Weekend.

bifurcate- (v.) to divide into two branches

incarnadine- (Adj.) having a flesh or pinky color

This weekend was the high school staff retreat. This annual event is always amazing. We get a lakehouse to ourselves and just get to relax all weekend. We had access to a boat this year and although the water was a whole lot colder than last year, I still got in. I am not one for cold water AT ALL. I was born and raised in Hawaii, so when it comes to water, I am a spoiled brat. Over there, it's normal to be able to see the bottom of the water in which one is swimming. I have an extreme fear of water where I do not know what is swimming underneath me. I also despise cold water. This water was both murky and absolutely freezing. Against my better judgement, a good friend and I decided to go tubing at five o'clock the first night. Wind and freezing water make for a painful combonation when being thrown from a tube from behind a boat. After a hot shower I felt human again only to lose a bet and have to enter the water for another round of tubing on Saturday, an even windier day. Needless to say, it took an insanely hot shower to recover from all of the cold water. It was an amazing weekend of relaxation with a little bit of cold water adventure that I thoroughly enjoyed.

myopia- nearsightedness, lack of foresight

wont- accustomed to doing something 

Death is a weird thing.  No one wants people to be sad once they are gone but it is inevitable.  I know that I want my funeral to be a party, bright colors and dancing and amazing food.  I went to a funeral this weekend for a friend's dad.  He had planned it to be a party type atmosphere and it did have that undertone but it is impossible to really celebrate when someone has left this earth.  No matter the amazing faith someone has about where they are going, it is something that no one can comprehend.  The anniversary of my grandma's death is tomorrow.  We knew it was coming and yet all that preparation did not help.  When we spread her ashes, we could not celebrate her life.  The process of mourning is an interesting one.  As much as we desire to celebrate a person's life, we can't help but be sad at the loss of someone.  If they have lived a full life and are at peace with death, the ones who are left behind have a hard time being okay.  A lot of this doubt comes from the mystery for what or what does not wait for us after death.  There are many theories and some people who claim to know what is on the other side after "near-death experiences", but we will never really know until our own deaths.  We won't know if we will ever actually see those who passed before us.  Faith in a particular religion can calm this doubt but no one will ever actually know. 

My Image of God

Two vocabulary words...

demerits- (n.) a mark against someone for misconduct or deficiencies.

muse- (v.) to think over or meditate on

So this week in my college age small group at church, we discussed the image of God. The message given before the meeting was about the mistaken image of God in society. We discussed the image of Jesus standing tall surrounded by little children and disciples with long hair and a beard. We also examined the idea that God is a large man dressed in white on a throne. There are many different images of God and my image of Him is one of a caring father that wants to pick us up when we are down and help us along when we struggle. We discussed the biblical image of God. According to one of my favorite verses, "for God so loved the world he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish and have everlasting life in Him" John 3:16 This is the image that I believe is true of God. He is a sacrificing and caring father who will send his one and only son to make sure tha although we fall, we can stand back up. The common image of God as a bearded Jesus or Greek God maybe comforting but the real image of God is the loving Father.

Spreading the Wealth Around

Words of the week...

hegemony (n.)- leadership or predominant influence exercised by one nation over others, as in a confederation. 

dramatist (n.)- a writer of drama or poetry

This week in one particular class the topic of "spreading the wealth around" came up. I cannot honestly say that I have one ounce of support for any real system such as that. I work my butt off for the money that I make. Don't get me wrong, I agree that the government should provide some services but I don't think that I am entitled to any free stuff. I pay my taxes and therefore I get roads, police and fire, and other elements of security such as a military. I feel as though the government should provide a stable education system as equally as possible. I, again, pay my taxes for that in return but I don't feel as though I deserve help because I don't make a ton of money. We are all starving students and I work hard for my money. Why should I have to pay for some person who won't get up off the couch and work? Yes, I know that question is one that is asked ALL the time but it's a valid point. 

I agree that some people may need some sort of help throughout their lives but I don't think that the government should provide me with lifetime health care. I don't like the current system but what on earth would possess anyone to put more of our hard earned money into government hands when they clearly can't run anything. The government has proven to us that they cannot be trusted with our money without throwing it all away. 

Did I get a say when the government gave money to AIG. No. Then what happened? The fabulous higher ups of that wonderfully run company had a fabulous spa weekend! Wise choice government, wise choice. Why would we bail out a failing company? It is not the economy that caused GM to fail, it was horrific business practices. If a business is not run correctly, it will never be a success no matter how much money goes back into it. I drive a Toyota. Why? It is an excellent car. It is a quality vehicle that gets the job done. GM makes horrible cars. They don't last. I would not invest in that! 

Moral of the post, I don't want to give the government my money until they prove to me that they can spend it wisely. It's like investing in a company that you know will just throw it out the window and not change what they do to make a profit. The government should be run like a business. Let go of bad employees instead of say rehiring, or re-electing, them. Make a profit! 

It exhausts me. 

The Big Decision...

Two vocabulary words for the week...

emollient (adj.)- having a quality of softening the skin

acquiesce (v.)- accept something reluctantly but without protest

This week I made a huge decision that will impact the direction of my life. I decided what I want to be when I grow up! I am going to get my credential after my bachelor's in Political Science. I am going to teach high school. All but about two people have made a not so pleasant face when I told them of this decision. It will be a difficult job but it will be rewarding as well. I have already begun to plan for certain topics and different projects that I can do for high school government classes. I remember the huge impact my high school teachers had on my life, whether negative or positive. I would love to be that positive influence for students who are going through the high school age, and everything that faces those years in life. My government teacher was the one who caused me to fall in love with politics. He brought out my passion for the subject and everything that goes along with it. I would love to be able to do this myself. There are other more superficial benefits to teaching as well. One of the first that came to mind was the fact that I can wear cute business casual clothing, as shallow as that makes me sound. I do love to shop! I also can not wait to be able to decorate my classroom. Teaching gives the benefits of summers off as well which, having lived all my life with them off, I can not give up. This choice has opened up a huge window of opportunity and I am excited to see the outcome.

The First Milestone

Hello All,

I have created this blog, honestly it is for school but it will be useful!

I am going to start with my words of the week! Randomly opening the dictionary I found...
-imbibe: (v.) to drink or take in as if by drinking.
-fantabulous: (adj.) marvelously excited (a blend of "fantastic" and "fabulous")

Yes, fantabulous was in the dictionary.

Today was my first day of school in my Junior year of college. Stressful? Yep! These budget cuts make no sense. They are shrinking the class sizes when it seems as though keeping the classes larger would mean that the state gets "more for its money." If we are all registered in classes, we get out of the university faster which therefore would lower enrollment over time. It also means that the professor can teach more students for the same pay. If they are shrinking class sizes, no matter what, we are paying the same tuition once past six units. I just don't understand why shrinking class sizes saves money if the state pays for half of our "fees." One other thing that shocked me today was the brand new grass to replace the PERFECTLY FINE grass from last year. That makes complete sense when in the midst of a budget crisis! I also don't get why the wonderfully smart and thoughtful (sense the sarcasm) state legistlators decided to cut the education from the dedicated students as opposed to say...some pork spending like having to fix the brand new freeway we love to call 87. Maybe we could have saved money by doing it right the first time. How about our fabulous representatives cutting their salaries and hundreds of dollars in their private limos and busses. Hey Congressmen and women, if you are so "green" shouldn't you be driving your pruis around town instead of your fancy cars! Although we are all having major issues with the new schedule there is one perk coming out of this. Call me a horrible student all you want but I am happy to have an extra few days off this semester! Ha! I said it! Sure, I want an education but I love the fact that a month into the semester I get a free, sleep in day! Anyway, I don't understand the solution to the budget problems in California coming from hard-working students when there are other possibilities.