New Goal

Something I've always wished I could do but have always been too lazy to do: Running.

When I attended college, I had friends who ran regularly and they always talked about the "runner's high" that can actually keep you going longer once you reach it. I haven't ever had the chance to experience this feeling, but maybe one day I will. 

About a month and a half ago, my boyfriend and I picked up running as a new hobby. I didn't think we'd last as long as we have. When we first started, I wasn't 100% for the whole idea, but I pushed myself anyway. I couldn't even run a half mile. Over the past few weeks, I have grown to really enjoy going running, and I believe it's because I've gotten to the point where I'm able to run at least 0.7 miles. Almost at a full mile in a month, and that feels good! I'm also enjoying it because it makes me feel good afterwards, no matter how much I sweat or how hot/humid it is outside. The southern humidity does put a strain on our lungs when we're trying to breathe correctly, but we've learned to keep going since we're just strengthening our lungs. Another reason I've had fun with running is because it's something Zach and I can do together that is good for us, both physically and emotionally. Finding something we both like doing isn't hard, but it's always good to add something new to the list. 

My new goal is to be able to run a 5K. Yes, I know that is approximately 3 miles, but that's why I'm pushing myself to do more each time we run. Hopefully this time next year I will be able to achieve this accomplishment, and I'm glad I will become healthier in doing so. I'm going to start searching online for some 5K's around here, preferably running with a cause. Know of any? Post a comment and I'll look into it. Maybe I won't get lazy and quit doing this, because it's something I hope to keep up in the future.

Anyway, have a great day. 

Thanks for reading.

WA

Memories last a Lifetime. Don't sell yourself short.

Memories. We all have them, and they can prove to be good or bad. We can choose to block out the awful ones that drove us to tears or rage, or relive and cherish the ones that kept us smiling for days. Most people don't pay attention to how they feel or what's going on during those stale, in-between, boring times of their lives. You know, the daily routines that include going to school, work, lessons, etc...

However, being the observant individual that I have always been, I continuously try to remember how I felt during a certain situation or how something went down moment-by-moment. One might say I hoard memories. I don't find that to be a bad thing. I love to remember things, and that interest has often turned out to be a very practical skill for my daily life. I remember the good things, but make it a point to remember the bad experiences as well. This is useful because it strengthens me as a person. I reflect on various times in my life, remembering the smells, sights, sounds and emotions that I experienced during those precious times. 

Tonight I've been thinking particularly about times in my life in which certain people were present, and I figured I'd share a few memories with you. Maybe you'll remember some of your own.

Earlier Memories:

1) One time in 2nd grade, I had a sleepover and one of the girls brought fake nails (with glue) for us all. We all put them on, thinking we were the stuff.

Lesson learned: Fake nails are never a good idea at a 2nd grader's birthday sleepover. Within a few hours of putting them on, about 6 of us 8 girls woke up crying and begging my mama to remove them for us. Oh, what a night!

2) When I was in about 3rd or 4th grade, my family went tent camping by the creek in a campground other than our usual place. While we were in the office, I saw that there was a fridge full of drinks and I just knew I had to have a V8 juice. You know when you were little, how you had to have something from most places you visited? Yeah... this is one of those times. Anyway, I remembered drinking one before and knew they were delicious, so I had to have one. However, as we returned to the car, I opened the drink and once I took the first sip I spit it on the ground. It was disgusting. Now, if you don't know what had happened by this point, here it is: I had mistaken the terrible V8 juice (tomato juice) for a delicious V8 Splash (fruity drink). I swore I was drinking cold tomato soup. Since I had begged for the drink, my mama made me drink all of it to teach me a lesson. Needless to say, I never begged for another V8 juice, and learned to double check what kind of juice I was buying.

3) Middle school- I don't know how many times I forgot how to open my locker, wore the tackiest clothes (I literally owned a pair of hot pink tie-dye capris in 6th grade), and witnessed fights in hallways. One of my best friends and I went to so many different fights as spectators, that I lost count. I'll never forget going to FFA club meetings to get a free biscuit for breakfast, racing a friend down the halls to chorus class from homeroom, and going on a field trip to the Atlanta Zoo and coming back during a tornado. I remember all of the students bowing heads and praying for our lives on that school bus. I loved going out to the outdoor classroom in 7th grade, and I hated changing out in P.E. What awkward middle school girl doesn't? I remember winning the spelling bee in 6th grade after battling it out with an 8th grader for an hour, and going back to math and no one believing me until afternoon announcements came on. I'll never forget the embarrassment of falling down the stairs of the bus on a rainy morning and my best friend walking me to the nurse. Despite the bad things, I had fun in what's supposed to be the most miserable, awkward time in a teenager's life. So much happened in middle school- good and bad, but I can't name it all here.  I made the most of my time in middle school, and I guess that's why I'm driven towards teaching that age group today.

4) High school- Let's see, there was an upgrade in school food, my first boyfriend in 9th grade, and my first attempts to experiment with identity. In high school, I participated on flag line for 3 years, tried to be an active member of various clubs, enjoyed Dr. Beasley's quirky stories in advisement, and experienced those dreaded endings and grateful beginnings of friendships. It's sad to say I wish I could've stayed closer to more of my friends, but choosing to fulfill my interests in art in high school really did a number on a lot of my friendships. However, I did meet several influential people on the way, and I made bonds that still have lasted even after leaving school. I met my current boyfriend during senior year, and we've been together for over 5 years now. I found that I can be creative in more ways than just art, and I found that I have a love for writing and language. High school gave me that confidence boost I needed for trying new things, and I'm grateful for that. Even though I couldn't wait to get to college, I sometimes wish I could have the chance to be back in high school. I wouldn't change anything, though.

5) College: I went to college about 2 hours away from home with my best friend from high school, where we lived in a small 10 foot X 12 foot cement brick room. I'll always remember rearranging our room more than anyone on our hall, and walking the hills on campus. I don't think I'll ever forget the old "chow" hall, where I ate turkey wraps every day. Thanks to 2 other people, I'll always remember I ate this everyday because they thought it was silly I had a routine. I also experienced real snow fall in Georgia (more than just an inch), and walking a mile to Walmart in the snow for a pack of oreos with my roommate. Waking up to cadet cadences every Monday, Wednesday and Friday is something I was annoyed by then and cherish now. I'll remember living with someone from another country and trying delicious foods, as well as watching the sun rise over campus from my apartment window. Other memories include going to Walmart at 11 PM to buy ink, 3 AM to try to return the printer ink because I bought the wrong kind, and them telling me they couldn't return it until 7 AM. This is what my friend and I get for procrastinating until the night before our entire resource notebook was due. I also want to include staying in a darkroom alone for 10 hours in one setting to finish developing photography. I even packed lunch and snacks so I could camp out there to finish my projects. I also got to spend 3 of my college years with some of the best girls I know in Gamma Sig. Through all of this, I learned so much in college and looking back on a lot of it, I would not change a thing. I enjoyed it for what it was- 4 years I wish could've lasted even longer.

My memories have made me the person I am today, and I'm glad I got to experience a lot of them. This is probably just a teeny tiny percentage of all my fun times and bad times, but this thing is already way too long. Hope you found it interesting. Thanks for reading.

Love, WA

Updates on My Life

Wow, it's crazy to think that my last post was done almost 2 years ago! I figured I would go ahead and update a lot of things on here, just because I'm hoping to get a lot done in the next year. This blog would be a great way to document those projects that I plan to do. For now, I'll fill you in on what's new in my life.

First of all, I graduated from college with a B.S. in Art Education. I was an Honor Graduate, and my 3.64 GPA earned me Cum Laude status! That's my biggest accomplishment yet! Now, it's time for student loan payback! Haha, not so excited about that one.

I left Dill's Food City last year after 3 and a half years of working there, and now I'm working at my parent's local sub shop, Sergeant Major's Subs. We opened up in November 2012 and are doing great. Working with family can be fun, but also crazy at times.

I'm now 23, still dating my high school sweetheart, Zach, and looking for jobs in the teaching field. I moved back home after graduating college, but hopefully I will find my own house in the next few years. I want to make sure I can support myself first. Zach has also graduated from college, which is another great
accomplishment. I'm hoping to marry that guy some day, just don't know when that will be...

Pretty much, my life isn't where I thought it would be when I pictured myself at 23, but I know God has a plan for me and will allow that plan to unfold in His time, not mine. For now, I guess I'll just leave it up to Him.

When the 2012 Crafty Bug bit me....

Ok, so I know I've been posting more than usual lately, but I've got to do something to keep myself busy during the holiday break! I just thought I would share my newest creation, that I'm pretty proud of because I've never done anything like this before.

Since I'm moving back to school next week, and 2012 is nearing pretty quickly (quicker than I'd like it to anyway), I decided to bring in the new year with a little piece of me. So, I went to Michael's and bought some glittery plant accents and made a homemade twisted wreath. I thought the colors reminded me of the New Year's glitz and glam and traditional colors. Even though I can't be in NYC to see the ball drop for the new year, I can make stuff at home to celebrate, right?

Here's the wreath hanging on my door at home, and a close-up in case you just couldn't stand the angle! Haha...

 <<< On my door at home, soon moving to my apartment for 2012!

              A close-up of my creation  >>>>

In Another's Shoes

1.When's the last time that you felt like you were being judged? Really, think about it. What came from that situation?
2.Now, when's the last time you judged someone else- no matter what it was, their clothes, hair, something they said, the way they handled a situation? Think about it.
3. What if the roles of you and the other person were switched? What if you had to walk a mile in their shoes? Ever heard that expression?

You know, we're always judging one another; it's like it is society's way of figuring out where we belong in the world. By judging each other, we're placing ourselves below, or even above another person. Sometimes, we know the person pretty well, they may have been in our lives for years. Other times, we may not even know the person's name. What's it like for you? Is there someone who you're constantly harping on in your head?

Jesus commands us in Matthew 7:1 not to judge. In Matthew 7:2, he tells us we will be judged in the same way we judge others. Yeah, it's a hard task to do, but it takes work to walk in Christ's shadow.

So think about the way you judge others. What if you went under your own judgment? How would you feel? In Matthew 7:3-4, Jesus also states: "And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but don't consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye', when there is a plank in your own eye?"

In this, He is telling us we have our own troubles to worry about, but often times we overlook them and become focused on the flaws of others. If we focus on another's problems, are we not judging them for not being perfect?  No one's perfect! If you think you're better than someone else, then think about that a second... By thinking your problems and actions in life aren't as bad off as the person you're judging, you're being hypocritical. Jesus tells us in verse 5: "First, remove the plank from your own eye, so that you can see clearly to remove the speck in your brother's eye." In other words, Fix yourself and your life with God first, before you even think about judging someone else or trying to fix another's life. 

God created us as equals. Sure, some of us have more money than others, bigger houses than others, and some of us have just a few belongings to cherish. But, what do belongings and money mean to God? NOTHING. He doesn't care about that. He only cares about your heart, mind, thoughts, soul, and relationship with him. He wants you to develop loving, and caring relationships with those around you, NO MATTER WHO THEY ARE. We should treat one another as family, even if we don't know each other. By treating someone in a negative light the first time you meet them, aren't you creating a terrible impression of yourself? That's not the best way to get off on the right foot with a person! Or by treating someone you've known a while like they're dirt, are you not putting yourself on a pedestal? Really? What makes you any better than they are?

We are all sinful. We all judge when we shouldn't. The one thing that I hope you remember from this blog post is this:
You too will be judged. How are you judging others? 'Cause that's how it's gonna go for you when your time comes.



I hope you enjoyed this post. I wrote this as a youth lesson quite a few years ago, when I was asked to teach a lesson one night. However, judging one another isn't just a hot topic among teens. It's everywhere we go, no matter how old you are. You and me both = Guilty.

What can you do to make things right with God? Yourself? The other person?

Have a Merry Christmas.
WA

Childhood Christmases

 Something that has come to my attention with the Christmas holidays approaching is that I've always had family to celebrate such holidays with. I guess you could say I'm thankful, and that I've been blessed to have a family who supports and sticks by me through it all. I got to thinking earlier about how my granny is probably one person who has been a very big influence in my life, and she's the glue that holds all of us together. Every holiday, we go to granny's. Every year, we celebrate Easter, birthdays, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and much more together. There's always a big meal to pair with our celebrations, and many of the days spent with my family as a child are some of my favorite memories.
I am sure that many people are the same way, with their family being some of their most valuable memories. It's fun to see my younger cousins now, who are kids of the cousins that I grew up with, and how they are treated with the same love, guidance, and discipline that I had growing up. The majority of my cousins who I spent my childhood with are now older than 15, but I still feel like the memories linger when we are all together. Family is what keeps me going, and being a part of such a large family is a part of me that I don't ever want to let go of. I enjoy having everyone together, and I like spending time with my family who I cherish more than anything. I can't wait to have a family of my own someday, and celebrate and share the same love that I was given to share.
If I am ever asked about my childhood christmases, these are the things that come to mind. I loved catching up with my family and enjoying their company. At my Granny's there's always a spread of food on Christmas Eve, filled with finger foods and desserts galore. I'm talking like 3-4 tables full. After we eat, there's always PRESENTS! Half the room is always taken over with presents. Then, we take about 2 or so hours to open them one-at-a-time. Yep. It's tradition, though. At my boyfriend's house, every person gets their presents and opens them as soon as they get them. No one waits. It's chaos, and you don't get to see if someone likes what you got them...especially the little kids. When it's over, I'm like, "soo....that's it?" I'm not saying that's a bad thing, I just wouldn't want my family to be that way. It's fun to build up that excitement and make the older ones antsy because they have to wait till last. After presents, some stay around to talk and clean up, while others pack up their cars and take to-go plates to eat later. After saying our goodbyes, it gets super quiet, and we're usually the last ones to leave from Granny's. We don't have that far to go, anyway. Then, starts another year of waiting for the thrills of Christmas again. I'll hate celebrating Christmas without everyone around in the future. My childhood Christmases made me love the holiday, and I've always credited my family for making it fun.

Now that I've gotten older, I see a lot has changed in my family. I now notice differences in interests and how we get along. Family is and isn't the same for me as it was when I was younger. There are still the same people present, the same love is still shared, but it's like we've all forgotten how to receive and appreciate it. I don't get to see the same cousins year-round anymore, except 3 or 4 times a year, and that only lasts less than 2 hours at a time. It's like we've all let life, our jobs, friends and football get in the way of the time we have to spend with our family. However, family as you now know it won't be there for the rest of your life. We used to get together every Sunday for lunch at Granny's, and a handful of us still do, but it's not the same. What I guess I'm trying to say is that I think what has happened is some kind of disjointedness that has entered our family, and we're not sure how to work it out. I can't stand brothers and sisters and aunts and uncles and cousins all having their own little "tiffs" with one another, and then bringing that to Granny's for the holidays. Way to kill the holiday spirit. Why can't we just make amends and get along and enjoy one another's company?? I know you're probably like, "Well, it's not that simple." However, I'm a young adult, now. I've had several experiences in which I have had my rough patches with others, but it always eats away at me when our relationship's not right. Being the one to start the conversation or taking the first step makes me feel better, and it makes it easier. It really is that simple. The longer you wait, the more bitter and sour your heart and attitude grows because you let that opinion or thought against that person culminate in your mind. FORGET IT. We're not here forever, people. Enjoy your family while it lasts. Let's be a good GREAT, example for the younger generations of our family. Let's offer them the same love, guidance, and joy that I know our family shared when I was younger. If we don't start now, it'll be too late. So, make that your new year's resolution, or promise yourself to make amends with someone who you're having trouble with. It's the only way we'll get outta this rut, and I think that our family just needs love again. We lost it somewhere. I just don't know where and when that happened.

I wish Christmas was like my older Christmases. The ones I'll cherish forever.

Merry Christmas!
WA

In less than 5 years from now, I hope to be here:

It's hard to believe that in just a year, I'll be certified to be a teacher. When I was younger, my sister and I would play school among a lot of the other games most little girls and boys play at a young age. I was always the teacher, and looking back on it now, I think that is one of the reasons I feel more confident with my future. It's sort of crazy to think that I started gaining skill in that area at such a young age, but it's paid off so far. I've taught Sunday School for the youth group at my church for 2 years, and I've had numerous opportunities to work in the community of Dahlonega, GA. It's amazing and a bit exciting that certification, after taking the GACE of course, is just months away. Although I've had other professions cross my thoughts in the past before beginning college, there was always this feeling that teaching was something I might enjoy doing. 

Combining teaching with another area that I enjoy, art, made it an even easier choice. It's been a long, hectic road studying Art Ed at NGCSU, but I know that in the end it will all pay off. I'll have wonderful memories with people I'll hopefully never forget, and I'll have the experiences from my college classes to work from in my own teaching career. I can't wait to be a teacher somewhere, wherever I'm lead to go, but for now, I've got to go to bed since my first upper level class of Art Education starts at 8 AM in the morning. I know that I've made it this far, and I'll be making it farther in the future.  What an awesome thought that happened to cross my mind tonight, don't ya think? :)

Enjoy your day tomorrow! 

WA