2 time STATE CHAMPS!

The power of a crowd is amazing! I've always heard of "underdog" stories and how the people or fans of a team affect the players, but I never really witnessed that first hand until yesterday. This Saturday was the 2008 state championship volleyball game in Kenner, La. The high school that I graduated from made it to this point for the 3rd year in a row- this year walking on to the court as the reigning state champs. And who is their opponent? The runner-up from last year, Episcopal School of Acadiana. We knew this would make for a good game. Having lost the previous year made ESA ready for a win, but the fact that they were once again facing the Northlake Christian Wolverines (NCS) who they lost the state title to only one year ago made them vengeful in a sense.
So the game begins. The first game was close the entire time, but my team ended up losing. The second game - same thing. We lost. It was down to this third game. If we won the next 3 games in a row we would reclaim the state title, but if we lost even one game it would be over for us. We had been in this position 2 years ago in which we lost and that is a hard thing to forget about and overcome. So naturally, at this point the crowd was getting a little tired..not to mention the team. Nevertheless we cheered and the team played hearts out and we came back from a 7 point deficit to win the third game! Not to mention my best friend had the winning slam : ) On to the fourth game. The lead was tossed around throughout the game finally landing in the hands of NCS. Then came final game.
Both teams had 2 wins under their belts and this game would determine it all. The fans of ESA had gone from extremely routy to quiet. I guess it was deja vu' from last year and they were getting scared. But not NCS..the fans just got louder! This game was a give-me. It was like we had already won before the game began. Taking the lead from the beginning and keeping it the whole game my team reclaimed their title as the 1A State Champions.
From this experience it just seemed like once the ESA fans gave up, so did the team. They had everything going for them. They won the first 2 games and NCS was getting scared, but we never settled down. We knew there was always a chance and we never gave up on the team, so they never gave up. It just goes to show how having support and somebody believe in you can change everything.

Wow. How is it already November 9??? I cannot believe that this year has gone by so quickly. I've already registered for next semesters classes...despite the fact I don't know whether or not I'm staying at MC next semester. It's scary to think that I'm already making plans for 2009! However cliche' this is, life goes by so quickly!

I realized this this weekend because it was homecoming for my high school. It was wierd to wear a "Northlake Christian School Alumni" sticker. I don't know how or when, but I ended up in college. I haven't really thought about this till this weekend. I got my yearbook back from my senior year and visited all my friends and it made me really sentimental. I miss when everything was easy and I really didn't have a care in the world.

Now it seems like every decision that I make could change the course of my entire future. That's so scary. So, is it like this for the rest of my life? Does it just get harder from here? I hope not because it just seems like there is so much pressure and stress on me right now, how am I going to handle more? I guess as I get older I'll be able to handle it. Hope so.
That was officially the most boring, uncohesive, terrible blog I've ever written. Hope you enjoyed it : )

Coming together...

To stay at MC or to not stay at MC? That has been the question on my mind for the last few weeks and I've come to a reasonable conclusion.  I'm going to stay for this year and just figure out next year when that rolls around.  I think the problem was that I was worrying to much about it.  When I thought I was going to be leaving I started trying to have fun and make the most of the time that I was here.  In doing so, I found that maybe I actually do like it here.  Maybe if I actually try to have fun, I can.  So, despite the fact that I am enjoying being at MC now, I am at home this weekend.  When I'm at home it's effortless fun : )  That's all I've got on that topic. 

So, the other thing that has been on my mind is sort of controversial.  Follies was last weekend and in one of the dances, they played music that had curse words in it.  I didn't find anything wrong with this but when I watched the video of the dance with a friend she got pretty mad about it.  This made me think about what we've been talking about in english class lately - What is a Christian college? What are the boundaries?

My friend strongly believed that the song should have been edited because "We're at MC, a christian school," but I have to disagree.  We're all adults here and that's what's out in the real world.  I think that blocking small things such as curse words can lead you to a life of naivety.  I believe that at this point in our lives we cannot let little things like that bother us or affect us in any way.  There are much worse things out there and by guarding yourself to much from the real world will put you in the "christian bubble" that is so often thought about when regarding "christian schools."

But how do you know?

These last couple of weeks have been really hard for me.  I've been struggling with whether or not MC is the place that I'm supposed to spend the rest of collegiate career.  So many people "know" that this is where they're supposed to be and I thought so too upon first attending.  As the weeks have gone by I have not found myself loving it more and more like most, but getting much more homesick.  So, I'm wondering if it because I'm not trying hard enough or if this just isn't the place for me.

Pray about it - I know.  Much easier said than done.  You can pray about something all you want but it doesn't mean that you're going to hear an audible voice saying "go here" or "do this."  And this is kind of where I'm stuck.  I guess that if I'm supposed to be somewhere else the doors will open for me and the ones here will close.  Then I wonder if I'm closing the doors on MC. 

I've been so worried about doing the wrong thing lately that I'm stressing out way to much.  So, I'm trying to just take everyday at a time and not worry about things.  I know that whatever happens it's going to turn out okay, but I'm still worried that I'm going to make the wrong decision and it's going to change my entire life.  So, if you have any advice on what I should do I'd be more than open to hearing it. 

Habitat for Humanity

I volunteered at Habitat for Humanity today and it was definitely not what I thought.  I knew that I was going to have to work hard - which I definitely did!  I knew that it was going to be pretty hot and sunny, but it wasn't to bad.  The only thing that surprised me were the other people working.  

The other volunteers, including Kim and Tristyn (whom I promised to mention) : ), were all very friendly and easy to work with.  They are what made the time go by quicker.  But, the "official" people, the ones in the yellow Habitat shirts, were not as friendly as I expected.  They weren't mean, just a little rude.  This really surprised me.  They just talked downward to me, like I was a child who was incapable of tying my shoe.  I don't mind helping out at all, but they treated me like I didn't know which side of the hammer to use.

I understand they get many volunteers who don't know what they're doing, but it was just the way they spoke to me that kind of bothered me.  Aside from that though, I did enjoy it.  It made it worth while when actually talking to the people who were going to be living in the house.  Habitat builds the houses for people who are living in sub-standard conditions - not the homeless.  The people they build the houses for must be employed and able to pay a certain amount, and also spend 200-300 hours working on the house.  So, the future homeowners are actually out there working as well.  They are so thankful for all and any help building their new home and this is what made it worth while.  

2 Blogs in one day? Unheard of.

I really don't know why I am writing again. Possibly because I'm bored and there is nothing else to do.  I've already organized, re-organized, vacuumed and dusted my dorm. I've been busy until now.  So, I guess I'll just write what has been on my mind lately.

It's been about 2 weeks since my purse was stolen and although that caused me a little trouble, it made me realize a few things.  I had to live for a week with no cash, no credit card, and no debit card.  This made me realize how insignificant material possessions are.  Sure there were some things I wanted to buy that week (gum, diet coke :), etc...), but nothing that I really needed.  I did just fine and even though I have my cards and cash back, I've only bought groceries once and it was the least amount I've spent on groceries since I've been here.

The whole experience made me realize how wasteful and unappreciative people have come to be.  Not all people, maybe just me.  But, if there was something that I could learn from the situation, it is just to not take anything for granted.  Be thankful for every minute you get to spend with somebody, be thankful every time somebody helps you out, and just everything that happens in your life - the good and the bad.  That's easier said than done and as cliche' as it is, so I hate what I'm about to say but it's true, everything happens for a reason.  The reason will be unveiled eventually. 

So, how's school?

Midterms already?! I cannot believe how quickly we have reached this point.  I remember looking at my calender in the beginning of the year and thinking how it was going to be SO LONG until my first "holiday." It seems like almost yesterday we were moving in and had nothing to do.  These last few weeks have flown by so quickly that it really scares me.

This makes me think that if this time in my life, which in the broad view of things, is not very busy, flew by this quickly, how fast are things going to go when I get really busy?  So, this made me wonder why I was going to go home this weekend? All I was going to do was visit people, never get rest, or get anything done.  I was home last weekend so I'm not very homesick and referring back to one of my first blogs, I said that I just didn't quite feel home at MC yet, but that feeling has changed quite a bit. I really like it here, so that's why I am staying over fall break-my first real "holiday." 

I'm using my time here this weekend while campus is pretty uneventful to be productive-to take time to be appreciative of everything.  Tomorrow I am going to volunteer at Habitat for Humanity and I'm really excited. I know technically that's not "relaxing", it's going to be hard work, but it's making good use of the free time that I have on my hands.  There is no homework, no tests to study for, nothing for rush, so why not use my time to help others.  I'm pretty excited about tomorrow, so I'll try to blog about it as soon as I get finished!