Weekend at Shane's House

On Thursday, November 20, Shane asks me "So do you want to go to my house tomorrow?" Completely forgetting that Shane lives in Allen residence hall on campus, I assumed that Shane meant that he lived in a house off-campus and was inviting me over for the afternoon the next day, so I said "Okay." Wondering why I had never heard Shane talking about his house before, I asked him "Where is your house?" His reply was "East Texas." It then clicks that he's not talking about a house that he lives in off-campus (at this same point I also remember that Shane lives in Allen), but is rather inviting me to go back with him to his parents' house. "So you're talking about a weekend trip?" "Yes," Shane said. After finding out that Austin and Anna were going too, my answer remained the same, "Okay."

So on Friday Shane, Austin, Anna, Emma, and myself all packed up and headed for Shane's house in East Texas at 4pm. We headed to Tyler first to get dinner at Olive Garden. We arrive at Shane's house around 9:15, if I remember correctly. As soon as we walk inside, I fell in love with the house. It was GORGEOUS. I wish I had taken more pictures of the house because words can't adequately describe it. It was an incredibly spacious, two-story house. Every room was decorated really well. The living room was a peaceful blue...Shane's sister's room was an incredibly beautiful room that felt like it came from a fairy tale...the kitchen was incredibly cozy feeling, even though sometimes things were hard to find because everything either was or looked like wood. Even the refrigerator looked like a wood door. Shane took us on a tour of the house. His parents and younger brother Austin got back around 10. We stayed up a little longer, eating cheesecake and talking. Finally, around 10:45 or so we all went to bed.

The next morning we woke up sometime around 9. When I walked out into the living room, I was told that a chihuahua had wandered to the Tindle's backyard and wouldn't leave. It was an incredibly cute dog, and it didn't have a collar. We decided that either eventually it would make its way back home, or we would go figure out which neighbor it came from.

I decided I wanted to cook breakfast, so I made french toast and scrambled eggs. I hadn't madfrench toast in years, so I was very happy when it turned out well.The stove area became my little haven as I cooked the french toast :)

After breakfast, we went for a walk through the Tindle's property. They own 30 acres, most covered with trees. The property is absolutely gorgeous. As we walked around I kept thinking, "This is what fall is supposed to look like!" The chihuahua decided it wanted to go with us and followed us for the whole walk.

After we got back from the walk, we decided we wanted to make tacos and fajitas for lunch. So we drove to Wal-Mart and bought groceries. We came back, made the tacos and fajitas, and had lunch. It was really, really good. Why does food always taste better when you make it yourself? I honestly can't remember what we did for the rest of the afternoon, probably because, in all honesty, we did mostly nothing. Which was really, really nice. In the evening we decided to go see if we could find the chihuahua's owner, since the dog had stuck around all day. We were unsuccessful, so we took the dog home, gave him a bath (or, more accurately, Shane and some of the others gave him a bath while I made fruit pizza), and the chihuahua became the Tindle's newest pet. We had become accustomed to calling him Taco, but Mr. Tindle got to officially name him and settled on "Jose" after Jeff Dunham's "Jose Jalepeno on a stick".

Me with Taco :)

When dinnertime came we were still full from lunch, so we just ate queso and fruit pizza while playing cranium. Definitely a lot of hilarious moments during that game :) After the game Shane, Anna, Emma and I showed Mrs. Tindle swing dancing moves, because she's never seen Shane dance before.

That night Shane decided to put on "The Prestige" for us to watch. It was definitely a very intense and very confusing movie. Just like every movie that I've watched lately, I teared up during a couple intense parts. At the end, I felt really confused. According to Shane, you have to watch the movie at least two times to catch everything. I guess I'll have to watch it again sometime.

The next morning was, once again, mostly doing nothing...watching Austin jump into the freezing cold pool, eating biscuits for breakfast, playing with Taco, showering, packing up, talking about dating, courting, and kids. Lunch was an AMAZING meal prepared by the Tindle's grandmother, Mrs. Tindle, and Shane. Green bean casserole, ham with brown sugar, home baked bread, potatoes, beans, cheesy ragu macaroni, etc...it was really, REALLY good. Conversation mostly centered around why each of the five of us had chosen to attend Baylor. The Tindle's grandmother was the last student to graduate from the Baylor nursing program before it got transferred to Dallas in the fifties, and she told her story. It was incredibly neat to hear.

After lunch, we finished cleaning and packing, and headed back for the Baylor campus at about 2:30. We got back about 4:45.

Although at first I was wondering if I was making a wise decision taking the weekend of to go to Shane's house, or if I should have stayed behind and used the weekend to study, I am definitely glad I went to Shane's house. I realized that I haven't had a real break this entire semester. The two times I have been home, I've had a lot of things to do while there. This weekend, I had absolutely nothing to do, and it was glorious. I came back feeling incredibly refreshed. I also really enjoyed the "out in the boonies" feel-there was no cell phone reception, and plenty of trees and wildlife. At college, I feel like I am constantly connected thanks to the cell phone and internet, and it was nice to take a weekend to disconnect. It also gave me a chance to invest in relationships-new ones (Mrs. Tindle and Emma) and not so new ones (Shane, Austin, and Anna). It was especially nice to be able to interact and relate with them in a context separate from college. This weekend was definitely a needed and very much appreciated refresher.

L-R: Austin, Anna, Emma, me, Shane

Oh, and Mrs. Tindle is such a strong Christian and inspiring woman. If you haven't gotten a chance to meet her, you're definitely missing out! :)

Spring 2009 Class Schedule

Biology 2401-01-Anatomy & Physiology 1-MWF 8:00-8:50
Biology 2401-C-Anatomy & Physiology Lab-M 1:25-3:20
Biology 2401-C-Anatomy & Physiology Lab Lecture-Th 3:30-4:20
History 1307-01-World History since 1500-MWF 9:05-9:55
Psychology 1305-04-Introduction to Psychology-TTh 9:30-10:45
Spanish 2310-08-Intermediate Spanish-TTh 11:00-12:15
Chapel 1088-03-Chapel-MW 11:15-12:20

My Baylor Best Friends

\If you've heard me talking about life at Baylor I've probably mentioned to you at one point or another "my three best friends at Baylor." So for those of you who follow along with my life via this blog, I'm going to introduce you to them! :)

Taylor


A couple weeks into the school year, I started asking friends and family back home to pray that God would bring a strong Christian girlfriend into my life. Taylor is the answer to that prayer! She is a 17 year old freshman engineering major from Marshall, TX. She is a strong Christian and such a sweet and funny girl. She always knows how to put a smile on my face. She and I think the same about a lot of things, to the point that we joke about sharing the same brain wavelengths. Despite only knowing her for a few weeks, we have already started finishing each other's sentences and completing each other's thoughts. We are so alike in so many ways that we call each other "twin". When her parents were up for parent's weekend and mine weren't, I hung out with her family for the day, and she joked that I fit in with her family better than she does. When I need to cry, she is the one I call. Within minutes she will be by my side with her shoulder, tissues, and chocolate! She is such a blessing and I am SO thankful that God has put her in my life!
StephenStephen is a 19 year old sophomore business major from Ft. Worth, TX. He is the swing dance instructor as well as a trip leader for the Baylor outdoor adventure living-learning center. He is like my "big brother" here at Baylor because while he doesn't have any qualms about teasing and annoying me, he is also an incredibly caring person and doesn't mind me being open and honest about how I feel about things-in fact, he encourages it. He is an incredible listener. He also cares for me like a big brother does, always making sure I'm okay. I think "are you doing okay?" is the question he's asked me the most. Although we often disagree and bicker about he "hows" of chivalrous behavior, he is still a gentleman in that he is incredibly respectful and kind. If you have ever wondered if it is possible for a guy to strike the balance between being "tough" and "tender", wonder no more. Stephen really has found a good balance between the two. If I was ever in any sort of danger or trouble of any sort, Stephen would be the first person I call.

Jordan

Jordan is an 18 year old freshman geology major from Dallas, TX. He was a missionary kid in Brazil for most of his life. He is incredibly chivalrous, often going above and beyond what I think should be required for chivalrous behavior. He also takes the safety and well-being of his "young lady" friends incredibly seriously, more so than any other guy I have ever met. If I ever need a guy to be my overprotective brother, he's the one I go to. He also does whatever he can to cheer me up if he knows I'm having a difficult time-he's the one who will text me the "My Girl" lyrics in the morning while I'm getting ready for classes. He has a lot of weird quirks, but that's what make him special.
I was so very incredibly happy that my family got to meet all three of these amazing friends when they were dropping me off tonight. They really, really liked all three of them. As my family was leaving my mom turned to me and said "You chose really good friends, honey." That made me very happy! Y'all three are amazing and I <3 y'all!

How Shaney spent her "Fall Break"

*Left right after Scriptures class ended on Thursday.
*Drove straight to AWANA
*Spent Thursday evening at AWANA
*Doctor's appointment at 10 Friday morning at which she got three shots-a tuberculosis test, a meningitis vaccine, and a flu shot.
*Dentist's appointment at noon.
*Shopping at Goodwill with mother. Found her halloween costume (a 20s flapper dress with gloves and a headband) as well as a really nice looking faux leather jacket for $10
*Went to the grandparent's house for dinner and game night.
*Practice speech and debate tournament Saturday morning and afternoon at which she got to judge two debate rounds and an impromptu round!!! :D (Side note: Lill/Rogers will make it to nats this year, and both of them are REALLY GOOD speakers, improving even from last year...but Avery seriously blew me away with her ability to speak smoothly and sum everything up in the most easy to understand language)
*"Purpose Driven Death" conference Friday evening at which Brett Harris spoke, and she finally got to meet him in person after working with him for over a year.
*Realizing Saturday night that she hadn't even started a paper which was due on Friday, the day before. Writing the paper without the necessary book, knowing she'll start out with a reduced score and probably get a bad score anyway.
*Looking at the grading system on the syllabus and realizing that even if she had skipped the paper entirely she would have still had a good shot at an A, and therefore any score on the paper means it's highly likely she'll still get an A in the class.
*High Pointe Baptist Church Sunday morning at which she got to see Taylor Lassiter and the Helton family, and got to hear John Piper speak.
*Shopping at Wal-Mart with mom and Shannon.
*Buying her own camera at Best Buy.
*Going to Shawna's choir and getting to watch the mini talent show.(Her sister is such a talented story writer!)
*Driving back up to Waco with the entire family
*Dinner with the family and Taylor at Denny's
*Getting Jordan and Stephen to come over so that her entire family got to meet her three best friends at Baylor. Her parents like all three of them, and that makes her very happy! :)
*Dinner/dessert with Stephen at Ihop.
* Making a total fool of herself not being able to find the handle on Stephen's car door when he dropped her off at her dorm.

A friend just sent this to me...

BEAUTIFUL CHRISTIAN SISTER

by Maya Angelou

'A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ

that a man should have to seek Him first to find her.'

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not shouting 'I'm clean livin''

I'm whispering 'I was lost, Now I'm found and forgiven.'

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I don't speak of this with pride.

I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not trying to be strong.

I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not bragging of success.

I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not claiming to be perfect,

My flaws are far too visible but, God believes I am worth it.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I still feel the sting of pain...

I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not holier than thou,

I'm just a simple sinner Who received God's good grace, somehow!

Pretty is as Pretty does... but beautiful is just plain beautiful!

'I can do all things thru Christ who strengthens me.' Phil: 4:13

Nikos Fall Retreat and Learning Humility

If you asked me what sin I struggle with the most, I would tell you that pride is my greatest struggle. Humility does not come naturally to me. This weekend, God decided to give me a lesson in humility. Although it hurt, I am so thankful He did, because "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." (James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:5)

For those of you who don't know, I have been involved with a ministry in Austin called Mission:Possible! since I was twelve years old. One of the ministries they have is a camping ministry, where they take inner-city kids out camping for a week or weekend. They do four camps a year-a weekend spring retreat, a week-long summer camp, a five-day summer road trip, and a weekend fall retreat. I have been a counselor at these camps since I was thirteen years old. I absolutely love this ministry with my whole heart and love being able to serve God by loving these kids. Through this ministry I have learned so much about myself, others, and God. This past weekend was the fall retreat, and I was going for my sixteenth time as a counselor.

When I got there, I was already dead tired thanks to staying up until almost two the night before talking with Jonathan, Grant, and Stephen at Common Grounds, but I made sure to get a really good night's sleep on Friday to be prepared for the kids coming on Saturday. I was the most experienced counselor there, and I was excited to get to love on these kids again...or so I thought. Looking back now, I realize that I let the fact that I had done this so many times before get to my head, and I started relying on my experience and my own strength instead of depending on God to work through me. God set it up perfectly: Friday night, Tres talked about how oftentimes we expect to have so much energy because "God will give us energy" when in reality God often give us barely enough energy to make it through the day, just so we know that it was Him working and not us in our own strength.

So Saturday comes, I wake up feeling great and excited about the kids coming. We do some last minute preparation, and the kids arrive around 10:30. My fellow counselors and I got our girls and we plunged right into the activities. During the afternoon, I actually lifeguarded for four hours straight instead of going to all the different activities with my girls, but it was okay because we actually ended up with four counselors to three girls (which NEVER happens at a Nikos retreat!) so we had a one-to-one camper/counselor ratio (which is ideal, but we also thought would never, ever happen in a million years. God is good!) I make it through the afternoon...boring but still okay. Dinner comes, and I start getting a headache. After dinner was going to be a flour bomb fight, but I KNEW there was absolutely no way I was going to be able to make it through. So I told my fellow counselors that I was going to go sleep my headache off...half an hour later I wake up and my head is KILLING me. I swear, my brain turned to lead. It felt so heavy, and it was THROBBING. As much pain as I was in, I forced myself out of the tent and went and found Mrs. Pinson, who promptly sent me to the house to get painkillers. I took the painkillers, but found myself feeling nauseous, and ever time there was a light change it felt like an explosion in my head. I thought I had a migraine, but Mrs. Pinson said it was a sinus headache (she was right). The thought of spending the night in a tent in the woods was absolutely torturous. I knew there was no way I could make it, so I called my mom to come and pick me up.

So I got home, and was thinking about how sad it was that I was missing the rest of the retreat. I didn't get a chance to know my girls, I didn't get to see God work in their lives, I didn't get to see God working in ANYONE's lives. As I was thinking about this I started consoling myself by thinking "God's purposes for the weekend are still going to be accomplished for the weekend. Even without me there. In fact, if God's purposes would have been better accomplished with me there, He would have kept me there. Like Tres said, God gives us enough energy to make it through the day. He didn't give me that energy, so His plans must be better accomplished without me there...wait a minute."

God's plan was better accomplished with me out of the way.

OUCH!

And in that moment, I realized just how much of a prideful attitude I had about the whole retreat. I had been relying on my years of experience instead of relying on God. The hilarious part was, that morning I had prayed that God would give me humility: "Lord, let me see that it is not me working, but that it is You working through me." Well, apparently God decided that the best way to teach me humility was to NOT work through me, and to work through others instead. It was as if God was saying "I do not need your experience to accomplish my purposes. I want a heart that is dependent upon Me."

Ouch, ouch, ouch!

But you know what? It's okay. I am content with what happened, because I know God has a bigger and better plan. I also know that I am not even close to finished with learning humility. It is going to be a lifelong struggle, but I know that God loves me enough to keep patiently teaching me. I hope that it doesn't take me too long to learn, because I want to be someone that God can work through. I don't want my pride getting in the way.

So, how was the retreat? "Disappointing but good". Why? Because God is good. His plans are best, and He loves me enough to work in my life, even when it's not the way I would choose. After all, those whom the Lord loves, He chastises. I swallowed a big helping of chastisement this weekend, but I know that means that God loves me and is working on my character.

Life part 2

...there was a period of time for about 24 hours when I was really super worried about her. Reason being that I have a horrible tendency to assume worst-case scenarios. In this case, worst case scenario would be a brain tumor. I had several people tell me "It's probably nothing," but that didn't keep me from worrying one bit. This is probably because the possibility of a brain tumor hits waaaaaaay too close to home-my best friend died from a brain tumor when we were thirteen. Thank the Lord Shannon is completely okay, but that thought process got me thinking about death and life.

Growing up, I experienced the death of someone very close to me twice. The two experiences couldn't have been more polar opposites. As I already said, when I was thirteen, my best friend died from a brain tumor. This was very sudden (she died less than a week after she was diagnosed), and totally unexpected. Even when I heard the diagnosis, I was positive that if anyone could overcome something like that, Adrienne could. She was so full of life. When she did pass away, I was devastated. I had never cried so hard in my life, and I'm not sure I've ever cried as hard since. I was ANGRY at God. It took weeks of searching and seeking before I finally came to the conclusion that I still believed in God, and that I believed that He is good. Although the experience made my faith so much stronger, it also started me down a path that could have easily caused me to walk away from my faith.

In complete contrast, when I was seventeen, my great-grandmother died at age 104. Unlike Adrienne's death, Nana's death was completely expected, and the "dying process" had taken place over several months. I was not upset when she passed away. In fact, I thanked God that she was in a better place, no longer in pain. I didn't even cry until over a month after she passed away.

I was thinking about these two ladies of faith and the vastly different experiences I had when the Lord called them home. But then I realized that there was one thing both of them had in common.

Both of them had honored God with their lives and fulfilled His purpose for them.

And I started thinking-if I were to die tomorrow, would I be ready? Could people say that I had honored God with my life and fulfilled His purpose for me?

I want to live life ready to die. But what does that look like? I started thinking about all the different things I wanted to do with my life. God has given me a dream to adopt a large family. I'm currently studying to be a nurse. When will God's purpose for my life be complete? After the last child has grown and left the house? After I serve God as a nurse for so many years?

But then I stopped, and I thought...what if I died tomorrow? Could I give up my dreams if God would be glorified more in my death? If God were to be more glorified in my death, then how would I measure the life I have lived so far? How do I know if I am ready to die?

Then the answer came to me...all I need is Jesus. And I realized that as long as I am learning to love Jesus more and more each day, I am ready to die. When I think about Adrienne, the first thing that comes to my mind wasn't the times we would look in magazines and point out which guys were cute and which guys were ugly. The first thing that comes to my mind isn't even doing dance ministry together. The first thing that comes to my mind is...she loved Jesus. Adrienne was ready to die because she loved Jesus, and served Him as a result of that love.

I don't know when God is going to call me home. Although Nana died peacefully in her sleep, there was a moment several months before that when I was visiting her in the rehabilitation home when she started to suffocate from fluid buildup in her lungs. I remember standing there helplessly waiting for EMS to arrive, thinking "I am going to watch my own flesh and blood die right here in front of me!" God didn't call Nana home at that moment-but He could have. He can call me home at any time.

I want to be ready. I want to live ready to die. I want love Jesus.

In the end, that's all that matters.