Question.

For anyone with more blogging knowledge than I have:

How do you post a picture in the middle of text? Every time I add pictures they just go to the top of the box for drafting... I would like to be able to add pictures in their appropriate photo place? 

Thanks for your help!

A song for Saturday.

 My Adoration

by the Sonflowerz

This is one of my favorite songs as of right now. It actually has been since summer time and it has led me from any self-centered moments to moments of worship and wonder. The lyrics have refocused my heart and mind to something that is worth thinking about, the Lord and His plan and His love. It also brings me reassurance. I especially like: "Here's my celebration of everything you are, of everything I am in You." 

As a young woman in a beauty-obsessed society, a student in a somewhat competitive graduate school where grades and class placement are continually thought-about and brought up, and as a developing professional, soon to join a profession where ego's run rampant and the competition from school carries into the career world, I need continual reminding that the Lord tells me who I am. I need continual reminding that where I belong is in Him, and in Him is my peace, hope, and worth. 

I hope it reminds you of these things as well and that you too will celebrate your life in Him. 

New Shoes.

My mom came into town yesterday and we shopped for an hour or two. And I made a purchase! I got something I have been wanting to buy for over a year...

A pair of ballet flats! This is my first pair of ballet flats that are not actually for ballet. I wore them for a long time today and they wore a little on my heel. They are not quite as comfortable as my real ballet shoes were. But I have thought that they are adorable since this trend started (who knows how many years ago--I'm a little slow with shoe trends) and I imagine they are a little bit like toe shoes, in that they just need to be worn in a little. I hardly ever even buy shoes that are closed heel that should be worn without socks, because of this very thing, but I'm going to give it some time and some band-aid. My short pants that turn into high waters when I wear them with my old shoes are appreciative. And I even felt a little bit sophisticated wearing the flats compared to feeling like I'm sixteen when I wear my black chunky Mary-Jane Doc Martens from the nineties!

I feel that I have graduating into a whole new world of shoes. 

Time for refocusing and rest.

I have class commitment issues. And my classmate friends think it is hilarious seeing as they have all been settled on their schedules since we were first able to register around Thanksgiving. They think it is especially funny, because the majority of classmate friends have self-proclaimed relationship commitment issues, which I do not have (but that is a subject for another post possibly sometime), but I have the issues with smaller, non-major things.

For a while I thought I was settled, but (and this happens practically every semester) I started browsing through all of my options and heard others talking about their experiences in certain classes and I started doubting my decisions. And that is when the switching and doubt and confusion began. 

In undergrad, this was never much of a problem. It was actually quite fun! The first week of classes (and maybe even into the second week) I would attend a large sampling of classes before settling on a final schedule. Sometimes I would end up with a schedule very similar to my early registration. Other times, after trying some other classes on, I would end up with a schedule of classes I had not originally planned on. Often times, there would be a mix. Usually I kept classes where I knew good things about the instructor or was interested in the material, but in sampling others, I sometimes happened upon quite a jewel (e.g. Drawing and a Russian history class were two unplanned, but very interesting courses). I even taught my now-husband how to sample, and while he was not always as extreme as me, he too saw some benefit of attending a class on the first day before totally being sold on attending!

But now, this causes many problems! (One of which is that I was awake in the middle of the night thinking about it, tossing and turning, and generally making rest for either Mr. Rh or myself nearly impossible.) But more regularly the problem arises because 1. there are assignments for almost every option available to me, and 2. those assignments are usually in the text required for the course, and 3. it costs money to purchase those texts, and 4. I always write in my books, and 5. one cannot return books for their original purchase value once a book has been written in. Thus, it becomes very important for me to quickly decide on a schedule. And I know I will learn more if I attend every meeting and do the majority of the assigned reading for the classes I am actually taking. 

So I'm awake and writing about it. Instead of posting, I probably ought to refocusing on what is actually important at this point. I ought to be bathing my schedule in prayer and asking for guidance from the Lord. I am in need of wisdom; if I ask, He, Jehovah Jireh, will provide.

I will have peace in my mind and hopefully endurance for this part of the race and Mr. Rh  will have a night of uninterrupted rest!

School begins again.

Not too much longer and I'll be back to the books.

I've been suffering / recovering from sinusitis (note: probably explains why I didn't do as much "for pleasure and personal growth reading" as I would have liked to this school break).  I'm slightly concerned about the assigned reading I should to do prior to the semester starting. Mr. Rh said if I need his help, he will read aloud to me. What a sweet man! seeing as the material is not always compelling. I realize however that I probably must do it on my own. Partly because I know that the quantity of the material would likely interfere with his day job and I know that my attention span to out-loud reading is something like that of a second grade boy who is waiting for recess, and partly because it is my own burden to bear.

Perhaps I will have completely recovered by then anyway. 

I'm planning to continue writing. I may be somewhat intermittent and unreliable, as there will soon be other writings that will require my attention. But I am hoping to make time for this story world because it is enjoyable and it helps me think. It is funny to write a post that says I'll be writing more posts, but I'm doing it anyway. 

-I'm here and I'm still writing...

Used-to-be. Beginning-to-be.

I used to be a swimmer. It was my first love, but I sort of gave that up a while ago because chlorine does some crazy damage to my hair. And now my shoulders crackle like crazy. 

I used to be a runner, but my knee started complaining and eventually I gave in to it for too long... such that I got out of running shape and it is just not as much fun as it used to be.

I used to be a walker, but I sort of gave that up because it was something I did with mi familia and I didn't have a buddy in my new town to walk with. 

I used to pitch a softball with my dad and play a little tennis with my brother. 

I used to be more active. 

******************************************

I am beginning to be more active again. 

I'm beginning to enjoy activities with my new built-in buddy (otherwise known as Mr. Rh) with whom I can play tennis, golf, and maybe even racquetball. He even bought a youth football for me to throw with him.

I'm beginning to walk again. 

I'm beginning to ease into running again too (interspersed with the walking and with a patient companion). I'm going to get to that point where most runs just feel good. So good that I just need the run, like I need oxygen and breakfast. 

And I may even return to my old love, because I'm beginning to accept my wavy-ish, messy-ish hair for what it is(OK, maybe not yet, but I'm trying). So chlorine and regular wetness (requiring more routine straightening or sometimes wearing the wave) will not stop me. My vanity will give way to something better, something truer and longer lasting: the tranquility and rush one feels when she is totally surrounded by water, with nothing in the way of her thoughts or in the way of her dreams, except the occasional flip-turn or the occasional lapse of counting laps. 

I'm beginning to be myself again.

-I'm here and I'm still writing...

A painting for our wall.

Over the weekend, Mr. Rh and I did an art project for our home(apartment). We have one super long wall in our living room without any windows on it and we have been trying to decide what to put there. He had a great idea for us to make something simple and I thought we could use some of the colors that are in our mismatched furniture in our newly-wedded inherited furniture-filled living room. 

And Mr. Rh's friend came over and he even complemented us on it! 

The only camera I have available at the moment is on my computer and the lighting isn't very good, but the above photo is the best I could do for now. If you use your imagination you can fill in the colors: there is a chocolatey brown, a nice khaki , and a greyish-slate blue. 

We love it! 

-I'm here and I'm still writing...