Thursday, December 16, 2010

Top 10 Things About Fall Semester

1. Dorm Life-living on the wonderful floor SOUL. I have enjoyed every moment, every late night food run, and getting to know all the wonderful, amazing girls on my floor:) I love them all! And my roommates are the greatest!
2. Chapels/Sinspo-I loved going to Chapel and Singspo and having the opportunity to worship God.  I heard so many new songs that LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!
3. The "spur of the moment" moments-during midterms some friends and I went and played in the mud and then during finals we went and played in the leaves. I loved it! We had so much fun :)
4. CANDYLAND-basically the most magical way to celebrate Halloween!! I got to be creative, see little kids, and we even won a cupcake maker! Which is super cool :)
5. Meeting new people-I have realized how much I seriously love to be with and meet new people.  I love getting to know so many amazing people.
6. The Caf-Oh man I love the caf!! It has been so good to me:) and the discovery of Commons(the on-campus coffeeshop). I always knew I loved the smell of coffee and I am slowly started to like the taste of coffee. Still trying to figure out how I like it best.
7. Disneyland-I have really, really liked being able to go to Disneyland throughout the semester:) So magical!!
8. Getting to meet DBC-I was able to me DBC, our president, FINALLY! It was so cool, so fun, and so nice to sit and talk to him in his amazing office!
9.Working-I was blessed with two on-campus jobs.  I love hosting high school students when they come to visit and have really enjoyed being an Eagle Host.  I have also learned so much being in the Event Society!
10. Seeing how much God has worked in my life-As I reflect on the last semester, I can really see how much work God has done in my life and I am so excited about the work He is going to continue to do next semester,

Monday, December 13, 2010

The Last Month

Well the end of my first semester of college is here. The last four months have been BEYOND amazing and of course, nothing short of magical! I have enjoyed every moment here and am looking forward to seven more semesters at Biola!
Since the last time I posted A LOT A LOT A LOT has happened. (I seem to say that in every post now. hehe). I have been writing lots and lots of papers taking tests and preparing for finals.  I picked out all my classes for next semester and am so so sooooo excited! I will be taking: Biblical Interpretation &Spiritual Formation, Old Testament, English, Intro to Public Communications, Intro to Teaching, and Intro to Public Relations. I will be taking classes for the three career paths I am considering pursuing so will get a little flavor of each of those and will get to compare and see what I enjoy doing most. Unfortunately, I have 8am classes everyday! But no night classes!!
December 3rd, we had the Christmas Tree lighting ceremony, a Biola tradition. It was really cool to see so many families and alumni come to kick off the Christmas season on campus.  Christmas is everywhere on campus! In the dorms, in the caf, we sang Christmas carols in Chapel, and the tree in from the music building is absolutely beautiful!
On December 4th, my floor had our GYRAD, or Get Your Roommate a Date. It was really fun and we went Extreme Candy Bowling. I went with someone I didn't know and had so much fun!! We all wore ugly Christmas sweaters and ate in the caf with our hands all tied to each other so it was a kind of challenging to eat but still super fun!
Ciara's birthday was also the beginning of this month so Hannah and I decorated her bed and went out to dinner with her. It was a lot of fun!
Alpha had a Christmas All-Hall and we all wore our ugly Christmas sweaters and took awkward family photos with our floor. It was great! We did some Christmas Karaoke and decorated cookies. So much fun!
Last week we had a Christmas party for The Event Society and it was so nice! For once we didn't have to serve or clean up after people, we got to relax and enjoy being together. We built Gingerbread houses! So much fun!
I have been spending lots of time in the library lately. That's actually where I'm currently sitting.  My record is 7 hours in one night. I see myself beating that record in the future(most likely next semester when I have 18 units!) Sitting in the library is not a bad thing though. I love the library:)
One of my "semester-long dreams" came true this morning. I was finally able to officially meet our President, Dr. Barry Corey, a.k.a. DBC! My wonderful senator, Natasha Cheeley, said she would set up an appointment with him for me.  She contacted his secretary and I was able to go and sit in his office and talk with him for about 20 minutes. (The view from his office is AMAZING!!)  We are so blessed to have him as our president and I am honored that he took time out of his day to meet with me.  Definitely the best way to start off my finals week!!
As I reflect on the last semester, I would not change a single thing. It was so amazing and I would not trade it for the world. The experience I had just in the last four months is definitely worth all the loans I will be paying off the rest of my life.  I cannot imagine myself at a better place or a more magical place! God has done a lot of work in my life and I'm looking forward to what He has in store for next semester.  I am so thankful for the opportunity to go here and all the people I have met and experiences I've had.  I thank God everyday for blessing me so much and allowing me to go here.
This week I have 5 finals and then I will have officially completed my first semester of college. I will be home for 6 weeks and hope to start playing guitar and watching Gilmore Girls while managing to get to the gym a few times a week. Mom has already done lots of baking and going to the gym will definitely be important over break!!
I pray that as the Christmas season quickly comes and goes, that you remember the true  reason for the season is Jesus :)
Much love and joy,
Amanda

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Update

Well life here seems to get crazier and crazier every week.  I wouldn't change one second of it! Lots and lots has been going on around Biola and in my life since the beginning of this month. Here's a few things I've been doing:
-November 7 was MIDNIGHT MADNESS! It was crazy, super fun, I got to dance(kinda!) and there was red and white confetti! It was pretty much High School Musical Biola edition:)
-Because we won 2nd place for our door for Candyland, we got a really cool cupcake maker! It's a little oven type thing that bakes 6 cupcakes in 10 minutes...right in our room! It's really exciting! :)
-No Sugar November has not been as bad as one would think.  (It was a bit more of a challenge at Chrysalis but I survived!) I'm going to get frozen yogurt with Ari in 10 days! I went to the gym everyday this last week.
-I've been having lots of lunch and dinner dates which is one of my favorite parts of college!
-Chrysalis was absolutely amazing! The Holy Spirit did SOOOOOO much work in just 72 hours(as usual!).  I had so much fun being weekend coordinator with the fabulous Stephanie Sharp:) Although I've never been so exhausted after working a weekend before! Despite my exhaustion, I loved every moment of it!!
-The homework never seems to end! I've been reading, studying, and writing papers like there's no tomorrow.  Very much looking forward to Christmas break! Unfortunately, Thanksgiving break will only be an excuse to go home, not to stop doing homework:( Mom wants to do crafts while I'm home, I  must write 4 papers and study for 2 tests. I will do both!
-On Tuesday night the caf served a Thanksgiving dinner.  My floor wore Indian headbands and went as a "family". 'Twas lovely! The caf was CRAZY CROWDED!!
-On Wednesday my floor had a worship night and bonfire out on McNally field!!! It was soooooo much fun! :) I've been wanting to go to a bonfire so I got to hang with my Soul Sisters, listen to Ari play guitar and sing(SO AMAZING!), worship, and smell the fire. Such a great night!...Then I stayed up until 3am studying for a test! hehe
-This past Friday I went to Disneyland with my roommates and our RA Kelsey.  It was so much fun and super magical! Going to Disneyland at Christmas time definitely puts you in the Christmas spirit!
-Soooo yesterday my roommates, Hannah and Ciara, and I had a lovely day of bonding and spending time together:) We went to the library for 5 hours to study and get work done, went to the football playoff game to watch some friends play, and then went to WalMart to get some decorations for our room. We came home and put lights up(SO MAGICAL!) and painted on stockings all while listening to Christmas music and had the virtual fireplace burning. We will be decorating our door soon:)
-I taught 3rd graders today at church. They are definitely not my grade.  It makes me so sad how important "stuff" is to those 8 year olds.  Today they said they are thankful for their iTouch and the internet.  What about family, a warm place to sleep, or health? So sad.  I think I like the little ones better ;)
-My beautiful friend Sarah "flo" Martin will be coming to visit me tomorrow! I am so very excited! Then she is taking me home Tuesday afternoon for Thanksgiving break.  I can't wait to see my family, hopefully some friends, do crafts(and write papers!), and eat delicious food!!

I hope life is treating you all well as you prepare for the upcoming holiday season! Find joy in all God has blessed you with and all you do. Be thankful for the loved ones in your lives.
In His Unfailing Love,
Amanda

Friday, November 5, 2010

The Crazy Life...and Candyland!!

It has been WAAAAAAAAAY too long since I've updated! Over two weeks! So sorry. My life has been C-R-A-Z-Y, to say the least.  Here are some things that have been going on here:

1.)We had Torrey Bible Conference at the end of October, that was a nice way to mix up the routine of classes and somewhat relax from our normal schedule. Every student is required to attend eight conference sessions.
2.)We had Candyland which was sooo magical and super fun but OH SO MUCH WORK! I will talk more about that later.
3.)We had midterms the last two weeks of October so there was lots and lots of studying, tests, papers, and work in general.  Since then the work has not slowed down and I don't feel like I will ever have a handle on my school work!
4.)I started helping with Sunday School this last week.  They are going to move me around a bit to see which age group I do best with/and enjoy the most.  I also started helping elementary school kids with their homework for two hours on Tuesday.  I really enjoy it!
5.)Things have been so busy that if I don't put something, including dinner dates with friends and naps, it's not happening!
6.)I hosted two students for 3 nights last week for Biola Bound which is a preview program for out of state students. I love my job! And I have two checks to deposit this week:) It's pretty cool getting paid to do something I absolutely love!!
7.)I've been working events with The Event Society. We had the Golf Tournament last week and the Provost Installation this morning.  It was really cool to see lots of important Biola people. (and dress cute and professional! hehe)
8.)Midnight Madness is on Sunday night! It's the biggest pep rally of the year and I'm so STINKIN excited! There is going to be so much school spirit! And it's going to be all red and white like High School Musical and I get to be in it!! AHHHHHH it's going to be sooooo magical!
9.)I've been kind of trying to start figure out my schedule for next semester. It's going to be a lot of work! But I'm going to attempt to take 18 units to get the most bang for my(well mom and dads) buck!
10.)Some girls on my floor are doing "No Sugar November". It's going to be rough but I'm actually really excited! We started Monday.  And I've been working out this week and have a new found love for the eliptical!!

Now onto the most magical way to spend Halloween!!
Every year for Halloween, the dorm I live in, Alpha, is transformed into a magical land of wonder! Every door is decorated with something that matches the theme of each floor.  Our floor was Mr. Mint Goes to Hollywood. We were the only floor that had something on every door and had the most participation.  We also decorated our whole floor with red and white streamers and candycanes and such! It looked so cute!! We chose UP for our door and built the house and had real balloons and we won 2nd place! Our prize was this really cool cupcake maker that makes 6 cupcakes in 10 minutes and all the ingredients to go with it! I'm so excited to use it...to make cupcakes for other people. (because of No Sugar November and because I love to share yummy food with people!)  Our door looked super cute but took so much work.  I went to bed at or around 4am everyday because I was working the door then had homework.  I loved Candyland so much but it was a lot of work! Our floor really pulled together and everyone helped make it look great! I am definitely looking forward to be a part of it next year.  The day of Candyland(Sunday 10/31) was insane! The lobbies were complete transformed and looked nothing our lobbies and had huge murals and trees and stuff set up for games! About 800 kids and their families came through to trick-or-treat.  The kids were so cute and it was so magical to see all of them:) I really enjoyed it!

Here's our door:

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Best Day Ever!

I know its almost 2:00 in the morning but I really feel like I need to post this now before I forget this amazing day! It started off great and after 8 hours of sleep I got up at 9:30.  I got ready and wore a scarf! I went to my only class of the day and then to lunch with my friends.  After that I hung out in my room and enjoyed the rain with my windows open.  I worked on a little bit of homework that is due next week, relaxed, and did a few misc. things.  Kelsey and I watched the next episode of Gilmore Girls. She made me chai and I loved it! We snuggled under a blanket and had the windows open and felt the brisk air coming in.  There was huge thunder and it was really exciting then it started to pour like nobody's business and the power went out! AHHHH so cool! The emergency lights turned on in the hall. It was cool.  When we were finished watching Gilmore Girls Hannah and I had a roommate dinner date and that was lovely. :) After dinner Katelyn, Summer, and I went to Sigma and got a big roll of toilet paper.  Katelyn lived there last year and she said it's just sitting out for people to take so we got a roll to use on our floor too. We then felt the need to TP someone's room and knew Hannah B would be a trouper so we got her room.  It was a very weak job and very light.  She knew it was me right away. Dang it! Later I had a coffee date with my fabulous SOS leader Leah and it was so nice to sit and talk with her and catch up:) When I was talking to some girls in the hall, about ready to wind down and get ready for bed, my RA's come back soaking wet from playing in the rain on McNally field. We thought dude we need to go out there! Sadly the rain had stopped but lots of rain meant lots of mud! I went downstairs and got Hannah Quinn(yes there are a million people named Hannah here, I meet a new one every week!) and we went out and played in the mud! Britney Rank, my roommate Hannah, Hannah Quinn, and myself mud wrestled, slid in the mud, sat in the mud, splashed in the mud, and did a rain dance hoping for rain that didn't come.  When we were walking back we played in the sprinklers too! We smelled like cow poop. The smell didn't really bother me because I was used to the smell from Norco but as a whole we smelled awful! We took pictures then got in the shower right away! The shower felt good, but looked horrible when I was done so I had to clean the shower too.

Today was so great! Toadally what I thought college would be, lots of random, outrageous fun! I'm looking forward to more days like this!!

Now squeaky clean after a nice shower,
Amanda




Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Floor Retreat

Last weekend my floor went on our floor retreat. We went to Hannah B's house in Whittier(after driving through Brea because of wrong directions) for dinner. 'Twas lovely! We made spaghetti and salad and hung out for a bit then drove to Kelsey's house in Temecula.  Natasha, aka our Senator for Alpha West, was my driver.  We had lots of fun in the car dancing and analyzing each other and taking pictures of cars! lol.  When Brittany called us with the correct directions to Hannah's house Friday night, Natasha said that if we couldn't find it we would just end up at Taco Bell and eat 5-layer burittos for dinner.  Much to our surprise, we were the first car to Hannah's house. When Brittany got there she had a 5-layer burrito for Natasha. Don't we have the best RA's ever?!! The drive to Kelsey's was interesting as well.  There was lots of traffic on the 91...no surprise there! We got a litte bit lost but drove past Amanda Park so that was cool!  When we got to Kelsey's house it was like a big sleepover with 17 girls. It was so nice to just hang out and eat and play games and watch movies.  We made smores on the stove too!  The next morning I awoke to Brittany and Kelsey in my face. What a lovely surprise! We ate breakfast and hung out and got ready to go to the park.  At the park we sock wrestled and ate lunch and played games. It was really nice to just relax with each other.  Natasha and I had fun driving home seeing interesting cars. lol.  Overall it was nice to just relax and get away with my Soul Sisters.  I'm so glad we got the chance to go.

This week we have the Torrey Conference so we don't have classes on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday! I'm done for the week.  I will have some work to do this weekend for next week but for the most part this week is pretty relaxing.  I get to work Torrey too for Event Society! So excited! We also have another conference we are working this weekend.  And Chrysalis training starts on Saturday!! I am very excited for that!!!

Have a fantastic week! Stay dry and warm and snuggle by the fireplace! Since I don't have a fireplace to sit by I go sit in Common Grounds and drink caramel apple cider or hot chocolate with mint. So lovely! That's another one of my favorite places to sit on campus:) Oh and wear your favorite scarf this week!

All my love,
Amanda

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

A Big Surprise in the Mail

This is what I've been up to in the past week...Last Monday was mom's birthday so much to her surprise, Tyler and I snuck back to Norco(with her key she thought was missing!) on Sunday night to decorate her classroom.  I got a phone call about 7:15 Monday morning and mom said she had been crying because she saw her parking spot said "Happy birthday love, Amanda".  When I hung up I knew I would be getting another phone call shortly after she saw her classroom with streamers and writing on the window. About 5 minutes later I got the second phone call.  She slowly notcied all her surprises I had left her in her classroom throughout the day. That was so much fun! I love shenanigans! hehe

The weather has been "CRAY-CRAY!" 113 one week, freezing and pooring rain the next. Gotta love CA weather! All the out of state students don't quite know what to do! lol

The internet was out last week at the end of the hall so the girls who lived down there had to come sit at our end.  The router is outside my door so there was lots of noise and comotion for a few days! It was fun to kind of have company but it was hard to study! It was nice to get to know the girls who live at the end of the hall more though!  We had a few hall way parties (some suppose to be study sessions...haha that didn't happen!)

Last Wednesday I got an interesting phone call from Central Receiving on campus saying a 42" TV had been delivered to the school for me. I was very confused! The guy asked me if I could pick it up there instead of them having to deliver it to the mail center. I thought maybe I had won a contest or something and was worried about what I was going to do with a 42" TV! They soon told me it was delivered from Corona and I knew immediately it was from dad.  The previous weekend when I was home he has asked me what happens if I get a box that is too big to carry. I laughed and didn't think twice about it.  I told the guy that the box was probably mostly empty and shouldn't be too heavy.  He said it was very light and that he would have it delivered to the mail center. So dad did a very good job with this "Through the Door Package!" I still had no idea what was in the box until I went to pick it up.  My friends Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez had come to visit me! Mom and dad thought it would be funny to send my life-size cardboard cutouts to me and see how my roommates reacted. I had talked to Hannah and Ciara about them before and Hannah said NO WAY and Ciara said Ya girl bring 'em! haha well they didn't fit in the Suburban when I moved in so they didn't come. lol. But they are now here! They have been surprising people in the shower, bathroom, hallway, everywhere! It's been really fun to have them here and see them move around. When you are scared/surprised by them you have to sign your name on the back and move them somewhere else for someone else to find! They are currently on first floor:)
This box was huge! (I did like that it was green!) Everyone though I had a new TV. You're too funny, dad!
The fam bam cam this weekend for family weekend! Mom cam Friday morning and we went to chapel and then we worked on my door. It is a new month so a new theme is a must! We already have November and December planned out! The new door is adorable! I love it! Thanks mom for your help! When she came brought lots of fall candy for our candy dish too:) My family took Ciara to In-n-Out for the first time! It was special. Emily and I had a little sleepover in my room Friday night too! Saturday morning we had a flag football game. Way to go Ciara for getting our first touchdown! That's my roommate!! hehe. My family came to watch us play. Robbie laughed at me. No surprise there. We hung out the rest of the day Saturday. It was so nice to have them here!
The tree for October!

Sunday was a very quiet here. It was such a nice day. I got homework done and cleaned and did laundry. It was lovely! This weeke has been mostly low key with only one test and not of ton of homework. I've been going to my favorite place on campus, Under the Lights a.k.a. The Gateway, more and more to read and study. I love it!

Everyday I am more and more thankful for the friends God has graciously placed in my life. I feel so blessed to be surrounded by the people in my life.  I pray that you take a moment to thank God for placing the people around you that He has. Have a wonderful week! Thanksgiving is coming soon! Mmmm...

Tons of love,
Amanda

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Busy, Busy, Busy!

This last week was quite an eventful one here! My roommates and I had tons of fun playing football last weekend! So glad that we are doing that! Half the freshman class had our first Psych test on Wednesday so we were studying all week and I had a Music Appreciation test the same day not to mention lots of reading and assignments for my other classes.  The work seemed to all pile up at once! Although it was somewhat busy, it was still a great week!

My life is going to start getting a lot busier!! I know it sounds weird that I'm excited to be busy but I'm used to having NOOOO time in my life and now I sometimes don't know what to do with my free time.  But I am very, very excited to have more to do with my time.  Last Friday I found out was hired to be an Eagle Host! I am so excited! When high school students come to look at the campus and want to experience dorm life, they will stay with me over night.  I will take them to meals and give them a little taste of dorm and college life.  I've wanted this job since I visited campus two years ago and got to stay over night.  I can't wait! Staying with my Eagle Host was really the selling point for me on Biola! We have our first meeting tomorrow!

I also interviewed for a position in the Event Society with the Integrated Marketing Communications department under the Office of the President. I got chosen/hired! They only took about ten people.  It is an unpaid position but I will get lots of training and hands-on experience and it will look great on a resume!  I had a meeting on Friday for this and I am so so sooooo excited! It is a total God thing that I was there and I feel like He made this for me! It's going to be a lot of work and a lot of hours, but I will be doing all the things I love so it's okay! We have to wear cute, professional attire too! We have our first event this Friday:)

This last Friday I went home to see Disney On Ice with my family! It was adorable! I was the oldest person there that wasn't a parent. Surprise, surprise! Mom and I baked some more goodies to bring back to school last night! This time I brought magic cookie bars, brownies, and M&M cookies(compliments of Grandma Sue)! Mmmm! I will get to see my family again this weekend! Mom is coming down Friday morning to go to chapel and dad, Robbie, and Emily will be coming after school for Parent and Family weekend. Emily will be spending the night with me on Friday and Robbie will be staying with Tyler.  Emily is very excited!

The weather has been weird all over Southern California but I have yet to be where all the rain is.  I'm wondering if this "Biola Bubble" protects us from rain too? haha.  I guess it is suppose to rain here tomorrow but we'll see! We've had tons of thunder and a little bit of lightning but still no rain!  This week should be fairly eventful with tests and essays and floor events and WORK! Yay! Can't wait!

Have a fantastic week! Stay dry! Is it almost time to start wearing sweaters and scarves?? I hope! :)

All my love,
Amanda

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Happy One Month Anniversary!

Well Monday marked the one month anniversary of my time here!  This week has been absolutely fantastic! I had a wonderful Monday, easy Tuesday, got a big "through the door" package on Wednesday and three letters and another package today in the mail!  I love getting mail:) so so soooo much! Mom sent me lots of fun fall stuff for my room! The girls in my hall particularly like the candy dish by the door. Mom also sent me apples for my door to put up for fall! Hannah and I decorated the door last night! It was a lot of fun:) I can't wait for October when we get to put pumpkins up!!

A lot has happened here since my last post! Last Monday our RA's woke us up at 6am and our floor went and stood in a circle by the fountain and talked about what community means to us and we all were connected by a continuous piece of yarn. When everyone shared their definition of community, we cut the string and now we all have bracelets to remind us of that magical moment we shared and to pray for our floor.  We also prayed with someone on the floor we didn't know very well. While we were doing this, the sun was rising and most of campus was still asleep.  I loved it! After that, we headed back towards the dorm and when we turned the corner by Emerson, our brother floor, MOLE, was standing there dressed up waiting to take us to breakfast.  They took us to the caf and we sat down and they went and got us breakfast.  It was funny the girl to guy ratio was 2:1..big surprise! I had to leave to run to class at 8:00 but it was fun to be with my Soul Sisters and get to know our Mole Brothers a little bit. (and of course eat nasty greasy caf breakfast--can't beat that! lol)  Our brother floor also takes our trash out after Singspo on Sunday nights too! Later that morning, Leeland was leading worship in chapel! It was an awesome time with God and the gym was jam packed! I almost didn't go because I'm not a big fan of Leeland but I'm glad I did! (FYI--Leeland is a Christian band from TX)  Last week we made a late night Walmart run(probably the first of many).  Kelsey took us in her car Florence(we prayed for her before we left!). We all got $0.50 ice cream! hehe On Thursday a girl on my floor, Ruth, cut my hair! She cut three inches off and did layers and it looks amazing! She is sooo good! We started a little business for her and now she has three appointments this weekend! Last Friday, my friends Katie, Becca, and I went down to San Clemente to get Rainbow Sandals! It was pretty cool! I'm going to have them to go throughout my college years with me:) I'm very excited to take this journey with them!  I still want to name them but haven't really decided on names yet. hehe Oh, I made White Chocolate Popcorn for the girls on my floo and they all really liked it...it was just a little appetizer to prepare them for what I would be coming back with after I went home!

I went home this last weekend to see my family for the first time since I have moved in.  I really enjoyed seeing them and going to church.  I surprisingly did not miss my bed as much as I thought I would! It was so nice to eat mom's food!! Although I love the caf, NOTHING can beat my mom's cooking:) Mom also baked allllll weekend for me!  She made Cowboy cookies, lots of Magic Cookie Bars(a floor favorite!--they call them 7 Layer Bars here..not as magical in my opinion!), Puppy Chow, and Banana Nut Bread. Mmmmmm! Soooo good! For some crazy reason everyone is kind of on this "no sugar" kick and I told them they can't do that until we eat all the food in my room. lol. 

This week our floor Bible Study started.  I love it! It's Monday nights:)  We will be going on our floor retreat soon too! (We are still looking for a house/cabin/place to go--hit me up on facebook if you have a place we can go;) )  Oh, and my roommates and I joined a flag football team.  Our neighbor Torrey started a team.  She saw Ciara playing soccer one night and thought she would be a nice addition to the team.  Then she asked all of us to join...she didn't realize Hannah and I are performers. At least Hannah can touch the ball.  Me not so much. I AM SUCH A GIRL!! It's worse than I thought! I jumped up to catch the ball and pointed my toes.  I run like a dancer too. Oh my!  It's going to be fun though! At least we have some good people on our team.  I'm just really there for moral support and to cheer them on! I learned one very important thing from Coach K at practice last night: "snap every snap, like it's your last snap".  That's all I need to know. hehe  We have our first two games this weekend!  Besides football, this weekend is going to bring lots of studying for me! I have my first two real tests this week and I have lots of studying and other homework to do. Even though I have a lot of schoolwork to do this weekend, the way I like to look at it is I only have to go to classes 16 hours a week and then with homework, I'm only "doing school" about 20-25 hours a week! The rest of the time I'm spending gettin to know amazing people and grow in my relationship with Christ!

Happy fall to all of you! Hopefully we will get some "semi-fall" weather this year in California! (I can't wait for scarf season!)  No matter what this season brings weather-wise, embrace all God blesses you with in this season in your life.

Lots and lots of love,
Amanda
(Photo credits to Kaitlyn Ingram)

Monday, September 13, 2010

My ABC's of Biola

A-Alpha Soul :) best floor ever!
B-Banana Muffins: both my RA's like banana muffins and I like to bring them back from the caf and eat them later.  A lot of people like bananas on our floor.
C-Caf! The caf has delicious food. I haven't gotten the same thing twice(for the most part) except salad.  I can make a bomb salad now!
D-DBC: Dr. Barry Corey is our president and said that this is the happiest place on earth and I think it is better than Disneyland!
E-Eagles! There is a lot school spirit here and I love it!!
F-Foundations of Christian Thought is currently my favorite class
G-GOD is so amazing and I'm beyond blessed that He has placed me here at Biola:)
H-Hannah's-there are people named Hannah everywhere! Two on my floor!
I-Ice Cream in the caf is delish! I made a rootbeer float today. mmmm
J-Jesus Mural: Beautiful painting of Jesus near the caf
K- Knowing lots of people! I love meeting new people and have thoroughly enjoyed meeting people on my floor and in my classes.  Going on lunch dates with my friends is my favorite!
L- Late nights! I haven't been to bed before 12am one night since I've been here. I'm such a nigh owl.
M-Mail! I love to get mail ;)
N-nursing majors:there are a lot of them on my floor. They are the sweetest people:)
O-Open door: Our door is always open.  I love having company over. A lot!
P-papers: I've written paper after paper and still have more. Gotta love college!
Q- Quilt: I can't wait to get the quilt Grandma Lee is making me for my bed.  It's going to match all my frog stuff:)
R-RA's!!! I absolutely love RA's.  Not just my own but every RA I've met.  I decided RA's are like the football team that we don't have.  The celebs/coolest people on campus:)
S-Singspo.  Singspiration is an awesome worship service on Sunday nights! I love it so much!
T-Time time time: I feel like I have a lot of free time. What do I do with it? I've never had this before!
U-Unity: Our floor has an awesome community.
V- Very special place: God could not have placed me in a better place this year.  He has blessed me with an amazing group of friends and peers where I'm going to grow so much!
W- Will: I'm seeking God's Will in my life everyday.
X- Xtremely fun! This place is much fun and I am having sooo much fun! It has exceeded all my expectations and I can't wait to see what God has in store for the next four years!
Y- Young: My years here are going to be so magical and I love being young!
Z-Zeal.  DBC talked about having zeal at our first Chapel.

Friday, September 10, 2010

My Week in Review

Well the last week was fun and somewhat eventful! We went to Disneyland on Saturday, which much to our surprise was practically empty!  Both my roommates bought their season passes:) Sunday we slept in and went to a later church service which I feel was a very smart move.  Monday was very relaxed with the campus almost dead.  I did some "crafts", if you could even call them that.  Just cutesy little things like you all know I love to do.  Tuesday was fabulous because I only had one class! I spent the afternoon doing some homework.  My RA and I actually sat on the same couch at the same time and did our homework without talking! It was a miracle moment.  It was dead silent.  I was reading this very boring book called Origins of the Modern World and it was super boring and put me to sleep more than once then stumbled across the very magical word "magical"! hehe. Then I knew why God was making me read that book, just so I could read that one sentence! lol.  Wednesday brought a day full of classes and tiredness. Wednesdays are never fun.  I went to After Dark this week, a chapel service on Wednesday nights.  I really liked it:) Then Thursday rolled around! I have my two favorite classes and I get to sleep in a bit!  Plus Nationball was last night.  I knew we had no chance in the world and we were going to lose even if the other team had their eyes shut because we were all girls and more than half of us couldn't throw a ball.  I didn't care about winning, to me it was more about seeing all the school spirit! And there was so much of it! Almost like HSM but everyone in their dorm colors.  The most fun was dressing up and getting face paint and a mini (spontaneous) dance party to get people pumped up!  I thoroughly enjoyed the evening. I was kind of sad to see the commuter students win again because it would have been nice to mix it up! They only won because they have so many people.  I can't wait until MIDNIGHT MADNESS which I hear is a lot like High School Musical!!! Everyone with their Biola spirit and dressed in red and white!! Wow I am going to enjoy that soooo much! Talk about magical! I'm still waiting for everyone in the cafeteria to break out in song.  There are round tables so everyone should just know to start singing and dancing right? haha.  Although I'm not living in High School (well, College) Musical, it's fun to dream and dance around!  Back to my week, last night Nationball ended at like 12:30 and I wanted to bust a paper out because I knew I wouldn't want to do it today so I stayed up until 3:30am and then slept in:) oh I LOVE no Friday classes!! It's a 3-day weekend every weekend!  And we are going to Disneyland again tonight! :)
I am still loving being here and super excited about all God has in store for my time here.  I pray your eyes are open to see what God has in store for your lives whatever point you may be at.  Have a safe and blessed weekend:)

Monday, September 6, 2010

Friends

I have met some AMAZING people here! I am so thankful God has placed them in my life.  He has given me sweet, encouraging people to lift me up when I need them the most:) I am so thankful for that.

Let me start with my roommates:
Ciara: Ciara is from Oregon.  I love her! She is so sweet and caring and ENCOURAGING!! She always has the right thing to say.  Ciara is quite the morning person and I am not...I am such a night owl! She's a trooper and goes to bed late with me and gets up early to do her homework or get ready for class.  I am so blessed to have her as a roommate.
Hannah:  Hannah is from Mission Viejo.  We have a lot in common and people think we knew each other before we got here. But we didn't!  We get along really well and have 2 classes together.  She likes to watch tv on her computer.  She works on campus with her sister in the Admissions Office.  We have had a lot of fun together so far!

RA's:
Brittany: Brittany is super cool and so loving and caring. She loves bananas in all forms and running. And she plays guitar!!! I am so lucky to be on her floor this year. We are going to have so much fun! Britt likes pranks and shenanigans too! She has a bike named Nadeen. 
Kelsey:  Kelsey is so cute! She is a nursing major and going to be the best nurse ever! She helps us whenever we have a medical need. Kelsey likes 7-layer bars from the caf and has a car that is currently not working.  We have been praying for Florence.  Kelsey and I watched fireworks from the library balcony last week!

ARA's(Assistant RA's) aka the RA's roommates:
Ari: Ari is just as cool as Brittany and also likes running.  She went to Dana Hills HS and I was sure to inform her that she had amazing yearbooks! hehe  Ari can play the guitar and the keyboard...I have yet to hear her sing.  I know she is wonderful though because she's a Music major with Voice emphasis:)
Kelsey: Yes Kelsey and Kelsey live together. lol.  Kelsey is also a nursing major! She is super sweet and quiet and likes donuts. haha. Kelsey has a twin! This may be a bit confusing, let me clarify...Kelsey G.(the RA) has a roommate named Kelsey A(who has a twin...that I don't know). They are both nursing majors.

Other fabulous girls on my floor/in Alpha:
Maddy: I like to call Maddy, Lenny.  She calls me George like from Of Mice and Men.  Lenny lives down the hall from me.  She is so encouraging and always has the right thing to say.  She recently cut her hair and it is adorable!  Lenny made me cookies and cream dinner at the caf tonight.  They were out of real cookies and cream so she got cookies and vanilla:) it was good!
Meesh:  Meesh's real name is Melissa but we gave her the name Meesh. Not exactly sure why but it stuck.  Meesh got me to go running the first weekend we were here and I have been going out to the track about three nights a week now.  Sadly, Meesh has Achilles Tendonitis and can't run right now.  Meesh is quite hilarious and so fun to be around! And she always dresses so cute! Meesh and Lenny are roommates.  I love them a lot! They like to eat Oreos and PB:)
HannahB: HannahB is not my roommate and good thing she isn't because we would have too much fun and cause too much trouble together! he lives down the hall from me.  She was in choir in hs and auditioned and made it into Chorale here! I am so happy for her! I love HannahB. She is so funny and we always laugh together.  She has short sassy hair and super cute fashion!
Becca:  Becca has beautiful red hair and is one of the sweetest girls I know! She is kind of funny and she is also encouraging and uplifting.  We have a lot in common and I love to spend time with her:)
Kendra:  Kendra loves High School Musical.  She loves on Alpha East.  We talk about HSM all the time.  We have one class together and are both Communications majors. 
Annalese:  Annalese lives on Alpha East also.  She is soooo sweet and has the cutest fashion! She lets me borrow clothes! She has a cute room too:)  Annalese and I have two classes together. We have a lot in common also.
Andrea: Andrea is an RA from first floor West side.  I love her and we get along really well! We are going to have lots of fun this year! ;)
Mireyah: Mireyah is an RA from third floor.  When I met her, I was bragging to her how I have the best RA's on the planet and then Brittany told me she's an RA too.  I quickly covered myself by saying the best RA's on the planet of the 2nd floor.  It wasn't a very smooth cover. lol.
Leah: Leah was my SOS leader and I loved her! She was so energetic and passionate about her job.  We went and got lunch this week! I like her a lot :) Leah does not live in Alpha but in Horton which is right next door!

I'm looking forward to making many memories with these lovely ladies this year and so thankful for them in my life:)

Much love,
Amanda

Friday, September 3, 2010

And So it Begins!

I have been here at Biola for two weeks now and it has seriously been beyond magical! I am loving being here and it feels like I have been here way longer than two short weeks.  Move in and opening weekend were super fun and I have enjoyed getting to know girls on my floor.  My favorite thing from opening weekend was when President Dr. Barry Corey (a.k.a. DBC) said "Disneyland is only 11 miles away and it claims it is the happiest place on earth but I believe this is the happiest place on earth." When I was sitting there hearing that, I thought, this guy has no idea who he is talking to or what he is talking about! Within 24 hours I had decided that DBC was right and I knew this was going to be an amazing adventure filled with many  magical moments.  I have enjoyed EVERY single thing that has happened until now and I can't wait to see what God has instore for the next year and the rest of my time of Biola. :) 

I live in Alpha 2nd West "SOUL" with two wonderful roommates Ciara and Hannah(not the one in the picture above, there are 2 Hannahs on my floor). We have had lots of laughs and so much fun. We get along so well! Our room is super cute and all coordinated! We make our beds everyday and our room is always clean.  We like to have our door open so people can stop by and talk. In addition to my roommates, I have met so AMAZING girls on my floor.  We already are super close and we've only had one floor event.  I love my RA's to pieces. They are two wonderful women of God who work so well together and compliment each other perfectly. I am so lucky God put me on this floor.  Even though 2nd West is the best, I have met other people (and RAs) who I also love! This is going to be such an awesome year!!  I feel so blessed to be here in this place at this time with all these people I love.  God could not have put me in a better place for this year.  I feel like I am right where I belong and I couldn't be happier. :)

Classes started last Wednesday.  My first college class ever, World Civilizations II, scared me with lots of work and reading but he let us out of class two hours early! I have four classes on Wednesday and it's my busiest day of the week.  Luckily, Thursdays are my favorite day of classes and I have it after a busy, crazy day.  Foundations of Christian Thought is my favorite class!  My teacher opens the class with a worship song and prayer and his lectures are awesome! My second favorite class is my First Year Seminar for my major.  Can you imagine a room full of 30 freshmen Communications majors? It's a bit crazy! hehe.  I switched into an 8am english class and I love my professor:)  My Music Apprection class is interesting and not my favorite but I could be in Art Appreciation like my roommate from 7-10pm. So glad I'm not! My Psychology professor is very funny and great! I love how passionate he is about teaching.  That class has about 400 people in it and we have these cool little clicker things. I love using them! hehe

Chapel here is amazing! I love being in the gym with other students worshiping our God.  It is such an awesome experience:) Right now we are doing a short series on John 1.  On Sunday nights we also have a service called Singspiration (aka Singspo) and it's all worship music for an hour. It is a great way to start(or end) the week, depending on how you look at it.  I love how much God is present here.  I can see Him everywhere I go.  I love that every single one of my classes talks about God and how He works in that subject.  I just love how much God is here! I overhear so many conversations about God and His work.  It is wonderful!

If you know me, you know I like shenanigans! ;)  One of my RA's, Brittany, loves pranks and shenanigans! Hehe we are going to have lots of fun this year! We are in a little war now.  I post-it noted her room one night. OOPS! Then took her whiteboard markers and sent her on a scavenger hunt to find them around Alpha.  It was great! My roommates and I are waiting for her to retaliate. I have a feeling it's going to be big.

We've also been working out, stretching, and running about three times a week.  The gym isn't open yet but we like going out on the track. I ran 1.3miles last night!  A couple girls go out and run for awhile.  I just made a new playlist on my ipod.  I like it! 

On Wednesday night, I watched the Disneyland fireworks from the balcony of the library! It wasn't the best view but we could see them! It was a nice night with my RA, Kelsey.  We went and got London Fogs, some fancy drink Kelsey got me, then sat by the fountain and talked.  It was really nice. :)  And Brittany and I went and got lunch one day this week.  I love, love, love, my RA's!!

One last thing, I watched High School Musical 3 last Friday night with some girls who love it just as much as I do! (Is that possible?!)  I was singing and dancing to High School Musical 1 this week in my room and got really excited and went in the halls and got some funny looks...lol. No surprise there! These people think they understand I like HSM but I don't think they are fully aware of my obsession!!

I love everything about being here and it really is more magical here than at Disneyland! Speaking of Disneyland, we are going tomorrow! I will try to keep you posted on all our magical adventures here!  I will be sure to tell you all about my new friends too! I love you!!

~Amanda

PS-Send me mail!
13800 Biola Ave. Box #277A
La Mirada, CA 90639