The Little Things, Number Four.

19. Time spent with family.

20. Christmas Break.

21. Weddings, and the celebration surrounding them.

22. The Holiday.

23. Sitting on the floor exchanging months of stories with a friend and a cup of (black) coffee.

24. Outlet shopping.

25. Sharing meals with people that I care so much about.

26. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

27. Opening my new planner.

28. Good coffee.**

**Can we talk about how I received whole bean coffee for Christmas (which I love,) but no coffee grinder? On a normal day, this is acceptable because I have friends three rooms down with a coffee grinder. But not on Christmas break. I resorted to smashing with a spoon. When that proved to not work very well, my sweet grandfather pulled out his mini food processor and we tried to grind them that way. It worked well enough to get one cup with half the flavor. But hey. It worked.

Happy Christmas!

Today was a very happy Christmas indeed.

Presents, breakfast, more sleep. Lunch with everyone, more presents, dishes. An impromptu cousins photo shoot was thrown in there, as well as a lot of laughs and the annual viewing of "A Christmas Story" on TBS. I am so blessed, and I'm so thankful for each of these things.

(Cousins photos will be posted with Dad get back home with the camera...)

And, one more time for the season:

Watch Christmas Lights. It will put a smile on your face.

Christmas Eve.

It’s Christmas Eve!

I shopped with Amy and Natalie. I ran with my workout mix. I got ready in a flash, and we all headed to church for the Christmas Eve service. I wish I had taken pictures. But no. The church looked beautiful, as always. The usual Christmas hymns were sung, and the sermon on Mary’s rest in God and surrender of her life to fulfill his purpose was brilliant. Singing Joy to the World, the congregation headed outside to stand on the lawn with candles singing carols. Our family huddled together to keep warm, and I looked up to see the stunning church steeple masterfully lit to accentuate its detail. Above it was a dark black sky, with one star visible. Perfect.

We all came back to the house to eat sandwiches and various cheeses with crackers (pimento cheese, Christmas-y cheese ball, cream cheese and pepper jelly, queso dip) and enjoyed each other’s company around the table. We watched the Andy Williams Christmas Special, and got ready for bed.

Once we get there, only a matter of hours until we can see what Santa had up his sleeve for this year.

Me and Amy, clearly very anxious.

Anderson’s on the pull out couch, already out.

Looking forward to tomorrow!

Oh no.

Say, "Oh no." like Phoebe would say it in Friends. Say it out loud. Right now.

Now you know how I feel.

My loan was denied. Now I need to find $7,000 in order to come back to Covenant. Awesome. I keep hearing, "God is sovereign." and, "God is in control."

Ok God. Time to be sovereign and in control and do something about this.

Oh hey snow...

Oh hey snow...

It's nice to see you again. I enjoyed driving up my mountain through the flurries to find that you had beat me to the top, and lightly dusted the bare trees and leftover leaves along your way. The mini snow drifts that skirted the road were a small sign of things to come, as it has only been two hours and the view from my window is this:

Although I'm ecstatic to see your wet cold self, are you aware that it is only the 12th of December? In my twenty years of life, I don't remember you paying a visit this early. Not that I'm necessarily complaining. Just saying. I would much prefer to be finished with my exams and at home by the Christmas tree with a cup of coffee. If you wanted to stop falling from the sky, and then come back on Thursday when I can do just that, I would love you even more than I do now.

Fondly,

Emily

I feel defeated.

I feel defeated. Like this.

Spanish. I'm probably going to fail. There are only three more days of class left. After December 16th, my Junior year of college will be complete. Oh gosh.

On the other hand, I was determined to talk my way in to a gated community to see Christmas lights. My sister said I couldn't do it. I made her (and her friend) come with me, and proved her very wrong. We spent a half hour driving around listening to Coldplay's new song "Christmas Lights." Watch this.

I pulled out all of my scarves and hats and gloves today. That's fun. I also went wedding dress shopping with my friend Rachel. She found "the one," and it's perfect on her. And I listened to "Little Drummer Boy," finally recognizing how beautiful the lyrics really are.

I play my drum for him. He smiled at me.

Not so defeated after all.

Study.

I'm at Starbucks with Allie studying. It's raining outside. Christmas music is playing in the background.

I'm a terrible studier. While reading The Daughter of Persia for 20th Century, I've finally come to understand the importance of my education. The book tells the story of the daughter of an Iranian military and political leader who left Iran at twenty three to study in the U.S. She worked hard to earn her sociology degree, and went back to Iran and literally changed the country. Having worked for the United Nations, she was familiar with what social problems her nation required attention. This single woman began an upper-level school, met with the Shah to gain government support, and helped raise a generation that desired change.

All from a sociology degree.

I feel like I've wasted the last two and a half years. I've built meaningful relationships and have had fun, but I don't want to graduate thinking I wasted four years and can't do anything with my degree. I have two weeks and two more semesters. It's time to work.

The Little Things, Number Three.

15. Foggy days and leafless trees.

16. Walking into my study room to find five girls--only one of which shares the room--studying and watching Pride and Prejudice.

17. Monday nights. The longest day of my week is over.

18. Cheez Its.

Youth Retreat.

This weekend, I headed to Camp Vesper Point in Soddy Daisy, Tennessee. It's only about 45 minutes away from Chattanooga, but feels like it's in the middle of nowhere. I really should start carrying a camera, because I definitely don't have any pictures.

I stayed in an unheated spider-infested cabin (This was a hard one--I am TERRIFIED of spiders. But, I came away with no bites and never woke up to one on my face. This is good.) with six girls and another leader. It was so. much. fun. They taught me the Hoedown Throwdown (thanks Miley Cyrus) and we talked about boys and life and God. The weekend included four sessions focused on prayer and God changing your heart, games, free time, a hoedown, a bon fire, great food, great talks, and just having fun.

One downfall: I was sick. I came away very humbled by God allowing me to go, and using me even though I wasn't 100%. All in all it was a great weekend. I really just love those girls.

Concerts. I love them.

Mumford and Sons was last night in Knoxville. Oh. My. Gosh.

I stole this photo from Caroline Tait. Yes, she was this close. I was more towards the center and about fifteen people back. I should have fought my way through and stood with her. Dang it.

After seeing Jonsi (please watch this) and Sufjan in all of their glory, I didn't know how much I would enjoy Mumford and Sons. That was a silly thought. Mumford and Sons began with Sigh No More, and ended with an encore of The Cave. They played everything on their album, and some new stuff they've written while they've been on tour.

Can I just tell you that after this concert, I decided to pray that God would allow me to marry an attractive British man who loves God with dark hair and a beard. No, I'm not kidding. Just you wait.

The Little Things, Number Two.

9. Concerts. I love them.

10. Root beer, Mumford and Sons, and stars in a clear sky on late night drives.

11. Jungle's prayer meetings. I love that the girls on our hall gather together once per week to lift one another up in prayer.

12. Getting to know wonderful people over coffee and lunch dates, and celebrating God's call on our lives to spread the Gospel.

13. Good hair days.

14. Silver leaf earrings.

MTW's PCA GMC

Mission to the World's Presbyterian Church in America Global Missions Conference.

We like abbreviations.

I bought a new black moleskine journal, blank pages of course, just for the occasion.

The conference was Friday, 5 November through this morning, 7 November. I am very full and encouraged, with a bit of exhausted, excited, and anxious thrown in there. God is doing a great work around the world, and I am called to be a part of it through serving. It's not time yet, but it will be soon.

I have a lot to process from the conference. I learned a lot, prayed a lot, chatted a lot. I'm sure some of that processing process will end up on here. For now, I leave you with some thoughts from that new black blank-paged moleskine of mine.

Europe. Ready. Go.

This is what a call feels like. It includes tears.

The Little Things, Number One.

There are so many little things that occur over the course of a day that I enjoy. I'm starting a list. Ready, go.

1. Fall. The trees are full of red, yellow, orange and green. Their dark knobby branches are beginning to show more and more. My favorite part.

2. Chai Tea. I drink Chai with Lyss on the balcony of our hall every Sunday night. It didn't used to be every Sunday, but this has quickly become a tradition that I cherish.

3. Catch-up Coffee Conversations. I had one with EmJ today. We sat outside of the Starbucks on the mountain and drank fall-ish drinks while the wind blew and the leaves swirled around us.

4. Rain. I love rain more than sunshine, and I always have. Living on this mountain, the weather has a mind of its own. I appreciate its mind. Especially on days like today, when it decided to be cloudy in the morning, pour in the afternoon, only to be followed with sunshine, and then rain to finish off the day.

5. Virginia Elder. We ate lunch together today, and I thoroughly enjoy her company. All the time.

6. Advising Meetings. Today I met with my advisor about classes. I only have 29 credit hours left until I complete my college degree. I'm not even twenty-one, and will register as a senior this Thursday morning. Oh. My. Gosh.

7. Watches. I've been in the market for a watch for months now. I wanted one that would be remotely durable and water proof. I finally found one that I love. It's purple. And is lighted with a blue light. How perfect.

8. Journals. I have finally started to journal. This takes place throughout the day in my tiny green moleskine journal, which has no lines on its pages and can fit into the pocket of my book bag just perfectly.

There will be more of these.

Fall Break.

Fall break was October 16-20. I took full advantage of those few days and packed as much into my break as possible.

To start off, I made my break a day longer and skipped classes on Friday. (I don't suggest class-skipping, but it was necessary.) I left on Thursday afternoon with a car full of people and drove to Chicago. We made some pit stops, listened to the Age of Adz, and read Harry Potter. Out loud. It was a fantastic car ride, even though it took 12 hours.

We arrived at the home of a family whose daughter lives on my hall (she's wonderful) to find mattresses set out and a plate of chocolate chip bars ready for us to eat. On Friday, we slept late, ate breakfast, took our time getting ready, grabbed coffee, and headed into the city. By the time we found the train and got into Chicago, it was 4:00-ish. We went to Millennium Park and saw The Bean, then to Giordano's (best pizza EVER) for dinner.

Me and The Bean.

Reflection shot. Totally necessary.

With full bellies, we walked over to the Chicago Theater. (Work off the pizza? I think yes.) It was only a matter of minutes until we experienced the reason for our entire trip...

Sufjan Stevens.

Words cannot express how phenomenal this concert was. All I could think the entire time he was on stage was that this man is a musical genius. Seriously. He played the majority of The Age of Adz, including I Walked, Vesuvius, and Impossible Soul. He ended with Chicago, saying that Chicago is his dream city, and he used to escape there when he was younger. He said he still escapes, it just involves a tour bus and hotel room now.

He came back for an encore, and played some of his songs off of Illinoise. Decatur, Casimir Pulaski Day, and John Wayne Gacy, Jr. were among these. It was a fantastic experience, and I would gladly drive 12 hours to see him live again.

Saturday, we woke up early for an awesome pancake breakfast with the family we were staying with and to spend more time in the city.

Carl Sandburg on the train in.

The city view from Millennium Park

We did lots of walking, ate lunch at Max's Hot Dogs, and payed a visit to the American Girl Place!

Ok so this is not a great picture. I was overly excited and on the phone with Mommom. She took me on a trip to Chicago to go to the American Girl Place when I was ten, so I had to call her. I feel like it's only appropriate to be talking on the phone.

Sarah's is cuter for sure.

Saturday night I went to DeMotte, Indiana and hung out with Jess and Josh. THey grilled out, I ate their food, and we had a bon fire. It was really fun. Went to church with them the next morning, and then home!

This is the only picture I got. At the gas station being dropped off. Haha.

I spent Sunday night, all Monday, and Monday night at Mom and Dad's. Everyone was off of work and school, and we had lots of fun family time. No, really. It was fun. It included long chats and Harry Potter reading/watching. We had butter (root) beer and chocolate frogs (pumpkins) to go along with the movie. It was really fun. Tuesday included spending a few hours at the Greco's with Lauren, Andrew, and Kate and eating cookies. I went to dinner with David, and then we drove around and went to our old houses and then sat in our elementary school parking lot and talked. I went to Melissa's after that, and made puppy chow and hollowed out pumpkins. Then to Athens to spend the night with Katie! Wednesday I saw Mommom and Aunt K, then picked Virginia up from the airport and Asia up from her house and then back to school! Then went to the Chatt airport to get Lyss.

Basically, it was a fantastic break. I came back to school with a very full heart. Weary as it may have been from being so busy, it was very encouraged and overjoyed.

10.10.10

Cool. 10.10.10.

Here's some photos of lately. I didn't take any of them. Mindy and Aubree and Sarah did. But they are of people I love. So here you go.

KevHart and SarBar. They are cute. And taller than me. And SarBar is my roommate.

Anna Clare. She's my other roommate. And has pretty eyes.

Rachel. She's my breakfast buddy, prayer buddy, Castle watching buddy. Her roommate Lianne watches too. It's a party.

This photo is just absurd. (Side note: Absurd is a word I've been using lately.)

This was at Rock City on Day of Prayer after sunrise prayer and praise.

I look like a turtle.

Absurd.

This weekend was great. Lots of family, lots of friends. The Homecoming soccer game. Church. Tea for a sore throat. Soon to be reading and studying. The end.

Oh, and the dilemma from my 8.9.10 blog solved. I will be seeing Sufjan Stevens in Chicago this Friday night. And participating in the entire missions conference. More about both of those later!

20th Century.

I've always enjoyed studying history. I love learning about different countries and how they got to where they are today. I especially enjoy studying the World Wars and the events surrounding them. Because of this, I was eager to begin my 20th Century World History class this semester. It's part of Covenant's core curriculum, and I was looking forward to learning the material.

Until now. When I'm studying for my dang exam that I have in the morning. There is so. much. material. I kind of can't wrap my mind around it. But, there are distractions like the new Sufjan Stevens album that I have playing in the background, the Invisible Children meeting I have in 45 minutes, and really wanting to go on my run right. now.

On the plus side, I spent some time looking up all of the classes I have left in college. I will take 18 hours in the Spring and 12 hours in the Fall. And then I am done. So excited!

Broken.

The world is broken. Obviously. And I am so ready for Jesus to come back I can't even begin to explain it. My heart longs for his return, and to be living in his presence with the body of believers. Selfishly, I have asked him multiple times to come back "right. now." over the past few days. Seeing my own brokenness and that of other people is so hard, and quite honestly, painful.

But, God is the ultimate healer. He loves, cares, and gives grace to us when we don't deserve it. I am thankful that I have the opportunity to wake up, get ready, and have my cup of coffee. I am thankful that I have roommates that I love and that love me back. I am thankful for my Allie, who came to intentionally pour into me. (And by intentionally, I mean she wouldn't let me ask about her. I could only talk about me.) And while I'm at it, I'm thankful for my girls in my small group, who laugh and giggle and encourage me through that. My Lyss, who will drink coffee any time of the day with me. My Virg, who will let me flop on her day bed and make me yummy orange tea. My Rachel and my Rachael my other Rachel, that are just wonderful parts of my day. My Katie, who answers when I call her to just talk. My Melissa who pours into my life.

This post has gone a completely different direction than I was planning. But whatever. I write a lot about the people that I care about. And rightly so. I care about them. These women are part of my life, and I think the world of them. Good thing I write for myself.

I'm back.

I'm back in my room. I'm back with my roommates. I'm back on my hall, in my building, in my comfy chair. And I am so. happy.

I have a bit of a dilemma.

Sufjan is coming. Yes, I did say that Sufjan is coming. He will be in Atlanta on the 6th of November. I want to be there more than I can express. However, I am volunteering for Mission to the World's Global Missions Conference that weekend. This poses a bit of a dilemma.

So, for the couple of people who read this: what should I do?

Do I go see him:

Or, do I participate in the ENTIRE missions conference?

Which will be fantastic, no doubt. And all I would have to miss is Saturday night. But ughhhhhh I don't want to miss Saturday night or Sufjan!

Sigh No More.

This album is phenomenal.

Everything about it is just good. I can't even tell you how many times I have listened to it, each time loving a different song more than I have before.

Right now, Awake My Soul is at the top of my list. Here's why:

How fickle my heart and how woozy my eyes

I struggle to find any truth in your lies

And now my heart stumbles on things I don't know

This weakness I feel I must finally show

Lend me your hand and we'll conquer them all

But lend me your heart and I'll just let you fall

Lend me your eyes I can change what you see

But your soul you must keep, totally free

Har har, har har, har har, har har

In these bodies we will live, in these bodies we will die

Where you invest your love, you invest your life

In these bodies we will live, in these bodies we will die

Where you invest your love, you invest your life

Awake my soul, awake my soul

Awake my soul

You were made to meet your maker

Awake my soul, awake my soul

Awake my soul

You were made to meet your maker

You were made to meet your maker

Please go listen.

Anxiety.

I have struggled with anxiety since I was born. No, really. Since I was born. I have prayed about it, been to counseling about it, talked with older and wiser people, talked with friends. I have done everything in my power to break myself of this habit. After coming to college, I thought it was gone. I gained confidence in myself. I "figured out who I was," I guess you could say. I stopped worrying.

That is, until today. It all came crashing into my head at once. Relationships, work, school, tuition, "OhmygoshIonlyhavetwoyearsleftwhatamIgoingtodowithmyLIFE?!"

I would love to end this post with something like, "Well I will just trust in God. It's easy. Goodnight." No, that's not what you're getting. I want to control it. I want to fix it all. I want to figure everything out. I know that I can't, but I want to. I also know that I'm too stubborn to let go, and I will fight until I'm exhausted and can't fight anymore. Grrrreat.

Middle School.

I have taken classes, read books, had meetings, and have been approved by the session.

I am Covenant Presbyterian Church's Middle School Intern.

Woah.

I was in middle school once. It was weird. I was also very influenced by the women in my life at that time, and I know that it is a very crucial three years of development in every aspect of the word "development."

I am excited, nervous, terrified, overwhelmed (sort of) all rolled in to one. But mostly excited. I think.

Painting.

I'm painting my room. It was orange, and is now in the process of becoming blue.

It will be lovely.

Can't sleep.

I can't sleep.

I left my apartment because there are too many spiders, so I'm sleeping at my parents' house. My room is in the process of being painted (and my that, I mean I am in the process of painting my room) and it's not finished yet (I haven't finished it,) so I'm sleeping in Amy's room. She's at the beach. I still can't sleep.

Yesterday, David sent out an email update. He put what he wrote on his Facebook as well. Read it. It breaks my heart, and his as well. It's a good reminder that there are things much bigger than paying off tuition debt, trying to get out of the country for a bit this summer, and painting my room going on in this world. Things that I fight for during school, but tend to put in the back of my mind during summer. (Check out the Human Wrong Initiative.)

The day before that, Rachael called me from Uganda. Could I please tell you that this made my day? Let's be real. I cried. Please read her blog. She's phenomenal, and has such a huge heart for the work she is doing this summer.

This is a very link filled blog. And I feel like lately, I've only been blogging about my friends. Pathetic? Yes, probably. But I love them, and therefore feel as though they are blog-worthy. Not to mention, prayers for them would be great.

I'll go try to sleep. You check out these links.

Friends.

My friends truly mean the world to me. And right now, they are all over the world. Each of them are involved in different things, most of them being ministry. I have been very discontent lately, honestly being jealous of where everyone is and why I'm not gone too. But I am recognizing that God can use me right where I am. I am able to spend so much time in prayer for my sweet friends while I'm working, because cleaning is so mindless. Since I can only communicate with them through email and Facebook, I don't know how my prayers are being answered. I know that God is working in them and through them, and I can't wait to see them when they come home.

Katie- Panama City, Florida. She's doing Beach Project for Campus Outreach. She is leading a room of girls, and is working long and crazy hours at McDonald's. Through that, she and the girls that live with her are able to be a witness to those that they work with and those they come in contact with.

Rachael- Mbarara, Uganda. She is there working with a girls' program, working to teach them about the Lord and how to serve in their community. She has told me that she feel so comfortable there, and I'm so happy for her. I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't end up there permanently.

Virginia- Alaska/Yukon, Canada. She's traveling around doing Vacation Bible Schools and ministering to people in villages. She gets to live in perpetual sunshine and cooler weather. Jealous.

David- Bangkok, Thailand. He's there with MTW, doing campus ministry on the local college campus. All I've gotten so far is that he's playing music, which is perfect for him. I know that he's doing much more, and it's great.

Micah- The Middle East. He was studying abroad in Turkey, and has just recently met up with a group from home on a missions trip in Beirut. Then I think he's going to Jordan? I don't know, but it's awesome. Things fell into place for him to be right where he is, and I am praying that God does amazing things through him.

Baxter- Jordan. He's there for a month for an archeological dig with Wofford. He's going back to study abroad in the fall. Something amazing will happen, trust me.

Sarah- Peru. She's studying abroad, and is the only Christian she knows. I can't imagine how difficult it has been, but I pray that God will use this to draw her closer to him... That when she looks back on it, it will be a sweet time for her relationship with him.

Ellie- Uganda. She will be working in displacement camps, and then hanging out with Invisible Children for a few days. She has a huge heart for the country, and for the work that God is doing there.

Rachael- Ghana. She's going with West Point to do a community development sort of thing for women. It's awesome.

Regan- Duluth, Georgia. She's working at Camp All American at Perimeter Church. This is an awesome outreach to the community, and she get to interact with kids of all ages all. the. time.

Anna Clare and Crystal- They're at Camp Westminster, rockin' being counselors. They both love that place, and I'm so glad they're there. Liz and Allie are also camp counselors. So many people are doing that I can't even name them all. It's great.

Lisa- She's going on a cruise to Italy. It will be so fun.

Me- I'm cleaning. All summer. At Covenant. I'm also interning with Covenant Presbyterian's youth group. Hopefully that will pick up more soon. And hopefully I will see how God is using me. Soon?

It's one of THOSE nights.

I can't sleep. I can't think straight. I can't process what's going on in my head.

Why not?

My heart.

My heart is hurting to go back to Ireland.

This time last year, Baxter was over helping me rearrange my suitcase. I had way too many clothes that I wanted to take, most of them on the floor of my bedroom. Mom had been trying to help, and David and Rachael before that, and it was a fail all the way around. I can't pack a suitcase to save my life. Way to save the day, Bax.

It was the beginning of an adventure. I went to sleep with a full and excited heart, ready to go the next day.

I made my bed and cleaned up my room as best as possible, knowing that I would want it decently clean when I came home. I had no idea it would be the last time I walked out of that room.

I miss Ireland. I miss the people, I miss my team. I watched P.S. I Love You tonight with Apartment 5. Love it.

Rain.

I just ran in the rain. I've never done that before.

And in case you were wondering, it's the perfect I'm-stressed-and-need-to-let-out-some-frustration type of thing to do.

Except then I ruined it by eating a chocolate chip muffin after I got back. Dumb.

Study.

Today is cleaning day. I woke up and immediately started cleaning. Vacuuming, dusting, putting away the piles of clothes I've had piled for the last three months. All while listening to The Beatles on shuffle. It was fantastic.

We then proceeded to have a hall ice cream party. I made myself sick.

Now, on to studying. It is misty and foggy outside, my favorite kind of weather. I'm sitting in our study room with some of my favorite people, all on our computers and studying for various exams.

Time to get down to business.

Music and volcanos.

I don't write about music. Not because I don't love it, but because I do not have any musical authority, and feel like I don't really have a right to write about it. I spend hours of my day listening to it, but I do not know how to play it. I do not have a musical ear, nor do I know how to read musical notes.

But, I do know what I like.

Last week, I snatched up Best Buy's last copy of Jonsi's new album "Go." It is brilliant.

Jonsi is the vocalist for the Icelandic band Sigur Ros, whose unique ethereal sound captured my heart when I was in high school. Combine this phenomenal music with the terrifyingly beautiful photos of Eyjafjallajokull, and you will understand my recent obsession with the country of Iceland.

Needless to say, Iceland is on the top of my list of places to visit.

Oh, and when you have a minute, watch this:

Jonsi-Go Do.

Growing up.

Last night, I met my little sister for coffee. And by little, I mean my sister who is literally five inches taller than me. (Yes, I did say 5.) She just turned 16 in January, and she got her cute green Honda Accord in March. (I named her Susan. She named my car Abigail.)

I arrived at Starbucks after getting lost (typical) and calling my little sister--who drove herself to Starbucks--to ask her how in the world to get there. She was sitting at a table with her homework spread out and her iPod on. If I was a normal person, I would have been intimidated by her awesomeness. No, I'm not kidding.

She is beautiful. And it has taken me 16 years, 3 months, and 9 days to realize it. (Obviously I'm a little slow.)

I think the least she deserves for putting up with my picking on her for 16 years, 3 months, and 9 days is a blog post on my silly blog nobody reads. (And if someone does, thanks for bearing with me through all the parenthesis.)

Distractions and Adventures.

Why is it that the time that I spend trying to do a paper seem like the perfect time to post a little something? Beats me.

Friday night, we had our Invisible Children screening here at Covenant. It went really really well. We had literally four rounds of posters go up throughout the month, made a Facebook event, and chalked campus the night before. Needless to say it was very well advertised. The Deep South Roadies came, along with Norman and Comfort, two Ugandans. It was so awesome to hear them speak and to hang out afterwords. Of course my camera battery was dead, and I didn't get any pictures of us at Sonic in the middle of the night. Bummer.

Saturday we hung out with the Roadies. At breakfast (which extended into lunch) we sat with Norman and he told us all about American history. It was pretty awesome. He's 71, and has been a history and music teacher in Uganda for years and years. He told us about our own country's history, and told us that the nation's history plays a part into who we are as people. He's right. Then he told us stories of hunting barefooted with spears and going to school for the first time when he was young. It was a conversation that will never be forgotten. Comfort is awesome, hands down. She is hilarious, and was so much fun to get to know. She is a huge encouragement, and it was a blessing to spend time with her. She gave me a bracelet that she had gotten from another school, because she had more than one and I told her that I wanted one like it. It was just one of those rubber-y ones. It's red and says, "My heart is beeping." Perfect IC quote. I love Comfort, and she will always be in my thoughts and prayers.

Saturday afternoon, we headed over to Nashville. It was an adventure from the start, trying to navigate through the rain and finding where to go once we got to Belmont's campus. We volunteered to help out with the Sleepout to End Malaria. It was a fantastic event held in multiple cities around the country by Nothing But Nets, the United Nations Foundation, and The Brave/When the Night Comes. We got there and were super excited, but nothing went according to plan. Thank you weather.

We couldn't sleep there because there were tornadoes in the area. We had to push it out of our minds until later because we had to be ready to do whatever we were asked. Things ended up being awesome. We set up a table in a parking garage, and tons and tons of people signed the petition as they came out of The Best of the Best (a Belmont showcase.) Then some of the artists from the showcase played and sang for us. It was a great night. As we were leaving to head back to Covenant, I got a text saying, "Tornado watch. Get thyself to the Catacombs!" Grrrreat. We ended up going to Waffle House with some people from the Sleepout, waited the storms out, and headed back to Covenant. I finally fell into bed at 5:20ish, only to be awakened by a terrifying dream about a massive spider and my heart going a million miles a minute. We won't talk about that.

Today, we had a Founders picnic at Coolidge. It was great fun, fellowship, and worship. I love the community I live in.

Now, I am working on a paper. It's not going very well. Obviously. I'm writing here instead.

Gotta go.

I officially have the travel bug. I've gotta go somewhere. Soon.

So here lies the question. Is my desire to travel/live abroad something that I should pursue as a missions calling, or should I just find a job and live somewhere abroad?

Social justice is something that I deeply care about. How can I make a difference? I don't even know. I try with the little things like organizing events and trying to raise awareness, but does it do anything? Yep, it does.

And I will not give up, back down, or stop.

This post is so scattered. It follows the thought pattern in my head right now. As I sit in Statistics. How am I going to survive the test we have on Monday? Beats me.

St. Patrick's Day

In a field of three leaf clovers, it is possible to find a four-leaf clover.

Although it's awesome that I found a four leaf clover in the middle of St. Stephen's Green in Dublin's City Centre, I'm partial to three leaf clovers. Reason being, St. Patrick used them to explain the trinity to the Irish people.

Today, I got ready while listening to Irish music. I wore a shirt that said, "I heart Ireland," wore green shoes from Penney's in Dublin, a necklace from Accessorize in Kilkenny, and my claddagh ring. I drank Barry's tea, with milk, of course. A guy from Ireland and a guy who spent last summer in Ireland were busking in the Great Hall, singing classic Irish tunes. (I left them the Barry's tea bag I had in my purse. Hah.) Seeing everyone wear green, and feeling very proud to have lived in Ireland for a brief time, St. Patrick's day quickly became one of my favorite holidays. In all the excitement, it is easily forgotten that the reason for today's celebration is God's call on St. Patrick's life to serve the Irish people.

Cheers to you, St. Paddy.

Oh, college.

We have a love/hate relationship.

Love: My MacBook. Coffee. Tea. Diet Coke. Water. Phone. I even love The Open Secret, because it's about missions.

Hate: Since this picture was taken: The coffee is gone. The tea is almost gone. Diet Coke needs to create a self-replinishing button. I have like 200 words on my paper. (Curse solitaire. And Facebook.) It's way too late. Or early. However you choose to look at it.

Thus, the love/hate relationship I have with college.

Today.

is beautiful.

Home.

I miss home.

A Sweet Friend.

Having sweet friends surround me is such a blessing. Tonight, I had the privilege of crying and praying with one. Things happen. Life happens. It's hard. Having the opportunity to love and bear one another's burdens is so precious. My heart is so full of the joy that petitioning to Adonai brings.

Narnia.

Last Friday, January 29th, Dr. Ward spoke in chapel. The Covenant student body welcomed him with a warm and excited applause, and his message on Lamentations was excellent. As he dismissed us and everyone got up to leave, Chaplain Messner ran up on stage and announced that because of the threat of inclement weather, the school would be closing at 11:45 a.m.

I have never heard Covenant so excited in my life.

As we walked out of chapel, it started snowing. Within an hour, we had an inch sticking to the ground. Snow continued falling throughout the afternoon.

By nighttime, Covenant was representative of a real life Narnia. It appeared to be a scene straight from the beginning of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. Our feet sank into the snow as we walked and ice was covering the trees. It was breathtaking.

The beginnings.

Ice covered trees.

Blue skies.

It was something I have never experienced, and something I may never experience again. Might as well document it.

I don't get it...

I don't understand my life. I don't understand any of it.

I don't know why I'm at Covenant. Why I'm here, and my family is unhappy 30 minutes away. Why I have a room to myself, with a heater that works and plenty of room, and they have a house with a broken heater and mice invading their privacy. I don't know why I had the privilege of graduating from Hebron, and why my sister and brother are at schools where an academic challenge is something they've had to search after, begging to be put in classes that are difficult. I feel guilty.

I don't know why I had the opportunity to go to Costa Rica, England, Wales, Germany, and France, all under the age of nineteen. I don't know why God called me to go to Ireland last summer. I don't know why He's calling me to go to Uganda this summer. But I feel guilty, because my parents haven't been farther than Hawaii and the Bahamas.

I don't know why I am majoring in Sociology, and minoring in Youth Ministry and Missions at Covenant College. I don't understand why I have never been more excited than I was sitting in my Theology of Missions class last week. I don't know why I had to control exploding with joy by bouncing my legs while Dr. Ward was lecturing. I have no idea why on earth I am called to the things that God has called me to. Ministry is far from all fun and games. It's hard. It's exhausting. But it's what He wants me to do.

Why me?

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."

Psalm 37:4 says, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart."

These verses are often heard when questioning what God's will is for one's life. I'm not questioning anymore. I know.

I am called to youth ministry overseas. I don't know where, I don't know when, and I don't know how it's going to happen. But that is what I am supposed to do. I have trusted in the Lord, and he has made my paths straight. I have delighted in him, and he has given me these desires. No one in their right mind would choose this life. Yes, it sounds exciting. Yes, I am so excited I can't even contain myself (hence the blog.) But really, it's terrifying.

I prayed that God would use me, that he would send me. I am humbled that he has chosen to use me to serve him in these ways. When I talked with Daddy about Uganda, he excitedly said, "Do it!" Mom was more hesitant. As I explained why I wanted to go, she got all teary-eyed and told me that she gave me to God a long time ago, and she can't stop him from doing what he wants with me. What a blessing it is to have parents who love me, and who have trusted God with my life.

Why do I want to do this, and my sister is called to teach? She gets just as excited about that as I do about missions. It's because God has called us to those things. He has given us the desire to do them. Why do I get to have the desire to do youth ministry and missions? Because God wants me to have these desires.

God wants me to. That is why I am doing what I'm doing. And I am willing.

Oh the places you'll go...

I'm pretty sure that's a Dr. Seuss book title. Now it's a blog title.

I want to go places. I want to do things. But above these, I want to serve the Lord who created me. Three days ago, I prayed that God would use me. That he would send me where he wanted me, and that I could serve him. I'm going.

One Year Ago Today...

Let me preface this by saying that I feel like I look back on things too often. Like my last post saying I want to go back to Ireland. And thinking today that I wish I were a transfer again.

One year ago today, I was running around my house trying to get things together to leave for Covenant. I had gotten a phone call the night before from a man who worked for Covenant. He offered me a scholarship, and asked me to move up on Monday and start class Tuesday. What. the. heck.

I had just been at the memorial service of a wonderful woman who was a close friend of our family. I had just been talking with people at church about wanting to be at Covenant. I walked in the house to both of my parents standing in the kitchen smiling. Mom looked at me and said, "We have some exciting news. You may want to sit down." Uhh, ok? What is it? Are we going to Disney World or something? Daddy's response, "No. She's pregnant." and points at Mom. HAH. Funny. Really, what's up? Then Mom told me.

"Covenant called. They want you to come, and start class Tuesday. They're calling back in fifteen minutes."

I talked with the man from Covenant, and then I called everyone I knew. Grandparents. Emily. Blythe. Katie. Baxter was in Chile, so I had to get a hold of him on Skype. Jon. Mike. Lisa. I had to quit my job at Chick-fil-A (I worked there long enough to make $10. Hah.) and let Melissa know that I wouldn't be able to work with the middle school girls at youth group any more. Then packing. Oh man, what to take. Or what not to take? Insane, either way.

Katie drive from Athens and spent the night. We spent most of it trying to figure out what to take, and I had one of the most restless nights I can remember.

Church Sunday morning was bitter sweet. I cried through the hymns that were sung, and a little during the sermon. We told everyone at church, and it was amazing to have such awesome support from so many people. Everyone shared in the joy that I was experiencing.

Sam's for lunch. Pizza, of course. Then buying the essentials. Shampoo, toothpaste, gum, Diet Coke. All that good stuff. That afternoon, Lauren came over to say bye. Emily and Blythe brought me a college basket. Lisa came over and hung out for a bit. Michael stopped by to say bye. I talked with Baxter and told him how nervous I was. I slept in my room for the last time in what felt like forever.

Monday was just as crazy as the day before. I had to get my high school transcript, my Gainesville transcript, shots, doctor's records, and pack the car. I called Covenant so often that the admissions guy who was helping me answered by saying, "Hey Emily, what's up?" because he recognized my number. Mom and Daddy drove with me up to Covenant. We met with tons of people, unloaded and set up all of my stuff, and then they left. I was a student at Covenant College.

Yesterday, I cried on the way up here. Listening to Sufjan, I remembered driving up the mountain for the first time ever. SCARY. I was welcomed back with hugs from Sarah, and help unpacking my car. I went to get Virginia from the airport, made a Wal Mart run, and stopped by Krispy Kreme. I am one of those girls that squeals when she sees her friends she hasn't seen in a month. I remember seeing people do that last year and thinking, "A year from now, I'll be doing that." Yep, right on.

That phone call changed my life. Right now, I'm sitting in a newly-rearraanged 323 alone. Priscilla's getting married, dang it, so I'm all by myself. (kidding. it's great. but I really am by myself.) I can't wait to see what God does in my life. He has, is and will continue to be working in my life. He never ceases to amaze me.