Paintings!

Well, I finished the two canvases that I bought on Saturday. It was so relaxing and nice to be able to paint and get away from some of the stuff going on in life right now. So...I promised I would post pictures, so here they are!

LIFE International

Late last night I went downtown with Cali's small group Bible study. We went to this place called LIFE International. Cali is on the prayer team for it, and instead of having a normal Bible study we went there to pray for an hour. This place gave me the heebie jeebies, but the facility has such a cool story. The building started off as a church when it was first built. From there, it was turned into an office building for a while, and after some years was turned into an abortion clinic. In 2004, LIFE International purchased the building and has since turned it into a pro-life organization that houses the headquarters and offices for groups dedicated to fighting abortion and helping mothers. We stayed dowstairs in the building, which is actually where all the abortions used to take place. LIFE Int. has kept one surgical room intact and still set up with the equipment that was used for the abortions. It was so eery being in that room, knowing what all those tools had been used for, knowing how many women had come into that room and left with their lives changed forever and how many babies left that room without ever having a chance to live a full life. We then went into the chapel downstairs. The chapel is actually the renovated space that used to house the main abortion waiting room, the main surgical room, and the recovery room. It was great to see how God has redeemed the space, turning a place that was used for death and sorrow and transforming it into a place of life and worship. However, nonetheless the other girls and I still found it quite creepy that we were standing in the place where all this happened. By the time we got a tour and watched LIFE Int.'s video that tells the story of the organization and the facility, we had about 20 minutes left to pray. It's an experience that I can honestly say I've never had before. Keep LIFE International in your prayers today.

Hello there!

Well, this is my experiment to see if I can keep the ones I love a bit more updated on my busy life. I always feel bad that I don't have time to keep in touch with everyone. At least this way, you can know what's going on with me, and I would love to hear what's going on with you!

Let's see....currently I am sitting in my friends' room. Cali and Nancy are going to be two of my roommates next year, and we hope to be able to get into the campus apartments. As I am sitting in Cali and Nancy's room, I am typing my very first post and eating Apple Jacks cereal. I woke up late and missed my ride to church, so I'm kinda stuck here this morning. Oh, well. Yesterday was my birthday, and my parents came down and took me out for dinner at Red Lobster and to the mall. I got a bunch of new clothes for spring and summer and a few things for year-round. I needed some more professional clothes as I am starting to work more in schools, and I was elected president of our Young Educator's Society (YES) chapter here at Cornerstone. It feels so wierd to be 20. I mean, really, I don't feel any different, but it's hard to believe I've been alive for that long, I guess.

This fine first day of the next decade of my life, I think I will paint (and write a paper that's due tomorrow for one of my Spanish classes). Cali and I went to Hobby Lobby yesterday, and they had canvases on sale, so I bought two, along with a small set of acrylics, paintbrushes, and a mixing palette. I started last night, and so far I have this wierd tree-looking thing going on. I'm excited to see how it will turn out. I'll be sure to post pics when it's done. I miss painting and having the free time to do it. I enjoy the relaxation it brings. I definitely wouldn't do it as a career or anything, but I definitely think it's a hobby that I will enjoy throughout my life.

I suppose I should be going now. I'm sure I could write quite a bit more if I had the time or patience right now, but I believe lunch is starting sometime soon and I would like to get a jump on that Spanish paper. Thanks for reading my blog, and I hope you visit often!