"Cuz it's the Final Countdown!"

Yes, it's that time again.

That time of year where I'm almost in sweats permanently, wearing glasses, hair pulled up, glazed look in my eyes, staring at a plethora of notes trying to make sense of it all...

Kind of like Emperor's New Groove...

Pacha: Uh-oh.

Kuzco: Don't tell me: We're about to go over a huge waterfall.

Pacha: Yep.

Kuzco: Sharp rocks at the bottom?

Pacha: Most likely.

Kuzco: Bring it on.

Oh yes, bring it on.

Last night, in hopes of finding inspirational music, Susanne and I listened to the epic tune from Pirates of the Caribbean and then watched the battle scene from Narnia: Prince Caspian. It's pretty inspirational when Peter yells, "For Narnia, and for Aslan!" and then both sides charge at each other for an insane battle. So pretty much we are the good side and exams and final assignments are the evil ones trying to take us out. Good news though, we win in the end.

So, I'm back at my little coffee shop. It's nice and quiet (well, except for the oldies playing through the speakers).

Laptop computer: check

Close to a plug-in: check

Lots of notes and textbooks: check

Coffee: check

Collection of pens and pencil: check

Concentration: well, I'm working on that.

It's been fun seeing all the regulars pop in, overhearing their conversations, and hearing them all say, "See ya tomorrow!" before they head out the door. I want to be an old person that has a regular stop in every day, they seem cool.

Alright, this was Procrastination Tactic #43 again, it worked well.

Back to my books...

(P.S. - Thanks Joy for all your little notes and encouragement on my blogs, you are an all-star. Can't wait to see ya over the holidays!)

Procrastination Tactic #43: Write a Blog Post

The story about my new pottery mug :)

Trinity had their 4th Annual 'Spirit of Christmas' celebration on campus this year for the community. For a quick study break, I ventured over to the craft fair and was pleasantly surprised to find a pottery stand. Now, I'm not one to invest in a lot of mugs, mainly because I have a slight pet peeve of having a random collection of a ton of stuff. But, I do quite enjoy the feel of a solid pottery cup in my hand, full of warm tea.

I had a wonderful chat with the potter, picking his brain about his favorite stuff to make, different glazing techniques and such. He helped me pick out a mug that fit quite well into my hand, and I am now the proud owner of a lovely little mug. It's prime.

Beautiful people...

...I attended a little Christmas gathering in our apartment building tonight. An open mic shindig in a little apartment, jam packed of a variety of people sharing songs, stories, giftings and random talents.

As I stood in the kitchen, slightly barricaded from the rest of the group, listening to the beautiful strumming and plucking of guitar strings, I couldn't help but smile and be thankful.

Each face that my eyes drifted across was so beautiful. I was struck with the wonder of how blessed I was to be standing in a warm and cozy apartment, surrounded by people with such beautiful hearts. Some of these people I don't even know, some are extremely dear to my heart, and others are acquaintances that I chat with on a regular basis. How magnificently blessed I am to have an opportunity to be in the presence of these people. Lovely people whom the Lord has made exactly as He planned- perfect and right in His sight. That is stellar.

A song by one of my favorite musicians, Riley Armstrong, says:
Everybody's different, I think different is beautiful

If we were all the same this world would be unliveable
This whole earth turns so intricate its undeniable
That God made us different, so that means different is beautiful.

Thank you Lord for such an opportunity to interact with Your beautiful people, wherever we go.

"But as for me, it is good to be near God."

Psalm 73:28