yah, i'm skipping chapel

So, as I'm sitting here, skipping chapel for no reason other than I have a killer headache and I went to a bonus chapel last night, I was thinking about what I could talk about in this blog. I don't really have anything too insightful or though-provoking to discuss but there are a few things on my mind.

Hermeneutics. This class takes up most of my energy and overall existence. I'm going through the book of Mark, trying to divide it up in "sections" and then break the sections down into "episodes" and then break the episodes down into "pararaphs" and then break the paragraphs down into "phrases" and then break the phrases down by "words" and do this thing called a Word Study. Sound fun? Actually, it's not all that bad. It's interesting and thought-provoking. Although it's tedious and usually confusing, I suppose it's helping. I guess this class just makes me feel dumb, overall. My professor, Dr. Rankin, finds connections and meanings that I could never even think of much less put into words or on paper. We're also doing a quick background on the Greek and Hebrew languages. This is interesting and very confusing but it's so cool to open that 9000 page book called The Greek-English Concordance to the New Testament and see how many meanings ONE word can have. I think this is what makes this class worthwhile. It makes you want to make sure that you have the correct interpretation of the scriptures so then you can apply it correctly.

Church. This has been on my mind a lot lately, too. I love Mt. Lebanon. Don't get me wrong. It's my "home" church, where I accepted Christ and was baptized, and where I learned the true meaning of a "church family" but recently, I haven't felt that feeling. I feel as though I honestly don't belong there or better yet, don't FIT IN there. Everyone has their family to sit with or eat with after church or attend conferences or meetings with. I don't have that. I appreciate those who take me "under their wing" and invite me to eat and even pay for it but honestly, it's just not the same. If you are not at church alone, you can't understand this. You can't understand the feeling I have driving to church alone, leaving from eating lunch alone...yah, time with friends is great and truly appreciated and wanted but it still just leaves that empty feeling. I've tried so hard for years to accept this, get over it, change it, etc. but it just hasn't worked.

School. I really do want to change my major, again. But don't want to have to stay in school longer than I'm supposed to be. I would love to do something with Mass Comm but I guess have just now realized it. I love working with computers and pictures and editing and stuff like that. I've just never had the tools or money to do it. And I guess I felt that if I didn't have those things or the experience going into it, I wasn't going to succeed at it. Maybe that's why it's called "school." School is where you learn HOW to do those things. Crap. Too bad I just now realized that.

Africa. Maybe it doesn't matter what I want to major in. I want to live in Africa, anyway. I miss Africa, and the people, and the children, and the way of life SO much. Every night, before I go to sleep, I pray that I will be able to go back to Africa for a longer period of time and just soak it in. It's funny. All the children at the orphanage want to come to the states so badly because it's the "land of opportunities and freedom" but all I can think of is going back there, to be with them. Everyone is so appreciative of anything they have and anyone around them. They don't need fancy stuff to get by. They have their necessities and they survive. But they don't just survive life, they enjoy it. In Africa, it feels as if there's no clocks. No time, no appointmens, just life. Get up when the sun comes up, go to bed when the sun goes down. Sure, I love my car and my iPod and my hairdryer and my laptop but as long as I have clothes, food, water, shelter, some people that I love and that love me back (and maybe a camera) I think I'd be ok.

Well, I guess that's about all I want to type. I have more thoughts but they're weird and random and I guess I'll save those for another rainy day.

Love you.

oh yah, 5 random things for the day. Man, it's only 11am. I need to write blogs at night.
*I fell going to class today. Stupid wet leaves.
*Read the back of a "SmartWater" water bottle. It's hilarious. (apparently, they have them at Bi-Lo right now...ten 32oz. bottles for ten dollars.) I'm there.
*I need shampoo. (I have like, 4 bottles in the shower but I just need some more)
*Sarah W. sometimes feels like she's "on the market." (don't ask)
*I don't have a car today. I don't care.

Those suck, I realize this...but like I said, it's only 11am.
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