Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Day 1
I am doing the Celebration of Hope this week. Basically I can only eat plain rice, oatmeal or cream of wheat. small pieces of vegetables and meat the size of a small chicken nugget and drink only tap water. It's pretty intense but so far has been really good.
Yesterday was the first day that I was doing this challenge. It was much harder than I thought. All day, everything looked delicious and I couldn't eat any of it! By the end of the day I had one carrot (which was all the veggies I could have for a day) and that carrot tasted fantastic especially compared to the cream of wheat I had for breakfast. It has been a very interesting experience so far. The hunger was on the forefront of my mind all day yesterday and in some strange way it made me focus better. It made me appreciate the fact that I can walk down to the dining center whenever I want and get food. 50% of the world's population eat like I am eating now or worse. 50%. That is a staggering amount. By the end of the day, I was exhausted and went to bed early. I can't imagine doing hard labor on this diet, it would be so grueling. According to August, I looked as though I was going to pass out but no such luck. I have never actually passed out before which I suppose is an interesting fact about myself.
I also got to go to coffee (or in my case water) with Amy, my Homegroup leader. She has an amazing story and it was very cool to see how God brought her to the place she is at now.
This morning, I woke up feeling much better. Completely refreshed and not groggy at all. I think it has something to do with the fact that I have decided drinking the proper amount of water I should be drinking in a day is important. It's a TON of water. I used to be lucky if I drank 3 glasses of water a day. My body is definitely cheering right now haha. Went to Religions and Cultures this morning too. I was in a discussion group with 2 guys who are both Seniors. They were talking about how they are going to graduate and then they turned to me and asked when I was graduating. I told them I was a freshman and they were dumbfounded. They both thought I was a senior! This has happened to me so much this year. So yes, for those of you wondering, I still am a 30 year old stuck in a teenagers body but I'm slowly catching up.
Yesterday was the first day that I was doing this challenge. It was much harder than I thought. All day, everything looked delicious and I couldn't eat any of it! By the end of the day I had one carrot (which was all the veggies I could have for a day) and that carrot tasted fantastic especially compared to the cream of wheat I had for breakfast. It has been a very interesting experience so far. The hunger was on the forefront of my mind all day yesterday and in some strange way it made me focus better. It made me appreciate the fact that I can walk down to the dining center whenever I want and get food. 50% of the world's population eat like I am eating now or worse. 50%. That is a staggering amount. By the end of the day, I was exhausted and went to bed early. I can't imagine doing hard labor on this diet, it would be so grueling. According to August, I looked as though I was going to pass out but no such luck. I have never actually passed out before which I suppose is an interesting fact about myself.
I also got to go to coffee (or in my case water) with Amy, my Homegroup leader. She has an amazing story and it was very cool to see how God brought her to the place she is at now.
This morning, I woke up feeling much better. Completely refreshed and not groggy at all. I think it has something to do with the fact that I have decided drinking the proper amount of water I should be drinking in a day is important. It's a TON of water. I used to be lucky if I drank 3 glasses of water a day. My body is definitely cheering right now haha. Went to Religions and Cultures this morning too. I was in a discussion group with 2 guys who are both Seniors. They were talking about how they are going to graduate and then they turned to me and asked when I was graduating. I told them I was a freshman and they were dumbfounded. They both thought I was a senior! This has happened to me so much this year. So yes, for those of you wondering, I still am a 30 year old stuck in a teenagers body but I'm slowly catching up.
Friday, April 9, 2010
www.toms.com
If you've never been to the TOMS website, you should go. It's really an awesome shoe store with an even greater purpose. For every pair of shoes they sell, they send a pair to kids who have no shoes. That being said, they had "One Day Without Shoes" day yesterday. I did it all day. It was quite the experience. I really didn't think that not having shoes all day would affect me that much but I was proven wrong. The ground was freezing all day because the sun was not out and walking on the pavement felt like there were needles going into my feet. I can't imagine walking around like that all day. And your feet are so susceptible to gross and nasty things and being cut up and stuff. KK and I walked back from our friend's house which was only about 3 blocks away from our dorm at like midnight but it was awful. We were thanking God that we had shoes the whole way home. It was just a powerful experience. I think one of the highlights was getting to wash my feet when we got home from our final walk outside without shoes. It was happy for me that I got to wash away my day and have clean feet once again but then I thought of all of the kids that don't get to do that and I thought about all the shoes that I have that I don't use. I need to donate them. Soon.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
This past weekend was Easter weekend which was so exciting. I mean, seriously, how can you not be excited about someone coming back from the dead... on their own. CRAZY! This weekend was really good because I got the best of both worlds. A little bit of family, a little bit of friends, and just an overall happy weekend.
I got to spend time with my family which was a lot of fun. We had some great discussions, crazy comments and everything else in between which made family dinners quite...interesting. I went to Saturday night service at Willow Creek in Barrington. If you've never been to the Barrington campus I highly recommend going because first of all the pastors that speak there are incredibly insightful and they somehow make it feel like they are speaking directly to you each week. Also, it's just a sight to see. The worship center seats over 7,200 people. It's quite amazing to sing with 7,200 other voices in praise to God.
I also got to spend time with friends. I went to Duda's house on Friday night for a bonfire which was a lot of fun. I was nice seeing people but it was also eye opening for me to see people and realize I was never really friends with them or I had no reason to talk to them anymore. It made the night even better because then I just spent it with the people that I actually wanted to see and talk to. Tony and I had an awesome talk. If you don't know him, you should. He is such a great guy with an even greater heart.
Yesterday was a little hectic, re-choosing classes, trying to make decisions I know I can't make, thinking of all I have to do this week and doing none of it. It was frustrating but I did get girl scout cookies from the girls who were selling them on the quad. Smart parents!
That brings me to today. Today is much better as you can see, I even have time to blog so clearly a less stressful day. I just finished laundry and it is sprawled around my room so I didn't have to spend more money on the dryer. Now I should be doing something but listening to Jason Robert Brown sounds like a much better idea. I'm off to attempt to get something done. Later.
I got to spend time with my family which was a lot of fun. We had some great discussions, crazy comments and everything else in between which made family dinners quite...interesting. I went to Saturday night service at Willow Creek in Barrington. If you've never been to the Barrington campus I highly recommend going because first of all the pastors that speak there are incredibly insightful and they somehow make it feel like they are speaking directly to you each week. Also, it's just a sight to see. The worship center seats over 7,200 people. It's quite amazing to sing with 7,200 other voices in praise to God.
I also got to spend time with friends. I went to Duda's house on Friday night for a bonfire which was a lot of fun. I was nice seeing people but it was also eye opening for me to see people and realize I was never really friends with them or I had no reason to talk to them anymore. It made the night even better because then I just spent it with the people that I actually wanted to see and talk to. Tony and I had an awesome talk. If you don't know him, you should. He is such a great guy with an even greater heart.
Yesterday was a little hectic, re-choosing classes, trying to make decisions I know I can't make, thinking of all I have to do this week and doing none of it. It was frustrating but I did get girl scout cookies from the girls who were selling them on the quad. Smart parents!
That brings me to today. Today is much better as you can see, I even have time to blog so clearly a less stressful day. I just finished laundry and it is sprawled around my room so I didn't have to spend more money on the dryer. Now I should be doing something but listening to Jason Robert Brown sounds like a much better idea. I'm off to attempt to get something done. Later.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Google, I mean Topeka has done it again.
Once again, Google has won the battle. In light of the fact that Topeka, Kansas officially changed their named to Google, Kansas with the hope that Google would choose them to participate in their experimental ultra-high-speed broad band project Google has decided to take action.
Google, seeing that this kind gesture was merely a ploy has decided to fight back. If you didn't notice today as you tried to Google why you can't own a Canadian or what your favorite singer was actually saying during that part you usually mumble in the song, Google has officially changed it's name to Topeka as of today, April 1st.
As you read the many articles bashing Google for changing it's name, you must remember that this could be a very real situation but you must also remember that it is likely the people at Google know how to play a good, clean practical joke. After all, it is April 1st.
So Topeka, I commend you. Keep up the good work and rest at ease knowing that this knowledge junkie will never leave you for another search engine.
Google, seeing that this kind gesture was merely a ploy has decided to fight back. If you didn't notice today as you tried to Google why you can't own a Canadian or what your favorite singer was actually saying during that part you usually mumble in the song, Google has officially changed it's name to Topeka as of today, April 1st.
As you read the many articles bashing Google for changing it's name, you must remember that this could be a very real situation but you must also remember that it is likely the people at Google know how to play a good, clean practical joke. After all, it is April 1st.
So Topeka, I commend you. Keep up the good work and rest at ease knowing that this knowledge junkie will never leave you for another search engine.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Lots to Talk About!
Well, I suppose I can tell you a little bit about the rest of my day yesterday. It was pretty uneventful until the evening hours. Right before small group, we had a mini Seder dinner. Rachel's mom made us a ton of delicious food and there were about 12 of us that came and just had a good time eating and hanging out with each other. It was a lot of fun and it was nice to have some leftovers before Rachel came to get them. Haha.
Today I didn't do much of anything. I walked outside without a jacket and it was wonderful. It was so awesome seeing people sitting on the quad doing homework or just being with friends.
The reason I am sitting here blogging instead of playing ultimate frisbee with the church kids is because I gave blood and I have to wait 4 hours before I do strenuous activities! It was my first time giving blood and I am glad I didn't faint. haha. I didn't watch the needle go in but I did look and see my blood going into the bag and stuff. My right arm felt weak which was weird. I know it's because my arm was being deprived of oxygen and stuff. OH! And the tube sitting on my hand felt warm because the inside of your body is 98.7 degrees so that was kind of cool. I know that's kind of gross so I am sorry if you are squeamish.
I got another letter from Zahara the other day!!! She put a new picture in the letter and a picture that she drew. It is precious. The letter was written on January 8th and got to me March 25th so you can get a good idea of the turn around time. I still have yet to get a letter from Lillian. I think one may come soon. I will be writing both Zahara and Lilian to tell them the good news about Colorado! I hope they get my letters. I wish there was some way of knowing or that we could send e-mails back and forth. I'm all for technology connecting the world.
Well, as of tomorrow there is one month of classes left. That is insane.
Today I didn't do much of anything. I walked outside without a jacket and it was wonderful. It was so awesome seeing people sitting on the quad doing homework or just being with friends.
The reason I am sitting here blogging instead of playing ultimate frisbee with the church kids is because I gave blood and I have to wait 4 hours before I do strenuous activities! It was my first time giving blood and I am glad I didn't faint. haha. I didn't watch the needle go in but I did look and see my blood going into the bag and stuff. My right arm felt weak which was weird. I know it's because my arm was being deprived of oxygen and stuff. OH! And the tube sitting on my hand felt warm because the inside of your body is 98.7 degrees so that was kind of cool. I know that's kind of gross so I am sorry if you are squeamish.
I got another letter from Zahara the other day!!! She put a new picture in the letter and a picture that she drew. It is precious. The letter was written on January 8th and got to me March 25th so you can get a good idea of the turn around time. I still have yet to get a letter from Lillian. I think one may come soon. I will be writing both Zahara and Lilian to tell them the good news about Colorado! I hope they get my letters. I wish there was some way of knowing or that we could send e-mails back and forth. I'm all for technology connecting the world.
Well, as of tomorrow there is one month of classes left. That is insane.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
I have discovered true love
As a kid I was definitely an advocate of the phrase "well if you love it so much, why don't you marry it?"
Well I think it is appropriate to say that I LOVE the new blog I just found. I may or may not have found it Facebook stalking people and I couldn't really tell you how it came to my attention but it's the blog of a girl that graduated from my high school when I was a sophomore and headed off to Julliard. Her New Year's resolution was to try 52 new restaurants in 52 weeks. Amazing.
First of all I was intrigued by this blog because it is so clever and well written. If only I had more wit, then maybe people would actually read the ramblings I call my life. Or maybe it's just the fact that she emphasizes important things by bolding them or making them really big. Oh the curse of always having to look professional.
Secondly, ummm it's about FOOD. Food that I want to try. Food that makes your mouth water by just reading about it. Food that looks like the kind of thing you would eat so much of you would probably have a food coma (which is just fine by me). She is such a good critic too! She really knows her stuff. I only wish my Dad and I had started doing this years ago! Seriously, who doesn't want to read about food.
Thirdly, people actually read her blog and look forward to posts. I have only been a reader for a day and I am ready to become a "follower" according to blogspot. Big step. I wish that people would look forward to reading my blog. I don't think my parents even read it anymore (well we will see now, won't we).
Needless to say, I spent my entire 8am class catching up on the past 3 months worth of restaurants that I missed out on. I'm excited to see where else this girl goes. If you want to check it out go here!
That being said... I could definitely marry this blog and I would have a beautiful life reading it.
I didn't read my Bible yesterday. It wasn't a bad day, something just felt not right all day. I won't be skipping that again. I love God time. :-)
Well I think it is appropriate to say that I LOVE the new blog I just found. I may or may not have found it Facebook stalking people and I couldn't really tell you how it came to my attention but it's the blog of a girl that graduated from my high school when I was a sophomore and headed off to Julliard. Her New Year's resolution was to try 52 new restaurants in 52 weeks. Amazing.
First of all I was intrigued by this blog because it is so clever and well written. If only I had more wit, then maybe people would actually read the ramblings I call my life. Or maybe it's just the fact that she emphasizes important things by bolding them or making them really big. Oh the curse of always having to look professional.
Secondly, ummm it's about FOOD. Food that I want to try. Food that makes your mouth water by just reading about it. Food that looks like the kind of thing you would eat so much of you would probably have a food coma (which is just fine by me). She is such a good critic too! She really knows her stuff. I only wish my Dad and I had started doing this years ago! Seriously, who doesn't want to read about food.
Thirdly, people actually read her blog and look forward to posts. I have only been a reader for a day and I am ready to become a "follower" according to blogspot. Big step. I wish that people would look forward to reading my blog. I don't think my parents even read it anymore (well we will see now, won't we).
Needless to say, I spent my entire 8am class catching up on the past 3 months worth of restaurants that I missed out on. I'm excited to see where else this girl goes. If you want to check it out go here!
That being said... I could definitely marry this blog and I would have a beautiful life reading it.
I didn't read my Bible yesterday. It wasn't a bad day, something just felt not right all day. I won't be skipping that again. I love God time. :-)
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