Tonight I went to my second class of the semester: Processes of Counseling. My advisor teaches this class, and she already has one thing in her favor: AUBURN GRAD. You have no idea how exciting it is to say "War Eagle!" to a professor around here. Unlike my Wednesday night class, this should be a pretty low-stress environment. We do a lot of work online then meet and chat in class once a week. Outside of that, I have to teach three hour-long guidance lessons at local schools and spend at least seven hours shadowing a school counselor in a local school. I don't mind public speaking, really... that is, if I need to stand up and make an announcement, I can do it. But I am always sure to butcher anything I've rehearsed in advance. Instead of teaching the lesson, I get lost in my thoughts wondering if I'm saying things in the right order or if I've left something out. I make weird jokes followed by nervous laughter, I check my notes constantly. Off the cuff, though, I'm cool as a cucumber. Weird, isn't it? When I gave my maid of honor speech at Lauren's wedding, I didn't write anything down. I just went with it. If I had prepared a speech, I think I would've ruined the entire moment...
Okay, getting off topic.
I accomplished a pretty good bit today-- which is a feat for me because living alone makes watching reruns on the couch all day very, very tempting. I went to the city board of education for a substitute teaching application, I bought all my textbooks (I'm sure I wouldn't have used that $450 anyway...), went to the gym, rearranged all my pictures and frames, hung my diploma and cork board... And I rewarded myself with a SMALL milkshake from Chic-Fil-A (don't you judge me: I had a salad and Diet Mountain Dew for dinner). Sure, I feel like the blood pulsing through my veins is syrupy with all the sugar I just doused my system with... but it was totally worth it.
Other things happening in my life:
Tomorrow I'm going home to lead the sixth and seventh grade girls in Disciple Now, and I am PUMPED. I have been praying for this and for these girls for WEEKS, and I cannot wait to see the Lord move this weekend. We're talking about getting into the Word and knowing the Word and living the Word. This week I read an interview with Kristin Chenoweth, whom I adore, about "being a Christian and loving the gays" (their headline, not mine). When confronted with the Bible's absolute truth she quoted her grandmother saying, "You have to treat the Bible like you treat your fish: you eat the meat that feeds you good, but you don't choke on the bones." In other words, eat up the parts of the Bible that are self-satisfying and beautiful to read, but ignore the parts that call for conviction or sacrifice. Wrong-o, friends. I encourage whoever might read this to be in prayer for my girls, myself, the other leaders, and other students involved this weekend. Oh! And the church members that are volunteering their houses!
Yesterday I did Jillian Michaels' (you may know her from The Biggest Loser) 30-Day Shred DVD. If you're like me, you may kind scoff at work out DVDs. My mother did Richard Simmons' Sweatin' to the Oldies when I was little, and I've laughed my way through Carmen Electra's Stripperobics in college. Let me testify: The 30-day Shred is NO JOKE. The first time I did it two years ago, I literally hobbled the next day. Yesterday I did it for the first time in nearly a year, and this morning I knew before I turned my alarm clock off that I would be in a similar state as two years ago. I haven't hobbled, except on staircases (whoa!), but every movement is a concentrated, painful effort. I get super bored on the elliptical or treadmill, so instead of taking the day off and inevitably getting out of the workout pace, I'm starting to throw a DVD in once or twice a week. It's only 20 minutes, but I sweat as much as when I run 3 miles and I'm a thousand times more sore the next day (which means it's working, right?).
In other news, my cat is the love of my life and I think I might move to Europe after grad school... but those are posts for later this week.
G'night! xoxo.
I've got to get this 30-Day Shred!!
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