One More Hello

Hello once more my friends :)

Here is the link to my new blog: http://therushingcalm.blogspot.com/

Please follow my new blog, as I will not longer post on this one.  Many blessings and I will see you over at the Rushing Calm!

Juana

This Is It :)

Well, hello there.  I know I haven't written in a while.  And I sincerely apologize for that.  HOWEVER, I have been so busy.  To tell you the truth, I have been yearning to blog, but something wasn't quite right.  I was entering a new season in my life.  My undergraduate college career was coming to a close and life was beginning to feel quite different.  It was like the leaves were changing colors and falling off of the trees where they usually make their home.  It felt good though!  Refreshing and freeing to have that free fall sensation concerning my future.

With that being said, I think this will be the last post that I will write for my Regent Undergraduate blog.  It makes me sad, but I know that I want to begin something new.  So, I will create a new blog and post the link  here so that all of my followers can reach me at my new blog.  I am SO excited.  Even that small step of beginning a new blog gives me a bit of that free fall feeling I've been having since graduation.

Farewell my dears!  I'll see you on my new blog!  

Guess What Today Is!!!!

December 1st! Which means just two short days til Christmas Ball! 14 days til I go home! And 24 days until Christmas! Holla! :) This means I can officially listen to Christmas music and decorate my room/ office...those I've been doing that all year long :) Merry Christmas!

MY Very First Pair of Toms!

I had been wanting to buy a pair of Toms for a while now, but I recently went on the website and looked through the different pairs that they have. I think that Toms provides a great way for people to enjoy something for themselves while also helping those in need. If you don't know the Toms story, check it our here! Can't wait til I receive my pair and when the person who receives their from my purchase! God bless!

In Honor of 52 Days Before Christmas....

Here is an amazing Christmas compilation of Mr. Buble's Christmas Album! Wooohooo! Merry Christmas everyone! Blessings!

Students to Sport Pink for Cancer Awareness

Students to Sport Pink for Cancer Awareness

Click above to see an article that was written about Breast Cancer Awareness month at Regent U! Several of the girls on my floors (including me!) are featured in it. Share the article please! It was so fun spreading information about breast cancer and being able to do it in a fun way. As you may already know, my wardrobe consists of mainly pink items and its my favorite color. I was very happy to dress in all pink. Can't wait for the All Pink UnChapel! Woooohoooo! Team Pink!

Fall Is Here!!!

(Image from Smashing Arts...click to see more)

Fall is definitely here! And living in a state where they fully experience fall is great! Pumpkin lattes, brightly colored leaves, cool & crisp weather, fancy scarves, and even a touch of classical music lilting through the air are all things that come along with the fall season. Christmas is right around the corner, but please take a moment to sit and enjoy the beauty that God gives us through fall. Upon a recent Stumble Upon adventure, I found a website that included several wonderful pictures that depict fall in its glory! I posted my favorite picture above. I wish I lived there :) Blessings my darlings!

A Pretty Picture :)

Red nails :)

Fall Break...Schmall Break :)

Heeeellllooooo! Well, you'e caught me on the tail end of my Fall Break here at Regent University. It has been busy, but still great! Here are just a few highlights of my week.

1) No school. Obviously.

2) Again....no school. Obviously.

3) A's in both of my classes! I aced Shakespeare! Huzzah!

4) The apartment is now clean. Both my wonderful roommate and I have super long curly hair and it tends to get everywhere. Our apartment usually stays pretty clean but we hardly have time to scrub it down weekly. So I took the chance to do just that.

5) While doing the afore mentioned cleaning, I happened to have a BATTLE ROYALE with hundreds of ants that decided to pour out of my bathtub drain. I won the battle, just so you know :)

6) Ordering books. I actually enjoy this part of my break because it gives me a chance to feel refreshed about the classes that I will be taking.

7) Spending time with Stephen. We got to see Regent's stage production of The Three Musketeers. I loved it! And spending time with him is so much fun!

8) We were going to see the Civil Wars in concert, but the concert was postponed so that trip will happen later this year. Yay!

9) No school. And, yes, it was necessary for me to say this three times.

10) Having a sweet, quiet weekend just chilling, even if that did mean staying sort of busy :)

Have a wonderful week, lovelies!

Things I Love: Fall Edition

Lace Scarves...I'm wearing one right now :)

The new show, Pan Am. There's something so wonderful about this era of the airline stewardess

Deliciousness in a cup...otherwise known as Peppermint Mochas :)

Great music from the Civil Wars...fits perfectly into the Fall season

He Is Jealous For Me

He is jealous for me
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy
When all of a sudden
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory
And I realize just how beautiful You are
And how great Your affections are for me


And O how He loves us
Oh, O how He loves us
How He loves us all

-David Crowder Band

Complaining? Stop It!

Recently, I have contemplated, struggled, dealt, thought about (whatever have you) with complaining. I think I've been a big complainer. Wah this, Wah that...whine whine whine. I noticed that complaining was really dragging me down spiritually. Anything I have in this life is EXTRA. I really only need God's love and what He provides. So complaining only shows how ungrateful I am. We were at the store the other day and it took a really long time for the clerks to check me out of the line with my clothes. My usual self would stand there tapping my foot, constantly checking my phone to check the time, and gripping about how they could move faster. But really, I had no where to be, so what if it took 10 extra minutes to get out of the store? Then, I realized that I had SO MUCH MORE to be THANKFUL for. I'm so glad I have legs to walk around the store; I have arms to put the dress on; I have a mouth to verbalize how much I liked the dress; I have money to buy the dress; I have friends who went shopping with me; Grateful to be in a country where I can wear what I want...do you see where I'm going with this? God gives me so much! And here I am complaining about something trivial and stupid? No no no. I KNOW I can be more thankful and appreciative of the blessings God has given me :) Philippians 2:14-15 says, "Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world...". Thank you, sweet Lord, for this day :)

Book Review for The Help

(Poster from here)

I now this is a long time coming (I apologize!) but I didn't actually finish the book until about a month ago. I did so while on vacation and I ended up leaving the book at home for my mom to read. Yet, I'm so glad that I finally did read it! It was amazing!

Basically, the story follows three women in 1960s Mississippi where prejudice and stereotyping are still very much a normal part of life. Yet, this doesn't stop Skeeter Phelan, Aibileen Clark, and Minny Jackson from realizing that this "normal" way of life is wrong. Phelan is a writer and begins writing stories told by the maids in her town. Aibileen is the older maid who has served for many different families and realizes that a change can be made, but many people are resistant to the change. Minny is a tough maid who serves white families to make a living for her large family. "The Help" hits on notes dealing with the most basic of human rights. My favorite quote from the book is told to a young white girl by Aibileen: "You is KIND, you is SMART, you is IMPORTANT". The book is quite refreshing and bold. It made me laugh and cry and become totally wrapped into the world of the book. DEFINITE must read!!!!


As a college-age writer, I identified with Skeeter Phelan greatly. She is bold and speaks her mind. Though fearful of certain situations, she overcomes self-doubt and insecurities. Prayer and God are big themes within the storyline. It spreads God's word quietly, which allowed for a more personal analysis as I read through the book.

I went and saw the movie with my mom and sister during vacation. I'm not too critical of book-based movies, so The Help was a great addition to the book. I really liked each actors' portrayal of the characters and the visual aspect that the movie brings adds another level of emotion. I recommend reading the book AND seeing the movie.

Tea Mood

Since the weather has been cloudy and rainy and cool, I've been in a tea-drinking mood. Earl grey and English have been my favorites. I even learned how to make an Earl Grey latte (London Fog tea). I've also been thinking about pretty dresses since Christmas Ball is only a few months away. I already have my dress (which I am so excited to wear!) but I stumbled across these beautiful dresses at Lace and Tea. They're so amazing! I'd definitely wear these! I hope you are all enjoying autumn as inspire change as the leaves change :)

My Life Right Now :)

Hey All!

I haven't blogged in a while...oops. I assure you that it wasn't intentional. But I've been so busy! My last blog post was a picture that I took while I was home in Cali. (Which is a great pic, if I do say so myself). I finished up my last day in my previous position at work, then flew home for a 10 day vacation. It was awesome! We spent a lot of time relaxing and even went to Vegas :) And let me tell you, relaxing by the pool was amaaaaaazing. I hadn't relaxed like that in a while. Time at home was good! I loved seeing my family after not seeing them for 8 months. I truly appreciate and love them soooooo much! While at home, I did a lot of shopping. I was transferring into the Reservations Department at work and am no longer required to wear a uniform. So, I needed to expand on my business barbie wardrobe :) I ended up buying two pencil skirts, blazer, black cover-all, frilly shirts, and other business-y items to wear to work.

I love mt new position at work! I was nervous to start making reservations on the phone. But, I jumped in pretty quickly. It's awesome! I love seeing this new aspect of the hotel. And my new co-workers are really nice! I get to decorate my own cubicle soon! And I get to wear a cool headset :)

Classes started up the day after I came back from Cali. I'm taking History of Communication, Shakespeare, and Biology. Classes are going well. It is interesting to balance 40 hrs of work a week plus my full-time class load. But God is MIGHTY! He is helping me get through it :)

Stephen and I are doing well. We started doing Bible studies together twice a week. I definitely missed him while I was in Cali and appreciate his company so much more now because he is a man of God.

I think that's it for now...life is great, life is busy, life is awesome! Many blessings! :)

So Funny!

I found this too hilarious not too post. (If you knew my love for taters tots and silly one liners, you'll know why I posted it haha). Enjoy your Tuesday lovelies!

Battle With A Bug...

News Flash! We just battled a bug. And by we, I mean me, Stephen, and my hallmate Kirsten. Stephen and I had just finished watching a movie and eating dinner, just having a wonderful, tranquil night :) Then, as I'm brushing my teeth, Stephen practically shrieks and says, "There's a bug under your front door!" I lean out of the bathroom, toothbrush in mouth, just as the bug is exiting back into the hallway. Ewwwwww! As grossed out as I was, I continued to brush my teeth. After much screaming and jumping about (including Stephen jumping onto my bed), I decided to go after it in the hallway with a broom and windex...mhmm, that's how I do it. But both Stephen and I shrieked in the hallway in the middle of the night. I'm sure it was a sight to see. Finally, as the bug tried to drag its windex-covered body into the room of another student, I knocked on her door and she came out. She excused herself from her phone call and smashed the bug with her sudoku book and my pink flip-flop. She then picked it up with a tissue and carted it away (Gooooo Kirsten!!!). The End.

Not really...that was gross. I hate bugs! And that one was one big roach! Gross! Ok. Now, the end.


(Sidenote by Stephen himself: I will run again if not properly prepared to fight a bug as large as that. I once hit a black wasp with a baseball bat [repeatedly] and it did not die.)

We're Having a Heat Wave! A Tropical Heat Wave!

...The temperature's rising, it isn't surprising! It certainly can, can can! That's a line from There's No Business Like Show Business, one of Marilyn Monroe's movies. But the lyric always pops into my head whenever it gets really hot outside. And let me tell you! It is sweltering. Literally, I think Virgina Beach has turned into a sauna. I was surprised that the weather had actually stayed pretty tame, but then it got baaaaaad. Luckily, the first day it was hot, I didn't have work so I didn't have to work during the heat. But today was pretty bad. When I got to work in the morning, it was already feeling way to hot to be 8 a.m. Once noon came around, we were all drinking copious amounts of ice water (and I work inside, mind you). After walking back in shorts and a tank, I was still drenched in sweat (can you say gaaaarrross?). My head was achy and I felt sleepy. Ohma goodness! But I can't complain...in a few months we'll all be wishing the warm weather was back :) Stay cool my peeps! And remember, John 7:37 says, "If any man thirst, let him come into me, and drink". So if you're feeling hot and thirsty, grab a glass of cool water and your Bible :)

Why Is It So Hard For Me to Relax??

When I initially started writing this blog post, I was making my usual (and favorite) cup of hot English tea and making my breakfast (strawberry toaster strudel & leftover manwich). I was off work today after having a full week of work and overtime. I was so excited to have a day to spend relaxing and doing "me" stuff. I got up later than I usually do which was nice because my work schedule has trained me to wake up before 9, which used to be really early for me. But today I woke up at 10:30 and asked myself "What am I gonna do today?!" I knew the apartment needed to be cleaned and I needed to attend a meeting later in the afternoon. So I forced myself out of bed and was in a daze for a minute. I really had no idea what to with the few hours I had. I literally had to force myself to relax. I wanted to start cleaning right away and doing my normal duties. But I knew that I needed to sit and be calm. So I made my tea and food and watched tv. Then Sam Bam came home and we had a good girl chat. After that, I got dressed and started cleaning the apt. It looks so nice and fresh! And a special thanks to my boyfriend who came over (sleep deprived, mind you) and still helped me clean :)

These are two of my favorite verses about resting :)

Matthew 11:28
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Psalm 73:26
“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

Be blessed my peeps!