O Holy Night

So since it is so close to Christmas, I thought I would post a really great Christmas video. I have never laughed so hard watching a video. I was in tears by the end!

Well that's Pinteresting

www.pinterest.com

This website is the best and worst thing that has happened to me this semester. The best because I have so many new craft projects to start, the worst because I have so many craft projects to start and no time. This website can make the least imaginative of us all feel as if they can make anything they want. Most people "pin" things like wedding ideas, crafty/ DIY projects, and food recipes. I mostly pin DIY projects that I know I won't have time to start. Although, this Christmas break, i have made a vow that I will stay off of the computer and read or make things. I need to start painting, drawing, and writing again.

Once again, school has suppressed my imagination. Or maybe that's just my excuse and it is really my fault I have no inspiration anymore? Either way, the only class I can really be creative in is my education with technology because there are no limits to my creativity. Papers do not ignite my passions for the arts. Tests and exams don't either. I now see why so many people give up on art and it makes me sad. I refuse to be one of those people and I am going to continue to let my imagination flow.

Back to Pinterest. It is such an inspiring website. I have an entire list of things that I want to make. I just have to buy the materials and make the time. No more excuses!

Learn, Move, Eat

You have no idea how much I just want to drop everything in my life right now and travel to unknown places. These videos make me want to pack up everything I own and head for the airport. I have always wanted to travel. Mereki writes that the video was a result of "3 guys, 44 days, 11 countries, 18 flights, 38 thousand miles, an exploding volcano, 2 cameras and almost a terabyte of footage." Sounds awesome, right?

He went to eleven countries...ELEVEN countries. I have never even been out of THIS country. The farthest I have ever been is Washington, D.C. I have never been on a plane. Can we say sheltered? Or maybe we can say my parents "babied" me. Either way, I have been deprived.

I want to be like the Julia Robert's character on Eat. Pray. Love. I want to explore the worlds unknown to me. I want to taste foods I have never tasted. I want to do things I have never done before. I have always wanted to travel. Places like France, Japan, and Italy are a few locations on my bucket list. One day, if some horrible freak accident doesn't occur and I'm still alive, I will travel to all of these places. Sign me up for the next plane right out of here.

Something to ponder

 

This video is amazing. The way the video is put together is amazing and the content of the video is thought-provoking. I love the way that all of the pictures are sketched. It adds a realness to it. This video needs to be shared. There need to be more traders in the world. People need to realize that there is more to this life than themselves. We live in a world that uses "I" too often. What would happen if we exchanged "me" for "we"? I struggle with this daily. It's hard to recognize that millions are dying every day, when you are in your nice, comfortable home living off of 3 meals or more daily. It's hard to imagine that people are living on little to nothing when we have more than we deserve. And yet, we complain about the littlest things! We complain about the food we eat, when people in other countries are lucky to get any food. We complain that our house isn't big enough, when people in other countries are lucky if they have some kind of shelter. We are a spoiled nation and, yet, nothing is ever good enough.

tra-der (n): A different kind of missionary, that is not defined by the geography.  A movement that requires us to live out our faith, not just talk about it.

To be traders we must

1. Choose daily

2. Hate injustice

3. Work as worship

4. Act swiftly. 

We must choose whether or not we will be like the Good Samaritan. We need to sacrifice and be intentional with our time, money, and skills. We need to be kindgom-focused rather than self-focused. We want our short time here on Earth to have an eternal impact.

Will you be a trader?

Technology Blog 2K11

Well, since this blog is for my Education with Technology class, I guess I can talk about technology. I'll start with a few funny pictures:

Photos courtesy of: http://world-shaker.tumblr.com

Seriously, though, go check out that link. It's a tumblr that is dedicated to technology in education and it is amazing. I just sat and scrolled through his posts for the last thirty minutes. It's crazy how time flies when you are on the internet. I will get on Stumbleupon and, literally, two hours later get off and scramble to get my paper done. I am what people call a procrastinator. But I get stuff done and do it well. I call myself a perfectinator (Procrastinator + Perfectionist. Pretty clever, right?)

This is my life:

Two weeks ago, I had a huge high stakes assessment (6-8 page research paper) due on Thursday. Guess when I started it? If you guessed Wednesday, give yourself a cookie! If you guessed any day before that, I will assume you don't know me well. Everyone who knows me knows that I wait until the last minute for everything. I stayed up until four in the morning writing that paper. Then, I woke up at seven the morning it was due and worked on it more. Sleep is for the weak. At one point, I was reading it and I had no CLUE what I was even trying to write. I guess when you write a paper on little to no sleep everything sounds good. Anyways, I was really nervous about it, because it was worth 50% of our final grade...no big deal, right? Well, today I got my grade back and I got an A! I literally almost fainted. So, it goes to show that procrastination is my strong suit and unless something tragic happens as a result of it, I will continue to put it off until the last minute...or at least the remainder of my college years. I guess I have to grow out of it eventually. Sigh

Future App Alert!

I wish there was an app where you could snap a picture of someone and it would tell you exactly where they purchased their outfit (if recently new) and how much it was.

I know, I have brilliant ideas. You don't have to tell me that. I already know this.

However, there are potential problems. Problem 1: Thrifty shoppers a.k.a "Hipsters". Many people are shopping at thrift stores not because they can't afford other clothes, but because they think it's cool. So you couldn't really find out how much those outfits cost. Darn those hipsters...I think thrift stores should go online. They would make a killing. Problem 2: Being EXTRA creepy. The problem comes when you have to snap photos of random strangers who might not appreciate being stalked...this could lead to dirty looks and even a slap in the face. But, I'm sure people have been creepier. Problem 3: How in the world would you make the app?! I mean, I wouldn't even know where to begin! Maybe I could Google it, but I'll save that for another day. I'm going to watch Netflix. Yay for being unproductive and lazy!! As usual, Netflix > saving the world of fashion. Every time.

Copyrighted by: ME

I need to rant sometimes

Football is not the greatest thing in the world, despite what everyone in the South would say. I do love football and enjoyed watching my LSU tigers beat Alabama (Geaux Tigers!!). But there is a point where people take things too far. A boy I am friends with on Facebook posted "I hope Alabama's kicker dies tonight." I'm sorry, but WHAT?! Are you joking? As much as I would like to say that he was kidding, odds are he probably wasn't. This is where people take football to a new level.

I love football. I love watching it, talking about it, and playing it. But God will forever be my number one passion. Sometimes I feel that football and boyfriends and other things can take the place of that, and this is where we miss the mark. God tells us "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." I am not claiming to be perfect with this, but when people write things saying they hope someone dies because they missed a couple field goals in front of 100,000 screaming fans (no pressure, right?), there is a HUGE priority problem.

Now I'm all for being passionate about what you love, and for some that is football. But that is totally different than eating and breathing college football. I don't mean to rant, I just wish people would be this passionate about things that are eternal. Although I will continue to watch and enjoy the excitement of college football games, I refuse to let it consume my life.

Let's get creative

I was stumbling the other day (www.stumbleupon.com: go here, you will not regret it...unless you value sleep) and I saw this. One of these days, when I don't have to make a podcast or keep up with a blog or sleep, I will get to this. I love things like this, because sometimes I need the extra push to get me do things with my art. I am very passionate about art, but never have a clue what to draw or paint. I usually end up drawing flowers and trees (boring, I know).

This looks like so much fun and maybe it would get me in the creative mood again. I don't feel creative right now. I blame college. It takes all the creativity and fun out of everything, and that makes me sad. I need to do this ASAP or I'm afraid all my creative juices will escape me. I will post them here when I get the chance :)

Credit: blog.allisonlehman.com/2011/04/30-day-drawing-challenge

School=STRESSFUL

This week is by far the worst of my entire college career (remember I'm only a sophomore). I have so many things due this week, alone. I'm pretty sure the amount of stress I put on myself is not healthy, but the only thing that has ever stressed me out this much has been my education classes. Go figure, the classes I need for my major make me want to rip the hair out of my scalp.

 5 Ways To Get Rid Of Stress

My definition for stress is lack of trust in God. "Much of the stress in our lives comes as a result of our insistence on maintaining the illusion of control. We so desperately want to be strong enough to handle the trials and tribulations of life that we literally drive ourselves into the ground rather than admit our desperate need." (Bible.org). I know that I struggle with lack of control. I want to be in control of my own life, but that is not biblical. The Bible says that God is our strength when we are weak, and we need to trust in Him.

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." -1 Peter 5:6-7

"Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice! Let everyone see your gentleness. The Lord is near! Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." -Philippians 4:4-7

I just need to put this in God's hands. If he wants me to be a teacher, I have faith that he will get me through all of these demanding pre-TEP courses and He will better prepare me for my future career.

Blog=Lame

So, here we go. Now I've never had a real blog (I guess Tumblr doesn't count, does it?), so this might be a challenge for me. Well I did have to do a journal my senior year...but anyways

To start, I'm Justine. I am a sophomore in college studying elementary education.

(I'm on the right with the shirt that looks like paint blew up on it.)

I am a 30 year old living in a 20 year old's body. I love God, running, eating healthy (semi-healthy), and sarcasm. I am a firm believe in the power of prayer and not taking yourself too seriously in life. I consider myself very creative and crafty. I love making things. I love meeting new people and having meaningful conversations (not just the usual bathroom humor). I consider myself quirky and a little nerdy. If you have seen The New Girl, Jess is me in a nutshell. If you haven't seen it, your loss.

Download it here for free on iTunes: The New Girl Pilot
Just kidding...it's $2.99 now, since you waited so long. Not my fault... 

This blog is a little lame, because I don't have that all of an exciting life. I read blogs where they travel all the time or cook up the most amazing looking foods or make the most innovative things...and then there's me. I will say I have always wondered if these blogs are true. I mean really, you climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and then went swimming in the Arctic ocean all in the same week? Good try. I see your ruse. Anyways, sorry I can't provide you with epic tales of my adventures at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with my two best friends or create recipes that will make you drool.

I'm only a sophomore in college. What do you expect?