Day 11.

Day 11. Favorite Quote

I'll share my latest favorite with you. An exert from Donald Miller's book "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years". (Yes, I'm on a Donald Miller roll here...)

"I was watching the news the other night, and they were still covering that story in Mumbai about the terrorists who went on a shooting rampage...when we watch the news, we grieve all of this, but when we go to the movies, we want more of it. Somehow we realize that great stories are told in conflict, but we are unwilling to embrace the potential greatness of the story we are actually in. We think God is unjust, rather than a master storyteller."

How often is that true? How often do we enjoy movies with  no conflict? Can you think of one? It's what makes the story powerful...characters overcoming the worst kind of conflicts. Yet, when they occur in our lives, we so easily get angry at God, because we feel He's being unjust.
But what if, these conflicts are there to make our life stories more powerful. We have the choice to allow them to create a powerful story...
What choice do we choose, though? Are we the whiny character who stomps her foot at God when conflict comes along, and tries to push it away? Or are we the strong character, who stands up to the conflict, willing to face whatever God sends our way?

365

365 Photo Challenge. 

I've always wanted to really participate in it...and I actually did like 4? 5? years ago? Something like that. And it was tough to do. I tried to do it last year, and managed like 4 days. :P It was just too hard to handle on top of work, school, life. So, this year, I'm going to attempt it again...this time using mainly my instagram. Because it's instant. Unlike Booth, who I would have to upload the photos from and edit then upload to my blog. :P I may use some photos I take with Booth, but for the most part, I think it'll be on Instagram. It's not that I think Instagram has AMAZING photo quality (it's an iphone camera, for pete's sake! It's not gonna be great :P), but because it's fast and easy and it will be documenting my life this year. 

So here's to project 365. Let me know if you're doing it, and I'll follow you. ;) 

Day 1. Sissahs.

Day 2. Teeeeeeea

Day 3. Shopping with Gen. Gen shops, Sam waits. ;)

Day 10.

Day 10. Most Proud Moment

I don't really have a most proud moment...I mean, the day when I got a 4.0 GPA (twice) have been exciting, in a way. Erm...the day I got my certificate saying I had finished the Children's Lit. course was exciting...the day when I graduate with my Associates will be an exciting day.

Nope, I don't really have a most proud moment. Sorry. :P

Day 9

Day 9. First Celebrity Crush

I don't know about a first celebrity crush, but I do know who was my first HUGE crush!
I was about eleven. Head ooover heels. ;) I first met the movie version...grew up seeing him. Then, at 11 I read the book version and had a MASSIVE crush. ;)

Bwuhaha, who else?? Gilbert Blythe of course! I'm assuming every young, homeschooled girl (almost every one) had a crush on him at some point. I mean, c'mon, who wouldn't? Tall, dark, handsome, good-looking, charming, funny? ;)

So okay, not every girl crushed on him (I still do to this day :P)...and if you didn't, then who did you crush on??

Day 8.

Day 8. Piercings & Tattoos

I got the piercings but not the tats yet. ;) I am seriously considering a tat, however. I know that I would want it on my left wrist. I just can't decide on what exactly I would want. Definitely some sort of phrase or word that has meaning to me. I have really liked "alis volat propriis" for some time. I'm told it means "She flies with her own wings" in latin, which I like. ;)

As for piercings...I looove piercings. I have 5 of them... just in my ears alone. Two each in each lobe, then one cartilage piercing in my right ear. I would like a second cartilage piercing and maybe even third lobe piercings. We'll see. ;) Might be a bit of an overkill. lol.

Looking at the pic, though, I'm thinking maybe not. One tiny stud above my 2nd stud? I think it'd look cah-ute!

I wanna hear about your piercings and tats? Especially tats...tell me the stories behind them, do they have any special meanings? How long ago did you get them? Do you regret it? Was it very painful?

Bucket List

I'm sure we all have a Bucket List of some sort...even if it's called "New Year's Resolutions" or is just a basic plan inside your head of what you would like to do/accomplish this New Year. 

I, however, call my list a Bucket List. Because I want to do it before I die. And I don't know when I'm going to die. :P And we all know how much I *love* lists! 

I tried to create a list that was both realistic, sensible, and life-changing as well as fun. 

What is on my list? 

- Secret ideas that I shall not reveal on here. :P Oh geez, some are private, people! You don't need to know them!

- Volunteer somewhere. A bestie and I have talked about this for ages. Maybe this year we will actually try it. 

- Try a new church. (Hopefully this comes about on the 5th)

- Get a pet (even if it's just a fish). It would probably be better to get something *alive* that I can name. Instead of just naming inanimate objects...

- Run 5 miles without stopping. (Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. Not looking forward to it, but am at the same time! If there wasn't snow and it wasn't so cold, I would be out there running. Yes, I would.)

- Learn how to swim. I am DETERMINED this year. 

- Get up for an early morning photo shoot. What?? Doesn't sound impossible, right? But I can't begin to say how MUCH I HATE mornings. :P Especially early mornings. ;) 

- Go somewhere I've never been. 

- Make at least one new friend. 

- Dye my hair. 

- Get a tat. 

- Shoot a firearm. 

- Blog something very personal. 

What is on your bucket list? C'mon! You never know where 2013 is going to take you! 

Day 7.

Prepare yourselves for an over-load of posts today. I know how horrible that is...2 or more posts in one day. Ai yi yi, Sam, already! But it's a new year, I'm high on coffee, and I've just been reading Donald Miller (and anyone knows that when one reads Donald Miller, one simply feels like writing! And I don't know why I keep referring myself to "one".) So, please, bear with me...just go with it and enjoy. :P You can't stop me. ;) But first...let's keep up with the blog challenge!

Day 7. An Old & New Photo of Yourself

Old Photo

Baby-faced and all, this was 3 years ago. 

Geez! My claddagh actually FIT my finger back then. O_o

New Photo:

Taken on Dec. 31st, 2012. 

Technically speaking, I do wear contacts now, but I just took my glasses off for this shot. :P

I wanted to show more of a difference in how I look from 3 years ago. 

I *do* still wear those same glasses from 3 years ago. lol. 

But it's creepy-scary how similar I still am to that gal 3 years ago: shoulder-length hair, glasses...cuh-reepy. ;) 

And yet, I'm completely different. Well on my way to an Associates Degree, drinking champagne, double piercings, contacts, skinnier, poorer, not quite sure about the happier part...I'm less naive, hopefully a bit wiser, and hopefully smarter. 

Happy New Year. ;)