Re-Vamp

Hello everyone!

This post is to announce the re-vamping of my blog! Very soon it will have a new name and header (once I talk to Laura). I'm in a class this semester called Old Testament Prophets that has really changed my life. I serve an amazing God that loves me enough to change me in ways I couldn't even have imagined. So, I don't really want to call this blog a devotional blog, but mainly just a place where I can allow God to speak through me. A place where I can wrestle with my Creator over the things that I just don't understand. A place where I can tell people how amazing my Lord really is, although I won't ever come close to describing that. Feel free to comment or not. Read along, discuss, laugh, cry, whatever happens.

And now the thought for the day:

Recently in my OT Prophets class we were talking about Jeremiah 29. Now, I know everyone knows Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you..." But really there's a whole other story going on in this chapter. Jeremiah is writing to the exiles in Babylon. These people have been cast from their homes and forced to live somewhere else because they refused to listen to God. My teacher said exile was defined as "when we are where we don't want to be" or "spending time with people we don't like in a place we don't like." Basically, though, chapter 29 is Jeremiah telling the exiles to "Be content." One quote in particular that our (substitute) teacher said that day was, "We spend so much of our time clawing to get to something better. Be content where you are." Man. I feel like the Lord is just telling me this over and over this year. "Be content, Karissa. Be content when you think you're going to drown in homework. Be content when you get frustrated with your club. Be content when you wish so badly that you could be graduated or married or any number of things." I honestly don't think God wants me to be wishing away my life. He has me where I am for a reason and wants me to be in the moment. My parents always tell me that whatever time of life you're in is the best time of your life. Very true. And Biblical. I don't need to be complacent, but I should be content. When I am in my own personal exile (where I don't want to be or with people I don't like in a place I don't like), I pray God allows me to be content and stop clawing just to get to something better.

Have a Marvelous Monday!

Random Picture Weekend

So I don't lead an exciting life during the summer when everyone's gone. So I might have played Settler's 2 nights this week. So I probably know more about all of my friends due to my hours of unproductive time on Facebook. So all of this leads me to have NOTHING to post about. (I know you're probably all thinking "No joke, you told us when you got a library card for heaven's sakes!) (Also, heaven's sakes?? What does that even mean??)

So I have now dubbed this weekend: RANDOM PICTURE WEEKEND! Mostly to end my boredom. Each day I'll post a picture I feel you need to see. Feel free to join in. Or not. Either way.

Ok. Here it is:

These are my wonderful roommates and myself. Maybe it was because we hadn't seen each other all summer. Maybe we were tired from moving in. I really don't know why we decided to dress up as 2 rappers and a... provocative girl and make a music video to 'Apple Bottom Jeans', but we did. And let me tell you, that music video is A-MAZING! But we swore that we would never show any males or really anyone. It's a little bit embarrassing.

Now with more Intelligence

I got a library card yesterday!! I've lived here for 2 years and had the student one for awhile but I got my official library card yesterday.

I felt so cool.

I went to the computer catalog to look for books and was able to type in my card number! No more using the anonymous catalog for this smart student. The whole time I was there I secretly wished that I had glasses to wear while I perused the shelves of books for just the right one. But, I don't wear glasses.


"Having fun isn't hard, when you've got a library card!" --- Name that TV show.

Home Sweet Home

We are FINALLY back from South Dakota and Karenna is already off to camp.

Since my other computer is dead and I'm too lazy at the moment to charge it, I thought I would just give you a quick run-down of the vacation overall. The good, the bad, and the boring. So if you ever want to plan a trip to South Dakota, take note.

Corn Palace: Horrible
Mount Rushmore: Excellent
Jewel Cave: Excellent
Spearfish Canyon: Excellent
Alpine Slide: Excellent
Badlands: Not worth it
Wall Drug: DEFINITELY not worth it
Reptile Gardens: Wonderful (especially the gator show and the beautiful man who performs the gator show)
Cabin on the lake: Not worth it

As you can tell, I really loved most of the places we saw. The only main problem was that we stayed in Custer and so spent over an hour on the road every day. I get very carsick ESPECIALLY on windy, mountain roads, so this situation was not optimal. Now the Badlands were beautiful, but it took us more than an hour just to get there. (And I freaked out.) And then Wall Drug was just a big junk store that was not worth the hour long drive at all! But, ok. I'll admit that it was nice for everyone to have their own room and to see all the wildlife every morning. We saw SOOO many deer and one morning saw 2 parent turkeys with 8 babies. That was cool.

So now it's time to get back to the real world. I want to make a scrapbook, research some things, and plan Spring Sing before school starts. Um. Yeah right. But I should probably get to work, anyway.

Gotta be a FIRST time for everything

I have experienced many "firsts" in the past few days. Some exciting and some terrifying. Lemme show ya with some pictures.

My first time on a chairlift. So great!! My first time on an alpine slide. Even greater!
My first time hearing a prairie dog chirp. Um, interesting.My first time seeing the Badlands. But also my first time experiencing a fear of heights. I had an almost full-blown panic attack when I saw my cousin climbing on the off-trail cliffs. I thought I was going to throw up and cry at the same time. I started breathing really quickly and I HAD to get out of there right then. So, apparently, I can do things where I'm strapped in (chairlifts) but not things where I am not strapped in (Badlands). In fact, I'm panicky right now just thinking about it. This picture was taken at the height of my terror. I fake it well, huh?

And the first that I'm most proud of, I don't have a picture of. Oh well.
This morning, I drank coffee while reading the NY Times. You did read correctly. I have decided to become more politically aware and so began this morning with the Times. Thanks, Will!

Hope everyone else has had a great week! Tomorrow, we drive 6 hours in the car followed by 5 or 6 hours the next day. Should be exciting.

Trout: 256 Taylor/Jensen: 0

We didn't catch anything. All day. The trout didn't like any of the flies or lures or power bait. Stupid South Dakota Trout. But wasn't it beautiful???

We Made It!!!

We have made it to South Dakota!! After several mishaps, we are officially in our "cabin on the lake." On Saturday night we were staying in a hotel we booked through Priceline in Mitchell, South Dakota. Well, it just so happened that there was a big rodeo in town so EVERY ROOM was booked. There was a tad bit of miscommunication so our rooms were not all next to each other. Frustrating night for everyone involved but we made it out alive.
Next morning: Corn Palace. Or as I like to call it: Biggest Disappointment of South Dakota. Ok, the corn murals were pretty cool. But it's basically just a tourist trap. And there was no corn maze. I had been led to believe there was a fantastic corn maze along with the Corn Palace. Not true.
Also the same day, we drove to Custer where we're staying for the week. This cabin is supposed to sleep 10. That is only made possible with 3 "pull-out" twin mattresses aka gymnastic pads. Also, it requires 2 people to sleep in a bed the size of one in the dorm. Man oh man. But, don't worry, we figured out a way to let everyone have a place to sleep.
AND. We just got back from Mount Rushmore. Definitely worth it. I may be a nerd, but I LOVED the guided tour provided by the handheld wands.
Well that's all the update for now. Next stop: Jewel Cave. I'll keep you posted.