'cliche title about a new beginning'

today i met the emotional part of leaving the loveliest village on the plains. lately i have felt like my heart is about as sympathetic as a piece of charcoal. when everything seems like it should be sentimental and good-byes no longer mean for a few days, it has all felt familiar and routine. i suppose i'm used to leaving every may for the summer, but at the end of good-byes i have found myself disconnected. that was until this morning, in the most unlikely of places: the library. i have spent more time there this year than all of my other years of college combined. mainly because i found one place near a large row of windows, in a green chair, with no cell phone service, that i can sit and read and just escape. but this morning as i was sitting in the library studying for a final, well trying to at least. in the midst of being less than excited about studying, i started to realize that i am going to miss auburn. i think that i've hit that moment where i know its my time to leave. i feel really fortunate to leave when i am. i think it's a healthy place to be, knowing it's time, and going. there is no lingering and wondering, just a full, satiated heart. i have loved my time here. the Lord has used auburn so instrumentally in my life. i am most certainly leaving more convinced than ever that the gospel is worth giving my life for and excited that in a few short months i get to move to hong kong. i will gladly turn in my last scantron and leave a seat empty for the next freshman to come in. but as friends begin to pack up their belongings and i begin to to do the same, the realization that my time in auburn is over has started to sink in. the reality of it all is made more concrete with each conversation about hong kong and the amount of times i've said "last" in the past week. college really has been wonderful. and like most things in life, i feel as though ill appreciate it more in retrospect. so here's to the next adventure. it's like writing on the first page of a new journal, lovely.

committed

my cell phone buzzed during class, indicating that i had received an email. as i opened my account i saw that a dear friend had sent me a link to an article from the ny times. the note attached to her email simply said, "read this. i'm balling right now. wow." using deductive reasoning, i decided this was either an article about social justice or love. i took time in between my morning classes to read the article, and if you have a few minutes today, i would suggest you do the same. without giving too much information away, it's an account of love from a husband's perspective. his commitment to his wife and the way he describes his love for her is incredible. i would love to be married one day. to love someone and raise a family for the glory of the one great Love. and each day, i hope to be as committed and in love as this couple. through thick and thin. through bliss and tragedy. through stability and spontaneity. this story is a great tangible example of that.

[click here to read article]

soundtrack to life lately

• "You're Beautiful" : Phil Whickham
• "Reverie" : Brooke Fraser
• "Pick Up The Tempo" : Phosphroescent
• "Everyday I Have The Blues" : B.B. King
• "The Beach" : Andy Davis
• "Steer" : Missy Higgins
• "I'm Yours" : Jason Mraz
• "Lift High" : Fee
• "Coffee House Blues" : Lightnin' Hopkins
• "When It Don't Come Easy" : Patty Griffin

if you have any new musical discoveries/suggestions, feel free to send them my way.

things teachers say...

[post hoc, ergo propter hoc: "it happened after, therefore it was caused by"]

this phrase was used in one of my classes today in reference to a type of logical fallacy. it's context was a discussion about how susceptible our nation is to different treatments. my teacher continued on to describe this concept is one that not only acts as an influencer to our medical choices, but also as a basis for general thought processing. his explanation triggered a realization that this way of thinking is such a deceiving, yet appealing, concept for so many people. we would be foolish and self centered to think that this fallacy has just emerged or that we have discovered some hidden reasoning that plagues the human mind. i think that this concept can definitely be used as a deception. but it also could be used in an incredibly powerful way for good. simply put, the application of this phrase is relative to the perception. but as this phrase rolled around in my head i remembered in ezekiel 36 when God said that he would replace isreal's heart of stone with a heart of flesh. the repercussions of such grace can yield nothing short of a life that echoes the glory of God. in this case, post hoc, egor prompter hoc is right on. if any good comes from my life, if any compassion, if any love, it is most certainly caused by the Almighty.

please dont stare

mr. man sitting at the computer across from me in the library: i came to the library to try to be productive between classes. but my productivity has been distracted by your volume level which is disturbing. i find it hard to believe that you are studying or working on a project, or perhaps i just have never seen the course "drinking and fishing" on the course list when i was signing up for class on blackboard. the subject which so nicely accompanies your volume, seems to also be distracting your friend next to you who is obviously trying to work. i'm not sure if you have noticed but the rest of the students around are typing and writing at a relatively low, nearly silent, volume. also, i'm not sure if you are trying to obviously stare at every girl that walks by you, but your violent head turning is noticeable. perhaps that technique works for you, if so, please dismiss my observation. on the other hand, if it hasn't been working out so well, please don't stare. it's weird. thanks and have a wonderful day. -the distracted student across the computer circle

disclaimer

tennis shoes with jeans isn't always a bad choice. i just never sport this look. perhaps it's just my entire ensemble that made the shoes a funny choice. perhaps i should stop blogging on next-to-no-sleep.

you decide.

I wore my tennis shoes with jeans. Does that make me a nerd or shall we just chalk it up to exhaustion and one bad fashion choice?