Christmas

I guess this doesn't count as a UNT adventure, so technically, this is a FAULTY and FALSE entry, because this is the journal of my UNT adventures, but you know what????

I just want you to know.

That I did in fact have a lovely and splendid Christmas.

Of the many highlights.... well, I'll name 'em

- I had been reading through the prophecies of Isaiah in December so I was eagerly awaiting the celebration of the Christ child as I had never been before! Along with my chocolate filled advent calendar....
- Had a full house, got to see people I absolutely adore and cherish moments with... always good

(Don't hate me for being cliche)

I already had everything I ever wanted. I'm not even exaggerating.

I did get a bunch of stuff I did find really cool! Instruments and digital photo album viewers and $$ and bling bling! Bada-bing

- Got to meet new potential family! new faces on Christmas is smile-worthy!
- got to sing carols, and if you're reading this blog, you know I love that.

CHRISTMAS PRANK: Our parents always make us wait till they're awake and we all gather together to open presents. Me and Jessie got up before the parents and thought we'd give them a scare by making noise by tearing newspaper and screaming. It was pretty funny...


Thanks for reading, friends... I hope all of your holidays were lovely.

What a joy, what a gift we were given, what a wonder is free grace, what a miracle is this Immanuel, God with us....

Goodbye

Goodbye, Denton.

I will miss you.
I will be thinking of you and your lovely people until we meet again.


It's been so much fun.

affectionately, Rachey

Nonsense

Sometimes, when I am at a loss for words, I talk and gibberish comes out.

It's all well and good around friends. They know. Sometimes there just isn't a word in the internal vocab bank for what's going on.

But sometimes it's not okay.

I literally speak gibberish when I am around a cute boy. I can't make a coherent remark.
I try to think of something witty and interesting and charming, and all he hears is "Aafeiowtaglj rasjkf pliaefnck?"

If I do happen upon the power of the English language, it's usually to say something brilliant like, "Pumice stones! Bicycle tire! .... (attempt at compliment) you've got nickels in your tomatoes?"
I'm exaggerating, of course (about the random nouns, gibberish is for real) - but I tend to say weird things.

I guess I should be grateful the victim mostly ignores me.

I got called strange a lot by the last boy I liked. I sure earned it...
For some reason, when I'm around a cute boy, wearing and doing bizarre things feels normal. Why are my socks on my hands? I don't know, this must be part of your spell on me.

Why am I pouring salt in my tea?
Why am I making a "dirt angel" in the ground?

The sad part is, I'm always attracted to the serious, moody, no-nonsense types, who like thoughtful girls that can, well, speak intelligibly at the least.

I'm a silly person, for sure, but around 99% of the population, I can speak and joke around just fine. Normal silliness.
But you'll know when I'm around someone I find attractive.... you'd be suprised what happens sometimes

Merry Christmas Daniel

The End (If You Want It)

I feel like the school year has already ended...
All I have to do is take two finals, one on thursday and one on friday, and then I go home.

Thus ends the wonderfulness known as semester one of college.

I guess I shouldn't be so suprised that it was so much fun - UNT was my dream college after all! I feel like I really have been living one big dream since I came...

But! I'll spare you a silly reminiscing post and get right to the junk I'm doing right now! >:D

Getting loads of sleep, I love not having to wake up for 8ams every morning! Ahh! I can't tell you what else I'm doing because a lot of it is involved with Christmas suprises!

I did have a really swell afternoon with the guys playing pranks and watching Pokemon episodes! Haha! And I saw my first episode of Digimon. Too bad I had been watching Pokemon before - it just wasn't as awesome in comparison.

I didn't know this, but Pokemon has a Christmas episode! I watched it! It was kind of precious!!
I hope that all of you are having a wonderful Advent season... as we prepare for the celebration of the birth of the Christ child!
God is leading me into boldness. Of course I'm not naturally terribly bold, but by the Spirit I am empowered to do all things.

Joy to the world... let earth recieve her King. =)

Bubbly

Today was even more stupdendous than usual.

Me and Maggie went to Hobby Lobby and spent the day making crafts and singing songs!
>:D (<---ferociously happy about this.)

I can't tell you about what I made! It's a secret!

But we also went to the Stroud house and had dinner. Delicious soup, brussel sprouts, mm good! Kerr just can't make vegetables taste as good as homecooked...which is why sometimes I end up just eating pasta there!

It was such a good day. I'm all tuckered out. Tomorrow will be really, really fun.

I dance and sing so much these days. I haven't even been watching musicals. It's just... I'm so full of joy, I'm like a shook-up soda pop

D-day

So Friday was Dead day, all classes were cancelled (funny enough, I don't have class on Friday to begin with)
So what ended up happening was that I just slept through Friday.
I did wake up at 6, chilled out with the kids next door.

Made me realize... I'm going to miss all the art kids next semester. =(

The past few days have been just.... a total crazy blur.
Today was the first day I didn't have some huge project over my head. Freedom is a weird feeling.

It kind of feels ....like being asleep, I guess. But I guess I've even forgotten how good that feels.

Just a note. I really feel grateful towards so many people right now... like an extreme amount of gratitude.

hugs. -Rachey

Good things

I had the most wonderful day today.

My design class let out early after we turned in our notebooks.
Oh, I made a 100 on my last design quiz >:D yessss

My Comm Design class was cancelled! Study time!

Then me and Britni made brownies for parish. She's such a sweetheart. And she loves the Lord so.
I actually just love everyone in my parish and everyone at C3. Man! I'm so blessed. I just want to praise the Lord for leading me to such godly friends.

You know what? I just want to praise Him for this whole semester. It's just been more wonderful than I could have ever imagined.

Now to work on my big drawing project.

Remember friends! We're called to love..

God is Awesome

God is good, all the time.
All the time, God is good.

Simple faith.

It's so hard to just remember, amidst all the noise of life, that God is good.

~

I was exhorted the other day, and the encourager meant well, but it reminded me, the goal of my attempts at good works is not so that my brothers and sisters can pat me on the back and say, "Good job, Rachel."
By nature, I really am a selfish and unkind person. By the Spirit, I am trying to follow in my Savior's footsteps.

This is my confession. The sin of pride creeps in to try to warp the desire to glorify God into glorifying myself.

In the past, it was always about that pat on the back. Words of affirmation. They were like a drug to me. I had to keep getting that fix.

Exhortation and encouragement are two wonderful things, created for our blessing, and growth in Spirit.
But when you are encouraged, it's easy to slip into the mindset of, "Yeah, they're right. I'm awesome!" Instead of, "This is fruit of the Spirit, God is awesome."

Every good thing comes from the Father.

In the Father's eyes, the sackcloth of humility is like kingly robes.

Merry Christmas Darling

Collage Project!

This is my autobiographical narrative project!

I could explain all of it, but that would be rewriting my whole Design essay.

Anyway..
I saw this tweet and thought of Daniel.

Psalm 116

Says everything.

Psalm 116
1 I love the Lord, for he heard my voice;
he heard my cry for mercy.

2 Because he turned his ear to me,
I will call on him as long as I live.

3 The cords of death entangled me,
the anguish of the grave came over me;
I was overcome by distress and sorrow.

4 Then I called on the name of the Lord:
"Lord, save me!"

5 The Lord is gracious and righteous;
our God is full of compassion.

6 The Lord protects the unwary;
when I was brought low, he saved me.

7 Return to your rest, my soul,
for the Lord has been good to you.

8 For you, Lord, have delivered me from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling,

9 that I may walk before the Lord
in the land of the living.

10 I trusted in the Lord when I said,
"I am greatly afflicted";

11 in my alarm I said,
"Everyone is a liar."

12 What shall I return to the Lord
for all his goodness to me?

13 I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the Lord.

14 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people.

15 Precious in the sight of the Lord
is the death of his faithful servants.

16 Truly I am your servant, Lord;
I serve you just as my mother did;
you have freed me from my chains.

17 I will sacrifice a thank offering to you
and call on the name of the Lord.

18 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people,

19 in the courts of the house of the Lord—
in your midst, Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord.

Bologna

I may have mentioned this earlier but....
I just love "bad" music. Well, what makes most people gag. I got sucked into it.. it's like a black hole.

You know what I'm talking about, right?
.... cheesy 90's music. Yes. Also, Justin Bieber.
Don't judge. I think it's cute..

But after listening to *NSYNC sing about "dirty pop".... I had the clever idea of googling 90's Christian Music.

That's how I came across this band called Plus One. ..Okay, technically, they were big in the 2000s, but still.

Even if you think it sounds dumb, and some of it I concede is so NSYNC-y that you might not like it, you should still check out their song "Be Love." It's just so good.

I still consider myself a trustworthy source of decent music! I listen to good music also! Jon Foreman is always there to remind me of what real music sounds like...

Well, you might not care so much about that, but I got a pretty swell grade on my issue development portfolio, along with a comment from my teacher that I was a "strong writer."

Darn! Dumb old design project's due tomorrow. I have it 98% done. all I have to do is mount it on some bristol board.

I only say "dumb old" because the project is "tarot cards" and we have to make them and then analyze what they mean. I'm not going to be obnoxious about how I think it's bologna, but I mean.... there will be commentary in my analysis that definitely suggests the bologna-eque nature of this assignment.

On a brighter note, the C3 clothing drive is today. So I can finish these tarot cards and skip on down to church again....

You know, the art department could really use more Jesus.
It's almost a shame that I'm leaving it.

God is faithful!

J&J's!

So!!! Last night was pretty fun! and of course it was, because it was a show!

A show with bands with friends! And friends in bands! And lovely music.

Nathan Miller and the Loverlies played first! It was fun playing djimbe! I've grown to really love the sound of miscellaneous percussion as opposed to a full trap set.

Then was the Cumulonimbus Band! In which the esteemed Mr Jon Ladner was playing and singing! The lyrics of their songs were so clever. That guy is a strange bird! In a good way.

Then Across Waters played! I feel a little bad because it's hard for me to appreciate instrumental music live, I like listening to it with eyes closed in the privacy of my own contemplation, but their stuff is energetic and pulls me onboard the groove train anyway!

.... I love Denton

Here we go a-wassailing!

I always said "wuh-sale" when I read wassail.
So that was a shocker, the first time someone said "Wossle"
But!! Wassail-fest was such a complete and total BLAST.

I got to Christmas carol again - it's such a joy, joy joy! =D

And then there was lots of free fun stuff! Like free hot chocolate! And "puppy chow" which is .... chex mix with powdered sugar and peanut butter.. I think

But it was really really fun! I had a great night!
The Denton square at night always fills my heart with joy. it's so lovely.

And Brave Combo!! I've been listening to them since I was a wee tot!
So....that was really cool.

Next post:
Tomorrow night the Loverlies will be playing at J&J's pizza - sounds like another night of smiles, love and laughter to me!! =)

Watercolor

I've always loved watercolor. It's so beautiful. My favorite medium of all time.

Both of my Design and Drawing final projects gave us a choice of what medium we wanted to use - so, no surprise, I chose watercolor.

I found out I can't do watercolor for Drawing, though, it has to be achromatic - oops. I really like charcoal though - I'll just do that instead!

But I can't very well write about how much I love watercolor without including some of my own works that I painted in Design today!

This is going to be for design I think - I painted it from an image I came up with digitally.

This is a watercolor "cover" of a photograph I took of my brother putting his hands around a candle. It's called "The Modern Prometheus."

A practice charcoal of the snake I'm going to incorporate in a conceptual drawing....

Have a fantastic day!