Let it Snow! And Please Let it Stay!

I woke up this lovely Sat. morning and my roommate told me I had better look out the window. So I did, and a beautiful blanket of white covered the ground and large, fluffy snowflakes covered the sky. Aw. It was so pretty. 

And my goodness, it's about time!! It's the end of November in SASKATCHEWAN and the past week has been warm enough to wear hoodies and flip flops. I was thinking that if global warming made every winter from now on like this I was going to move North. I refuse to do the Christmas season without snow. So all I have to stay is, snow, pretty pretty please stay. 

This past week since arriving back to school has gone pretty well, pretty quickly too. It has kind of been a more challenging week, though. It has been a homesick week. Not necessarily missing my house but missing the familiarness of high school, my consistent group of friends, the predictability of the routine, and yes, even my family. What has made it harder is that I have gotten all of my homework done minus the studying for exams, so I have nothing to do. I also have nothing to do with no one to do it with because they are all madly finishing up their projects and papers. So I've been lonely. It's pretty much just been me and my gilmore girls three evenings this past week. And I've been so extra sensitive for some reason. 

Yesterday was better though...and the evening before that too. We went to Madagascar 2 on Thursday night and chilled at DQ. Yesterday started off dumb b/c no one wanted to follow through on their plans to come to Regina with me. But, then I found out that some other girls on the hall were going shopping in MJ so I went with them. I ended up finding a dress for our banquet, a couple cmas presents for others, and a couple other things for myself. It turned out to be a fun and productive afternoon. Last night the vball teams were playing so I watched about 3 hours of that before my butt got so numb from the bleachers and I got so restless from doing the same thing for so long that I had to leave. 

Today I have lots of plans as well. Vball watching at 1:00, then supper in MJ with some people, then a CD release party, then a movie night. It should keep me busy. 

South (aka East?)

I drove back to school this fine Monday morning and everything went nice and smoothy. However, I think the sun was confused. Either that or I have been lied to all my life that the sun rises in the East. Or it could even have been a matter of the roads defying logic and someone getting me South of Saskatoon while facing East 95% of the way. The sun was in my eyes...the whole time. I was fine because I had sunglasses, but especially because it was just rising, it was too low to be covered by the visor. Now. I was very excited to drive back in the morning because the sun would not be in front of me (because I had to drive south, maybe a bit of southeast, and west...NOT east), however, it totally was. My question is: why? 

Chillaxin'

The rest of the week went by quickly and smoothly, and then yesterday I drove home. I guess I don't have too much to say other than that. Things have calmed down on campus and the chapel services on Tues-Thurs were really well run and there was definitely a feeling of peace. At least for me. Praise Jesus. 

I'm looking forward to two more full days and evenings at home, just relaxing, doing some homework, and hanging out with friends. Today was a productive day, but busy! Apparently some family from MB decided to come and visit so I spent the day cleaning the house, looking after Teagan, making lunch, doing my laundry, AND trying to squeeze in some homework. It made me miss having no one to worry about but myself. But it is very good to be home. I'm not driving back until Monday morning around 8:00 and then just skipping my 8:30 class. And then there are just 3 weekends in between going back to school and then coming home for 23 days of Christmas! YES!

Opportunity to Pray

Hey friends,  

So, there has been some pretty intense spiritual warfare stuff going on at Briercrest these past couple of days, and I would appreciate if you could lift our student body up in prayer. God is really working, and we all know that ultimately, he has victory. But, as God is bring his children toward freedom, he enemy is not happy. Yesterday morning, us College Singers were doing worship at the smaller Caronport church called the Gathering. God was so present and it was very powerful. We had just finished singing a song that went "You are stronger, you are stronger, sin is broken, you have saved me. It is written, Christ is risen, Jesus you are Lord of all. Let your name be lifted higher." A young man fainted and woke up with yelling until pastors attended to it backstage. A similar thing happened in chapel this morning when the boy preaching was saying a very powerful message. So, bascially, there is a young man who I think was involved with some evil and dangersous things in his past and as he, along with many students are turning to Christ and praying for freedom, the enemy is not happy.

Choir was really encouraging today as our leader was helping us process the events and we were talking about what our approach should be. He was explaining and reminding us that Christ is risen, HE is victorious, and He has ultimate power over all - protecting His children with the blood of Christ. He was helping us realize that obviously, amazing and powerful things are happening and God is working - otherwise things like what is happening with the young man would not be coming to the surface. And we should rejoice that God IS victory over all and that we get to be a part of what he is doing as He brings darkness to the surface and brings healing and salvation by His Light. So, God is at work, and I could spend another half a page giving you examples of how present He has been through all of it. If anything, it has opened all of our eyes to how important it is to stay focused on the Lord and to be in continuous prayer. It has reminded us that the Lord is power and the spiritual realm is a very real thing. And I have full confidence in and respect for all of our profs and leaders and how they are dealing with things and helping us understand things. But, a lot of us are still shaken and tense. There may be some fear rising up and a lot of things coming to the surface for a lot of people. And we are tired. The past couple days have been challenging, especially as this real aspect of Christianity is new to so many people.  

So please pray for the boy, that God would bring him complete healing from his past and freedom. Please pray for our profs and leaders, that they would have continued discernment in how they deal with and approach everything, and that they would be given immense endurance and strength. Please pray for our student body, that the Spirit would teach us how to pray and come alongside the boy and all those with deep and hidden pain, and that we would be given energy and ultimately peace about everything. That God would teach us things through this and grow each person individually. And rejoice with me that God is doing amazing and unstoppable things in the college of Briercrest.  

Blessings, Amy

New Record

This morning I slept the latest I have ever slept in before. No joke. 11:30. I know it's probably not that late to other people, but for me it's LATE! And it wasn't even like a wake up at 8:00, decide to go back to sleep, wake up at 10:00, decide to go back to sleep, etc. I slept steady right until 11:30 and then jumped out of bed to make sure I didn't miss going for brunch with my friends.

I was only up until 1:30 last night, too. A bunch of us from my hall and a couple guys from our brother hall brought a TV down to the lobby and stole a couch from downstairs to have a movie night. We watched Elf, followed by The Holiday...followed by a few of us girls chatting in a room before heading our separate ways to actually go to sleep. So, it was a very fun night -- it just must have made me pretty tired! 

This weekend is going by a little too slowly. I've been so lazy and blah. Haven't gotten much work done either, but that's probably because I don't have that much to do. If I decide to actually work tonight, it will be to get a head start on a project due in just under two weeks. But, I also want to just lay low and watch some Gilmore Girls tonight. :)

Close Enough to December

I decorated tonight. While listening to Christmas music. 

Broomball anyone?

Last night it decided to freezing rain in Caronport...and surrounding areas. This morning the ground = ice. I live in Saskatchewan, Canada and I have never seen the ground so entirely covered in ice.  I've seen skating rinks, large patches of ice, and even roads that were very very icy - but everything this morning had a smooth layer of ice over top of it. It was greatly amusing. We pretty much had to skate to class and back, and even the grass had ice crystals all over it. :) SO. I decided that I wanted to play broomball! On the sidewalks! If I actually had broomball stuff, or the time and people to get a game going, I absolutely would have. But it never happened. I did, however, have to explain to a girl from Kelowna what broomball even was. Hah. 

By afternoon the roads had cleared and I went with a friend into Moose Jaw to the clinic. She needed a bone scan done on her ankle that she injured in basketball.  So, we find the place, put our name down, and to kill time in the hour wait went for an early supper run to McDonalds. I had a craving. Mmm. Greasy, deep fried, fast food. 

For the remainder of the evening I did a little bit of procrastinating but managed to finish writing my rough draft of my first college research paper that is due on Thursday. So, everything except the intro and conclusion paragraphs are all typed out and ready to be edited. it feels good. However, it is only supposed to be like 5 pages...and I have 9. So tomorrow, on the glorious and randomly in the middle of the week holiday of NO CLASSES (which for me just consists of one...because it's Tuesday) I have some editing and condensing to do. No biggie. At least all my info is typed and put together. Yay! 

Tomorrow at midnight I also get to register for my semester 2 classes. I'm really hoping and praying that all I want to take is still available. And I decided just the other day that I would like to take Musicianship 1. It deals with advanced chording and triads and other advanced theory stuff. Oh, and ear training. Woot. However, I missed the boat on taking Intro. to musicianship this term, which is a pre-req for Mus. 1. So, in order to take it, I need to get above 75% on the theory placement exam that is offered at the beginning of every term.  Which ALSO means that over Christmas break, I have some major theory reviewing to do!! I still have my theory books, and I really want to do this class, and so that is my goal for next term. :) I'm also kind of thinking on taking guitar lessons, but those probably won't happen because they cost extra money, it would make me a bit too busy, and I can take lessons from anyone any time. 

So, yea, it's been a good past couple of days. This weekend was VERY FUN. There were tons of sports going on and I spent pretty much all of Friday and Sat. watching volleyball.  I even got to use an air horn! It was really awesome to finally get to see the girls play, and male volleyball is always entertaining to watch. Carlee's family was here for the weekend and Saturday night her sister stayed in the room with us. We watched Cars before going to bed; I ADORE that movie. Yesterday (Sunday) I just relaxed and lazed about, did a bit of homework, and then ended the night with a movie and junkfood fest. 

And I'm feeling very excited about next term, because even if Mus. 1 doesn't happen, I have a list of four other classes that I really, really want to take. I've come out of my grumpy mood that I was in toward the end of last week, this weekend I'm going on a day trip to Regina, and then the Thursday after that I'm going home for the weekend. Just because. (Those are the best reasons when it comes to going home.)

Blah

It's good to be back into the routine of things. Yesterday was crazy busy with three classes, a nice coffee with an old friend who was in Caronport, and choir - but I loved it. Today I had one class...and have spent the rest of my time being extremely productive. Until now. Right now I am sitting in the library procrastinating from actually opening up my research and planning my Old Testament paper. School is a wonderful thing.

However, I've been sick of people. All day. And then I just get sick of being sick of people. Because I really wish that I already knew more people than I do. I have never really had to go to a new place and make new friends before...because I've been at SCS all my life and have never moved cities or churches. It would be different if it was smaller and if I actually could remember the faces of those in each of my classes. And I do have friends. I love the girls on my hall and definitely have people to hang out with. 

But I've just felt so introverted. And I miss my extroverted self.