Okay, story for today about the song that is stuck in my head. There are two parking lots that I can park in at college park. If I park in any of the others I get an 80 dollar ticket. So I can park in 11b or I can park in 11c. 11b is a huge parking lot, maybe 1000 spots... It is seven rows of cars and it stretches on forever. The parking spaces are also extremely small and I hate parking my huge car in a normal size spot. Well, lot 11c is only about 100 cars and it is closer to engineering and joy of all joys, they have huge parking spaces!! So if I get there between 8 and 9:30, then I can usually find a spot there. But on Tuesday and Thursdays I have a class at 11. So unless I come to school early, I shouldn't be able to find a spot there. I never could last year after ten.

Well, this year I haven't parked in 11b once! Every morning when I get to school there is one random spot let in 11c. The person who turns in right after me probably is cursing at me for taking the last spot. I think it is awesome how God does things to make our lives good. I got out of my car this morning and this song had popped into my head and before I realized it, it was out of my head and I was singing it. heh. Yeah, imagine me in the middle of the parking lot singing. It was pretty funny when I realized what I was doing. But then I thought about it; God is to be praised all the time, right? So isn't that what we should always me doing?!? His praise should ever be on our hearts and in our mouths.

So that is the point of this entry, to remind you to take time to praise God today for his wonderful blessing in your life, for how he provides things to make you smile and cares about the little details. And then I would like to praise God for caring enough about parking spaces! He must really love me. I've got a project to finish by tomorrow morning, so I have to go. But here are the lyrics that are stuck in my head. Jeff Deyo used to be the lead singer of Sonic Flood. This is from his solo cd. I really like it. It is pretty old now. I like the instumental version of this song. It is one of my favorites!

Some would say that You cannot be found
And some would say that You are far away
But I know You're the God who lives in me
And I know You will always have my heart.

'Cause you are good
And Your love endures forever
You are good
And Your love endures forever
You are good
And Your love endures forever
You are good, you are good.
- Jeff Deyo

So I thought I would post two photos of me from school for your general amusement.

1) Me eating Chipotle. I wish we had a Chipotle in Salisbury. They are the best Mexican fast food around! Amazing, enough said!

2) Me sleeping in the back of my car. Whenever I get tired during school, I walk out to my car, roll down the windows and take a nap. I also study in my car. The backseat is very nice. I lay out on it with my feet hanging out the window. I am sure it is amusing looking. Jared tells me that I am acting like a homeless person. So here is my homeless person school picture. Enjoy.

I finally got a planner today. I have never used one before because I could normally remember all the things I had to do. Then this semester hit. I thought I was busy, but it wasn't until I wrote down next weeks schedule that I realized how busy I am. Okay here is a glance at my work load next week... Oh and let me mention that three of my professors like to give pop quizzes, so those haven't been mentioned. I had three of those last week.

Monday
Packaging Homework (7 problems)


Tuesday
Heat Transfer Homework (6 problems)
* these problems usually take about 1-2 hours a problem

Heat Transfer Pre-Lab (6 questions/problems)
* This took me about three hours last time.


Wednesday
Controls Homework (6 problems)
* Last homework took me at least two hours a problem. I turned in 12 (8-1\2 x 11) pages of material for only four problems. I haven't looked at this weeks...

HVAC Project (4 different parts and a report)
* I have put in about twelve hours into this project so far and I'll spend a lot of time this weekend writing the report.

Heat Transfer Lab Report
* I spent about three hours on my last one. We work in groups! Hooray for groups.


Thursday
Studio write up for Controls (three problems on the computer)
* These problems take about two hours to do a problem. Then I have to write about them and put them into a report format.

Materials Homework (6 problems)
* These problems only take about an hour to do a problem. Yay, easy stuff.


So that is next week. I have included my class schedule at the bottom so you all can see that too (actually it is really for my Dad and Jared and anyone else who is asking for it - Here is the link to the full size one on my flickr). I am only blogging now because I just finished classes for the week and I feel like I have free time (haha). I should go start homework. I better start checking things off that list up there.

My Mother has come to visit me!!

She came with presents of food! She brought me lemon poppy seed muffins, white chocolate chip and coconut cookies, italian chicken, whole wheat pasta, bananas, apples, mango, yogurts, and more!! heh. She is so sweet. I can now sleep in peace for three days. :) I love my Mom!

A few random things that make me smile throughout the crazy days...

* Going to my Heat Transfer TA's office and hearing him speak. It is such a glorious change to hear a rich southern accent (he's from Alabama, I think) instead of some gibberish that I can't comprehend. It is wonderful. Today I was sitting on the floor of his office while he was showing us how to do homework and he jumps out of his chair and says, "I can't let a lady sit on the floor." heh. Imagine it with a thick slow southern accent. BEAUTY! It is such a great change of pace from fast talking foreigners.

* My Controls Professor who likes to say, "bloody"... as in, "We move over this whole bloody mess to the other side of the equation." It almost makes him English. It is as close as I will ever get to an real English professor. Haha. I smile each time he says it.

* Hearing Christopher Lee called during roll every morning in Materials and imagining the real Christopher Lee being there. Think about it... It is great.

* Getting to see Francis in Electronic Packaging and having him make fun of me.

* Seeing and Laughing with and discussing important things with my small group girls on Monday nights! I cherish those times.

* Thinking about Luke doing impressions during dinner on Saturday night. Yes, that is right, my dear parents and wonderful brother came and took me out to dinner on Saturday. It was so much fun! I loved seeing them!

* Joe teasing me at dinner and me teasing him back. I like having dinner with the Howard's. They make me smile. They are so unique. But aren't we all... God has such an imagination!

Once again, I apologize for the lack of writing that I am doing on my blog. I don't have any spare time. It is rather insane. I haven't been writing letters or cards or even journalling because I have been so insanely busy. I pretty much do schoolwork every waking hour. It is madness. I am enjoying my semester. I'm learning a lot of great stuff, not just about school, but about myself and life. It is good. I like where I am in life. God is good. He has blessed me richly. I just wanted to take the time to say that. God is good.

Well, as you can see from my lack of blogging, I've been rather busy. I went home last weekend to be with my family during my Grandmother's death. I spent most of Friday and Saturday doing homework. It was great to be in my own church on Sunday. I would suggest that you all go to Mr. Nyce's Emotions class. It was very interesting. You know it has to be good because after taking sociology with Mr. Nyce during freshman year, I told everyone that I refused to take another class with him ever again. heh.

Sunday I tore myself away from my house, drove back to Silver Spring and did more homework and labs and went to bed. Monday was school. Classes are interesting. I may talk about them later; I just don't have any time right now. I like learning. Let's just say that. I enjoy having the chance to learn about how God's world works. It is neat to see how it is put together. You really start to understand how amazing God is when you see how each and every piece of the world works together. It is so complex. It is incredible to learn about. Everything is so detailed and exact.

Monday night was small group. Last year small group was nice to have a group of girls to talk to, but I wasn't really part of the group because I was the new kid. Now there are insides jokes and it is just a much deeper level than last year. I like it a lot better. After study we sat around and talked for an hour. We are doing Romans this year!! I love Romans! I'm very excited about that. :D It was nice to sit around and laugh with people that listen to you and care about your life. It is nice to connect.

After small group we went down to walk out to our car and as we opened the dorm door (where we were meeting for small group) it started to pour! It was crazy. It was that wonderful warm summer rain. We had to walk to our cars and we figured we were going to get wet anyhow (our cars were so far away), so we ran around in the ran, barefoot, splashing in puddles, and looking like crazy people. I love the feeling of warm rain on my skin. I love getting soaked in a good shower. It is just one of those great things about life that I really enjoy. It is great to get wet and it is even better to change into dry clothes when you get home. Ah! I love warm summer rain! It made me smile. It made life more happy, being able to enjoy something as simple as rain.

Tuesday I went to classes and did homework and rushed around all day from class to lab to office hour to homework help session. It was pretty crazy. Then I went to the grocery store to buy snack food for school and dinner. You'll probably get a kick out of my dinner, like the lady in Giant did. I ordered three slices of ham lunch meat a a slice of cheese because I didn't have anywhere to store the extra. I was only buying nonperishable items. heh. The lady behind the counter thought that was amusing.

Then I went back to school for a great concert! I wish I had known that it would be so awesome or I would have told you all about it. I didn't really remember until someone called me and asked me if I was coming. ha. It was this guy called Matthew Smith (no not the one that I worked for this summer). He is part of the igrace movement (indelible grace - igrace.com). They take old hymns and put them to new tunes and then tour around and sing them to different places. They are really neat. Yes, I love old hymns and I love the old tunes, but I really like some of these new tunes too. Some of them sound sort of funky and weird and sort of the same after a while, but that isn't what I love about them. I love that I get to learn the words to all these new hymns that I have never had the chance to learn before. I have a few new favorites! Now I want to go hear how the old ones sound. It is just a neat ministry. I think it a wonderful awesome great idea! I love the fact that they are making kids interested in hymns again. I think it is cool. I love igrace stuff.

So that was last night. It was a very worshipful concert (I mean, it is all hymns...heh). And I got to see all my RUFers and fellowship with them. Tonight I am having dinner with one of them and we have large group RUF and then tomorrow night is the West Virginia vs. MD football game on ESPN (well, we are watching it in person here on campus - you can watch it on ESPN if you want - haha). And Friday I am trying to get a trip to DC together and then on Saturday a bunch of us are playing Frisbee golf. And whenever I have time I will squeeze in homework, lab reports, studio pre labs, and studying for my tests next week.

Oh and a final note... If any of you want to come stay at the house during the next two weeks, I am taking registration now. heh. First come first serve to stay in the house with no air conditioning while I go to school and keep me company in the evening while I do schoolwork. I might even fed you. Ha.

Oh and really this is the last thing, I am dedicating this hymn to Sarah Meadows. I call it the Sarah Meadows song. I heard it and I had to buy this cd from Matthew Smith for this song. There are a lot of other good hymns on the cd, but I would have just bought it for this hymn. So this is dedicated to Sarah, who is taking a leap of faith and moving almost the entire country away because she trusts God. I miss you beautiful woman and I can't wait to see you again at Christmas time. I'm praying that God will show you clearly his perfect will and until then that he will give you a wonderful peace as you continue! Salisbury misses you. :)

I do not ask to see the way
My feet will have to tread;
But only that my soul may feed
Upon the living Bread.
’Tis better far that I should walk
By faith close to His side;
I may not know the way I go,
But oh, I know my Guide.

Refrain

His love can never fail,
His love can never fail,
My soul is satisfied to know
His love can never fail.

And if my feet would go astray,
They cannot, for I know
That Jesus guides my falt’ring steps,
As joyfully I go.
And tho’ I may not see His face,
My faith is strong and clear,
That in each hour of sore distress
My Savior will be near.

Refrain

I will not fear, tho’ darkness come
Abroad o’er all the land,
If I may only feel the touch
Of His own loving hand.
And tho’ I tremble when I think
How weak I am, and frail,
My soul is satisfied to know
His love can never fail.

Refrain

In the land of fadeless day,
Lies “the city foursquare,”
It shall never pass away,
And there is “no night there.”

God shall “wipe away all tears”
There’s no death, no pain, nor fears;
And they count not time by years,
For there is “no night there.”

All the gates of pearl are made,
In “the city foursquare,”
All the streets with gold are laid,
And there is “no night there.”

All the gates shall never close,
To “the city foursquare,”
There life’s crystal river flows,
And there is “no night there.”

There they need no sunshine bright,
In “that city foursquare,”
For the Lamb is all the light,
And there is “no night there.”

For my Grandmother, who will be in the city foursquare soon. Soon all her sufferings will be at an end. Next time I see her she will have a new body, one that isn't full of pain and inperfections. What a glorious day that will be! We can rejoice is glorious hope. It just hurts sometime...

Revelation 21

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." 5 He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!"

22 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. 26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.

I LOVE my materials class! It is just really intersting to learn the structure of element and why they are stronger or weaker and what their density is and all sorts of interesting facts. The hour and a half class flies by. I love classes like that. I am almost disappointed to leave every day. I want to sit there and learn more. Anyhow, I did learn a random fact today during the class which I thought you all might appreciate... It is about Fiestaware.

We were talking about metals and uranium came up and my teacher started telling us how she tested a fiestaware plate one time and it had more radioactive material in it than any of the other lab materials that she was testing. I was like, "what!" So, I looked it up; it is true. They used to color the orange and red with uranium because of its vivid coloring. How wild is that?!? So although you might want to collect older fiestaware bowls, plates, and cups... it might be better for your health if you stick with the newest lines of products. heh.

1936 – 1943 Fiesta red was produced using natural uranium
1959 – 1969 Fiesta red Fiesta Ware was produced using depleted uranium
1969 - 1973 Fiesta red Fiesta Ironstone was produced using depleted uranium
Link to article about it.

Here are a few random photos from the past couple weeks...

This is me two Sunday's ago with my flowers! Aren't they pretty? I tell people I found them while I was cleaning out my car... heh.



This is from waiting to get my license updated. When I got there the sign read B97. So I was like, sure I will wait. There were five desks open. So I was like twenty numbers divided my five desks, that makes four people per desk, I know each person can't take more than five minutes. Well, an hour and a half later I wondered what in the world was going on at the desks when you went up there. Finally it was my turn and I only took three minutes (yes, I timed it). I don't know what was going on with everyone else, but I sat down, took my picture, signed my name, answered a few questions, and walked out of the door a happy person (happy to finally be leaving).

This is the windows of my RUF leader's parent's beachhouse that a bunch of my RUF friends and I stayed in two weekends ago. All of the windows had colored glass in them. I love colored glass, almost as much as frosted glass. But if you look hard you can see the water out the window. It was beautiful each day looking out the windows and spending time outside. We went boating in the bay and swimming in the Ocean. We sat around and sang hymns and read the bible and discussed God's wonderful grace. We walked the boardwalk and I bought Dad carmel popcorn (it's tradition) and I had cream of crab soup at Phillips (YUM). If I liked the beach, it would have been a perfect weekend, but I don't really like the beack, so it was just good. haha. It was nice and relaxing.
And this is a shot of from my seat in the back of the van when we went white water rafting about a month ago. It was really tight in there. There were four of us on the back bench seat.

Emily and John were in the back with me and Anna (but you can't see her).

I should post something... maybe about how I like two of my six professors (which is now only five because I dropped one of my classes today!!! WOOHOO! I am down to 15 credits instead of 18)... maybe about how I have spend my labor day weekend or how I went geocacheing with Sarah Meadows and Anna or made fudge with Jared for Grandipop or played and was beaten in labyrinth by my siblings or how I am going the the Franklin's for a picnic today or how I love my church and was so happy to be home or how I really like RUF this year or how my RUF trip to Ocean City went (and posted photos) or how my parents are amazing and I can't believe how much my mother does for me and everyone else around her or how I am thankful for all the meals people have brought her and my family... but I just don't have the time. So maybe sometime this week, when I get back to school and have countless hours of free time (ha ha); maybe then I will have time to post.
Until then, enjoy life!
God is good even when life is hard.