Things that Make Me Happy

My dear roommate and I were once browsing a Borders bookstore (one of my favorite ways to pass the time) and we stumbled upon a book called: Things that Make Me Happy. It was simply a list of hundreds and hundreds of things that made the author happy. They had been keeping this list for years. Some were small, simple things and others were extremely specific. My list does not contain hundreds of things. But there's always room to grow! And there are many, many things that are not on my list...yet. Perhaps someday I'll add them. For now, here's a few things that really do make me happy (in no particular order). :)

1. Freshly baked, baked goods
2. Getting mail (Snail mail!)
3. Successful beach days (Of which there have been many attempts, but few attained)
4. Delicious coffees
5. Sweaters
6. Swedish Fish
7. Traveling
8. Looking at pictures of the places I've been; of the lives that have been intertwined with my own; of the faces that have changed me
9. Lake Michigan
10. Movie parties
11. Movie Marathons
12. Peanut butter (chunky, of course!)
13. Singing
14. Music in general
15. Playing my guitar (or attempting to at least...)
16. Skype dates
17. Reminiscing
18. Pranks (harmless of course!)
19. Scarves (I've decided that one can never have too many scarves. Which is good because I LOVE them.)
20. Hugs
21. Head massages
22. Pedicures (though I could live without the price)
23. Getting dressed up
24. Africa
25. Weddings
26. Dogs
27. Babies
28. New Shoes (and having money to buy new shoes!)
29. Baking
30. Crafting
31. Star Gazing (By far one of my favorite things in the world.)
32. Camp fires
33. S'mores (First you take the graham...)
34. Disney movies
35. New hair products (It's an addiction. One without a cure.)
36. New socks
37. Cute headbands
38. Chocolate chip cookies
39. Guacamole
40. Books
41. Orchestras, symphonies, large (quality) choirs, oratorios, etc.
42. Musicals
43. Camp (Where would I be without you in my life, Camp Zion?)
44. Soccer
45. Running
46. Getting lost in music
47. The woods
48. Crayons (I may or may not have asked for and gotten crayons for Christmas last year...Yes, I am nineteen. I hope I am never too old for crayons. Plus it wast the 48 box of crayons. With the sharpener on the back. Who wouldn't be excited?!)
49. Flowers
50. The smell after fireworks
51. The fireworks themselves
52. Fair trade stores
53. World Markets
54. Finding good deals
55. Not having to pay for laundry
56. Large bodies of water (sorry southern Illinois. You are severely lacking on the water front...)
57. Places that make me feel incredibly small, and recognizing God's hand in the truly Infinite (star gazing does this to me every time. I cannot look at the stars without feeling and accepting how small I am, and how wonderfully vast and big God is.)
58. Enchiladas, tamales, chimichangas, etc.
59. chai tea. Mmmm.
60. Nerf guns (I may or may not have also gotten one of these for Christmas last year. :) What can I say?)
61. Useless pieces of information
62. Hershey's with Almonds
63. Dark chocolate
64. Cherries
65. Fresh fruit (Greenville, why don't you put out more fresh fruit?!)
66. Really good apples
67. Java-chip Frappeccinos
68. Skee Ball machines (I could be so content with a bag of quarters and a skee ball machine.)
69. Cereal
70. Giraffes
71. The first time I can wear a sweater in a given year
72. The first time I can go out without a sweater and not be cold
73. People watching
74. True fall days
75. Coffee dates
76. Movies in general
77. Old photographs
78. People playing with my hair
79. Good pens (I can't tell you how picky I am about pens. My favorite thus far is the Pilot Precise V5. Extra fine. The purple one when I can find it)
80. Cameo Pins
81. Snow
82. Christmas lights
83. Superhero movies
84. Picnics
85. Bananagrams
86. Chocolate covered cherries (as in combining numbers 63 and 64. Thanks Jolynn. :))
87. Classes that don't have required books
88. Pop tarts
89. Popsicles
90. Fun post cards
91. Nap time (best time of the day)
92. After work out burgers
93. Kit-Kat bars
94. Funky jewelry
95. The first signs of Spring
96. Guys that can sing and play guitar
97. Hippie Stores
98. Planes, trains, and well I suppose automobiles. But mostly the first two.
99. Aquariums (as in not the kind you put a gold fish in. Huge aquariums- like the Shedd)
100. Lightning storms
101. Fun coffee mugs
102. Tea
103. Getting my tax refund
104. Spring rain (if it's warm out!)
105. Vintage jewelry

To be continued...

Break thus far

I feel the need to post, though I don't really know that I have much to say at this moment in time. I'll just write. We'll see where it goes...

I am currently sitting on my bed at my home in Wisconsin for the first time since August (ok, if you really must know last night was the first time since August. And if you'd really like to get technical it was this morning...). Between soccer and living 10 hours away from school, I don't really get home much. Thanksgiving was spent halfway at my grandparents house so as to minimize driving on both ends. And then I spent the first part of this break in Zion throwing a bridal shower for my dear friend Kirsten (Gosh! That is still so strange!!) and also out in Arizona visiting family. And so here I am. Back in Wisconsin. For a month until I have to head back to Greenville for second semester. Should be a rolling good time.

So let's see. What would be exciting to post about? That is the question. What is exciting in the life of Rachel Stewart? Hmm....Well, I took the train for the first time. Ok. Not entirely true. I've been on trains before, but not for more than an hour or so, and not by myself. I wasn't by myself on the first one, but I was going from Chicago to Waukegan. The first train I took with a few friends. It was a pretty good time. Not horribly exciting, but hey! It's a pretty cheap and easy way to travel. Now if only Greenville had a train station.....

What else? ....After getting safely into Zion, I threw my best friend her first bridal shower. It was a little strange, I'll be completely honest. We've always said we'd be each other's maids of honor, but when it comes down to it, it's pretty weird. I think when you're little and saying, "I'll be in your wedding someday!" you don't actually think about what this actually means. My best friend is getting married. And I couldn't be happier for her. Honestly, I couldn't. It's just...different. I don't really know how else to put it. She and I have been together for a loooonnnnnggggggg time. I'm excited for many, many more years, and especially so as we enter into this new dimension of our friendship. Ours is a friendship of fairy-tales. :) The bridal shower was fun though. Somewhat crazy, but you know how I do! I think I've only been to like one before. Ever. So...I didn't really know what I was doing (story of my life). But it was really small, and nice, and fun (hopefully!). She's leaving for Africa in two days. Lucky poop. ;) Saying goodbye was hard though. And embarrassing. Not our finest moment. We'll survive. I'll miss her like crazy, but we'll survive.

During our wonderful trip to Cali! Best Friends forever life!

Let's see. After Zion, I headed out with the fam to sunny Arizona. Eh...it was sunny most of the time. When I was little we made the trek out to AZ every other Christmas, but we've gone three years in a row now! Always good to see my mom's side of the family, though this year was one of the smaller get togethers. My mom's parents, her oldest sister and my uncle, two of my cousins and their families and us! Not exactly small I guess, but when you're used to close to 40 people, 20 seems pretty small! I also got to see two of my good friends while I was out there! They graduated last year from Greenville and now live out there. So we got together to eat some Red Robin. Yumm! Pretty good trip. Saw the family, got some sun (a little, but I'll take what I can get), had fresh tamales, played with my little cousins, saw some friends, and had enchiladas from Macayos. :) ¿Que más se necesita? After a long flight back Christmas Day, and a long drive after that I have arrived in the not so sunny Wisconsin. Good ol' Wisconsin.

So here I am. Wisconsin. Door County. Gills Rock. Mi casa. Listening to Pandora. How I love Pandora Radio! Went to church today. Opened family Christmas presents (new snow pants! and a new camera!) watched some football (Bear down, Chicago Bears!) and went to the Johnson's to celebrate Jeni's birthday, eat some yummy cake and play fun games. And talk- but maybe that should go without saying. :) And I guess that that's all I have to say about that! g'night world.

Observations

I love, love, LOVE to people watch. It is one of my favorite past-times. I could sit for hours just watching people, as long as I had some yummy coffees and music to keep me company (ok, hours might be pushing it...but I could go for a long time for sure!). It's just fascinating to me to watch everyone go about their business, doing whatever it is they do. Everyone's got a story to tell, everyone's got somewhere they have to be, someone they need to see. When I was younger, I would read Harriet the Spy over and over. She is possible the best (albeit strangest) people watcher there is. No, I don't climb into people's dumbwaiters to spy on them, but when I find myself in a place where there are more than a handful of people, I can't help but watch them and wonder what's going on in their little lives. Yesterday, I found myself in one such situation. I took the train up from Bloomington with my roommate on Wednesday and yesterday took the Metra into Waukegan. I was supposed to take the 8:35 train, but somehow ended up at the train station a few minutes too late. So it was off to the food court to sit, watch, and wait for the 10:35. Can't say that I minded too much. :) I took the liberty of writing down my observations. Disclaimer: I have made up the stories about these people. I have no real idea what it is they were doing or saying. Nonetheless, enjoy!

Train Stations. Oh how I love people watching in train stations. Or anywhere for that matter. So many people, all going somewhere. Focused on their own individualistic goals. Bustling about. Doing whatever it is they do. Everyone's got a story to tell. The girl immediately across from me is probably my age. Cute head band, black pea coat, leggings (what is the deal with just wearing leggings? Put some pants on!). Vera Bradley type of duffle bag. She's traveling home maybe. Like me. (I wish I was traveling with just a Vera Bradley duffle and a backpack. I look like a nomad. Or a homeless person. She must live close by. Doesn't need to bring everything...) She's studying something while she waits for her train. Maybe she's got one more final to take before she can head home to her family. Reading over pages and pages of carefully taken notes. Science maybe. My roommate is in the sciences. She takes lots of notes. Doesn't look like science type notes though. Maybe it's for a lit class. Or history. Probably history. She doesn't study long before she looks around, puts the notebook away, buttons up her pea coat and leaves. Maybe she had enough studying. Just go take the final. Who studies anyways?! Regardless, she is gone. Off to do whatever it is she set out to do.

Cute old couple at my 1 o'clock. Purple hat and coat. For her. He's in black. She carefully gets comfortable while her husband fetches some coffee. I think she might be blind. Maybe they've got a bit before their train arrives. Like me. Maybe we're on the same train. Husband returns with Dunkin' Donuts. Good call.

Woman pacing while talking on the phone. Nicely dressed; business casual. Perhaps she's just realized she's going to be late for a meeting. Perhaps she just remembered she's going to a Christmas party tonight and forgot to get a White Elephant gift and is rushing to call her husband to find something before they have to go. Perhaps she just likes to walk while she talks. Perhaps I'll never know...

Kid in front of me looks like Harry Potter. When he was young. Not now. I think he's on a school trip or something. There's a whole bunch of kids and a few adults anxiously herding them around. He's (Harry Potter looking kid) talking of magic, Star Wars and computers. But now he's sitting by himself. He should sit by the girl reading the book about dragons. At least I think it's about dragons...

Gentleman to my 3 o'clock. Young-ish. Not sure why he got to the train station as early as he did. Trying to make small talk with his table sharer. Father-in-law perhaps? It seems awkward. Like he'd rather not be sitting in the train station with his father-in-law-to-be (no ring on his finger. Not his father-in-law yet.), but his fiancee insisted that they go to pick up her brother Steve who's coming home from college. She insisted that they go together. You know, to get to know each other better. Steve's been delayed and Mr. Fiancee can't believe he's agreed to come along. There's got to be something else going on, a game on tv or something. Father-in-law-to-be doesn't believe Mr. Fiancee's job choice is ideal for someone who's going to marry his daughter, so he (Father-in-law-to-be) questions him (Mr. Fiancee) on his ten year plan and how he (Mr. Fiancee) plans to provide for a family. Mr. Fiancee isn't sure he wants to have a family anymore...

Alas. It is time to catch my train. It is true that I shall never know what was really going on in these people's lives. Such is the life of a people watcher, I suppose.

A world of hurt

Sometimes I think we're too comfortable. When I'm sitting here in my cozy dorm room, with an abundance of stuff surrounding me, plenty of clothes that I don't wear, and easy access to an unending supply of food, I forget about the hurt I've seen. I sit here, and I complain about not having money to buy the stuff I need (or want), and I whine about how I don't have this and that, and I get so caught up in everything around me, and I forget. I forget the faces of dirty, barefoot children. I forget the shack houses that are hardly suitable for living in. I forget the rows and rows of fresh graves, filled with victims of diseases we can cure. It's easy to forget, or maybe to choose not to remember. We like to pretend that the hurt and sadness doesn't exist, or if it does, surely it's someone else's problem. We like to think that our world is not filled with disease, with violence, with people who are barely surviving. But who are we trying to kid? I've seen it first hand. I've played with children who maybe didn't have anything to eat that day. I've sat in houses that only just protect their inhabitants from wind and rain and cold. I've sat with and talked to a woman that single handedly cares for sixteen orphans whose parents have died from AIDS, and violence and who knows what else. I've seen the hurt. I've seen the suffering. But still I forget. Still I sit here, wrapped up in my own little problems and worries and try not to think of these things that I've seen. I worry about what to get so-and-so for their birthday, and about where I'm going to work this summer, and whether or not I should buy a new pair of jeans. And I say, "Yep. My heart breaks for all the people suffering. Sure wish I could help..." And my heart does break. But maybe not enough. The truth is, I don't always know what I can do. I would love to jump on a plane and fly back to Africa, or the Dominican, or some new place where I can serve. But I don't really see that happening in the near future. I would love to spend more than a few weeks on a short-term missions trip serving. But I'm also a full-time student, and I believe it's important for me to finish getting my degree. I would love to empty my bank account and send it to the missions organizations I've worked with. I would love to give money to every group that asks. But again, I'm a student, at a private university, and it costs a lot to get the degree that again, is important to get. I want to be able to go back and help, but still do everything I need to here. And then I start to think about all the places I haven't visited yet. About the thousands of orphans in Russia, of the schools being built in Ecuador and Pakistan, of the children sold into slavery and prostitution all over the world. How can you ease a whole world's sufferings? We always say that a person can change the world, but can they really? Can one person change the world? Yes, I know that with God all things are possible and that through him I can do all things. But how? Even Mother Teresa didn't solve all the world's problems; didn't reach the entire world with her message. Where does one even start?

I've been reading this blog recently about a girl who is living and working and doing some incredible things in Uganda. She's not much older than I am. You can find her blog here. (A word of warning: Once you start reading her blog, you won't want to stop!) In one of her posts she writes, "I am not here to eliminate poverty, to eradicate disease, to put a stop to abandoning babies. I am just here to love." I get so bogged down with how we can erase the heartache, disease, poverty, violence and injustice in our world. I don't know that we can. But I do know that we can love. So God, who would you have me love?

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

Some wonderful words of encouragement...

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;

Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:

For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;

His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,

On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strengths confide, our striving would be losing;

Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God's own choosing:

Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus it is He;

Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same;

And He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us;

We will not fear, for God has willed His truth to triumph through us:

The prince of darkness grim we tremble not for him;

His rage we can endure, for lo! His doom is sure,

One little word shell fell him.

That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;

The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him who with us sideth:

Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;

The body they may kill, God's truth abideth still,

His kingdom is forever!

November

Two posts in one week?! I'm on a roll!

November-

I feel like November must have been twice as long as most months, because it was jammed-packed with fun stuffs! Started November off with soccer, what else? For the first time ever Greenville Women's Soccer not only got the second seed in conference, but also got to host the semi-final match. Against our rivals, no less! And we OWNED that game. 6-1 baby! This put us going to the Conference tournament game against powerhouse Principia. Unfortunately after a long fought game, we didn't make it on to the NCAA tournament. But second in Conference is still pretty sweet (and turns out the season wasn't quite done yet!).

Because we didn't make it on to the NCAA tourny, I got to go out to California to spend some time with the bestie! I had a great time with Kirsten and John as we (they...not me) took engagement photos, and as we all walked around the beaches, ate lots of yummy foods, visited Hollywood, and did all kinds of fun things that one does in California! I got to see and touch the ocean for the first time (one down, three to go!) as well as visiting California for the first time! It was a great, and much needed time away from Greenville. I just need AirTran to mess up a few more times so I can keep getting free tickets!! ;)

Upon getting back to Greenville I shifted my focus back to soccer because, as I said, our season wasn't quite over. We didn't make it to the NCAA tournament, but our team qualified to try for the NCCAA tournament, the National Christian tournament. So after a week of practices we headed up to Chicago to play Trinity International in the first-round regional game. It was so much fun to travel with my girls another time (and pick whatever movies we wanted since the boys weren't with us!) and while we didn't win the game, we had an awesome time! Both teams put up a heck of a fight, and in the end it was TIU to pull off the win. Losses are disappointing, but I'm told that's not what I'll remember twenty years from now. What I will remember is the crazy singing, the devotional times we shared, the times walking around the mall, the laughter and the fun things we did. So while we say goodbye to that season, I will never forget all the crazy times we had, nor will I forget the girls that made those times so awesome. You know I love those girls...

The next week was Thanksgiving! I won't go into too much detail since I already wrote about that day somewhat. I will say that I had such a good time with family and friends. AND that I ate FAR too much! Mmm. I love me a home-cooked meal! I also love long car rides (well sometimes) with good friends with whom I can have wonderful conversations. Thanksgiving weekend was another good and needed break, but I was still ready to come back and see my friends!

And then I came back to school and started to work to get ready for finals. I tell you though, I think I've had more homework this week than I've had this whole semester. Whew. I'm ready for it to be done! So here's to December! Wonder what this month will bring me...

Until next time!

World AIDS Day

Last week I started working on a presentation I'll be giving in my World Religions class. I chose the topic of AIDS in Africa, and, more specifically, how abstinence programs are helping to combat this pandemic. As today is World AIDS Day, I thought I would share some of the staggering facts about this disease with you.

AIDS is very real, though there have been several leaders that have tried to tell us otherwise. It is single handedly the largest killer in Africa, and many other countries as well. There is an estimated 33 million people living with the HIV/AIDS virus in the world. 22.4 million of those people live in Sub-Saharan Africa. In Southern African countries somewhere between 15-20% of all adults are infected. I read a quote that said, "Each day 6000 Africans die from AIDS. Each day an additional 11,000 are infected." 6000 Africans dying of AIDS every single day. This figure just blows my mind.

An estimated 42,000 children have been orphaned due to losing one or both parents to AIDS. 90% of children who are infected with AIDS live in Sub-Saharan Africa. Of those children, most will die before they reach the age of two. Of the few that survive to adolescence they will most likely be stunted and severely underweight. Most children infected with the virus will not survive to adulthood. I can put faces with these figures. And it breaks my heart.

South Africa has more people infected with the virus than any other country in the world. In 2009 South Africa had close to 6 million people living with AIDS. This was roughly 18% of all South African adults. Life expectancy is around 50. Life expectancy in the U.S. is around 80. In 2007 there were 350,000 HIV/AIDS related deaths in this country of just under 50 million people.

When I went to South Africa in 2007, I was exposed to the AIDS epidemic for probably the first time in my life. One of the missionaries my team worked with drove us past a cemetery (of which there are many in Johannesburg) filled with rows and rows of fresh graves. She told us that in their part of Joberg the cemeteries only do burials on Saturdays. Each Saturday, that small cemetery would be filled with 30 new graves. Nearly all of those were AIDS victims. Throughout the whole trip we were told to be extremely cautious when dealing with cuts. Though it's impossible to know which of the children were infected, chances are several were. Some of those kids will not be there the next time I go to South Africa. One of our translators on the trip was a mMa who at that time was caring for sixteen orphans. Almost all had lost their parents to AIDS. AIDS is very, very real.

It's sobering to think about. It makes me sad and angry at the same time. How can so many people be suffering from this? Why isn't more being do

ne? What even can be done? I don't know the answer to these questions. All I know is that we can pray. Pray for the people infected. Pray for those that haven't been infected. Pray for the governments of these people that they would be willing and seeking help, that they would not be so corrupted that they stop looking out for the well-being of their people. Pray for the missionaries. That the words of Truth they share would take seed in the hearts of the people of Africa. That through these missionaries people would be educated on abstinence, and how a Biblical view of sex and marriage can greatly combat the spread of this disease. Pray.

That is all we can do.

mMa Jikalano (spell check??), Kirsten and I playing Duck, Duck Goose at the VBS in Sondela.

thankful.

Today, November 25th 2010, is Thanksgiving. A day for Americans to eat until they can't breathe, then sleep it off while the sounds of football play in the background. It's a day of mental preparation for one of the most intense shopping days of the year. It's a day off work and school, a time to see family, and a day to forget about counting calories. Sounds fun, yeah? Indeed it is. But Thanksgiving is also a time of actually giving thanks. Imagine that! Reflecting on the things God has given us? On a day set aside specifically for giving thanks? What a wonderful idea! So...here is what I am thankful for on this fine Thanksgiving Day.

Family.

I am so very thankful for my family. They do so much for me, even from hundreds of miles away. And they support me in everything I do or set out do do. As I was sitting through some freezing soccer games this season, I was reminded of the numerous miserable soccer games and cross country meets that my parents came and watched me at. Even now, they try to make it to as many games as possible, though the drive is substantially farther than it was in high school. I am so grateful for that support. I'm thankful for my brothers who make me laugh on a daily basis. And though they're goofy and fight all the time, I know they would fight tooth and nail for me. I, likewise, would do anything for them. I'm thankful for my grandparents who continually open their home for me, drive to pick me up from places, do fun crafts with me, make delicious foods, and shower me with wonderful thrift store gifts. I am lucky to still have all four of my grandparents who have continually shown me love and support. Most importantly, I am thankful for the Christ-like example my whole family has shown me over the years.

Friends.

I have the most wonderful friends. Ever. Period. I've been blessed with a solid group of Christian friends and an awesome group of friends from high school. Though I've gone from Illinois, to Wisconsin, and now back to Illinois, I've been able to make and keep some really great friendships. Some I've been friends with my whole life, and I can't remember a time when they weren't a part of my life. Others were more recent additions. But all of them have had special impact and have been rich blessings in my life. I love all the laughter and crazy times we've had. So I am thankful for all of you, dear friends! Thanks for putting up with me. :)

School.

Though I complain about the price tag, and the amount of homework I have to do, I am grateful for the opportunity I've been given to attend Greenville College (and school in general). Recently I read the book Three Cups of Tea and was again struck by how much of a blessing it is to be able to attend school. There are kids all over the world who have not had that privilege and who may never get the chance to attend school as I have had my whole life. Not only am I thankful for the chance to go to school, I am thankful for the school itself. I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed being able to pray and worship openly with my fellow students and my professors. I think the first time I was told that my homework would come from reading the Bible was one of the coolest things I've experienced. Also having my professors and coaches pray over me has been an awesome and rewarding experience. I am grateful for this body of believers that help me to grow scholastically and individually.

Spanish.

I am thankful for the ability to learn and speak another language. Yes, it is hard. And yes, I frequently complain about it. But I am so excited to see what opportunities being able to speak Spanish will bring me. And I am thankful because I know that not everyone can grasp the workings of other languages. But God has blessed me with that ability and I know that he will help me to use the skills I am learning for his glory.

God.

God has richly blessed me in every aspect of my life. Most of all, I am thankful for him. He who has provided in ways I can't even begin to fathom. Even when I don't follow his plan and try to do things on my own. Even when I stumble and fall. God is there to pick me up. He has a plan for my life, and is working for my good. The Master and Creator of the Universe cares intimately for me. This is amazing to me. I have done nothing to deserve him, and have nothing I can give back to me. But he loves me. And always will. And he (only he) has made it possible for us to live with him forever. I anxiously await that day. There is nothing I am more thankful for, for from him and through him and to him are all things. And he loves me. I am blessed.

There is so much more I could list that I'm thankful for. These are the big things in my life, the things I hold near and dear. Maybe a future post will explore the more minute details of life that I am thankful for. As I prepare to take a post-turkey nap (coma?!), I leave you with a challenge to really take time to give thanks. One day a year is not nearly enough. I fall prey to this as much as the next person. But we have been given much, and should take time to reflect on the things we have been given.

"For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen."

-Romans 11:36 (NLT)

Books to Read Before I Die

Today I finished one of the books on my "To read before I die list!" I've been reading John Piper's "Desiring God" since the end of this summer and I finally finished it today! Good book- lots in it, but thought provoking. I'm slowly crossing off and rapidly adding to this list of books I want to read or have been told I need to read. It's an ever-growing list, but I feel very accomplished when I do get to cross off a title! So here's my list, in no particular order. I'll read them as I come across them (I just started Sense and Sensibility as I found it on my roommate's shelf). Some were recommendations, others ones I've heard of but never read, and still others are some that are in my possession but have never been read. Any you'd like to add to it? Or think I should add to it? I'm always up for new reads and this is in no way a set list!

-Don Quixote, Miguel de Cervantes (I haven't decided if I want to read it in Spanish or English yet. Maybe both!) (Check February 2011-English)

-One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel García Márquez

-Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston

-In the Time of Butterflies, Julia Alverez

-Uncle Tom's Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe (Check May 2011)

-Great Expectations, Charles Dickens

-Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad (check February 2012)

-Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck (Check April 1 2011, no joke!)

-On the Road, Jack Kerouac

-Les Miserables (Unabridged), Victor Hugo

-The Hobbit, J.R.R Tolkein

-The Fellowship of the Ring, J.R.R Tolkein (Check July 2011)

-The Two Towers, J.R.R. Tolkein (Check July 2011)

-The Return of the King, J.R.R Tolkein (Check August 1 2011)

-Atonement, Ian McEwan (Check June 2011- I was disappointed with this one...)

-1984, George Orwell

-All of C.S. Lewis' works (I'll enter them as I finish them instead of making a huge list of one author's works)

-Till We Have Faces (Check December 2010)
     -Mere Christianity (Check 2009)
     -Chronicles of Narnia (Check, several times!)
     -Screwtape Letters (Check June 2011)

-Just do Something, Kevin DeYoung (Check June 2010)

-East of Eden, John Steinbeck

-Faith Like Potatoes, Angus Buchan

-Don't Waste Your Life, John Piper

-Desiring God, John Piper (Check November 2010)

-Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austin (Check November 2010)
-Persuasion, Jane Austin (Check January 2012)
-Northanger Abbey, Jane Austin (Check April 2012)
-Mansfield Park, Jane Austin (Check May 2012)

-Count of Monte Cristo (Unabridged), Alaxandre Dumas

-Passion of Jesus Christ, John Piper

-Three Cups of Tea, Greg Mortenson, David Oliver Relin (Check November 2010)

-The Brothers Karamazov, Fyodor Dostoyevski

-The Death of Ivan Ilyich, Leo Tolstoy (Check December 2010)

-The Subversion of Christianity, Jacques Ellul

-Your God is too Small, JB Phillips

-Eternity in their Hearts, Don Richardson

-Amusing Ourselves to Death, Neil Postman

-The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver

-Half the Sky, Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn

-We Wish to Inform You that Tomorrow We Will be Killed with our Families, Phillip Gourevitch

-La sombra del viento, Carlos Ruiz Zafón (I've read it in English, but I'd like to read it in the original as well)

-Truck: A Love Story, Michael Perry

-I Would Die For You, Brent & Deanna Higgins

-Gulliver's Travels, Jonathan Swift (check November 2011)
-Robinson Crusoe, Daniel Defoe
-Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte (check March 2011)
-Stuff Christians Like, Jonathan Acuff
-Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
-A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess
-Lord of the Flies, William Golding
-Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger (Check August 2011)
-Silent Spring, Rachel Carson
-The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins (check February 2012)
-Born To Run, Christopher McDougall
-I, Rigoberta Menchu, Rigoberta Menchu
-Paradise in Ashes, Beatriz Manz
-When Helping Hurts, Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkert
-Guns, Germs, and Steel, Jared M. Diamond
-The Hole in our Gospel, Richard Stearns
-My Utmost for his Highest, Oswald Chambers

October

Another month has come and gone away. So long October, hello November! Every time a month passes here at Greenville, I am again reminded of how quickly time flies. So, for your sakes (whoever you may be) I will take a moment to reflect on what October brought me.

I started October right after having a wonderful visit from my parents. They came down to spend a few days here in the Ville, see a few soccer games (one win, one loss), eat at the new restaurants in town, see the sights (of which there are so very many in Greenville!) and help me figure some things out for the upcoming months and years. I will never be too old to get a hug from my parents while I'm upset over something that's out of my control. It was so good to have them here for a few days, to get some groceries :) and some much needed advice. I am so grateful for the example my parents lead and the love they continually show me. I am also constantly encouraged at the support they show me in whatever I choose to do.

October brought me an excessive amount of soccer games. When I look back at my planner from October it seemed that all we did was play soccer! Not that I'm complaining, we've had a fantastic season and played some really good games during October. There were a lot of wins, a few losses and a tie, and a whole bunch of really good memories. October also included two overnight soccer trips. I took my first trip to Kentucky for a big win over Spalding and after a big Homecoming win (!) we took off for our annual trip to Chicago. After spending some quality time at Chipotle with my dear friends Kirsten and Rebecca, and a lot of walking around the downtown area we played (and tied) one of the toughest teams we'll play all season. My dad came down for that game so we got to sit and talk during the guy's game. :) It was a very short visit, but a good one none the less. That next weekend we lost to Webster for the second time, but I was able to drive up to Champaign to visit with my momma, grandma, aunt, great aunt, and my uncle. Another quick visit, but one that brought a much needed break from the day to day Greenville life. Finished off October with two more wins and a wonderful senior day. I'm so glad to have been able to play with these seven girls for two years. They are all amazing players and friends, and their presence will be missed next year. Love the times we have all had together!

October of course brought classes and homework too, but I try not to dwell on those. ;) Classes, toiling over Spanish papers, and preparing for tests in no way compare to all the fun times we had. Which, we most definitely made time for. Banangrams, camp fires, Freak Show Fridays, and Haunted Houses, Family Dinners, trips to Edwardsville for church, movie nights, and just going crazy with my girls! Who ever said there's nothing to do in Greenville never hung out with my friends and I!

All in all, October was a very fun and busy month. Much soccer, family and fun made for another great time at good old Greenville College. And that's all I have to say about that! :)

En Sus Manos

"Porque en su mano están las profundidades de la tierra, y las alteras de los montes son suyas."

Salmo 95:4

"In his hands are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him."

Psalm 95:4

After 69 days of being trapped in the depths of the earth, the miners in Chile have finally been rescued! 69 days without sunlight, without their families, without all the things we consider necessities in the normal world. In Spanish we watched some clips from the rescue. What struck me more than the rescue itself (it took each miner 20 minutes to reach the surface) was the miners themselves, and how even after this traumatizing time they were still able to give God glory and praise. Almost all of the miners when they surfaced were wearing shirts with the above verse printed on the back and the words 'Gracias Señor' (Thank you Lord) on the front. "Porque en su mano están las profundidades de la tierra..." The depths of the earth, and the miners trapped within them, are in His hands. No matter where we are, or what trial faces us we are in God's hands. He is in control. How easy would it have been for those miners to give up? To lose hope? To say my God is not big enough to save me from this? But they didn't give up. They didn't give in to Satan telling them that God didn't care enough about them to rescue them, that God isn't big enough to save us even from the very depths of the earth. In an interview with one of the miners after being rescued he said, "I was with God, and I was with the devil, but God won." God wins. Always. He is in control, even in the darkest times. He is and always will be all powerful. No matter where we are, for even the very depths of the earth and the highest mountain peaks are in his hands. He is Lord over all, and he will take care of his children. Gracias Señor.

"Porque en su mano están las profundidades de la tierra, y las alturas de los montes son suyas."

Homesick For A World I Haven't Met Yet

In the first chapter of my World Religions book, the author talks about being homesick for a world he hasn't visited yet. This is what I am. I am homesick for a world I don't yet know. My heart yearns to travel the world. Places I've been, places I could only hope to go, places I've never even heard of, I want to visit them all. I want to breathe in their cultures, languages, food and customs. I want to know the people and see the world through their eyes. I love that idea of being homesick for the world. It's like I already miss places I haven't even visited. I just want to experience it all! There is a whole world out there, just waiting for me to be apart of it. I don't want to be contained by geographic boundaries. I want to experience the whole world! I'm homesick for the world, for its customs, its cultures, languages and people. The places I have already visited hold a special place in my heart. I will always carry with me a little piece of Spain, of the Dominican Republic, and of Africa. Each time I go somewhere new, or revisit somewhere old, I will take a piece of that place with me. Where I've been defines, in part, who I am. And where I will go will, in turn, shape who I become. My heart aches to not only return to the places I've already visited, but also for all the places I have yet to go. I don't know where this life will take me, but I'm excited to go!

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." Lao-Tzu

My name is Rachel. First and foremost I am a Christian. My life is not my own, and everything I do I do for Him. I am a student, a Spanish and an International/Cross Cultural Studies major. I am a soccer player, a runner, and a musician. I am a daughter, a sister, and a friend. A dreamer, a world traveler, and most recently a blogger (though I can't promise that I will be any good at that last one).

I love people, cultures, and languages. I love learning about them, experiencing them, visiting them, and helping them. I do not know exactly what God is calling me to do, but I'm fairly certain that it will be somehow related to reaching people cross-culturally. He has instilled in me a passion for helping people different from myself, and while I have no idea where exactly that will take me I'm ready to go! I love to travel. Every new place I go is even more exciting than the place before.

So here is my blog. I don't know what all it will end up saying, but I hope that you can learn a little bit about me and keep up with what's happening in my life! I can't promise that I'll be any good at keeping up with this, and I apologize if you find what I have to say boring. But I'm going for it anyways! Here we go! :)