The Thankful List

All the cool kids are doing it.

Family
Ok, we're weird. I admit it. But this bond will never be broken. I don't think anyone understands us-- I don't think I even understand us. But I'm really glad we're together, and I know we always will be. No matter what, we are in it for the long haul, and I love you. We're a crazy bunch... and it rocks. Know that I am always praying for you... always, always, always.

InterVarsity
Oh my gosh. I don't even want to think of where I'd be without this amazing group of people. I have found a true community in them all, and though I still have trouble connecting, I know that when it all comes down to it, everyone does accept me. I'm still trying to break down the walls I build around myself and get closer to everyone, but still, you're all fantastic. I have never met a more transparent group of people, and who are so dedicated to following Jesus. You help me keep going the right direction, so thanks.

Jeremy and Jessica
Ok, I mentioned IV already, and all the staff are AMAZING beyond words, but specifically Jeremy's leadership has had a really big impact on my life. I've grown a lot over the past year or two, and Jeremy has pushed me along the way, and helped me to stretch myself, and to trust that God will catch me. I really, truly appreciate the love that Jeremy and Jessica pour into all of us. Jessica is wonderful too, and I really look up to her as a woman, a mother, a person following God. She's fantastic.

Education
I have been blessed with a wonderful education. My family has encouraged me to learn, my teachers have supported me and encouraged me to reach my potential, and my schools have all taught me a lot over the years. I know how lucky I am to be one of the 1% in the world to recieve a college education, and I know that it is largely due to the people who have supported me. I pray that I can use my education to God's glory, even though I may not know what that is yet.

Consciousness
I am thankful that I am beginning to wake up, to see the forces that try to control the minds of me and my generation. They tell us to buy, to consume, to look out for yourself. Get ahead. You are number one. Do whatever it takes to come out ahead... and while you're at it, buy our product. Don't ask where it came from. It's not important.
And to this, I say NO. I am regaining my consciousness. I am fighting back, and you cannot control me any longer. I am stepping away from this garbage, and reclaiming my life. You will not force me into your traps, and I will never be complacent living in ignorance. For this, though it causes me sadness, grief, and even discomfort... I am thankful.

Kids
Kids are amazing. I am having baby cravings like woah... haha. Every time I see a child, I am struck by their beauty, their innocence, their unique perspectives on the world... I am in love with every child I see. They make me so happy. I have been daydreaming about my future kids... will they be boys? Girls? Will they look like me? My future husband? Will they come from another country altogether? Whoever they are, I look forward to the day I can finally meet them. I feel like I love them already... It sounds weird, but I don't care, it's the truth. I'm not sure about a lot of things in my future, but I know that I will be a mother. Of this, I am completely sure.

Theresa
She holds a special place in my heart... one of the VERY few people that has stuck by all my bad choices, my crazy schemes, my ignorance, my panic attacks, my heartbreaks... and through it all, has never betrayed me. Theresa, you've seen me at my worst, but you always give me your best. I don't know where I'd be without you.

Ryan
Yeah... it's true. I love him. I'll spare you the gooey details, but he has been an amazing friend, and a really wonderful boyfriend. We've grown a lot, and I hope that we can continue to grow together. Thanks for sticking around. :)

God
The ultimate in sticking around through the hard times... You are amazing. Thank you for your constant presence in my life, even back when I thought I didn't want you around. You have been seeking me out from the beginning. I know this to be true, and I don't know why... but all I can do is thank you.

That's all I'm gonna write tonight... thanks for listening.

Breaking my tradition...

OK. Anyone who is around me during this time of year knows that I am very particular about one certain tradition (actually, there's a few... but we're not going into all that), and that is the fact that I do not do anything "Christmas-y" until I see Santa come down the float at the end of the Macy's parade. After this, the Christmas season officially starts, but until then, I refuse to acknowledge it. I'm stubborn like that. :P

But this year, in the spirit of giving, I have officially broken that tradition. I got a gift for a foster child that was on one of the Angel Trees, and bought wrapping paper too, yesterday. I felt moved to get something, because I saw this one girl's card, and the fact that she was 15 caught my eye. I know how much harder it is for kids the older they get within the "system." People want to adopt young, and people always want to help cute little kids, but angsty teenagers take a bit more of an effort to love.

Plus, their Christmas gifts tend to run a bit more expensive. But I went ahead and got her the DVD player from her list. It was pretty cheap, and plus I know I have very giving friends to help me out with stuff like this. I already was repaid $15, chipped in from Ryan, Theresa, and my brother, and that's already almost half the cost. One of the things I love so much about my "crew" is that everyone chips in whenever necessary. That's what helped get me and so many people I know to Mexico, the Philippines, or wherever else God is calling them. Yes, I broke my tradition this year and bought a gift early. So sue me.

The reason I am posting this, though, is because I just got done looking through the World Vision gift catalog for this Christmas season, and I really wanted to share that on here. I wish I had the means to contribute to everything represented in that catalog. If you haven't seen it, World Vision offers the opportunity to buy really awesome things for people in poverty... things that will help turn their lives around. Some of the ones I remember are farm animals (goats, cows, chickens), school supplies, job training for women, clean water sources, malaria nets, safe housing, Bibles in native languages, soccer balls, musical instruments, farming tools, medication, help for sexually exploited girls... So many wonderful things.

If you want to check it out, go here for the online catalog. Look around. You can even purchase one of these things as a Christmas gift for someone you care about. Instead of buying some dumb bath set or random cologne, why not tell them that a child in poverty is now recieving an education? Or that a mother is receiving job training so that she can provide for her family? Or that an entire village is recieving clean water, and is now guarded against death from cholera?

I think it's a really cool way to show the love of Jesus in a practical way, both to our friends here and the people whose lives are affected by these gifts. We as Americans need to take a minute and turn the focus away from ourselves, even as we try to give Christmas gifts to each other. I would be really happy if this year someone contributed to a World Vision gift instead of getting me some dumb thing I don't even care about, and I'm sure many people would feel the same way as me.

:)

My GRE Experience

Took the GRE today... I prepared for it by reviewing basic math for about an hour last night, and looking over some sample essays from the writing section. LOL, so basically I was totally winging it, but I did alright. May I just say, though, that verbal was HARD!! Holy cow, I could have sworn they were making up half of those words!! Anyway:

Verbal: 530... like I said, it was hard. Really hard. I am a person who reads a LOT, and it was still ridiculously tough.

Math: 740... haha. Guess my 1 hour math review helped! :)

Writing: Not scored yet, but I am guessing that I will get a 4-5 on the perspective essay, and a 5-6 on the arguement analysis (I think I did really well on that one). Thank God I watched Hotel Rwanda with Theresa last night, because I used Paul R.... (the hotel manager) as an example of an effective leader in my perspective essay.

So, it really wasn't as terrible as everyone makes it out to be... the most annoying part is the antiquated computer-based system they use. I felt like I was in a time warp, using some rickety old computer in my elementary school. They need some sharper software, methinks... I actually would prefer a paper exam to their outdated (and rather cumbersome) "technology"!!

And now, it is naptime... I'm exhausted.

P.S. If anyone is interested in serving the homeless in the University area tomorrow night, let me know. I've got the hook-up. :)

Good news!

I'll make this quick...

we have a room!! not only for next semester, but for the rest of this one as well!!

Hooray! Thank you JESUS!! :)

Common Ground with the Voiceless went very well, for being in the food court...

...but I am soooo happy that we will be back in 3707! The people at the MSC really had grace on us... amazing. God provides.

What a relief!!

:) :) :)

Prayer Request

For the few of you who may read this that are NOT in IVCF at USF...

Please pray, we are in a pretty crappy situation at the moment. We have lost our room reservations for the rest of the year, which could potentially destroy our ministry. Yes, we did something wrong, we did break a rule, but we had no idea the repercussions would be so severe. Here's the situation in more detail, if you wanna know:

We basically had an event outside of the Marshall Center to share the gospel, even though they denied our request to hold that event (our request was made only about 12 business days in advance, not the required 14... a rule which they have only very recently began to enforce). We had actually put in requests for 3 events and they all got denied.... but we figured we'd try to do this one anyway, because we really felt a need to share the gospel in this way. We figured if they had a problem they'd ask us to leave, and we would politely pack up and leave. Well, nobody asked us to move all day, and we had a great response from students... and then that night, Jeremy and Melyssa received an email informing us that we have lost our room reservations for the year. Meaning, we have no space for Common Ground, for leadership meetings... and for our special JJP event tomorrow, "Common Ground with the Voiceless."

It's really discouraging. It broke my heart when they told me this... it is so easy to take our room away, but by doing that, they don't understand how badly they hurt our community... our family. At first I was angry that we decided to break the rule, because of the amount of trouble we got into, and the fact that the Bible says we must respect authority... but then I thought about it, and I realized that because of what we did, about 50 students heard the gospel that day alone, and they were all really receptive to it. I think we got a lot of students to see a side of Jesus they did not know existed. We are to respect authority to the point that it doesn't go against God... and he definitely has commanded to preach the gospel to all nations.

Plus, yes we broke a rule... but we were OUTSIDE. And not disturbing anyone. Polite. Friendly. Informative. We have been an organization at USF for over 15 years, and have in that time requested over 900 rooms for events and meetings... and in all that time we have never broken a rule. We have always listened to them, even when they have been completely unfair (like this year, when they approved an event, and then changed their minds about it not even two days before the event took place... we just accepted it). And now the first time something goes wrong, they take our rooms away for the year?? It's absurd, and injust. The Marshall Center is for STUDENTS but they have been ridiculous about denying us this year. It's not just our orginization either... I have heard about 3 others who are having difficulties as well.

The good news is that after a day of headaches and meetings, we got a room confirmed for next semester (which is a huge relief!), but we're still without a home for this semester. Why do my groups always get kicked out of places?? The Underground got kicked out of its "home" at the Improv a year or so ago, and they hadn't even broken a rule or anything!!

Anyway. I am trying to reassure myself that we do not need a room... we do not need anything but Jesus. At the same time, though, I worry about new students who may not be connected enough right now to continue coming after this madness has settled back down. The leadership will be fine, the core group will be fine... I am just worried about the newer kids. But I have faith that God will provide and keep us together.

Anyways, prayers would be appreciated. Thanks. I will try not to let "the man" get me down... and to remember that even the Son of Man had no place to lay his head.

We Are Winning...

Three times, today, I listened to this song...
three times, today, it made me cry
and filled me with hope
for the Kingdom of God
and for what can be
if I allow myself to dream,
and allow God to use me completely.

Today is the day I change the course of my life...

"We Are Winning"

Rival gangsters sit down to plan an after-school program
A religious fanatic posts footage of an interfaith service project
A group of teenage boys watches a video of a father playing catch with his son
An adult film star paints thumbnail portraits of elderly couples, fully clothed and smiling
A record executive records a demo of his apology
A policeman makes reverse 911 calls instructing residents to take to the streets
A patriot reports for duty
She's wearing an orange jumpsuit and holding a picket sign
She's ashamed of her birthplace
But retreat is not an option

Women and children
Frontline
Log on, Tune in
Stand and be counted
Wounded, Stationed
In the belly of the vulture
Watch your back
There's no civilians
Women children
Frontline, Listen
Consider this a distant early warning
The fires imminent
Pollution gathering dust particles
Funneling through smokestacks
Airwaves, Bandwidth
Disinformation tube fed
Check the label
Delete the virus
Alert the masses

Butterfly wing crosswinds send black hawks toward hurricane survivors
Roses sprout from empty lots and sidewalk cracks
Pacifist guerrillas move undetected through concrete jungles
New forms are beginning to take shape
Once-occupied minds are activating
People are waking up
The insurgency is alive and well

Rise of the FLOBOTS
Portrait of the new American insurgent
Rattle and shake the foundation of the world order
Assembly line consent
Resist, Refuse
Inform, Create
Direct loved ones to the trenches
Suit up
Forge rubble into fortresses
Plaster, Cloth
Aluminum
Broken porcelain
Rusted platinum
Burn bloodstains from decompressed diamonds
Hammer the battlecry into braille-studded armor

We are building up a new world
Do not sit idly by
Do not remain neutral
Do not rely on this broadcast alone
We are only as strong as our signal
There is a war going on for your mind
If you are thinking you are winning
Resistance is victory
Defeat is impossible
Your weapons are already in hand
Reach within you and find the means by which to gain your freedom
Fight with tools
Your fate and that of everyone you know depends on it

Subversive Southerner

I have been putting off my studying all day... and I was doing so well up until today! *sigh*

It just isn't that important to me... is that wrong?

I don't want to be a scientist anymore. I want to be Anne Braden.

....and I really wish I could go back to Mexico.

Study Break!

I needed a study break desperately... so I took the Myers-Briggs test through Facebook's "MyType" application (EDIT: I found one at www.mypersonality.info that is a bit better and bore like a "real" Meyers-Briggs test). I was quite stunned with the accuracy of my results. There is a little question as to whether I am "INFJ" of "INFP," but I'm leaning toward INFP, I think... though I may be a "lazy J," as Ryan said. That may be true. They're really similar though, and both pretty rare (each are estimated to make up about 1% of the population). Anyway, check this out:

INFPs present a calm, pleasant face to the world. They appear to be tranquil and peaceful to others, with simple desires. In fact, the INFP internally feels his or her life intensely. In the relationship arena, this causes them to have a very deep capacity for love and caring which is not frequently found with such intensity in the other types. The INFP does not devote their intense feelings towards just anyone, and are relatively reserved about expressing their inner-most feelings. They reserve their deepest love and caring for a select few who are closest to them. INFPs are generally laid-back, supportive and nurturing in their close relationships. With Introverted Feeling dominating their personality, they're very sensitive and in-tune with people's feelings, and feel genuine concern and caring for others. Slow to trust others and cautious in the beginning of a relationship, an INFP will be fiercely loyal once they are committed. With their strong inner core of values, they are intense individuals who value depth and authenticity in their relationships, and hold those who understand and accept the INFP's perspectives in especially high regard. INFPs are usually adaptable and congenial, unless one of their ruling principles has been violated, in which case they stop adapting and become staunch defenders of their values. They will be uncharacteristically harsh and rigid in such a situation.

INFP Strengths

● Warmly concerned and caring towards others

● Sensitive and perceptive about what others are feeling

● Loyal and committed - they want lifelong relationships

● Deep capacity for love and caring

● Driven to meet other's needs

● Strive for "win-win" situations

● Nurturing, supportive and encouraging

● Likely to recognize and appreciate other's need for space

● Able to express themselves well

● Flexible and diverse

INFP Weaknesses

● May tend to be shy and reserved

● Don't like to have their "space" invaded

● Extreme dislike of conflict

● Extreme dislike of criticism

● Strong need to receive praise and positive affirmation

● May react very emotionally to stressful situations

● Have difficulty leaving a bad relationship

● Have difficulty scolding or punishing others

● Tend to be reserved about expressing their feelings

● Perfectionist tendencies may cause them to not give themselves enough credit

● Tendency to blame themselves for problems, and hold everything on their own shoulders

So, what do you think? If you know your type, post it here (along with whether or not you think it suits you), 'cause I find this to be quite interesting!

:)

"So sick, so sick of being tired..."

...and oh so tired of STUDYING.

Long weekend ahead of me.

However, at times like these, I try to remind myself that education (especially at the college level) is a privilege that most of the world does not have.

This is a privilege. PRIVILEGE... try to appreciate it.


"Isn't it strange that a gift could be an enemy?
Isn't it weird that a privilege could feel like a chore?"

To-Do This Weekend:

Friday:
Make flashcards for 216 Physiology slides (96 down, 120 to go!)

Also begin constructing phrases and ideas for Spanish interview.

Saturday:
Make flashcards for 134 Molocular Bio. slides

Also try to converse about photo for Spanish interview
Nelson's party at 9-10 ish

Sunday:
Church at 10 am
Go through each set of flash cards at least twice (hopefully 3 times)
Finalize story for Spanish interview... try to anticipate her tricks
Review Big Story for JJP kickoff!!

AUGH

I am so stressed, I feel like I am about to have a panic attack.

I just got done taking the Spanish exam from Hell... which is ironic considering my teacher is a nun. She is insane. Absolutamente loca. She has all these little rules and technicalities in her class, it's like she is looking for ways to lower our grades. I'm serious. I'm never one to say "this teacher is out to get me" or whatever... but this one, I seriously believe, gets some sort of sick pleasure out of marking us wrong. One time I scratched out one letter of a word on a pop quiz, and she gave me a zero. For the whole quiz. What the crap, this is COLLEGE!

I am so, so stressed and I am afraid I am going to get a B. It's driving me nuts, because Spanish is worth 5 credits, not the typical 3, so whatever grade I get in Spanish will affect my GPA more than another class would. This exam today... she said it was on chapters 12 and 13... well, LAST NIGHT she posted an announcement on BlackBoard that, oh yeah, remember Chapter 15? That's gonna be on here as well. Yes, we already learned it, but that was like 3-4 weeks ago! I found this out THIS MORNING when I walked into class, and someone mentioned how crappy it was that she posted this last night. I was like "what... the... crap..." ARGH! And there were like 3 sections on this junk!! I probably got a B or worse on this exam because I didn't know about that stuff!!

To top it off, she has marked me off for participation in class, she's gonna fail me on the pop quizzes (that's another story, don't get me started) and every unexcused absence is 2 points off our final grade... I don't have any, but I might have enough tardies to make one. I don't know how she calculates that. Plus she might mark me off for homework too, since sometimes I forget it... that's ANOTHER 2 points off my final grade... I mean, as far as my tests and quizzes go, I have about a 94 average, and I do at least 90% of the homework... I feel like I deserve an A. Really. And I haven't been late in months. But... I am probably getting a B. I am so so so STRESSED and my heart is racing. It did help a little to vent just now, though.

I have an interview in Spanish on Monday morning (worth 5 points of my final grade)... and two major exams in my other classes on Tuesday. Then I have a presentation due next Tuesday that's worth as much as an exam, and I also take my GRE that Monday. Oh, and Justice week is next week too... and to top it off, I haven't heard from my thesis director in over a month.

Please pray for me, I am freaking out hardcore.

Off to class...

Violins on television.

I just got a violin for $70 from my friend Rachel. Pretty sweet. I'm having some problems tuning it, but hopefully I'll figure it out... I'll take it to a music store if I have to!

For the record, I completely underestimated how truly awkward it would feel to use a big long stick to play an instrument wedged under my chin.

...It's different. But hopefully I stick with it. Violins are so pretty!!

In honor of my new instrument, here is one of my favorite Gilda skits:

The slow and painful death of the University area...

Ellen and I were at the mall yesterday when we both observed something rather troubling... businesses are leaving the USF area at a rapid pace. Bennigan's went bankrupt and so did Tia's, so I don't know if that really counts. But Jo-Ann's moved to New Tampa... JC Penny's and Dillard's moved to Wesley Chapel... Hollywood Video moved to Temple Terrace... and this has all occurred within the last 6 months or less. I know that businesses move all the time, but the thing is, nothing is moving in. Nothing. (Except for Mr. Empanada... that place rocks. But still, it is so tiny compared to the businesses leaving!)

It makes me worry about the area and the people who live here. The businesses themselves (other than the bankrupt ones) are doing great, I'm sure. They have all moved to more affluent and economically stable areas. But the more businesses that leave the University area (or "Suitcase City" as it is called by many homeless I've met), the more depressed this area will become. Less jobs, less economic activity, and less money flowing into this part of town... and I don't know how it will all stop and turn around for the better. People are so strapped for cash here, so what would entice a business to stay? They can get a lot more customers in a more affluent area, but they don't realize what they leave behind... and it is slowly but surely adding up. Do they see? Do they care?

On a more interesting note, I saw something crazy when Theresa and I were hanging out with Juan, Jordan, and Ryan last night. When Ryan left at around 1 am, he walked out the door and then ran back inside, yelling for us to come outside and look. We go outside, and in the parking lot are NINE police cars, THREE more unmarked cops, (all with lights flashing) and a POLICE HELICOPTER flying overhead. All of this was totally blocking the entrance to my complex, and was literally outside my door, IN my parking lot.

We stood and stared for a few minutes, trying to find out what was happening. There was one civilian car with the doors and trunk open, and it looked like it was being searched... but seriously. A total of 12 cop cars and a helicopter... for that?? My guess is that it was a stolen car, and they were perhaps chasing it. Beats the heck out of me why the person would drive into an apartment complex with only one entrance if they were being pursued, but whatever. It was definitely interesting... it kind of creeped me out when I went to bed though, because whenever there is someone being chased by the law, there is a chance of them trying to hide in YOUR residence... or so my nervous mind kept telling me. But as you see, I made it safely through the night once more. :)

Point is... the University Area is in trouble, and it makes me really sad. I mean, I can leave whenever I want. But what about the people stuck here, with nowhere else to go? What about the kids growing up here? It's really going down the tubes, and it's sad. I just don't know how it will ever get turned around... *sigh* Thank God that Jesus came for the poor... because it really seems like there is no other hope than Jesus in all of this.

EDIT: I found out what happened!! These three guys were arrested at my address just before 1 am... holy crap! Look at the charges!! O.o
http://www.hcso.tampa.fl.us/pub/default.asp?/online/qdisp/bn=08067687
http://www.hcso.tampa.fl.us/pub/default.asp?/online/qdisp/bn=08067686
http://www.hcso.tampa.fl.us/pub/default.asp?/online/qdisp/bn=08067685

Felons with automatics breaking into my apartment complex... lovely...

A New Faith Coalition

(This was written by Jim Wallis and originally posted on his blog, God's Politics.)

Most elections are just power rearrangements; this one was a transformational moment in our history. A fundamental shift is taking place in America, and we saw the evidence on November 4^th. It is a political shift, a cultural and racial shift, a generational shift, and a religious shift.

The leadership of African-American and Latino Christians along with a new generation of the faithful in white America are ending an age of narrow and divisive religion. This new faith coalition voted for a broad new moral agenda for faith in public life. Racial and economic justice, creation care, peacemaking, and a more consistent ethic life will be the keystones of this growing shift.

This changing face of religion in America gave Barack Obama a 4.4 million voter net gain of Protestants and Catholics over John Kerry and helped lock up key swing states across the country. Real number gains were made among a new generation of white evangelicals. In James Dobson’s home state of Colorado, the percentage of white evangelicals voting for Obama nearly doubled from those voting for Kerry. In Indiana, a state Obama won with little more than 26,000 votes, he picked up over 160,000 white evangelical votes over 2004. In Florida, Christian voters of all stripes swung hard for Obama giving him a net gain of 485,000 Catholic and Protestant voters over 2004. This year it was just about 200,000 votes in Florida that made the difference; in years past it was just a few hundred votes that swung the state.

Further polling results will help to answer the critical question of why religious voters cast their ballots the way they did. But three factors are likely key to understanding the religious shift.

First, the leadership of the African-American and Hispanic churches was more important than ever before in an American election. This time, white evangelicals played a supporting role while it was Christians of color—who are almost all “evangelical” in their theology—who led. The election results reflect a surge of support among black and Latino voters, galvanized by a campaign and a candidate who better spoke to their aspirations and values. Their overwhelming support marks a growing shift within the religious landscape toward marrying social conservatism with a deep commitment to social justice. Recent studies indicate that Latino voters are very pro-life on abortion yet also consider the debate on immigration as a key religious and “life” issue for their community.

Second, a new generation of pastors and students cast a “post-Religious Right ballot” this election. Polls leading up to the election showed a significant break from the previous generation on issues like gay marriage and abortion, which while still a top concern, it is not the only one. For those Christians, sanctity of life now includes poverty, war, genocide, and climate change. Healthy families are also still a top concern, but many Christians don’t see gay and lesbian rights as a primary cause of family breakdown. These religious voters refuse to be distracted by the culture wars of the previous generation. This new generation are not the evangelicals the country is used to seeing and hearing about in the media, and they are already reshaping the future agenda. The break is so stark that several conservative evangelical college newspapers endorsed Obama.

Third, we see a broadening of the agenda with fewer single issue voters. “Pro-life” voters are realizing that their faith calls for a consistent ethic of life from “womb to tomb.” Voters are now judging candidates based on who best addresses all the threats to human life and dignity. And for some, a more pragmatic strategy of serious abortion reduction, rather than a strategy of continuing only to try to make abortion illegal, is appealing. It is becoming a common ground that could break the ideological deadlock of the past 30 years. This consistent ethic of life has caused a significant shift in the political agenda of many Christians by expanding their definition of what it means to be pro-life. They are tired of political pandering to the issue that seems to be more about winning elections than pragmatic solutions.

Christians of color, younger white Christians, “new evangelical” pastors and leaders, and progressive Catholics and Protestants from many denominations are reaching across barriers to change the face of Christianity in this country—and also to engage with allies in other faith communities. They have learned many lessons from the mistakes of the Religious Right and aren’t about to repeat them. And they are not about to become a new “Religious Left.” When asked if they are liberal or conservative, many answer “yes,” depending on the issue. And because they don’t easily fit the political categories of left and right, they could become bridge-builders, bringing a divided nation together on the really big and politically transcendent issues like poverty, human rights, climate change, energy transformation, and the urgency of peace. And isn’t that just what our new president is calling for?

YESSS!

I am so excited!! This is a great day for our country. One step farther from our country's shameful history of injustice and opression. I wish you knew the excitement and pride my black friends are expressing right now. It makes me so, so happy. Congratulations Mr. Obama... it's about time!

Election Day...

...is like a holiday that only comes every four years.

I absolutely LOVE Election Day, and I'm so excited about tonight!! It's fun to watch all the hype either way, but this year has the added excitement of the question-- will this be my first victorious Election Day (at least since I started paying attention)??

The results of the last two were a disappointment, but this time, I'm really hoping... :)

Rebel

"There is a WAR going on for your mind...
...but if you're thinking, then you're winning."

I have finally begun research for my thesis, and I'm getting really, really excited. I am making connections between different theories, and ideas are just exploding all over my head. Most exciting is the link I'm noticing between improving the quality of education in impoverished schools, and of the need for students and teachers to be involved in the community. Not only is that really good for my thesis (making connections is always a plus), its really similar to the way the Tampa Underground approaches church (not limiting church to a building, but actually going into communities with God's love), and is really a very Godly way to approach things. Even more so, the concept of a teacher as a facilitator rather than a dictator is also being explored, and this reminds me of the role that InterVarsity leaders play during Bible studies. This is really exciting. I don't know if I am making a whole lot of sense but... I'm excited. I feel like God has already been training me in these methods and theories I'm reading about. This is really cool.

Educational justice is coming...

:)

Walk it out!!

OMG, I'm dying... lolol...