"And I'm Back in the Game!"

Yes, this title is a famous quote from a movie that you all should know if you were born in the 80's or anytime around there...who knows...anyone, anyone, Beuler?
That's right!
10 Things I Hate About You.
Pay no attention to the context that this line has in the movie, totally irrelevant. But correct nonetheless. I feel better; I feel rejuvenated! A week of relaxin, good food, good sun, good reading, good friends and plenty of laughs brought on by the best roommate ever and myself of course....we're gonna sum it up with one word, talent.
T-alent show plans
A-wful Karaoke
L-o, as in J-Lo
E-ating ice cream fools
N-ew way to drink fanta
T-eenage dance
Oh yes, that's all talent if I ever heard of it!
Okay, but in all seriousness, aside from a sick cousin spending her last day in the hospital b/c of dehydration from vomiting (yeah, not fun at all) it was a great time! We built sand castles...okay, it was a Christmas tree ornaments and all...we experienced the culture at it's finest...by that I mean it was all tourists
(Touristy now I gotta let you know what it was like where we were...one starts to think it's not your traditional Mexico when on the way to the hotel you view the major US companies such as McDonalds...Burger King, Wal-mart! Sam's Club, Home Depot...rediculous, yes! Now, let me blow your mind a little more with this...the shopping center in Playa del Carmen, which is the fastest growing city in the world at this moment , in this shopping center there was, oh yes, it's true, there was a Starbucks! I have to admit I was tempted to get you bucks employees a taste of your own Mexico style, but I couldn't bring myself to venture inside it on vacation)
even at the bull fight, which showed us some of the heritage, but you know it's commercialized now if they announce in english b/c 90% of the audience is European or American or Canadian! So, a bit disappointed there, but can't complain a few friendly folks allowed me to practice my espanol and make me happy to be able to put a thought together, however broken if may sound.
I am happy, God is good and has challenged me in a few areas that I realize I need challenged in...He's awesome like that, never a dull moment. And the amazing thing is that I feel like I actually have time to spend in allowing my mind to wander...I can be sitting here and think of someone and then pray for them...it's a great experience. I don't think this brain has felt such freedom in a while, not mindless all the time, yes I few good movies have been revisited to allow mind-numbing to occur to get to this stage
(and they were playing Lord of the Rings II in Mexico after The Old Gray Mare and I had watched the first one just days before...if that's not God adding a little blessing to life...then we're not paying attention),
but now...now, it's active in a new way.
Well, that's the modified version of what's going on in this brain now, until next time...hasta la vista...baby!

I'm R-E-A-D-Y!

That's right, I'm ready to go. Let's be honest here, I'm one to get straight to the point. I don't like to beat around the bush. I want to know something, I'll ask. I want something done, I'll go do it. So, when the countdown has been going on for over 45 days, the plans and schedules and activities talked about for countless times, it is about time. Time to step onto a plane and viajamos a Mexico! My bag is packed and I don't want to brag, well yes I do...this expertly trained UW packer has fit her week's worth of life into the "You could carry it on if you had to" size piece of luggage. Now, I have the option to take a bigger bag, sure. I could check two bags if I wanted, but where's the challenge in that. Let's get real, I'm gonna be wearing my bikini half the time...throw in a couple pairs of shorts, two nice outfits, a couple skirts, and plenty of tanktops and we're good to go...I mean, one can always rewear anything...heck I could wear the same thing everyday and who's gonna stop me. Not like I'm gonna see any of these people again, foreign country and all...besides my family, but they're used to me already:)
So, now I guess it's on to counting hours...25 till the plane takes off...17 that I'll be awake and fidgety (and did you know fidgety is in the spell checker, amazing things these machines can do)...

oh how far we've come

Two posts in one week! Shudder to think I have this much time on my hands...
the update, the count you all want to know...three finals down, two to go.
The hours seem to pass by so slowly this week...nothing to do but study and I've done that, spend two hours or so in school, two working in the office, one working out, review the material...what else does one do with her life...? You let me know of any good ideas.
But in other news...since I have this newly acquired free time I was checking out others blogs and then started to read my own. Wierd? Yeah, I couldn't even remember what I wrote. A semesters worth of thoughts and feelings and tiredness spewed onto a page, I'll be honest some of it impressed me that I could put those into words...others made me sigh a sigh of relief that those times are past and yes I'm surviving...I survived. Jesus got me through.
Now, I realize finals week isn't over yet, but I'm counting it as a done. I'm confident that as a classmate said earlier today,
"We're all super smart and we busted our a**es all semester. So, we're done." And it's true...she speaks truth! And if you could only hear her say supersmart like she does, then you would want to be her best friend as well!:)
So, yes, here I go, to enjoy my evening of "I'm not studying anymore tonight" but I can't really enjoy it yet b/c tomorrow's final is looming, alas, this too shall pass.
Adios muchachos!

the ways we weep

Jesus wept.

I wept
Tears of joy!
TEARS OF FRUSTRATION
or did I? Maybe I wanted to...

Once upon a time...
Two second years, who were being nice and telling a young innocent bright eyes first year back in the month of August said there would be four times at least that she would cry during her first year.
"I'm not a crier," she said.
"Neither are we," replied the wiser ones.
The newby thanked them for their perspective while inside she scoffed at their inability to hold up to the pressure. I'm tougher than they she told herself.

HA!

I can get this out, hopefully in understandable words and without the fear of shedding a tear in the process only b/c I am filled with the peace that passes all understanding. I have this inexplicable feeling of no anxiety, no worries, no stress and it shouldn't be that way...only one final down and four to go; I should definitely not feel this way. Thanks God. Thanks friends who threw up a few prayers, who fight for me before the Father. Thanks Jesus for expressing what I always cannot...

Jesus wept.

Why is it so hard to shed the tears in public? It seems to be acceptable to get so emotionally attached to fictitious characters on ones favorite tv show that reserves one whole hour of your life once a week...
It is okay to feel their hurts and pains and let the water works turn on, but oh shudder the thought that you might give into the natural response while, oh I don't know, just sharing with another person about life.
That's messed up.

Jesus wept.

I keep coming back to that...the shortest verse in the Bible, the one almost every good church going middle schooler or high schooler can spit out on Bible trivia as the shortest verse. John 11:35.
Funny how God is in the midst of all things here on earth...b/c I just happened to open a book I'd been reading but hadn't found the time for weeks and yesterday after deciding to get a little read in the part that's next is about...yep...Christ's travail...John 11:33-44
"...the tears Christ shed were not merely tears of sympathy, but of indignation and the stirrings of His spirit."
whew...think on that one. So, my spirit could be so stirred that I want to cry...heck ya. When no words come, when the heart is so heavy that words cannot express it, sure. Why does it often want to come out as tears? I don't know, God made us like that. It all goes back to the sympathetic response and the post-ganglionic branch of CN VII that enters the orbit and runs along with a branch of CN V2...duh...and the hormones that are released when we cry...yeah, scientists can know it, but can they give into it?
Can I so humble myself to let Christ have his way in my and just praise him through the tears no matter if they are tears of joy, thanksgiving, sorrow, anxiety...amazing how Christ made the body to take care of itself.
Need to relieve some stress? Need to be understood? Need to just "be a girl"? (yeah, sometimes that's needed) Cry and fall asleep in your Savior's arms, a deep much needed sleep that refreshes down to the soul...His arms are big and strong and water resistant:)

Jesus wept.
The man whose tears held more knowledge and sorrow for sins than we will feel in a lifetime.
The living breathing PEACE on earth.
The Christ, Immanuel, the embodiment of perfection.
He wept.
Thank you Jesus for your example to me.