say "no" to viruses.

I woke up this morning, like I do every morning, and realized that I have the early s/s (signs & symptoms) of [cue dramatic, foreboding tune]...a cold.

NO NO NO NO NO NO.

See, I only get sick every once in a while but when I do, since my body is retarded, it feels like the end of the world. Maybe it's not my body, but my mind because I hate getting sick SO much. Almost as much as I hate the Tower of Terror. And that's saying something quite significant.

This week:
Thunder and lightning storm this morning (or so they say)
3 tests (you're jealous, I know you are)
Filipino food night on Wednesday (Adobo is on the menu--like it always is).
4 day weekend! (no nursing classes thurs or friday)
Glen Hansard concert on Saturday (EEEEEEEEEH!!!!)

It has been awhile.

So...yeah, it's been awhile since I've written anything. I understand that this is not normal for an avid blogger such as myself. And I do miss that. However, I'm just not as compelled to blog as much as I used to. Life is busier and...I have forgotten where commas go (which is random, I know) but...it's a little frustrating because I want to put a comma down after ever word. Sorry, Carissa. Gah.

Anyway.

I noticed that I blogged quite a bit more when I had more time to just sit around and think ( I had a lot of alone time this summer, which was good). And when I say that life is "busier," I'm really just alluding to the fact that I don't have the time to sit still long enough to allow the profundity of life to whisper its sweet nothings into my ears. HAHA...yeah.

But life is going well. Really well. Suspiciously well, actually. I love the nursing major. I love what I'm learning--even if studying is something I dread. Ugh. I love my professors because they seem to genuinely care about us and about teaching us how to become Christ-centered, caring nurses. I love the people in my class because they seem to genuinely care about people and they love to encourage each other. I am still enjoying my Cassandra-mates (recap: Cassandra is the name of my apartment and my mates are: elise, jennie and kendra.) They make life fun because they are so wonderful. Um, yeah. I have a boyfriend whose name is Drew and he's really neat. We've been dating for about three weeks now and I really appreciate him.

I'm learning more and more that time management is key (to take where you want to be). Balance is important. And Jesus is still LORD of it all. The busier I get, the more I need Him. Granted, I still struggle with making time to spend time with the LORD, but I was once again reminded yesterday that everything I'm doing now, all the meticulous details, shortcomings and lessons learned--all of it points to the BIG picture: the furthering of God's kindgdom and God getting all the glory. Yeah.

And now that I have sufficiently spent time blogging, I must leave because I have a math test next week and "Math for Meds" is calling my name. I LOVE STUDYING. YES, I DOOOOOO.

toodles.

(Ps: HOW CUTE IS SHE?? Amy Micu, your children are LEGIT)

Spurgeon=Legit.

We often wonder if we love God, or more often than not, we wonder if God loves us. However, I feel that most of us who call ourselves Christians would undoubtedly say that we love God--but how could God ever love us? A woman posed this question to Charles Spurgeon and this is what he had to say:

I once knew a good woman who was the subject of many doubts, and when I got to the bottom of her doubt, it was this: she knew she loved Christ, but she was afraid he did not love her. “Oh!” I said, “that is a doubt that will never trouble me; never, by any possibility, because I am sure of this, that the heart is so corrupt, naturally, that love to God never did get there without God’s putting it there.” You may rest quite certain, that if you love God, it is a fruit, and not a root. It is the fruit of God’s love to you, and did not get there by the force of any goodness in you. You may conclude, with absolute certainty, that God loves you if you love God.

amen.

Sorry, Mister Jackson. Are you for real?

So I got this really funny email in my inbox. Well, it's NOT meant to be funny. I think it's meant to be convincing in a sense that it's trying to convince me to trust a certain Marion Jackson with my personal information so that he could send me about $ 100,000 via some sort of international transaction. I've decided to share this rather amusing email and include a break-down of what thoughts (represented by the color "red") crossed my mind as I read through it.

Ahem...and heeeere I go:

Hello Dear,

I am much delighted and privileged to contact you again, after couple of years now (Then shouldn't I remember if I knew you..). It takes faith, courage and God's fearing act (come again? God's fearing act? This is definitely failing at Christian-ese...that's for sure), to remember old friends and at the same time, to show gratification (awkward) to them, despite circumstances that made things not work out as we projected then.

first of all, how generic and vague can someone be? This is basically saying: "remember that one time, when we did that one thing together?" Yeah. First sign of fraud and suspicious circumstances is the overtly un-specific nature of the message.

I take this liberty to inform you that, the transaction we were pursing together (Oh, really), finally worked out by God's infinite mercy (Christian-nese again!) and I decided to contact you, just to let you know. You are advised to stop any further communication with your local representative(s) any officials (s) department whom may call you or email concerning the check / draft worth sum of $950,000 USD, accept Mr. OLA ABAYOMI.

...maybe I was a double agent or something many years ago. But I failed in some sort of mission and therefore had my memories erased and my mind reprogrammed to think and actually believe this life that I'm living now. Maybe...I'm not really 23. Maybe I'm really, like 40, or something. Or maybe...I'm Jason Bourne.

Also, this person is throwing godspeak everywhere. I'm under the impression that they're trying really hard to get me to trust them.

Meanwhile, I must inform you that, I am presently in the UK, for numerous business negotiations and establishment. Now, with my sincere heart, I have raised and signed an International Cashier's Check to the tune of $950,000 USD (NINE HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS) only in your name as COMPENSATION to your dedication, humanity (wow I'm getting money for being human!) and contribution at that time (now which time was this again?...oh THAT time. oh ok.).

Wow. Maybe I was a really, really good double agent. Dang it all! Why can't I remember!!

Please, contact my office secretary, his name is: Mr. OLA ABAYOMI (Secretary) on his E-mail: ola_abayomi4@hotmail.com and make sure you send the below information for verification and safe delivery of the percel.



1.Your Full Name.........................
2.Your Home & Office Address..............
3. Telephone number or Mobile
4.Your Current Location..................

Feel free to reach him via this very E-mail address: ola_abayomi4@hotmail.com and most importantly, the ICBD has only validity period of 21 banking days. So, your early response to that effect, shall be admired. You have to mind the days on route shipment.

Riiiight...and ICBD must be an institution I was familiar with when I was a double agent. Too bad all my memories have been scrambled. Or maybe they're just repressed. But maybe they're not entirely repressed. See, I've always dreamed of being an excellent fighter. Like so excellent at fighting that Jackie Chan and Tony Jaa (from the movie "Ong Bak." It is excellent. Watch it.) would be no match for my martial art skillz. Yeah, that good. But maybe it isn't a dream. Maybe it was the reality. A reality that no longer exists since my mind and my entire life has been reprogrammed by the powers that be ( be hating, that is. shoot.).

Sincerely Yours,
Mr. Marion Jackson

By the way, I googled Ola Abayomi and this is one of the many pictures that came up:

Melanies everywhere!

So today, I attempted to try to remember the names of the girls in my nursing class. Though my attempts nearly failed when I tried to call three girls "Melanie." I walked up to Heather, Jessica and Brittany--each at separate moments in time, of course-- and called them "Melanie," in utter confidence. Why? I don't know. I don't think there was even a Melanie in my class! But that didn't seem to matter to me...or my brain.

In other news:

- I also attempted to remove my nose stud. Scratch that. I actually did it. It bled. Why did I do it? I found out that I am not allowed to have it when I start clinicals next week. So I decided that I wanted to "practice" removing it. But my "practicing" makes me not want to do it again. Not that taking out and replacing the nose stud hurts in any way. It's just really awkward. You try pushing something through the side of your nose and tell me how that makes you feel. I probably just sound like a big baby. And I did do this to myself. Oh, Why do I have to like my nose stud so much? Why? why?? It would be easier to just take it out and "foh-gedda-bout" it. But I never do things the easy way. It's a pride thing.

- I realized that I will never fit into the parallel universe of "musical theatre." I discovered this as I watched Elise and Emily talk and talk (and talk and talk) about how much they love Hello, Dolly and etc. I'm not saying this is a bad thing. It isn't. But wow. It was like peering into an entirely different dimension.

- I'm taking a comparative mythology and folklore class through the Anthropology department at Biola as the ying to my yang of nursing classes, assignments, etc. While I am intrigued and excited about what I get to read for this class, the reading assignment is rather atrocious; averaging about 100 pages a week. Yoinks! So much for balance! But... I will survive! I will survive! HEY-EY!