Plains back for the ol' South and my last semester. Did I mention yet it was my final semester before I have a Bachelor's in Science? No? Its my last semester. I only have ONE left.
One
Last
Semester!!!!
To be honest, I can't wait. I haven't a clue what I will do once I'm done. Revel in the glory of no more assigned reading, no more writing assignments where I have to b.s. my way through the required page amounts when I feel I can succinctly say the same thing in five (or one) sentances.
Yes, I AM considering further education. However, the dynamics of that degree and school will be completely different.
This season of life has been, in a word, hard. I've been sick with some very serious illnesses, discovered I have genetic complications that run in my family, watched people I deeply care about suffer - either through no fault of their own, or completely because of their own stupidity, but either way, still hard - been constantly told that I must revise this ro change that or mold myself to fill someone else's definition of 'correct.'
Has there been good in it? Of COURSE. I've met amazing people, made amazing friends, seen God work in amazing ways in my life and in others. I've seen Him redeem time, mistakes, people, choices.
But I'm ready to be done. I'm ready to stop living in a bubble of correct doctrine and conformity. I'm ready to see what God has next.
Do I sound cynical? Maybe. Mom and the littles started homeschooling last week, and today was full of trying to stay out of the way, watch them fight old battles that Mom and I used to butt heads against when I was under her skilled tutleage, and trying to decide if I NEEDED to overcome my deep desire to continue procrastinating reading Theology or just continue giving my brain a rest from acadamia before re-engaging it on the 24th.
Anyhoo. Mom wants to go watch Stargate Atlantis with me. :-) I made Souffle for dinner and decafe black tea is simmering on the stove. The littles are bouncing around, finishing final school assignments and asking to play computer games or watch with us, and Kendra is in the kitchen sweeping and muttering how she will NOT stoop to the level of SGA with us but not sure what else to do :-)
Ahh... sweet sounds and smells of home :-)
~Princess Ouch~

Fall

Growing up mainly West of the Mississippi, tree's were a rare commodity. There might be one solitary tree changing colors with a pathetic pile of leaves surrounding it, not worth raking up. So the vibrant myriad of golds, reds, and browns splashed across the city and countryside has been a glorious feast for my eyes. Its hard to believe that I only have one more week of classes and then finals, and then I'll be halfway done with my Senior year of college!!! Next semester I'll only be taking three classes and Choral, or at least that's the plan. But I'll also be focusing a little more hard-core on my internship with the Kentucky WMU ministries to international students. I have had lots of opportunities to hang out with International students through the Seminary, and a few off-campus with some sweet Turkish ladies who feed me and my fellow classmates very well. ;-)

I've also had time to hang out with my significant other about once a week. He's been very good about gently reminding me to stay on top of schoolwork, but also making fun times during breaks. He bought tickets to see my family over Christmas break. We're both excited, although I suspect he's a little apprehensive about the cold. Since he's never lived above the Mason-Dixon line nor West of the Mississippi, so the extremity of the High Plains will be a new experience. However I am confident that he will rise up to the challenge with excellence as always ;-)


I have FINALLY got my internship sorted out, and this weekend has been a very fun experience of jumping in without much training and getting to interact with 450 odd students from over a dozen countries, most of which being the Middle East and Asia. I must say I was a little intimidated when I had to be a co-leader for a small group. But once again the glorious dynamic kicked in that I have encountered before: international students are far more open and curious about religion and faith conversations when they are over here than when they are in their home country. Its been fun watching them grow from shy introverted quiet creatures looking around with thinly veiled curiosity, to exuberant chatty teenagers making friends and memories.



Another funny thing this weekend is that Cambellsville University brought three vans of students and leaders, and a couple of them have been folks I've already met through my boyfriend. I only met them once before, so we've spent a few minutes doing double-takes across the conference room before walking over to one another laughing. My internship supervisor, MaryAnne, and I went exploring during the break and discovered a few little shops that are a flea-marketer's dream come true. The majority of the stuff wasn't really worth stopping for, but then there were a few reeeeeeally cool finds tucked away here and there (like the amaaaazing home made fudge from scratch. We stopped inside a western/gun/knife store for kicks and the proprietor told us if we walked across the street and told the lady he sent us, she'd give us a 10% discount on her fudge, which she did! And I am savoring the chocolate-mint fudge as I type) which made it all worth it.



So that's whats up with me. I'm hoping next semester I will be more diligent about blogging, but I think I always say that. Oh well. If you want more regular posts go to my Mom's blog (http://goldengrasses.blogspot.com)


One of the fun things about blogging, though, is it gives me a chance to see why I'm always so tired. I do a lot! And its fun. Someone asked if I was looking forward to graduation, as I'd get a chance to slow down and not do as much. Ha. A dear friend of mine graduated last May and she's been going non-stop with the ministry she is now working full-time for. Its looking like I may be in the same boat; there is a job-opening in a ministry that I'm applying for, and I'm hoping to start pursuing more education in ASL (American Sign Language) to be a certified translator. But we'll see; that's a way away. Right now my goal is to survive the two huge papers I have to write in the next week. :-)

Semester so far

Well, I logged onto my blog to make a quick update, and was distracted by a pop-up advertisement. It was an opportunity to give my blog a 'new and improved look.' I allowed myself a 10 minute distraction, clicking on different layouts etc. and finally decided to stick with the same-o-same-o. Sometimes the old ways are best. ;-) It looked cool but slightly confusing, so when I have time (HA!) I'll give it a more in-depth look.
In other words, midterms were this last week! Remarkably, I think I did alright on my exams. Surprising to me, given the fact that I was bedridden with a serious cold and then a viral inner-ear infection for two weeks, and not really myself trying to recover for going on two and a half weeks afterward. I have tried to stay on top of homework, but will give the glory and praise to the Holy Spirit directing me on which sections to focus on studying when trying to cram on the exams. :-)
Anyway. My professors have been saying some pretty funny stuff this semester, so I thought I'd quit moaning about my physical ailments and give you a peek at some more college humor. Hope you enjoy. Warning, though, we are NOT politically correct. So if you are part of any kind of rights group or take life too seriously or whatever, this post is not for you ;-) For those of you who go to this school, if you think you know who said these quotes you are probably right.

Anyone ever tasted a medicine that tastes like the lobby of hell put into liquid form? Oh yeah, some o'yo momma's washed your mouth out with soap? Yeah. Yeah, some 'o you know the pain of repentance and how it tastes!

Student: Oh my gosh, we sound NERDY!
Prof: Hey hey hey, who said the 'N' word in my classroom?
Student 2 : C'mon, man, I embrace it!

I'm from the South, so I may say stuff that ya'll don't git. That may be one of 'em.
Here's the problem. We have a block class at 11:30. How many of you are from the South? And I don't mean Kentucky, I mean the REAL south? OKay those of you from the REAL south know that this is dinnertime. Right? 'Cause supper is at nighttime.

Prof: What do you say in the West?
Student: All ya'll.
Student 2: Well it depends on how far west. In California its just 'you.'
Professor: We don't count California as west! That's LEFT coast!
Student 2: Hey. We voted proposition 8!
Professor: Yeah and the Mormon's helped you git it. That don't count.

Professor: I'm a HUGE college football fan. Fall is NOT a good semester to have me. I'll have extra credit questions on the exams based SOLELY on football.

You don't have to read the entire book. You'll just read 98% of it. So skip the preface, skip the index, you'll be good. That was an attempted joke. Go 'head, ya'll can laugh. Good. Ya'll can pass.

If you really love someone, and they feel that you really love them, you can teach them anything!

If you fall asleep in my class I may very well make fun of you. I will find the biggest book I can find and drop it right next to your sleeping head- from ten feet in the air if I can. You will wake up, shoot up, shout up, maybe even throw up.

Time for some investigative research. Find out what time those professors, especially Dr. L, have class and which one of your friends are in it; and how many of them have cell phones they will leave on. If you breathe a word of it I will lie. I will put all the blame on you. And those of you who are sympathetic to Dr. L, I will find you out. Unless you post another video of him dancing on Facebook.

Professor: There are men who read the Scripture, and I know they love it as the inerrant word of God. But it is a good thing I know it ahead of time because I never would have guessed it by the way they read the Bible.

Professor: I have six daughters. Our most recent one is probably last, as my wife has gotten old on me.
Student, also Prof's daughter: I'm tellin' Mom on YOU, Dad; tellin' people she's old!
Prof: I will fail you in this class if you do!!

Good teaching is communicating through personality; transformation/formation of Character, not the transfer or acquisition of information.

Why is he quoting David? 'Cause back in that day, David was the MAN. It'd be like walking around here saying, 'Well John Piper said..." or "McArthur said," or 'insert your favorite puritan here said."

Student: That's like, white trash gourmet!
Student 2: That's the caviar of the south!
Prof: Well, there are more deer than people in Kentucky. Its like Baptists in Texas - more Baptists than people!

Did you think you'd get an hour and a half discussion out of ten pages? That's what happens when you let a philosopher on the loose!

That may sound harsh but I am just telling you what the facts are. If all you have is head knowledge and no heart knowledge then you and Satan could be room mates.

Francis Schaeffer speaking of C. S. Lewis on a topic they disagreed on: Oh, if we could have talked, I'm sure he would have come around.

Tell me what that has to do with anything besides nothing!

Some of you are like, "John Piper said it therefore its the case." Its like the 67th book of the Bible.

If you ever feel that you are good enough for ministry you ought to reconsider.

Remember, throughout our lives, in God's sight there are no little people with little lives. Through God's grace little people with little lives can change the course of our society.

Ya'll are thinking too general. Think specifically, right? Start's with 'G' ends in "od.' Right. Had to find the right drawer int he filing cabinet for that one.

Yes, you should study for the glory of God. I know that hurts some of you a little bit. It doesn't mean you have to make an 'A' it means doing it to the best of your ability.

Anything is improved by friend bread crumbs. You know you're in for some good eatin' when the recipe calls for 2 cups of lard or butter.

Student: Can we use our Bible's on the exam?
Professor: Here's what I always say: I feel like if I tell you that you can't use your Bible I'll go to hell. So yes, you can use your Bibles!

You are so engaged in kicking yourself in the proverbial spiritual rear-end... actually... I guess a spiritual rear-end is not so proverbial...

Now, I know you've got a lot of homework... but good lord, go outside!

Two more points on the outline and then we're done with class for the day. The time of your jail-break is coming! The end is near!

I can't wait until I'm 110 years old because you can get away with saying anything and no one says anything because you are old! My wife is kind of nervous, because she's like, 'You know... you already kind of have no filter..."

We think that dressing like a certain community in Seattle is missional. I mean... I'm going to hear about this later but that's okay. We're going to do this. We're just gonna do this and take the blue pill... or was it the red pill? Well, whichever pill it was, we're gonna take it and go with it, and see what happens. Have you seen John Piper? The man is a dweeb! He is SO nerdy. He's worn the same coat, shirt and loafers, its like, GO SHOPPING DUDE! But some of you are really struggling that I just called John Piper a dweeb because you don't care what he wears, because he's so relevant! A powerful and passionate speaker and you love him.

Dr. B and Dr. J are self-professed Greek nerds. Thanks, I'll stay with being a self-professed evangelist-to-Mormons nerd. They can have their present infinitive craziness. I'll stick with Joseph Smith.

I really must confess... I really have no idea how we got on that tangent... Oh the sticky note hanging on my pant-leg! Next time just let it hang.

For the stoics, reason is kind of done away with. So where then do we find ‘the norm’? Can’t look inside yourself, that would be existential. Can’t do that for the sake of being good, because that teleological.There’s this thing out there called the World Soul. “Yeah ya’ll were like, ‘that’s what I wanted to say I was just afraid. Ddn’t want to dumb it down.”

Professor: Have ya'll heard of the Board of Education? Its a paddle for your B-hind. Or, have you heard the 'young man!' then heard your daddy whip his belt off? I take my belt off at night it still gives me shudders. I know ya’ll don’t do that in CA but in the South-
Student: Oh no, but we do use extension cords.”
Professor: Wow, plugged in? Fray ‘em a little bit and then git a little ‘nyeeeum!

Quick update

I have fifteen minutes before I have to be back at work, so I thought I'd try and update my blog real quick before dashing off to the next thing.
One of my professors has offered to help me in my newest project: Understanding Southern Culture in a far more in-depth way than I ever thought necessary. Reason: I am dating a guy from Kentucky. Which has been fun, however my Prof pointed out some areas that I was simply NOT understanding were cultural differences. It helped to talk with him. But there's lots of books on survival guides for Americans overseas... I don't know if there's any for a girl who grew up West of the Mississippi for socializing/thriving in The South. Oh well. We'll see. Maybe at some point I'll write one... :-) But at any rate this new relationship has been really fun, as well as educational for all concerned :-)
IN other news: I'm stuck on the worksheets for Theology 3. I guess Senioritis has kicked in, because I have never been so naturally, verbally succinct in my entire life: I was given 3-5 pages to fill on three different theological topics, and on two of them I struggled to fill just ONE page and on the third one I can't get past the first paragraph! This is not good...
It doesn't help that a lot of my friends are graduated or have moved into different stages/areas of life. They call with GREAT ideas of stuff to do on my days off, but then I have to be the horrible responsible person and remind them that while technically I don't have anything on the schedule, I already have a full homework load. *sigh*
I'm still trying to figure out this internship for my Missions major. My car is currently fixed and running well, so that has simplified things. Now its just a matter of coordinating between various very busy people undergoing lots of transition and (dare I say it) some disorganization (myself included) and getting stuff in written form and turned into the right offices, as well as plugged into something resembling a schedule. (are Missionaries allowed to have such things? I feel like a schedule should be against the rules somehow... even if it is ministry in North America...)
And then there are times where I rebelliously put my phone on silent, slam shut the textbooks, change into shorts and sneakers and sneak outside and find a quiet corner on campus and stare up at the stars and wish I could just sit and let my mind wander for another month.
However, summer break has ended, and thinking can no longer wander all over history and fantasy and reality but stay solely on theology and pragmatic things... at least until I get all the scheduling worked out.
However, scheduling time for 'thinking of nothing in particular' seems a little weird...
That's all for now. :-)

~Princess Ouch~

what my life is all about right now

I apologize. I really do. I know I have been a horrible blogger this summer. I have tried to give you updates excusing such absence from the cyber-world (I have a life...) so here is the latest update on what my life consists of right now:

Final stretch of Summer Break

Summer break is drawing to a close; a fact made all the more real as I begin pulling out textbooks to finish my Theology J-term and start moving books from last year to make way for incoming schoolbooks for this year. On the one hand, I'm excited to get back into a schedule, to know what my week will generally look like, (to be able to post on my blog regularly again lol), to be forced to inhale knowledge & be challenged by new idea's and developed philosophies and alternate explanations for things I had always taken for granted, etc. etc.
On the other hand, I'm not looking forward to getting back into a rote schedule of my nose to the grindstone, trying to find that balance between schoolwork, work work, and having a social life; of trying to find the balance between taking advantage of living in such a christian-saturated environment and resenting being in a God-bubble that gets claustrophobic sometimes; of being constantly reminded that I am different no matter where I go and my non-conformist tendencies throw people into a conundrum in every setting I am ever in - which sometimes endears but usually just throws people for a loop.
There's a fine balance between owning the fact that as Christians we are to be set apart, but not elitist. How exactly one accomplishes this balance is not something I've solved yet, and I really don't think anyone ever does.
But I digress. I was really getting stressed about starting my Senior year, as I still have yet to solve this problem of completing a 3-5 month internship. To further complicate matters, my car won't stay on, and I don't have the resources to fix it just yet. However, no car = can't do an internship stateside. However, to do the internship overseas, I would have to either take a semester off, or 'graduate' but not receive my diploma until next fall. I kinda want my diploma when I walk.
So I called my friend in a crisis the other night, and she did a good job listening to me and then said at the end of my rant, 'Sounds like you are trying to make God into an 8-ball."
"What?!"
"You are so concerned with what to DO. But I don't hear you relaxing in God's Truth. Calm down. Has God ever let you down before? Doesn't He always pull you through? The question isn't 'will God come through' but 'how much are you going to panic before He does.'
Conviction. Wham.
So the last few days have been me see-sawing between externalizing my anxt about what is to come, and being constantly reminded through friends, a womens retreat, and music to relax and wait on the Lord.
Which sounds wonderful, but is a lot tougher to actually DO. My boyfriend said humorously that one of his biggest challenges so far in our relationships is trying to get my brain to just STOP and relax for a while, as it is always going! Yeah...
Anyway. Its been a great break, although entirely different from the other two summer breaks. The first one I spent in Romania and last summer I worked at a Christian camp. This year I bee-bopped around the Country, helping here and there, visiting, working, but not staying in the same place for more than a week at a time. Glorious to be able to travel around like that, and I'm not sure I'll ever be able to do it again so I'm glad I did it when I could.

Anyhoo I'm sort of rambling right now. I'll close with the final quotes from my J-term last week. Enjoy :-)

To protect the identities of those involved, I will preface this story this way: Long ago in a galaxy far far away, I was an interim pastor…

And I wanted to say (something mouthy) but I had a brief moment of sanctification and I didn’t.

Any of you want to go into the ministry? Teach six-grade boys. Student: Does this apply to girls? Prof: YES, teach six grade girls! It will make you or break you!

This kid kept throwing fig newtons at whoever walked out of the bathroom, and I said, ‘Dave, if you throw another fig newton at someone, I’m going to stuff one up your nose.’ Kid threw another newton, I threw him on the bed and stuffed one up his nose.

This woman said she was going to pick up some stuff from my store, and I knew that her father was the spitting image of Henry Kissenger. So I had very LOW expectations. Well, I was pleasantly surprised. And I looked at her and said, you know, tomorrow’s my birthday. I just moved here, you’re from here. Do you know of anything fun? And she said, well that’s funny the next day is my birthday.’ Now, I’m not very good, but I can do something we that! So my now-wife and I celebrated our birthdays together...

We were meeting as a youth group at a YMCA pool because that’s the only place with baptismal facilities for the youth group. But I thought we were just meeting for youth group, and so I forgot to bring my baptismal robe. The only thing I had in the car was an oversized LedZephlin t-shirt…

If there’s ever a nuclear takeover, only two things will survive: Cockroaches and Baptist Communion wafers. And ultimately the Cockroaches won’t survive because they won’t eat the wafers.

If you look at the Catechism, Purgatory is a place of burning. Most Catholics don’t know that. They think its dark and shadowy… not someplace you want to be. Kind of like Detroit. And the idea is that you gonna be there a while. Bring a lunch.

If I said, ‘honey I’m on my way home.’ And it took me 2 weeks to get home, I’d come home and find my books out in the front yard. Because she knows that I love my books the most, after her. I love my grandkids too, but they don’t live with us. Of all the things in my house, I love my wife first and then my books. Student: More than your cowboy boots? Prof: oooh…. Okay it’d be my books AND my cowboy boots. I forgot about those.

Chapter 19 is the Second Coming of Christ. When you read this chapter, this is like the Battle before the gates of Mordor! Mount Doom is about to fall! Gandalf and Aragorn have lifted up their swords, only there’s only ONE sword here, and that’s the Sword of the Lord!

I have granted my wife the privilege of disagreeing with me on any 3 theological issues of her choosing at one time. They can rotate, but they can’t be more than 3. Its very kind of me, I know. I’m just a kind-hearted guy.

Day 3 of Jterm

More quotes. Hopefully now you've not come to expect political correctness on this blog, so there ARE some inter-denominational jokes and barbs. HOWEVER, allow me to clarify that there wasn't animosity intended towards alternate creeds and doctrines, and we make fun of ourselves plenty as well in this group. :-)

I know some of you want to address the debate, but wait until we cover all the material and then we can argue.

Arminius is an interesting person; he probably isn’t given very fair treatment on this campus.

Do this. Go to lunch and think about it. This will either give you indigestion or just make you feel glorious.

Remember that we have this constellation of Biblical terms that point us to Salvation.

I was walking out the door and my father in law said ‘what are you going to preach on,’ and I said ‘sin’ and he said ‘are you for it or against it?’ *silence in the classroom* yeah I can tell ya’ll are tired. Then again, that is a really bad joke.

How did Casey Anthony find her way into our lecture, I’m not sure.

Say you really wanted to make chili. The root ingredient for chili is chili power. Say you got home from class and you really really wanted a pot of chili. But you got home and all you have is fish sticks, jello, cake mix, green beans, peas and chili powder. But you really want some chili so that’s your pot of chili. Okay. That bowl of nastiness is the English language: you’ve got all the crap from all these different languages that have nothing to do with each other!

We have two words in the English language for one concept because of this nature of English. We can’t ‘righteous-ize’ anyone but we can ‘justify’ someone.

We’ve all got issues. I’m sure no one in this room would key a car. I would never key a car. Well, I would key ONE car if I knew which one it was…

In this difficult situation, I’m kind of the “Ghost Busters” of intern pastors. Well, really, I just needed some new stories to tell in class.

When Luther was young, he was always fasting etc. so he was very very thin. But as he got older he got more prominent. It’s like old Elvis, young Elvis… young Buddha, old Buddha, young Brand, old Brand.

Luther had a messy desk. In fact, he had a messy everything. When he married his wife, she discovered that the bed was full of mold. Luther was big, bold and messy. Calvin was short, quiet and ordered. Luther was the barbarian, Calvin was the bureaucrat.

When my kids were young, they gave me loving adoration. Then when they got older I just became the ATM machine. ‘Hey, ya got $20?’

You aren’t like the Moabites, the amalakites, the parasites or the mosquito bites. I normally don’t tell jokes but this is a long day so I gotta keep your attention somehow.

Edward the 1^st of England was raised to be a real hard-core protestant. On his crib was a bumper-sticker that said ‘I heart Martin Luther.’ I mean, real hard core. Then Mary came and she was a nut for Catholicim. So Elizabeth who had grown up watching her nut of a father, then her nut zealous brother, and then her catholic nutty sister, finally came onto the thrown and said, ‘NO NUTS! We’re gonna go right down the middle!’

Prof: Did anyone do anything exciting this summer?

Student: Well, my girlfriend (sitting next to him) and I got engaged!

P: Yeah you look engaged. I’ve been watching you act engaged all day. You know how engaged people are. They lean over and whisper things to each other and peek at each others notes. Wow, son you are as red as a ripe tomato!

Remember, Augustine believed in Limbus Infantium. Not quite as good as Chucky Cheese, but what do you do.

If Calvinists have their tulip, then Armenians have their daisy. “He called me, He called me not.” Sorry it’s a bad joke, but in a J-term I gotta have some way to keep your attention on the discussion.

When I was a kid they’d say, ‘be good or you won’t get the mansion on the hill, you’ll get the shack down in the valley by the river.’ Well when I was a kid I liked to fish, so I thought well that’s fine with me. Who wants a mansion anyway, have to dust all that stuff!

Okay, you know how I love the King James Version. Now I’m going to quote it, and I’m going to say a word, and it’s IN THE BIBLE. But if you need to run out of the room after I’m done quoting and go… scream or something, feel free.

I know it’s a weird story. But it’s in the Bible.

My generation is different from yours. We had the ‘ick’ factor: ewww how icky! Your generation looks at it more, ‘well, it’s not biblical, so what do we do.’ But you don’t have that shock at the abnormality.