QUESTION: Which epidemic is causing more casualties this year than the swine flu?
Come back tomorrow for the answer.
~*~*~*~*~*~
I have been having SO much fun here in Indiana!! We arrived on Sunday night at our cousins' house. On Monday we went to M's, where we stayed Monday and Tuesday nights. Wooooaaahhh, such a blast!! :-D I mean, way too fun. On Tuesday Amanda went to school with Christie and met Marilynn Ham-- check her blog for details (scare though they be ;-) ). Meanwhile, the rest of us kids just "hung out" at the M's house and played Spoons and talked and stuff like that. Originally Seth and Jesse and Amanda were going to go on Wednesday for a tour of Bethel College, but Jesse asked if I wanted to come too, which I had kind of wanted to do anyway but wasn't sure whether or not to ask. But since he asked, I decided I would, so Mr. M called in and put me on the list of people touring for the day.
So Wednesday we went down to the college and got a tour. It was lots of fun, probably more being with some of my favorite people in the world (my sister, my cousin, and two great friends), than checking out the college, necessarily. It was an eye-opening day, reiterating in my mind that I am not cut out for college!! But I'm moving ahead of myself. Let me tell how the day went.
Amanda went with Christie to her sign-language class, and Seth, Jesse, and I were supposed to go to a Bible class but they were taking a test that morning, so instead the "admissions counselor" (Paula) just talked to us about the college for about an hour. (I was getting a headache.... ;-) )
Then we headed over to chapel. :-S Mr. M said it was one of the worse chapel days; he said they are usually better. It opened with a sort of "teaser" for the jazz concert that they'll be having on Friday, which was really loud and monotonous. It was funny, the speaker guy who leads chapel, I guess, said something after the group played about "stand up and tell the person next to you that you're coming to the jazz concert on Friday!"
We stood up, and Jesse turned to me and said, "I am not going to the jazz concert on Friday!"
"Now I know why I brought my headache medicine!" I replied laughing.
Then the leader guy told everyone that they had visitors today (us) and everyone turned around and clapped and wooted and hollered. Very conspicuous. :-P
Then there were two worship songs, and then they introduced their guest speakers, Dale and Jonalyn Fincher. :-S None of us were very impressed. Their message was very man-centered, I thought, and lacking Biblical substance. The only thing kind of cool about their talk was the dramatic reading Mr. Fincher did from a section in C.S. Lewis' "The Great Divorce". That was very well-done. But that was about the only impressive thing about their whole talk.
Well anyway, Amanda joined us there and afterwards we headed over to the class "Exploring the Christian Faith". The teacher was okay, but I think our own dear Pastor is more in-depth that he is. The teacher divided everyone (including us) into groups to discuss the seven different types of spirituality. The group I ended up with was quite shallow and there was almost no discussion; but I did end up sitting next to a very nice black girl who shared her textbook with me.
After that, we went to lunch in the cafeteria. I have only eaten in a cafeteria like once or twice so I was not sure what to do or where to go. I did know I needed a Tylenol though! That took care of my impending headache and then we went back the admissions office to begin our tour.
We went basically counter-clockwise around the campus. Not much to say along that line, except the funniest part of the tour was the dorm rooms. We went first to the freshman girls' dorms. Our tour guide (I think her name was Katie?) opened the door to the hallway and yelled, "Men on the floor!"
We all giggled as we started walking down the hall. "Nothing like standing out!" one of us said to the boys.
"Just wait til we get to the guys' dorm!" Jesse responded.
Yeah... When we got to the guys dorm, our tour guide yelled, "Ladies on the floor!" Conspicuous-- yeah. And the guys dorm was definitely more masculine. In the girls' dorm, there were all sorts of pictures and girly posters on the doors and the walls in the rooms, and the rooms were bright colors and relatively tidy. In the guys' dorm, everything was brown or gray or colors like that, and... well, not so tidy. (Guys!) It was funny.
After our tour, we went to the bookstore with our 20% off coupons. Amanda and I both got shirts that say "Bethel College" on them. Maybe I'll take and post a picture of me in mine-- I am planning to wear it on Friday to our cousins' game.
After we went to the store, we went to the gym because the guys wanted to play basketball (of course :-P ). So they did that while we watched, and then we headed back to Mr. M's office. Jesse had to stay at the college with Christie because she would be attending the deaf church that evening, so Mr. M drove Seth, Amanda, and me back to M's house. There we chatted, had dinner, and then left for cousins'.
So that was yesterday. Of course, I could diary every day but that one was especially fun. I am so excited about tonight! Lord willing, we Anderson ladies, Aunt Lois, and Cousin Samuel will be heading down to Flora for Cousin Maggie's concert. Before the concert, though, we will be seeing Uncle Kenneth and Aunt Erma (Aunt Leah's parents). Please pray for us that we would minister to and encourage them. In a couple days they will be driving out to California to spend the holidays with Aunt Katherine, Uncle John, Emily and Daniel. They will have their own little house to stay in so that their grandkids can come over to see them. Hopefully this will help make the holidays not quite so sad and lonely-- Aunt Erma and Aunt Leah used to do everything Christmas together: decorating, celebrating, gifts, all that. This will be a tough Christmas for them, so please pray. I am glad that they are going out to be with Uncle John and family though.
Maggie should be coming home with us after the concert (home to cousins', I mean) and staying the night tonight and tomorrow night. Tomorrow we'll be going to cousins' basketball game. Saturday we'll be scrapbooking and Christie will come over to cousins', and on Sunday we will go to M's church and spend the day with them. Monday, HOPEFULLY we'll get to meet up with Gabrielle and her family, but we still have to figure that all out... Tuesday we're heading back to Smithville for church and then coming home.
Coming home!?!? It seems like we just left!! :-P
Here's a teaser picture of us at the M's; more to come on Day by Day!
The Lord is so good and is patiently working in my life and teaching me out of His Word. One thing that He has been impressing on me again is that the only way for my heart and mind to be changed and renewed is for me to really fill my mind with Him and with His Word. When I am meditating on and communing with the One True God, who is so good and pure and holy, then He removes the earthly, ungodly thoughts from my mind and replaces them with good and pure and holy thoughts and ways. "How can a young [woman] keep [her] way pure? By guarding it according to Your Word." How true these words!
Okay so I can't just write one verse from that section. Here's the whole thing in the King James.
Have a great rest-of-the-week!!
So Wednesday we went down to the college and got a tour. It was lots of fun, probably more being with some of my favorite people in the world (my sister, my cousin, and two great friends), than checking out the college, necessarily. It was an eye-opening day, reiterating in my mind that I am not cut out for college!! But I'm moving ahead of myself. Let me tell how the day went.
Amanda went with Christie to her sign-language class, and Seth, Jesse, and I were supposed to go to a Bible class but they were taking a test that morning, so instead the "admissions counselor" (Paula) just talked to us about the college for about an hour. (I was getting a headache.... ;-) )
Then we headed over to chapel. :-S Mr. M said it was one of the worse chapel days; he said they are usually better. It opened with a sort of "teaser" for the jazz concert that they'll be having on Friday, which was really loud and monotonous. It was funny, the speaker guy who leads chapel, I guess, said something after the group played about "stand up and tell the person next to you that you're coming to the jazz concert on Friday!"
We stood up, and Jesse turned to me and said, "I am not going to the jazz concert on Friday!"
"Now I know why I brought my headache medicine!" I replied laughing.
Then the leader guy told everyone that they had visitors today (us) and everyone turned around and clapped and wooted and hollered. Very conspicuous. :-P
Then there were two worship songs, and then they introduced their guest speakers, Dale and Jonalyn Fincher. :-S None of us were very impressed. Their message was very man-centered, I thought, and lacking Biblical substance. The only thing kind of cool about their talk was the dramatic reading Mr. Fincher did from a section in C.S. Lewis' "The Great Divorce". That was very well-done. But that was about the only impressive thing about their whole talk.
Well anyway, Amanda joined us there and afterwards we headed over to the class "Exploring the Christian Faith". The teacher was okay, but I think our own dear Pastor is more in-depth that he is. The teacher divided everyone (including us) into groups to discuss the seven different types of spirituality. The group I ended up with was quite shallow and there was almost no discussion; but I did end up sitting next to a very nice black girl who shared her textbook with me.
After that, we went to lunch in the cafeteria. I have only eaten in a cafeteria like once or twice so I was not sure what to do or where to go. I did know I needed a Tylenol though! That took care of my impending headache and then we went back the admissions office to begin our tour.
We went basically counter-clockwise around the campus. Not much to say along that line, except the funniest part of the tour was the dorm rooms. We went first to the freshman girls' dorms. Our tour guide (I think her name was Katie?) opened the door to the hallway and yelled, "Men on the floor!"
We all giggled as we started walking down the hall. "Nothing like standing out!" one of us said to the boys.
"Just wait til we get to the guys' dorm!" Jesse responded.
Yeah... When we got to the guys dorm, our tour guide yelled, "Ladies on the floor!" Conspicuous-- yeah. And the guys dorm was definitely more masculine. In the girls' dorm, there were all sorts of pictures and girly posters on the doors and the walls in the rooms, and the rooms were bright colors and relatively tidy. In the guys' dorm, everything was brown or gray or colors like that, and... well, not so tidy. (Guys!) It was funny.
After our tour, we went to the bookstore with our 20% off coupons. Amanda and I both got shirts that say "Bethel College" on them. Maybe I'll take and post a picture of me in mine-- I am planning to wear it on Friday to our cousins' game.
After we went to the store, we went to the gym because the guys wanted to play basketball (of course :-P ). So they did that while we watched, and then we headed back to Mr. M's office. Jesse had to stay at the college with Christie because she would be attending the deaf church that evening, so Mr. M drove Seth, Amanda, and me back to M's house. There we chatted, had dinner, and then left for cousins'.
So that was yesterday. Of course, I could diary every day but that one was especially fun. I am so excited about tonight! Lord willing, we Anderson ladies, Aunt Lois, and Cousin Samuel will be heading down to Flora for Cousin Maggie's concert. Before the concert, though, we will be seeing Uncle Kenneth and Aunt Erma (Aunt Leah's parents). Please pray for us that we would minister to and encourage them. In a couple days they will be driving out to California to spend the holidays with Aunt Katherine, Uncle John, Emily and Daniel. They will have their own little house to stay in so that their grandkids can come over to see them. Hopefully this will help make the holidays not quite so sad and lonely-- Aunt Erma and Aunt Leah used to do everything Christmas together: decorating, celebrating, gifts, all that. This will be a tough Christmas for them, so please pray. I am glad that they are going out to be with Uncle John and family though.
Maggie should be coming home with us after the concert (home to cousins', I mean) and staying the night tonight and tomorrow night. Tomorrow we'll be going to cousins' basketball game. Saturday we'll be scrapbooking and Christie will come over to cousins', and on Sunday we will go to M's church and spend the day with them. Monday, HOPEFULLY we'll get to meet up with Gabrielle and her family, but we still have to figure that all out... Tuesday we're heading back to Smithville for church and then coming home.
Coming home!?!? It seems like we just left!! :-P
Here's a teaser picture of us at the M's; more to come on Day by Day!
The Lord is so good and is patiently working in my life and teaching me out of His Word. One thing that He has been impressing on me again is that the only way for my heart and mind to be changed and renewed is for me to really fill my mind with Him and with His Word. When I am meditating on and communing with the One True God, who is so good and pure and holy, then He removes the earthly, ungodly thoughts from my mind and replaces them with good and pure and holy thoughts and ways. "How can a young [woman] keep [her] way pure? By guarding it according to Your Word." How true these words!
Okay so I can't just write one verse from that section. Here's the whole thing in the King James.
"Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?
by taking heed thereto according to thy word.
With my whole heart have I sought thee:
O let me not wander from thy commandments.
Thy word have I hid in mine heart,
that I might not sin against thee.
Blessed art thou, O LORD:
teach me thy statutes.
With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth.
I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies,
as much as in all riches.
I will meditate in thy precepts,
and have respect unto thy ways.
I will delight myself in thy statutes:
I will not forget thy word."
(Psalm 119:9-16)
by taking heed thereto according to thy word.
With my whole heart have I sought thee:
O let me not wander from thy commandments.
Thy word have I hid in mine heart,
that I might not sin against thee.
Blessed art thou, O LORD:
teach me thy statutes.
With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth.
I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies,
as much as in all riches.
I will meditate in thy precepts,
and have respect unto thy ways.
I will delight myself in thy statutes:
I will not forget thy word."
(Psalm 119:9-16)
Have a great rest-of-the-week!!
5 comments:
Oh, thank you for posting; I really enjoyed reading about your day! :D Have a great weekend!
How fun!!! Tell us more Melanie, and DON'T GET A HEADACHE!!!!!! That's an ORDER!!!!!!!!!!!
You ARE going to post lots of pictures, right??? And maybe even a movie or two????? (Hint-hint!)
Continue having fun, continue "taking heed unto His Word" and continue posting to restrain some of our "homesickness" for you!
I loved reading about your days! AND I really hope we can meet up!!!!!!!! The college tour was really funny to read about! :P
Love,
Gabrielle
miss you melanie! Don't wear yourselves out with too many adventures.:)
Ohhhh, that was SO fun. I'd do it every week if I could. :) (And yeah, our tour guide was named Katie.)
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