It's a God Thing....

So I just got home from MBSF (Missionary Baptist Student Fellowship)...No I am not a Missionary Baptist...I am technically Cumberland Presbyterian but I prefer the term Christian...anyway, I go to a Ladies Bible Study there on Tuesday and then try to make it to the regular service on Thursday night (sometimes homework gets in the way)...

Anyway, tonight as we talked about the tragic events of this past week, I realized that while nearly everyone remembers to pray for the victims' families, nearly no one says anything about praying for the shooters and their families? Today, I learned the truth, the WHOLE truth, and nothing but the truth regarding the story behind the shooting that took 2 students' lives. The truth that you won't read in the paper or on the internet but the real truth as told by police and the resident assistant (RA) that was there and lived through it. As I sit here and write, I just feel compelled to pray for the shooters and their families. I want to know what happened that made them feel they had a "right" to do this. I don't mean that cynical...they obviously had a reason..while I know (but don't understand) the initial reason for coming to UCA on Sunday night, I will NEVER understand why they chose to take the lives of innocent people who were in no way their targets. Ryan and Chavares didn't do anything wrong that night...they really were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I have always felt safe at UCA...I have walked through campus alone after dark..home from the library or the a late night run to the student center...At some point I have walked in the exact same places that those two men were killed...God was with me and I never worried about something bad happening...I come from a community where no one locks their houses, their cars, and usually their purses are in their vehicles. I never once have not felt safe at home and now that UCA is my "home away from home", I have always felt safe and never really gave it a second thought...While I still don't feel unsafe, I am as my Mom put it "more aware" I suppose. I realize that no matter where you are, the world is never truly danger free and that death is inevitable...But what I also realize is that as long as I have God holding my hand leading me through life, it doesn't really matter where I go or what I do...I will ALWAYS be safe in his arms...and when death comes, while it may be sad for everyone around me, it won't be a sad day for me...it will a joyous one as I will finally get to sit on God's lap and be surrounded by angels and see family and friends that have passed on before me...

Kinda weird on the two tragic events in my life happening almost in the same week could make me feel more comforted than I was before they occured. Guess we'd just have to call that "a God thing."

Life.....

Yesterday we all found out that one of my high school classmates was killed in a car accident early that morning. He was on his way home from work in Mountain Home and fell asleep at the wheel. He was really close to being home when it happened...It has only just begun to sink in..I went through all of yesterday and it never really dawned on me what had happened...I felt the same I as I always did..like everything was normal..Today about 10:30 or so, it began to really hit home. I started to think about all of the unforgettable times that our whole class had together and how I will really miss his wonderful personality and heartwarming laugh but as I sit here and write I realize that you haven't ever really lost someone if you care about them. No I won't see his truck in town anymore, but everytime I see the same make and model of the one he drove, I will think about him and everytime I go to the fair (where we ALL spent so much time) memories of him helping me lead sheep and shovel shavings will come back. I just really don't like the fact that those memories are all we have left of him..I don't understand...but then again I'm not supposed to...it's all part of a much bigger plan which all works out just the way it is supposed to...because it's God's plan...

Please pray for his family and friends...the healing process is never easy nor short-lived.

Is it Thanksgiving yet?

As Fall Break quickly comes to a close, I sit here thinking, "Where did the time go?" It went by SO fast! But it was exciting, relaxing, and did I mention exciting all at the same time! Here goes the recap:

WEDNESDAY

• My sign language class was canceled due to testing. I had my test on Monday and I got an A on it!! Woot Woot for me!
• I hurridly left Conway at noon on my way home..Only to stop at Granny's house...Reminds me of the song "Over the river and through the woods"..I really did that..only in reverse!
• I borrowed two books from the library to relax with over break so I started those because Joe had prior arrangements!
• Mom, Dad, and I also watched calf roping from the National Finals Rodeo in 2001...Those guys fascinate me!!!
  

THURSDAY

• Joe came and picked me up early to take me out to breakfast since he didn't come over the night before! Then he took me to Melbourne and dropped me off at Noel Physical Therapy so that we didn't have to take 2 vehicles to Melbourne.
• Shadowing at Noel Physcial Therapy was absolutely amazing!!! Greg Noel is actually the guy who took care of me the night I tore my ACL at Lyon College. He is also the one who fitted me for my knee brace before returning to the floor at team camp at..you guessed it...LYON COLLEGE!! It turns out I am a legend.. He remembered that night and my famiy as soon as I introduced myself...lol...the actual reason he remembered was becuase he was just filling in for another guy and I tore my ACL, Rachel sprained her ankle, and my Mom almost passed out in the athletic training room...literally...
• I really can't wait to go back to shadow him some more and I really hope that one day I will accept a job to work for him!
• Afterwards, I walked over to Home Sweet Home while waiting for Joe to come and pick me up...They have some beautiful things and I will definatley have to do a bridal registry there!!!
• Joe and I headed out to see our favorite little girl, Annie Grace, only to find that they already had plans! Better luck next time I suppose!
• Joe decided that he would go for some male bonding with some of the older men in the community so I settled in to watch more calf roping and read my books a little bit!
  

FRIDAY

• This day was a little hectic because we were all trying to get things ready to go for Searcy and the ACA finals. Sam was competing in the breakaway roping and Mom had been chosen as a timer!
• Joe and I left for Searcy around 2:00, got settled, enjoyed supper at the Rib Crib (my favorite) and then headed out to the fairgrounds!
• I ended up sitting my my sister and her friend and one of my dear friends, and horse trainer, Paula along with one of Sam's friend's Mom...It was ALL girls and Joe retreated to sit by one of his friends! That was cool because we all really enjoy the barrel racing so we could enjoy it in peace without him whining wanting to know when it would be over...haha....
• We headed off to the cowboy dance later that night to only stay for about 15 minutes before deciding that time could be better spent sleeping! HaHa...so much for being young and vibrant!
  

SATURDAY

• Rachel almost got fined $300 because the owner of the motel thought that she had slipped a dog in...in actuality she really did but the dog was only about the size of a rat and he stayed in the truck for most of the time anyway!
• It was a beautiful day spent relaxing, reading, and watching Joe be a kid again...He and some of the other boys (and men) had dummy ropings (with a fake steer, not an actual dummy lol)...He will be fore for weeks!
• Paula, Drew's mom, and I sat together again tonight to watch the second performance! I had so much fun with those ladies! Paula is my hero and Helen is a riot!!!
• Sam ended up 3rd in the average and caught his calf both nights ! He ended up about $100 out of 2nd place for the entire year but I am SO proud of him for how hard he has worked and the great attitude he has kept! I expect big things from him in the future!!!
• We headed home afterwards and I slept at Joe's parents house so that he didn't have to take me all the way home and then come back...plus it doesn't hurt that I get to sleep in the spare bedroom in the only King-sized bed!!! What a life!!!
  

SUNDAY

• After sleeping in, Joe and I headed off to clean the clinics for my mom, ate lunch together and then I headed back to school to get ready for another week!

It is now about 5 weeks til Thanksgiving and then 2 weeks after that til GRADUATION!!! I'm about halfway through with this semester and the end is even more in sight than ever before. Please pray for focus, strength, and my future as I begin to apply to PT schools. Shadowing the ohter day just reaffirmed my ultimate goal and dream of becoming a physcial therapist!! It really is my passion!

Also, pray for my very good friend Jessica Brooks. She has left for Antigua, Guatemala for language school before going to Ecuduor to be a missionary. She has a faith that I pray for each and every day! Pray for her safety, health, and happiness as she meets new people and begins her work for the Lord!

Ok, I think if I am going to begin another week tomorrow I should quit babbling and head to bed!!

That is all....

Now I declare....

Man, I didn't realize how much I really enjoy the whole concept of "blogging" until I was unable to so this week...On Monday, I received a notification that my blog had been tagged as a "spam blog"...I have no idea what that means but after a week, the process which was supposed to take less than 2 business days has apparently been resolved!

Firstly, I had two biology exams this week and I would like to proudly say that I made high A's on both of them!! Feel free to applaud and brag...I won't mind! I just hope I'm still this boastful next week after I finish two more exams before Fall Break begins!!

I miss my girls terribly but have now sat a new date in which I will be picking them up...October 31...I didn't realize until just now that is Halloween so Reannon may be doing a little trick or treating that night...I just hope I don't have to find a costume!

Next week, I may be MIA due to the fact that my computer is facing certain death unless I take it home this weekend and hopefully get someone to fix it...So say a little prayer for it....I really don't want to have to get another one...

The black and orange game is tonight and it will officially be the first time that Sam will put on a senior high jersey as part of the senior high team (As 9th graders, they got to move up to senior high after their season was over and they did play a lot, but that doesn't really count)..It really doesn't seem like he should be that old but then again I don't feel like I should be 22!

Well, I am off to a study session and then home for the weekend!

Catch ya on the flip side....

What A Weekend!!

To sum it up...there was NEVER a dull moment! I picked Josie and Tess up in Russellville at 5:00 on Friday afternoon and we began the trip home to Grandma's house (sounds cliche doesn't it?) I was kept very well entertained for the entire ride home. Here are some of the commentary from the ride home:
1. First and foremost, a call was made to Granny from the girls requesting mashed potatoes and green beans be on the menu for supper...In case you don't know, my Granny's mashed potatoes are probably the best in the world..so they are pretty much always requested (and coveted)

2. Josie told me all about Winn Dixie..They read the book and watched the movie in her classroom.

3. Tess then informed me off ALL the movies she had watched lately...

4. Tess practiced ALL of her cheers in the backseat...Good thing she is a small girl or else she would have tipped the car over...I never knew there could be so much movement in the confines of a seatbelt!

5. Tess said that when she grows up that her and her friend Kara are going to start a band and that she (Tess) is going to sing the song that Kara wrote...She proceeds to sing the song and to which Josie replies, "Well, I give you an F"...Try and figure out how to handle that comment when you are trying to not laugh, keep both hands and eyes on the road, AND keep the peace in the backseat!! Not easy!

6. Both girls know all the words to EVERY Taylor Swift song as well as Daniel Powters "Bad Day" and the louder the radio gets, the louder they get!

7. I asked Tess what she wanted for her birthday. She replied, "I don't care actually...as long as it's not a peanut butter and jelly sandwhich or a reese cups chap stick..That might make me sick" (She is highly allergic to peanut butter)

8. I asked Josie what she wanted for her birthday which is coming up. She replied, "A horse"..When asked where she would put it, "in her room" was her response..And then when I asked her what her mother would have to say about a horse in her bedroom, she got me again when she said, "She'd say don't let it poop in the floor"...

Once home, Granny of course had supper cooked! And yes, there were mashed potatoes (She knows how to keep the peace as well!) After supper, we sat down to relax..I had packed lots of scrap-booking odds and ends so that if the girls wanted to color, etc they would have plenty of stuff to choose from..I also brought a set of Dominos. When I was little, I remember that my Papa was the one who taught me and my sister Rachel how to play..So when Josie and I got them out, I told her who had taught me how to play...Guess what happens next? Josie, Tess, Papa, and myself end up at the kitchen table so that he can teach two more grandchildren the rules of the game..kind of a sentimental moment I guess...until Tess (she's 8) beat us all and left me and Papa wanted to concede defeat..Half the time, she didn't even know she had made points..I think that just made it worse for our pride when she scored 20 points! She also made a point to show us EVERY cheer she knew and even some dance routines she had made up...I have never seen my Grandfather's eyes get as big as they were that night...I even saw things I had never seen before...we'll leave it at that..

I also packed lots of movies..Josie and I shared the back bedroom both nights and fell alseep to Cinderella and Happy Feet, respectively..Josie didn't actually make it much farther than the opening credits before she had passed out...

Saturday was Tess's birthday party from her family. We took lots of pictures and I videoed segments on my phone to email to their daddy...Josie ended up with Rachel's old cowboy hat and a western shirt that looked beautiful on her as well as fit her just right.

After the party, we headed out to watch Sam and his new roping horse work! They are really amazing to watch and several people commented on how well he is getting along with his new horse (Saturday was only the 3rd time he had roped off of him)..Afterwards, Josie got to ride one of Sam's horses by herself and she was thrilled. Tess also rode but with Rachel leading.

Tess got to spend the night with one her Calico friends and Josie and I stayed at Grandma's to watch tv and hang out with Joe...

Sunday we all went to church, ate dinner, talked to Uncle Steve, and then Granny and Papa took the girls back to meet their mother in Dardenelle. I have a test in Pharmacology tomorrow (I know I am procrastinating by typing this...everyone needs a break!) Everyone made it back safe and sound!

So as I sit here and type (and procrastinate), I am already missing my girls and their hugs, and their quick wit...they have homecoming next weekend but I am already planning a trip to get thim again the next weekend...Life is good when you get to spend it with the people you love the very most...and who give really good hugs!

Now I lay me down to sleep...

I went to babysit 2 of my favorite kiddos tonight..Olivia and Ella...Olivia is 8 and quite charming...Ella is 5 and full of SASS! They are too cute though! The evening started with Ella at art class and Olivia and I were to pick her up at 6 and then go to dinner (Yes I can handle a 8 year old and a 5 year old in a restaurant by myself...what can I say, I'm a pro)..Where did we go to eat you ask? Why Pizza Inn of course...this is an unwritten tradition between the girls and I..it seems that everytime we go somewhere to eat, the answer is always pizza! In fact, Ella gets very upset if I come over and we don't have pizza for supper...

After dinner came baths, teeth brushing and pj's..once again I'm a pro....followed by 2 games of Candyland..one of which I won, the other I was robbed! By this point, it's 8:30 Tanya is home and it's time for bedtime prayers and to be tucked into bed. This is my favorite part. I love to hear children pray. It's so sincere and truly straight from their hearts. Ella's are usually short being sure to thank God for the puppy they have first and foremost and then her family while Olivia begins with, "thank you for the Bible...etc." I love Olivia's prayers though because she truly counts her blessings which is pretty special considering she is only 8...

Afterwards, they get tucked in, nightlights are turned on, and overhead lights are turned off..I sure hope Ella ended up in her bed because when we left she was sprawled out on the floor for some reason or another (sometimes it's better not to ask)...I love these girls more than almost anything in the whole world! They are growing up entirely too fast on me though!

Tomorrow after class I head to Russvegas to pick up the other two girls that have stolen my heart! Please pray for safe travels and no backseat fights and sickness throughout the trip home! Both me and my car would appreciate it!!!

Sam has his RLBA rodeo finals this weekend so that will be fun to attend! He didn't go to many of these rodeos this season due to others being held on the same weekend. He may not win a saddle this finals but he will get to see his friends and ride his horse and rope...that's all he really cares about anyway...I expect big things from that "little man"...He has a ton of talent!

Speaking of bedtime prayers and pj's...I think it's callin my name! Big Day Tomorrow!!
That is all...

I have Faith and it is My Hope...

Last night, I had the privilege of attending a Ladies' Bible Study at the MBSF house on campus...Let me tell you...I'm hooked! This semester, the study is on Faith...at first it almost sounded coincidental and then I realized that there really are no coincidences in life..Just God's plan...with everything going on right now in my life and the lives of my family members, we all must certainly remember that there is one being that is stronger and more compentent than the rest of us put together.

Our leader, Brenda, asked a question last night that has been stuck in my head ever since. "If you had a really big problem, who would you call first?"...When she first asked that question, I first word was "Mom"...hehe....Moms do know everything and usually have a fix even if it is just temporary...I know my Mom does...and if she doesn't...it's time to call Granny! But anyway, the real answer should have been to drop our heads and pray...I love my Mom and my Granny but I do think that God has them beat on the problem solving gig...So all day today I have been trying to remind myself that everything will turn out in the end just the way it needs to because we have the best problem solver on the case!

The family I babysit for called me today and said that they would like to provide dinner for my family on the day I graduate! This really excites me not only because it is such a generous offer but because I will get to have the two most precious groups of people together under one roof...my family and my "Conway family"....I'm also hoping I can get a certain photographer and baseball player...aka Prince Charming...to attend as well!! It should be a really fun day...I just hope the weather turns out nice...Cold I can handle...Snow not so much...at least when traveling is involved...Guess that another situation for the problem solver...

I'm off for more homework and studying and maybe a little laundry and room cleaning...It's tough growing up!

"You don't have enough faith", Jesus told them. "I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible."
Matthew 17:20

That is all...