An overdue update.

Sorry that it has been so long since an update. The end of the summer and the beginning of the school year have proven to be time consuming, and a little stressful. However, it is a good thing. The Invisible Children thing went splendid for our first try. That night we made 1223, and we continued to get donations up to 1400. So, that was an exciting thing to be a part of. It also seem to mark the beginning of something. Some sort of new confidence, and much less fear in my life. So, woop for Jesus on that one. (That was terribly corny, and I apologize). Now, school is in it's first full week. I have National Government, Systematic Theology, Advanced Compostion, and English Literature right now, and come in October I will also have a weekend class called World Religions and Cults. I am mostly enjoying my classes, however the reading is intense. In some classes, the sheer amount we have to read, in other classes the weightiness. This year is just different though. It reeks with more responsibility, and a different dynamic of students. It feels already I am an upper classman, solely because I was here last year, and we are overrun by new students. Not to mention a boy-girl ratio of 2:1. So, when it all gets to me I just spend a few hours in my room, read some of Red Moon Rising, a little Isaiah and a Psalm or two, and generally I can face the world again. Another thing that is different is friends. As much as I love all of my friends, it seems my close friends from last year have scattered. I still have two, but otherwise I find myself hanging out with people who I never thought I would. Not in a bad way, just in a, what? we're really hanging out sort of way. So, that's all for now. There are some interesting characters here this year. Just pray for all that I have to do. All the leadership positions I'm in. And my "Whitney doesn't like her waters teeming with boys" sanity. You know how it goes.
I love and miss you all.
Whitney

Invisible Children and surely other arbitrary things...

Well, well, well. Here we are again. In part because I was going to anyway, and in part because my mom suggested updating about this, I am going to tell you what I will be doing August 11. I will be running around like crazy making sure Amanda, Sarah, and myself pull off this event that I still can't believe is more than a pipedream. But, I'm getting a little ahead of myself, really, so let me reel it back. It started last year, over Christmas Break when a friend told me to watch a trailer for this movie called The Invisible Children. My heart was stirred, but I still wasn't sure what it was really about. So, when I saw a month later that they would be showing it at school, I was ready to go. So, I watched this movie. It's about what's going on, and has been going on in Uganda and Sudan for 20 years. (Now, to me, this was especially significant. This had been going on for as long as I had been alive). But, more than that, this was about children. You see, the L.R.A., in order to get more soldiers, abducts children from their homes, brainwashes them, and forces them to fight in the army. While doing this they often kill children who resist, or even at random, to desensitize the kids to killing. However, these kids, to avoid this, have started commuting to the larger cities every night. That's walking a couple hours barefoot. Now, I know this is starting to sound a little, Save the Children, 10 cents a day, but, it's me guys. And it's unreal to me, that it's going on. So, here comes in these three guys. They went to Africa to make a movie, find a story, and now they have this huge organization to help these kids have something more to live for. They are building schools, giving hope, and even working to end the war. So, me and my aforementioned friends were thinking one day, we should do something. Well, we had all been thinking individually for a while, but then one day, boom, one of us said it...and we actually did it. We rented a place, and we are having a benefit concert and art auction. We have 5 bands playing, and people are donating art, and we are going to have people bid on it. We've got someone donating t shirts, we have bands donating time. The only cost for this is the place we are renting, but we are doing a cover charge to take care of that. So, that's it. It could be big, but we need prayer. Just for thinking of all those details, and for the people who said they would help us to follow through. And for lots of money!
In other news, I'm getting a new car. A darling green 2000 hyundai accent. Only, uh, it's manual, and technically, I only drive automatic. But, don't worry, I'll learn soon, I mean how hard can it be? No, really, it's not hard, right? I named it Fern. Haha, for many reasons. For one, it's so much better for the environment than my dear Taurus. It gets like 30 miles to the gallon! Woo hoo! And, ferns are anciently symbolic for fruitfulness and loyalty, and they are hearty plans. Which is just the sort of thing I need in a car. Besides, it's totally cute. It has no song yet, because we haven't been cruising enough, but basically it's my hippie alter ego.
Well, that's all for now. I need to be going to bed soon, because I have a double teeth appointment tomorrow. Denist and orthodontist. No fun. But, thanks for all the comments, I'm lovvvvving it. I'll respond to any comments I think necessary within the comment field, if that makes sense, and it does to me!

The reason for this blog...

Well, family, you know how life goes. Sometimes, it's hard to keep up with everyone. So, I created this little blog to let you know about the happenings of my, ever interesting, life. You can comment on this site, just press, add comment, or something of that nature. Anyway, I just thought this would be fun. Well, I just saw all of you not too long ago, so currently there are no updates, but here are some things I'm thinking about:
Love. Friends. Family. Family that are friends, and friends that are family. Dr. Pepper. Chipotle. Taco Bell Hot Sauce. Growing. Living. Freedom. Laughter. Honesty. Dreaming. Rain. Jumping in puddles. Crying. Reading. Feeling alive. Writing. Having something that you can do that is all yours. Music. Painting. Having someone look at you and know what you're thinking. Really, truly, honest to God, down and dirty knowing people. Being known. The realization that you can do anything, no really, anything. Not being scared. Being scared, but doing it anyway. Not caring what anyone thinks, but in that, because I'm truly alive sort of way. Embracing your flaws. When that certain boy "casually" brushes up against you. Really looking someone in the eyes. Loving your body. Singing with your eyes closed. Having your heart break, because the stories on the news and in the paper, never end with, "But, she was just dreaming. It's all ok." Nature. Finding out that the most important thing in life is loving God and loving others, something you will never master, but when you grasp, everything else falls in place. The color purple. Being able to love people regardless of what they do, but because of who they are. Letting yourself to be loved for who you are. The stars. The moon. Deep, thoughtful conversations. Having perspective, and understanding how perspectives affects things. Being found. The simple things. Like the way the leaves on trees and the grass seems acutely greener after it rains. And the way it smells in the fall, and how that first crisp breeze catches you by surprise. And how someone’s eyes look different, like they are always truly smiling, when they are in love. And the feeling you get when reading a really good book. How your heart skips a beat when you see it's raining. Or the way the ocean looks so very mysterious at night. And how you know you'll never be able to see all the stars, and you know they are far away, but under the right circumstances, on the right night, you feel like they are so close you can touch them. The feeling of being around someone who loves you, in spite of what you do. The high you get after an amazing conversation. The realization that life is before you, and everything is possible, your pipe dreams can become real. Getting your feelings in writing. Being courageous enough to share how you really feel. The way a certain boy can always smell so good. Being inspired. No makeup, and you don't even notice. Feeling pretty and worthy just because you're alive. Walks in the rain. Knowing God is sticking it out with you, even though you screwed up again, and even though you thought you knew, and were arrogant, and misrepresented Him, and now you realized you didn't know, and you don't know, and you're just not sure, and then Him whispering, in one of those infinite ways he does, that He loves you, and you're home, and just breathe.
That seems like life to me, in a lot of ways...wait, what am I doing, it's way to late? That time change is killing me!