Thanks, God.

I'm thankful for my little brother's random humor, my mom's listening ear, and my dad's corny jokes. I'm thankful for meteor showers and mountain air and laughing under the stars. For incredible friends who are there to keep me smiling, even through the hardest times, and who keep loving me, even after seeing the good and the bad in me. For hiking and Owl City and driving with the windows down. For acoustic guitars and waterfalls and Steak 'n Shake runs after midnight. I'm thankful for the fact that I can write cliché "thankful" blog posts and feel okay about it. :) I'm thankful for autumn leaves and how they blow around and crunch under my feet, for Christmas lights, the color green, and warm, fuzzy blankets. For songs that describe my life to me, rainy days, and giant bear hugs. For violins and good movies and long conversations about nothing in particular. I'm thankful for late-night adventures and old friends and meeting new people.

I'm thankful for the difficult times because I've learned to fully trust.

I'm thankful for Your amazing, amazing love.

I'm thankful for knowing that there's a point to everything that happens in my life, and that You are going to walk through all of it with me.

Thanks, God. :)

These are a few of my favorite things...

They're all links. Click for more awesomeness.

1. Owl City
Um, yes, Adam Young is amazing. I've listened to this guy for about 4 months straight and I'm still not sick of him. It has got to be the most versatile music ever made. If I'm happy, it works. If I'm sad, it works. If I'm tired, it works. If I have tons of energy, it works. Big cities, the mountains, the beach...it just works. I still get really happy every time I hear the opening notes to "Fireflies" or "The Saltwater Room" or "Hot Air Balloon" or...any of his songs, really. So good!

2. Lonely Planet
This site is my new best friend. I discovered it while I was spending the past few days planning a trip to Italy for a class project. Anywhere you want to travel (which, at least in my case, means everywhere), it has all the information you need to know. Restaurants, hotels, transportation, cool things to see, whatever--it has it. And it's not worded in a really boring way. It's actually kind of fun to read.

3. Global Perspectives
...Because it's why I get to go to Europe this coming summer. Austria, Switzerland, and Germany, here I come! I am super excited. Obviously, I can't wait to go to see the cities and stuff, but what made me most excited was when I realized that I'll be in the middle of the Alps. YESSSS!!! (I know, I would get worked up about that sort of thing. I can't help it. Mountains are my favorite.)

4. The Annie Moses Band's Version of "We Three Kings"
Please ignore the fact that this is a video clip from TBN. :) I'm a huge fan of just about any sort of stringed instrument arrangement, and this is definitely no exception. Gorgeous.

5. Making New Friends
This seems to be something that has happened quite a bit in my life here lately. I'm definitely not complaining! I love having more people in my life. It makes things so much more enjoyable! :) I'm just hoping they don't turn into the whole we-hung-out-once-and-now-I'll-pretend-you-don't-exist thing. I hate that.

6. Sporcle
Hello, addiction. What could be more entertaining than 2,319 random knowledge quizzes that occupy your life for hours at a time? Yeah, it's a good time.

When I look at the stars, I feel like myself

It's almost 5am. I'm still up studying for this ridiculous theology exam that I have at 11:45am. Oh well...the meteor shower was worth it, I suppose. After all, what could be better than laying on a blanket, staring up at the stars, and laughing with some of your favorite people on the planet?

It was a good time.

Now it's off to a quick review, and then hopefully bed. Let's hope I don't die this week--I don't even get a full weekend to recover (thanks, Urban Outreach!). Thanksgiving Break, come quickly!

A few random ramblings

Confession: I just broke out the Christmas music.

I know, I know--it's not even Thanksgiving yet. I can't help it! I held out longer than I usually do, so I think that should count for something. I just love Christmastime way too much. A month of it is not enough! I'm especially looking forward to it this year. I'm not sure why, but I'm definitely more excited than usual! (Three words: The Polar Express. YESSS!!)

Anyway. Today, I realized that I definitely go to a Christian university. On my way to class, I passed a guy and a girl having a conversation in the middle of the sidewalk, and all of a sudden, the girl says, "You just need to rebuke those devils in the name of Jesus!" She was completely serious, and it's funny because that sort of thing is seen as totally normal around here. The Lee U Bubble--what can I say? (Bonus: I had two friends post Facebook statuses asking for "praise reports," and actually get serious responses. Only at Lee.)*

I selected my classes yesterday...sort of. I've been doing a lot of class-switching, which is super frustrating. Looks like I'm going to end up with Searcy again, just so I can free up a time for the new section Ortega might be opening. Ortega is so worth it, but I still don't really want to go until 4pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Oh well. Let's hope she actually does open up another section and that I didn't give up my better time slot for no reason.

A rather vague reference to my life: I was talking to God a couple of days ago, and this is what He told me:

"None of this is by accident. Everything that has happened has worked out exactly how it was supposed to, from beginning to end. I didn't warn you at the beginning because it was all supposed to happen. You are right where you're supposed to be."

Kinda comforting, and maybe even a little freeing. I still may not like it, but I feel more at peace with my life now. New perspective--check!

P.S. I really, really like The Weepies. Their music makes for a great rainy day/chill soundtrack. Some of my personal faves: "The World Spins Madly On," "All Good Things," and "Gotta Have You."

*Clarification: I have nothing at all against telling people about the cool things God is doing in my life, nor do I necessarily disagree with sidewalk girl (though I would never in a million years use that wording). It's just the fact that it's normal is really amusing to me.

"The eve of an ending..."

Lonely Tonight

Matt Wertz

6th and Green is a warm place in November
When the air is cold and the leaves blow on the ground
And I don't think that I can even remember
Why it was that I came to this town

'Cause I just want to be lonely tonight
Just me and my Maker in this cold moonlight

This is me on the eve of an ending
To what I've known's been constant for a year
And I'm so scared of this pain that I'll be sending
Sometimes I just want to run away in fear

But I just want to be lonely tonight
Just me and my Maker in this cold moonlight

No, I haven't heard your voice in two weeks now
And anticipation's been wearing me thin
And I just can't help but wonderin', baby, if somehow
We could tear these pages out and begin again

Because I just want to be lonely tonight
Just me and my Maker in this cold moonlight
I just want to be lonely tonight
With no one around to see the sight
Of me lying here

'Cause this is the hardest thing I've ever done before
I said, this is the hardest thing I've ever done before
And I don't want to be lonely

But I won't be lonely tonight
Because my Maker's holding me