Towards the future we speed, not knowing what's in store

Who would've thought that a girl like me could get out of placement testing...but sure enough. Wait. You are confused. I see it in your eyes. Let me start at the beginning.

So, mom and I are traveling down the road to North Greenville University. I am nervous because I had recieved a letter directing me to arrive on campus at 10 AM to begin placement testing and class scheduling. I already have plans to worm my way out of the Math testing by presenting a college transcript for College Algebra 101. Passed with a flying C. (C for crap) The English testing however, this I have no plan for. Perhaps I shall make it up on the fly. "Oh, Gee, English? I don't know..." or maybe "Parle Anglais?" or the ever popular "Holy crap my spleen is erupting!" As these possible excuses darted around in my head, we arrived. My mom makes casual remarks like "What a lovely campus." and "What a nice security man to direct us to the correct parking lot." and "There sure are a lot of one way streets around here." Most of what she said I honestly didn't hear. I had just thought of the perfect excuse. "I am a genius and need not take this petty test." Then I realized that I did want to attend this school and might want to try another excuse. We walked into the designated check-in area and they searched for my name. "Let's see...Smith...Snow...Strickland...Oh there it was!" "No!" I wanted to scream. "My name is the one that doesn't have to take the test." That was a good one. Why didn't I do that? Anyway, the nice lady handed me a gagillion sheets of paper. No wonder all the rainforests are gone.Then she says "Oh, will you look at this. You don't have to take the Math test." Score one for excuses! Just as I was about to begin a premeditated seziure she continues "Or the English." I freeze. "Pardon?" "Your SAT scores are high enough, so you don't have to take the test." Beautiful. This woman had just unknowingly prevented major embarrassment. I hastily blurt out "You are my favorite person in the world right now." No one could've prevented that one. Not even I knew it was coming. Anyway, now we have an hour to kill before advisement and class scheduling. As I happily skip around campus in the rain whilst getting many strange glances from oh so cool seniors my mom calls various people to brag...er...inform. The hour now up I return to the now not so scary looking check-in station to wait for my name to be called. As a herd of freshmen to be stand in a line I am vaguely reminded of my childhood days waiting to be picked for a dodgeball game. As in those days I wait until last. Then the woman looks up and realizes we have a bogie. My name isn't on the list. Crap. I begin reforming my previously thought up excuses and preparing a rehearsed to perfection eye twitch. Lady number two says that I should've taken the English test. Fainting became a real option at this point. After thouroughly chewing me out for not taking the test she looks at my SAT scores and says I don't have to take the test and sends me on my way. If you ask me she should've looked there first. I then go to a "counselor". He will help me decide what classes to take. The first semester of college is really just a bunch of general ed. classes. The first thing I say to the man, after "Hello. How are you?", was "I do not want any eight o'clock classes." He graciously granted my wish with a smile. After he read out a bunch of random classes and random times it turns out I will be taking Introduction to Information Technology (Microsoft Office Class, easy), First Year Experience (whatever that is), Concepts of Physical Fitness and Wellness (fancy titled p.e.), Composition and Rhetoric(English), French 2(a foreign language is a must for a bachelor of arts degree), and Old Testement Survey (which I am very excited about). The day was finished with a splendid meal at Applebees. YUM!

And that is the story of how I got out of placement tests and was given a schedule for my first semester of college.
Under Grace,
Anna

Let it snow, snow, SNOW

That's right, ladies and gentlemen. It is snowing in the Upstate. It started yesterday evening around 6 o'clock and it didn't stop until after midnight. The temperature is at and hovering around freezing. Stores are completely out of coveted hot chocolate. Residents are now buying french vanilla hot chocolate instead of the classic chocolate to warm their insides. While this does complete the warming job, it doesn't feel quite the same. Roads are icy and rooftops are covered in snow. Many local schools enacted a "snow day" to keep traffic down to a minimum. On the downside, homeschoolers in the area, while they did play for multiple hours in the snow, are still being asked to complete their assigned work load. Snowmen are going up everywhere, each with different personalities. One family constructed a cowboy snowman with an American flag in one hand and a cross in the other. He also wore a green scarf lovingly donated by the eldest child in the family. The neighborhood snow fight was a sight to see. Boys against girls and no one is really quite sure who won. Warm chili is recommended for lunch to keep the chills away. A brisk walk is just the thing to keep you warm and red-faced. You also get the opportunity to survey your neighbors and find out who has kids and who doesn't. To end the day this author suggests a warm bubble bath and a good movie or book. Cheerio then, and happy sledding.
Anna the cold

The Christmas Star

It was late. Past midnight. The sky was utterly dark. The wind whistled through the small, overcrowded town, The silence was deafening, intimidating, and unwelcoming. In a dark alley a cat's screech eerily split the nothing. The streets were still, empty. The houses were dark and quiet. One lone candle shone in a stable. Two people moved inside. Then three. Suddenly, the sky lit up with the light of a thousand brightly shining stars. One star, far more radiant and beautiful than the rest, shone with a sense of great importance. In the stable animals lowed in response to the aggravating interruption of their slumber. A cow grunted and chewed its cud. A pig snorted as it rooted further into the mud. A herd of sheep on the countryside looked up lazily from the grass then continued feeding. The star silently screamed a proclamation to the unhearing village. It shouted the arrival. It pleaded for an audience. Few responded to it. Most scorned it or simply ignored it, far to busy sleeping to wake for even a moment to look at the radiance. The faithful star would watch through the years and be disheartened, excited, afraid, angry, and horrified. If only it's message had been heeded, but then the price would never have been paid. "He'll be back," the star whispers, "and you won't be able to ignore Him twice."

That is just something I wrote last Christmas and I stumbled upon it this morning.

You can't have Christmas without Christ and you can't have a holiday with a Holy day.

Merry Christmas, even if it is politically incorrect.

Under Grace,
Anna

It makes one ponder...

"Image is overrated if it washes off in the rain.
You know you gotta go deeper to go against the grain."

Krystal Meyers' song Anticonformity

What do you think? I agree.

So many times we change ourselves to be what everyone wants, when all everyone wants is what everyone wants. So if we all did what we really wanted, wouldn't we all be happier?

Do we really know what we want? If no one put the pressure on you to do anything, what would you do? If trends were obsolete and peer pressure gone, would we still copy others and wonder what they say behind our backs?
Probably...

Twice-born men battling a once-born world. They won't understand. They can't understand. The rude awakening so many want, won't happen until Christ returns.

In heaven, we will all go against the grain. Meaning the grain will be changed. Or really, the grain is returned to its original perfection.
You may get some splinters, but with God on your side, they will all be in the right places.

Image...overrated. Bottom line. What people think of you and who you are are worlds apart and in the end...does it really matter? I know it stinks. I am a pastor's daughter. Figuratively speaking, I live in a glass house. A foggy glass house. People see what they want to see and say anything they want to.

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.”
Dr. Seuss

Interesting thoughts and they all came up randomly after I read the Krystal Meyers quote. Sometimes I suprise myself...or not....

Since that is what blogs are all about. And by "that" I mean, opinions. Without an opinion there is nothing. Believe me, I have plenty of opinions.


Under Grace,
Anna