Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Of Books and Bare Feet.

Bent over slightly in a blue padded desk chair with a sliver hoodie around my upper torso, the only noise that can be heard is the air conditioning system, working to freeze the room.
























Language Files sits in my lap and the Linguistics for Language Learners syllabus lays on the computer shelf, calling me to study and learn.







































Across the room, my roommate Elle's dried flower arrangement hangs from the lacy white curtains above her bed. I'm sort of jealous of her nifty creations all over the room. (Yes, I did mention before that I didn't have a roommate, but that changed unexpectedly the day before school started.) It took some getting adjusted to, but now I couldn't be happier about it!

























Three. That stands for the number of photo sessions I had for the same number of days, all in a row this past weekend. My friends were more than willing to model and two of them showed me an old abandoned factory that worked marvelously for our Sunday evening session.

































































Bare feet. I have yet to meet a missionary kid that didn't love the feel of the cool grass or the rough, gritty stones in the pavement beneath their feet.
















My Japanese friend Mia is such a blessing to me. We met for the first time a year ago at the Mu Kappa Orientation and since then we've become great friends. Thank you Melody for taking the picture!



And now I must return to the land of reading and diligent study because the very reason why I'm here at college is to learn.

Good night y'all!

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Ephesians 6:18
























I don't pray often enough and this verse is one that God often uses to convict me. Prayer is so, so, so powerful. God hears us when we pray, and he always answers. How amazing is that?! It should be our first reaction in every situation, but many times it's option number 3, or worse, we don't even think to do it.

I challenge you to ask two friends of yours what they need prayer for and then commit to pray every day for them for at least one week. Maybe you'll get the opportunity to see how God uses you and maybe you won't...but whether you do or not, God is working. =)


Saturday, August 27, 2011

Captivating Stories and Gorgeous Girls.

Wow, it's been six days since my last post! Between classes starting, the annual Bible conference, running nearly every night, calling family and the Involvement Fair, this week has been very busy.







































That's not to say that there haven't been quiet moments spent in reflection of God and his awesome ways.
























As I prepared to photograph my friends Anh Thu and Haeun, I pondered what emotions and feelings the photos I took would evoke. The photo shoot was primarily to take photos for an upcoming article in Bloom! Magazine. One of my photography professors told me that a good photograph should tell a story. My passion and pursuit is to create photographs that tell captivating stories.
























Drop.dead.gorgeous.







































See what I mean?
























Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, "I will confess my rebellion to the LORD." And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Interlude
-Psalm 32:5


























Haeun wanted to go on the swings and that was the only place that she would let me photograph her.
























Which one is your favorite?

Tomorrow I've got two more photo shoots planned. Can't wait!!

Monday, August 22, 2011

Getting Back in the Groove.

Hey everyone! I'm back!!! Last week I was busy helping with the MK/International Orientation, tomorrow and Tuesday there's a Bible conference for all Cedarville students and classes start on Wednesday! I've been spending my free time hanging out with friends, running, and getting ready for classes which hasn't left much time for taking photos. Tomorrow I'm going to start shooting again. Promise.

We had a photo scavenger hunt during the MK/International Orientation and I did take lots of photos of that. Loved my group, which Caleb and I co-led.























We had such a good time walking around town and campus looking for Cedarville specific landmarks and acting silly the entire time.







































Does that look like an 8 to you?
























Someone had the idea to have one of the guys stalk a girl (which ended up being me) because we had to incorporate the number 2 into the picture. It looks slightly creepy, but believe me, it was all part of the game. ;)


























We support the Cedarville Fire Department!!!







































I missed my "third home". It's good to be back with my friends!


























Since I don't have a photo of my dorm, this is Brock, a guys dorm to the left of my dorm, Willetts. It houses a lot of crazy, random, messy boys. I suppose it's not that bad, but most of the Brock men do carry out one interesting tradition called "Brock to the Rock" which I'd rather not elaborate on.
























My room is so big compared to the one I had last year! My new freshman friends are jealous of all my free space and one of them wants to move in with me next semester, which would be wonderful. I was going to have a roommate but she decided not to return to Cedarville this year, so I have this room all to myself for now. :)



The lake is disgusting, but I still think the fountains are pretty.







































More pics coming soon! Have a lovely week, friends!

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Scripture and a Snapshot: August 17th
























It's easy to get distracted by things of this world and forget to talk to God. Don't let material possessions or other people stop you from spending quality time with your Savior. He's your King, Father, and Shepherd. Give him your life and commit to serve him selflessly. It's so worth it!



If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. -Mark 8:35 {New Living Translation}




Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Back at the 'Ville

I made it to the 'ville!

On Sunday afternoon my family packed up our Honda Accord to the brim and drove down to Cedarville (without Jon) to bring me back to college. It was a bummer that Jon couldn't come, but he had marching band practice.


























This isn't even half of the stuff I took! Crazy, I know. :P


























We ran into lots of rain showers, some coming down in torrents and others rhythmically hitting the ground in a pitter-patter.


























My parents helped me unpack and then they had to leave to head home. I miss them already but I'm so excited for this year and the adventures it will bring!
























I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me. -Philippians 4:13 {GOD'S WORD}

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Left-Handers Unite!

August 13th is a special day for 7% of the population -- Left-Handers Day!



According to this website, today marks the 19th annual celebration of left-handers' superiority. Being a lefty isn't necessarily a good thing, especially if these facts are true. I mean, who wants allergies and migraines? This study surprised me with claims that left-handed people are angrier and are more inhibited, but whether those are true or not, I still like my left-handedness because it makes driving on the left-handed side of the road in countries that do that (like PNG and Australia) easier and left-handed people tend to be better at multi-tasking.



If you're a lefty and you struggle with simple tasks like cutting paper with scissors or using a can opener, these tips and products might help. Are any of you left-handed? How have you adapted your lifestyle to fit your left-handedness? Hope you enjoy this warm August night whether you're a lefty or not! =)








Can you tell that I'm in a black and white mood? I'm loving the simple shades of grey.

P.S. I guest posted over here!

P.P.S. A friend posted this song on Facebook, and I've been listening to it frequently - love the lyrics! "As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!"

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Last Official Week of Summer.


Quiet moments sitting at the backyard picnic table, playing two guitar chords over and over again, (at least it's a start to learning guitar) =]



bright stormy skies and thrilling thunderstorms























homemade double chocolate chip cookies


























clean, shiny teeth























chicken burgers and fries





































playing backyard baseball






























and spending quality time with my family. 

This is how I've spent my last week of summer and it's been wonderful.

Cedar Point for a Day

You may have guessed it from my Scavenger Hunt Sunday photos, but if not...

My family spent last Friday at Cedar Point! It's hard to believe it was already almost a week ago. I feel bad for taking so long to write this post, but it's better later than never, right?

The week has flown by and yet, each day seems to stretch on and on... In just a few days I'll be back at Cedarville University! My, how long ago the end of the semester seems, but I know it's been ages. I'm very excited to help out with missionary kid orientation for a few days. If I'm not around much next week, it'll be because I'm off having an adventure with some old and new friends.

Anyways, moving on to talk about Cedar Point!
























We had to leave home at 8:30 am and we got to the park just before 10 am. I packed my point and shoot Canon, water, lunch, sunglasses, and chapstick for the long day.


























The first ride we went on was the Iron Dragon, which seemed pretty tame. From there, my parents and Jon headed to the Millennium Force while Christopher and I went on a couple of less adventurous rides.


























Later in the day we went and saw an extreme bike show. The stunts were really cool.


























Quite a large crowd gathered for the fascinating show in the outdoor theatre. The temperature was comfortably warm because of the lake breeze.















































Instead of focusing on the show, I entertained myself by photographing the show and some para gliders landing on peaceful Lake Erie.



The WindSeeker looked like an interesting ride, but my family decided we'd rather not be lifted high into the air and twirled around as if on a giant swing.

I'm sure it would have made my little brother sick from the motion, and that would be no good. Also, my dad was already feeling sick from another ride and needed to take it easy.


























The riverboat ride was slow and relaxing, and the cheesy jokes the captain made kept the whole crew laughing. ;)


























Reflections in the water are beautiful, aren't they? I loved how clear the water was as we rode around in the boat.
































































Towering high above our heads, the Ferris Wheel was quite a sight to see, a majestic and powerful machine standing firm midst the strong winds.  I got to ride it twice, once with my dad and Christopher, and again with just my mom.


























Our tiny dinner was well over-priced, but by the time we even decided to search for a place to eat it was after 8 o'clock and our worn out bodies just needed a comfortable spot to rest for a while.


























We spent 12 grueling hours at the park, but when the time came to leave, I'm not sure we were ready to say goodbye. Jon found out that he loves the craziest rides at the park and he still had a few to try out. The rest of us would have gone on another ride if there was time left...but it had run out; so we left Cedar Point and headed home to our warm, cozy house. Days like this leave me exhausted and happy.