SOTB Fundraising

Many of you have probably heard about the Shadow of the Bear film. If not, please take a moment to visit the Shadow of the Bear Movie Blog.

*waits a moment*

Back? Great!

Now that you know about it, I'm sure you're incredibly excited for it to come out. So are we! But there's a little problem. They need some money first.

But guess what!

*waits for you to guess*

Hmm...no, that's not it...you're not terribly good at guessing, you know that? Okay fine, I'll just tell you. You can help!!

Now isn't that exciting??

Oh, you're waiting for me to tell you how. There are a couple different ways.

First, Pen in the Clouds is a student-written, illustrated and created book of poetry, short stories and drawings. The wonderfully talented people in charge are still accepting poems and stories, so check out the submission guidelines and see your name in print! Also, keep an eye on the blog and get your very own copy when volume one is published! All proceeds from volume one will go toward the Shadow of the Bear movie.

How awesome is that??

But wait, I said there was another option, didn't I? I did. I distinctly remember doing so.

That's because there is! The Shadow of the Bear Movie ArtFire account is a great place to buy many types of gifts (or things for yourself!)...all handmade and absolutely beautiful! And the best part? Any money you spend there goes to the movie!

So get out there! Have fun writing, reading, and shopping!

No More Classes, No More Books, No More Teacher's Dirty Looks.......

I'm sorry it's taken me so long to write more on here. School has ended, and though I assumed I would have oodles of free time once that happened, that's not the case. I like it much better this way though--too much free time makes me miss people. And my life isn't so very crazy that I can't hang out with friends every so often. So it's all in all great.

Law school classes ended at the end of May, and my mediation class began the beginning of June and lasted two weeks. It was amazing. I had so much fun...it was just a wonderful reassurance that yes, this is what God wants me doing.

To that end, I have been applying to volunteer at various mediation centers, though have not yet heard back from any. Pray they contact me? I would like to start this as soon as possible...I'm awfully excited about it!

At the same time, I need money from somewhere. I've decided my dream career would be copyediting/proofreading, with mediation whenever I'm free. I've applied at magazines and newspapers, but am finding that most places use only one copyeditor, and already have the position filled. How disappointing! I won't give up though. I'm confident something will show up, or God will direct me elsewhere.

So, what happens this fall? What about school?

I came to a point recently where I could honestly say I wanted to do what God wanted me to, and if He wanted me back in school I would happily go. I didn't get a sign He did--in fact I got quite the opposite. I truly feel I am done. I don't know why He had me go this year, but He did, and perhaps someday it will make sense.

For now I'm content to move forward, find mediating and/or editing jobs, and enjoy a life free of homework, tests, and all things legal...and filled with the love of friends and family. Oh people, how I've missed spending time with you!

God

I think the most compelling case for the existence of God is that we human beings feel compelled to make the case either for or against His existence. Or we turn coward and shirk the question for as long as we can.
But we all know it's a question.

A Midsummer Night's Dream!

Greetings, worthy readers!
Many apologies for my neglect of this blog. :( Recently, my life has been focused on portraying Helean in this show:

^We're a very eloquent cast, no? ;)


That drumming you hear at the end of the trailer is our cast, creating some magic in one of our faerie drum circles. There's no experience in the world like making music together, and it's the perfect way to begin and end a show! At the risk of sounding completely corny, Midsummer has been an incredible and truly magical experience. I've been studying Shakespeare all year for English, and nothing has made his work come alive more than actually performing in a show of his. My professor said that Shakespeare isn't meant to be read in an academic setting, it's supposed to be up on its feet, a moving work of art. So, as much as you can learn from reading his works, if you don't see it acted out, you miss out on an essential part of what Shakespeare is; you don't understand his full genius.

So, in a way, being a part of this show is my 'final' for the year! It sure beats a laborious end-of-the-year exam. :)

An Update

I know, shocker...we go forever without updating, then two in the same day?? What is happening with the world?

I realized I never told you all what happened with my coffee experiment, and I figured I should do so before finals swallow me up. (Which, really, they've already started to do, so this will be short).

I'll just say, I survived. ;) And I have decided that I am not addicted to caffeine. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. :D

I have my last day of classes today, which is quite exciting. My first final is on Friday, which is not at all exciting. I will be fully done with finals, law school, the whole shebang (provided God doesn't ask me to continue this fall--or some year down the road), on May 19th. And I'm looking forward to it.

Sometimes I really hate law school. Because of law school I can't celebrate Mother's Day. Mother's Day!! I can't go to a really good friend's birthday party. I found out today I'm also missing out on seeing a good friend, who I haven't seen, I think, since December, and who I probably won't see again for quite a few months.

But this is where God has me. And I need to do the best I can, to honor Him. Which means I need to miss out on all of this. I need to stay focused, and not see people, as much as it kills me to do so.

In other words, I would really appreciate your prayers these next few weeks. :)

Love you all!

Teen Girl's Daybook

I haven't posted on here in forever!! Life has been hectic and crazy and beautiful...I was in a fit of randomness, so I decided to do:
The Teen Girl's Daybook!!
From A Rose in Bloom

Date...5/2/10, (but technically 5/3/10) :P
Starting time...12:56 AM
Mood...Overwhelmed, tired, ecstatic
Outside my window...Is the night
I'm thinking...Will I get any sleep to night?
I'm reading...Arcadia-a play by Tom Stoppard-it's phenomenal.
I'm listening to...Love You All, by Cloud Cult-amazingly cosmic song. :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6Nt58ismiQ&feature=PlayList&p=E55EA6C859995907&playnext_from=PL&index=1&playnext=2
I'm wearing... Long dark blue shirt with flutter sleeves and ruffles and sequins at the square collar, and jeans
Yesterday, I...saw two shows, potlucked-it-up, and smiled and giggled all day
I'm excited for...SATURDAY!!! And for my sister to come home from college, definitely. :)
I'm sad because...I'm not sleeping
I'm hungry for...Nothing, which is unusual...
The song stuck inside my head is..."Some Things are Meant to Be" from Little Women the Broadway musical, which is a beautiful show and a beautiful song-check it out! :D
I want...to be able to wake up at 4:30...
I love... EVERYTHING! :)
I loathe...rubber snakes. :P
This week, my goal is...To get my essay done for an honors program application, to stay caught up with e-mails/other random correspondence, to get my essay done for English, and to retain my sanity. :)
Did I meet last week's goal?...Definitely. (My goal last week was just to choose a college.) :)
Ending time...1:02 AM


Calvin and Hobbes has been a happiness of mine recently. :)

A Life Without Coffee (or, at least...a week)

I always tell people I'm not addicted to coffee, I just like the taste. While I believe that's true, I've been having it a lot lately. Every day, in fact.

I'm a rather stubborn and independent person. The thought of someone or something besides myself having control over what I do irks me. (God is, of course, a definite exception to this...I love that He's in control). You can imagine how well my parents and I got along when I was growing up.

It is for this reason that I'm wary about ever having alcohol. (I'm currently undecided about it.) While I know, or believe, I would only ever have one glass, and I don't believe alcohol is wrong (the Bible has things to say about getting drunk, but seems to actually promote drinking alcohol in moderation) I simply don't like the idea of having something like that affect me.

And that is why I have the need to assure myself that I am not actually addicted to coffee. Starting today, and until next Sunday, I will be having no coffee, no coffee flavored things, and no chocolate covered coffee beans (which, by the way, are delightful, and I highly recommend them). I'll let you know how it goes. :)

Hope

"With them, to wish was to hope, and to hope was to expect." --Jane Austen

Hopefully.

That word has become far too common in my everyday vocabulary.

"Hopefully I'll make it to dance this week."
"Hopefully I'll get ahead on homework today."
"Hopefully I'll see you soon."
"Hopefully law school won't totally kill me." ;)

Thinking about it literally, it means 'full of hope,' doesn't it? So why is it that whenever I say it, I'm anything but?

When I say "Hopefully I'll see you soon" it's because I haven't seen you in a while, and don't know the next time I will. If I know the next time I'll see you I leave off the hopefully. I don't have to hope, I know. Same with when I say "Hopefully I'll make it to dance." It's because I don't think there's much chance that I'll be able to, and if I thought I would be able to I'd say "See you at dance" instead!

I'm not losing all hope, but I'm also not filled with it. Essentially, I'm wishing.

In Portuguese, the word for "Hope" is the same word for "Expect." When someone is pregnant, while here we'd say, 'When are you expecting?' they say instead, 'When are you hoping?'

Because for them, to hope is to expect.

I wonder if my life would be any different if, instead of thinking of "I hope" as "I wish," I thought of it as "I expect." I expect to see you soon. I expect to make it to dance. I expect to get ahead on homework. I expect to not die from school. (Well, hey, the last one is true!)

It's definitely something to think about.

Decent Exposure

We do not look in our great cities for our best morality.
Jane Austen

No indeed.
I look at all the lovely blogs in my reading pane, and I feel so incredibly blessed to know so many beautiful young men and women who are striving to spread God's word, and who are indeed, in their own small ways, prime examples of our 'best morality.' One such blog is the awesome Modestia.

While browsing Modestia today, I saw Rebecca's post on Decent Exposure. For those of you interested in modesty, and the fight that awesome and Godly women everywhere are waging against our culture's current standards of dress, I think this will be of interest.

What is Decent Exposure?
Decent Exposure is a ministry for teen girls that was founded last year by Catholic actress, designer, and speaker Jessica Rey. Jes asked me as well as some other modest-minded friends of hers to help her get this ministry off the ground last fall. We had our first program in the summer of 2009 that consisted of 4 weeks of classes about womanhood, modesty, chastity, etc. To surmise all the girls had learned, we topped the program off with an amazing fashion show hosted by actor Skylar Testa with a bonus performance from Caitlin Crosby. (Whom we love here at Modestia!) The program was more amazing than I could have ever imagined and I am so excited for this year. (From Modestia. Here is the post in full. It has some awesome information about their ministry!)

Here's Decent Exposure's website with more information:
http://www.decentexposureonline.com/

And just for the fun of it...

Here are some other awesome websites dedicated to modesty:

Pure Fashion.

Lady Rose's Modesty-Mall.

She had a womanly instinct that clothes possess an influence more powerful over many than the worth of character or the magic of manners. ~~ Louisa May Alcott