Hey, I didn't mean to screw up...

*Sigh* Honestly, it's just one of those Thursdays; windy, rainy, cold, pretty much the epitome of dreary in OC today. Even despite that, I was having a good day. Got some fresh morning air on the way to the caf and back, talked about Fall break with a friend over breakfast, chatted with Liv's bf while I checked my mail, even got to my 10:30 meeting early for a change. Nothing exciting, it was a normal morning as far as they go, but I was enjoying it.
Then came The Discussion.

It so happens that I'm taking two classes this semester that are taught by the same prof (a notoriously hard grader) and we have an assignment that is due tomorrow in class. Long story short, due to circumstances and schedules beyond my control, I'm not going to be able to complete the paper on time and she's not really giving me any kind of extension although I've explained the situation several times. Grrr...

Initially, the whole exchange completely frustrated and angered me. I didn't deserve that kind of treatment, come on! I'm a good student, I usually get everything done well AND on time, yet she couldn't let it go this once. Unbelievable... Then I stopped. If that's all it took to ruin my morning, then how likely is it that I've done the same thing to someone else? How do I treat the people who surround me on a daily basis? Am I understanding? Do I extend grace and mercy to those who've wronged or irritated me? Am I patient and sincere? Have I tarnished someone's day because of something I said? I hope the answer to those questions is "not a chance", but the reality is that I know it's happened and will probably will again.

Maybe having the pleasant monotony of my day shattered is just what I needed to remind me of the worth of words and the price paid by those who happen to hear mine...

Round 1

So, here's the deal. This isn't going to be the most informative post ever written, it might even be a little confusing, however be assured that I'll go into more detail as soon as I get the chance. Thanks for reading!

As many of you know, I was accepted into an off-campus program on Martha's Vinyard called "The Contemporary Music Center" and will be heading out there in January. I started this blog mainly to stay in touch with everybody and let you all know what I'm up to out on the island, but also to give a first-hand account of what the program entails to other students considering off-campus studies.

That said, I'm currently enjoying Fall Break back home in Minnesota and let me tell you, it's awesome to get away from Iowa for a few days :) On the school subject, I'm a senior Music Ministry major at Northwestern College in Orange City, IA, and am really enjoying the time spent there and people I've met so far. I have five awesome roommates and we're all loving apartment life, especially having a stove/oven (although it's been interesting figuring out how to work with one bathroom between the six of us). Makes me kind of sad to think I only have a couple months left to spend with them...*sigh* It's okay, I'll be fine.

God's been showing me a lot about how He works and what it means to trust fully in His power, especially over the past few months . I've had some issues come up with my eye and made several trips to the Mayo Clinic since September (more on that later), but even with all of that going on I'm not stressing about what's going to happen. Life's a crazy thing and it's so easy to get distracted by stuff that doesn't matter: school, drama, health issues, relationships, etc.
Where was I going with this...

Anyways, that's a snapshot of what's been happening with me since August. Sorry if it's hard to make sense of, I promise there will be more details coming in the future. Until then, have a good one and feel free to shoot me any questions :)