Cornerstone

I know I have mentioned it to some, and oh it is plastered all over facebook for the world to see thanks to my sister Emilie, but I did get accepted to Cornerstone. I have been told it is really easy to get in, that is not the point. I never though I would really go anywhere. I have been feeling so stuck lately in what I should be doing that getting in puts me one step closer to going somewhere. I am not 100% sure what God wants me to be doing with my life but I am sure He will lead me, I have faith he will not lead me astray.
I am currently listening to Luis Armstrong's When your smiling. A good song for the day. It is a little cold outside, and there is frost covering the ground and the vehicles in the parking lots. The sun is trying to shine, but is a little challenged by the clouds in the sky. The sky is clouds to my right looking out the library and clear to my left, it is interesting.
I love the trumpet in the song, the notes are so clear, and they seem to connect to me in a way no other instrument ever has. Perhaps that is because I played the Cornet for several years. I fell in love with the sound of the Trumpet in High School, the sound I think is very unique. I don't think any other instrument has the power that the trumpet does.The notes can sound happy, they can even sound as if they are crying, I love this about them, the notes that is. It could also be that this music reminds me of the 20's and I have forever been in love with that time period. With the swing dancing and the flappers, a beautiful time filled with sorrow.

The next step

I did it. I finally got my application sent in to Cornerstone University. Now I wait, I have requested all of my transcripts to be sent, as well as a Christian Leader recommendation. Now I wait, I don't exactly know how long I will be waiting, but it doesn't really matter. I have been thinking of applying elsewhere, but I don't really want to. I will be closer to family there, and not too far away from Petoskey/Charlevoix area.
My Philosophy teacher said today that because "most of us", his wording not mine, believe something then it is true. I tried to catch him on it, but the words did not come out right. have you ever had that problem? You really want to say something that should sound intelligent but you end up sounding more like an idiot then you did to begin with. I hate having this problem, I wish speaking came easier to me. Especially when I am nervous. Oh well, that's life.
We are supposed to get snow later, I really hope we do. A snow day tomorrow would be spectacular!!! Sleeping in sounds nice. Well, enjoy the short update, maybe someday I will write a long blog entrance. :)
God Bless!

College Applications and rants

I finally did it. I submitted my application to study psychology at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids. Now I wait, hopefully only a few weeks. I guess I have not considered what I will do if I don't get accepted, but at this point I have time to apply to other schools. If I don't get accepted I suppose that will be God telling me that I am supposed to do something else with my life. I am excited to go to Bible study tonight, although it might be because I get home cooked food, and I am very hungry. Today has gone exceptionally well, it started off with coffee, a Bible study and an hour work out, how could any day go wrong starting off like that. Now I am on my break from work. I have gotten a lot accomplished today, and the only thing that has not gone how I wanted is the back of my hair. If that is the only problem I had everyday I don't think I would ever complain. Either that or I would complain even more because as a human I like to complain, the fact that I am a girl probably helps that.
So I watched part of Iron Man 2 last night. It seems like an interesting movie, but I can't move past how much Scarlet Johansson bothers me. I don't even know why she bothers me. Probably for the same reason that Jamie Lee Curtis bothers me, and I have not figured that one out yet either, probably something to do with their faces. Although that is strange in its self.
Yesterday I won a two hour game of Scrabble against my friend Josh, I am very proud of myself for that one. We used every letter in the bag, and I got like 38 points for a three letter word, I think I am even prouder of that.
Anyways, I should probably get back to work now that I am just rambling on. Although that is all I do anyways.
Nothing new on philosophy as I skipped class on Thursday. :)

Have a Blessed Weekend Everyone (if in fact anyone reads this) :p

SpringHill 2011 and other topics

Over the course of the last month I had the privilege to attend SpringHill twice, once with the Junior High and again with the Senior High. Weekends at SpringHill are always so special. Granted I am going as a Youth leader whereas before I went as a student, the event is still very powerful. Spending time the Jr. and Sr. Higher's is a blessing to me. I love being involved in their lives. I have to admit I don't always get other teens; I was not your average high school student or middle school student for that matter. That being said I truly hope that I impact their lives in a significant way, or at least plant a seed. I mean I am not expecting to change lives, only God can do that. I am expecting that I can allow God to work through me. I hope I can allow him to do that. Being so busy has kind of left me exhausted, I am looking forward to Spring Break when I'll have a few days off. I think I am forgetting what that looks like; I am usually so busy that when it comes to not having anything to do I freak out. Literally, the last time it happened I almost walked in circles because I had nothing to do. No homework, no extracurricular activities to prepare for... strange feeling. I am learning to relax though, profound activity, although it is kind of sad that I had to learn, shouldn't that come naturally?
On my Philosophy class; I find that sometimes I have to work to keep my mouth shut. Not easy, I am used to saying almost the first thing that comes to mind. I guess all those books on the tongue needing to be tamed have something to them. I have actually prayed that God would help me with that, as it is kind of difficult to do on my own. I am working on waiting for the Lord's prompting. If it, in fact, comes. I was near the point of holding my tongue a while ago the comments got so bad, at least the ones I desired to say, not the ones I actually said. I have this terrible desire to make the teacher look like a fool. But that won't get anybody anywhere; best to just keep quite.
I have yet to finish my Cornerstone application. I know I am procrastinating, but it is a huge decision. It could change my life. I am struggling with that kind of commitment. No surprise there, I have a major problem with commitment, not a good thing. I have not figure out what I want to say in my essays. It would not seem like it would be a problem for me, some don't think I ever actually shut up (it isn't that I haven't tried, I just find that people think there is something wrong when I am quite(either way I lose there)). Anyways, I wish I knew 100% what I want to do. It is kind of scary going into something and not really knowing if that is it or not. I know I want to work with kids, I really love youth ministry. That is where I am at, I want to help kids, impact them for Christ, but I don't know how I am supposed to do that. I keep telling people I am waiting for the moment of enlightenment, the banner from above, the hand writing on the wall (you get my drift?) But it has not come yet. The closer it comes to having to make a decision the scarier it gets. I don't want to make a mistake and be stuck with a degree that does not serve me at all. I guess this is where I trust God. Although sometimes I wish I could test him, ask him to start a pile of sticks on fire, or make it rain, or something more obvious. I guess I could, but it's not anything but a selfish want for my lack of faith I suppose. I'm not the only one here, so that's comforting, I just wish this whole college thing was easier.

Philosophy

I wonder how upset Dr. Payne would be if he found this blog entry about his "theory", or should I say opinion about the eye, and how nonsensical I find the whole thing. Dr. Payne’s opinion is that we would do better with a cephalopod eye, the flaws in our eye are too great, and the design in amateurish. The fact that a bundle of nerves penetrates the optic nerve is too much of a problem because it creates a blind spot that is not present in a cephalopod eye. If the design was changed to that of a cephalopod eye the blind spot would be eliminated. I guess I can’t see what Dr. Payne sees, but my eyes work fine, if he feels as though he should complain, I suppose that is his problem. I personally would not like to have a cephalopod eye, could you imagine how they would look on our faces? About that blind spot in the back of our eye; well I guess it must be a problem because all of us walk around running into things because our eyes miss them based on the blind spot. Well actually that is not what Dr. Payne said; he said that the brain must compensate for the blind spot constantly, as if that is an exhausting chore.
The more I think about what Dr. Payne has said the more I realize how amazing God is. According to evolution should we not have the higher more advanced eye of a cephalopod? Evolutionarily speaking aren't cephalopods less evolved then us, and if so shouldn't we have the cephalopod eye if it is, so clearly, more advanced and they in turn should get ours? I have to admit I think I should submit a complaint to God about this, or Dr. Payne should, seeing as how he disapproves of the current design. One thing I keep failing to mention is that Dr. Payne does not believe, or so I have come to believe, that we were created by an "intelligent being". He is more of the opinion that we have evolved in the manner of evolution. So either way he does not make sense. Although I suppose that in him claiming the eye was created by an amateur at least he admits we were created by something, so maybe he will get there eventually.
I think people who refuse to see a creator should stick to that, and not blame the characteristics which they don't like on an ignorant "god" who "doesn't exist”. God isn’t there to complain to or about, He isn’t someone who exists when we have a complaint, he is a relational God and wants to know more than just the complaints. He wants us revel in how he made us, and all the care he put into our design. Things about us may not make sense about us, and you may think that we could be improved but isn’t Gods glory shown in the parts of us that should not work but do because of who God is. When God made the earth and all that inhabited it did he not say “and it was good” after he finished his handiwork? I think God knew what he was doing, for those that don’t I am sure there is some doctor out there who would be more than happy to experiment on your eyes and replace them with that of a cephalopod.

Mari-Jo on work and school

We all do it, right? It also tends to be a love hate relationship, but it is almost always 100% necessary. Work. On days that we have to work we complain, but those times when we don't have a job, for example over Christmas break, and we are completely broke we complain. We complain for many reasons, on one hand we complain about not having enough money when we don't work. We also complain because on the days when we work those are the days when we actually could have slept in. It goes that way for school or on days that are not Saturday or days we have to work. If only we could wake up everyday with the energy that we have on Saturday mornings.
I can say though that I do enjoy where I work. I have great colleagues, and great bosses, and there never seems to be any drama. It also helps that I work where I am taking classes. Oh yeah classes, so I Am taking Chemistry, Developmental Psych, Death and Dying, and Intro to Philosophy. I am enjoying all of my classes and I have learned some very important information thus far. I will give a list of my favorite things teachers have said. Topping the list is a comment from my Philosophy teacher he informed the class that the eye was made by an amateur. Dr. Payne, I think that is how you spelled his name has supported evolution in this class, what gets me is that if he claims the eye was made by an amateur he acknowledges that it was made by someone. Evolution and creationism, in they he uses them, are contradictory. The amazing thing to realize is that God made the eye just the way that hey wanted to, and even though I am sure Dr. Payne could have done it better it works just the way that God wanted it to. This comment about the eye made me more in awe of how God made the eye, I mean that God would create the eye in this manner shows His glory, it shows that He can put a twist on his creation just because he can. Anyways, enough on that, actually I don't even remember what else I was going to write about. The eye has just kind of blown me away, God is awesome. Think on that.

*Look for God, He is everywhere, you just have to look*
Mari-Jo

Mari-Jo On The Various Uses of Scarves

I developed a thing for scarves when I lived in Mexico in 2008-2009. Since then I have started collecting them. My favorite is a gray one with a Celtic design that I got at a shop downtown. I love combining a scarf with almost any outfit, of course there are certain outfits you cannot combine a scarf with, I have not seen a scarf look good with a turtle neck, but then again I have not tried. I just think it is kind of redundant; the neck of the shirt serves the same purpose as the scarf. I recently made a discovery about scarves as a result of a broken wrist, they have many more uses then I thought. If any of you have ever broken your wrist you will know that they don’t give you a hard cast right away unless the swelling is not very bad, they need to wait until the swelling goes down, so they give you a splint, which can be easily removed. Has anyone ever tried taking a shower or doing any activity, such as washing dishes, which requires both hands, with a hematoma and/or a broken wrist? Washing your hair is really difficult! My only real problem was that I did not know what to do with my left wrist, which could not support itself. I was going to cut up a sheet that I had turned into a New Years banner, but I did not want to wreck it. I then decided to fashion a sling out of a pink scarf my mother had gotten me a while back. It worked, I had a way to support my wrist and in a very fashionable way. There are also many other things you can do with scarves besides the original purpose. You can tie you younger siblings to a chair, and I am sure if you tried hard enough and owned a sufficient number of scarves you could probably create a rope ladder to climb out of a window, but who would actually try this. Anyways, scarves are very handy accessories, they keep you stylish and warm and have many other uses, just be creative.
This first entry might be kind of boring, but hey I am just getting started. If anyone has anything that they want me to blog about just leave a comment and I will write about the topic if I know anything about it.

*Stay out of the snow*-Mari-Jo