Fall Cleaning

As you can tell, I'm doing a bit of "fall cleaning" around my blog... I'm in the process of finding a new background and header, and doing a bit of editing on those to make them my own.  But they're not the way I want them yet, so you'll probably (make that definitely!) see some more changes before I settle on the final product for the next 2 months.  I'll get there soon, hopefully!  Until then, sorry for all the changes that'll be going on!

Hope you're enjoying this lovely fall weather!  I love it!
xoxo,

Saturday's Silly Saying

Amusing conversation of the week:

Stasia: "We could never take you and Evelyn camping."
Me: "I lived in an RV for the summer and didn't shower for a week; I think I could handle camping."
Evelyn: "We had a pet scorpion, I can handle camping!"

Stasia and I: "How on earth does that follow?!?!?"

xoxo,

Oh, the goings-on

One of my classmates took this video a couple weekends ago, and I found it too funny not to share.  Watch and enjoy ;)
(and yes, this IS typical of Franciscan U!)



xoxo,

Not Mine, But Yours

Last night was my first of many weekly holy hours.  I was doing some spiritual reading and thinking over my day, and a thought just kinda hit me.
God's plans are always better.
I think this crossed my mind because last week, my brother texted me to tell me that he was coming up for a business meeting, so he wanted to meet for coffee "on tuesday" (aka, yesterday).  This weekend, he texted again to let me know that he had to cancel his plans to come because he was just way too busy.  I was bummed, but I understood.  Well, yesterday ended up being crazy for me: I had a last-minute appointment, a last-minute phone call, a project due, and I had to switch classes around for the day.  If David had come, I would have had to cancel on him, and that would have been even more disappointing.

Obviously, this isn't the most amazing example, but it's the one I just lived through, so it's fresh in my mind.  Do I always live like God knows best?  Heck, no!  I wish....

I've been awaiting a decision on something, and I just (15 minutes ago) received the answer.  It was a disappointing answer.  I thought I saw so clearly what God was asking of me, and I was ready (and excited) to jump right in to that, but quite honestly, he turned that upside down.  Last time I talked to this person who gave the answer, she asked me to close our conversation in prayer, and I asked God that whatever the outcome was, we would be at peace with it.  Ha, I'm not at peace at all right now.  Hopefully that'll come with time.  But, like the rest of my life, I'm making my motto "trust, trust, trust".
All in His timing.

Not my will, but Thine be done.
xoxo,

Dream List #3

~take a ballroom dance class

~run a 5K

~get a bicycle that works

Have you started a list yet?
xoxo,

Meet the Roommate: an Interview with Evelyn!

I mention Evelyn, my roommate, often on my blog, so I thought that maybe you might be interested in learning who this person that I live with is!

I've been rooming with Evelyn for 3 semesters (we're in the middle of the third..), and she is a lovely person to live with.  We knew each other from Church and youth group, but we didn't really know each other that well.  So it worked out perfectly!  I was soooo excited when I found out that she was coming to Franciscan =)

We did a little interview/questionnaire last night and laughed a lot while doing it.  And evelyn came up with some of the random/funny questions herself, so don't question my sanity ;)

(this is a picture of me wearing a "toga" made out of some old, shiny fabric.... and Evelyn looking scared. Don't ask why I was wearing a toga... it had something to do with a discussion about appropriate attire for a talk we were going to, and we considered wearing rabbit costumes with togas.  We decided against the costumes and went with skirts and blouses instead.)

Name: Evelyn

Nickname(s): Ev or Evie

Year: Sophomore

Age: 18 and 7 months

Major(s): Philosophy & Human Life Studies Minor (the love of wisdom and the love of babies)

What are your love languages? Physical touch and words of affirmation

What did you want to be when you were younger: The first thing I ever wanted to be was a ballerina.  That was when I was 4, 5, or 6.

What you’re planning on doing after graduation: Pro-life work!

Favorite Ice cream: Well, I like mint chocolate chip, I like chocolate chip cookie dough, (shoot, I want ice cream now!), and cherry is good too.

Favorite song: Oh, that’s a tough one!  It used to be “If I Die Young” by the Band Perry.  OH!  It’s “I loved Her First” (I listened to it like 10 times…)

Best and worst part about living in a dorm: Worst is that I have to do my own laundry… best is the chapel!

Favorite experience of college: Skydiving! just kidding...It might have been having lunch with Jayne and Maggie and you [Allison] the other day… No.  The save at clinic.  And having my mind blown in philosophy with Dr. Harold.  And dancing ‘till 4 in the morning at the Resurrection Party.

3 things you can’t live without: Besides food, air, and water...chocolate, fresh air (haha, we live in Steubenville!) and laughing :)

If you were stuck on a deserted island which one book, movie and person would you want to take along? A Collection of Shakespeare or Anne of Green Gables or Little Women, It’s a Wonderful Life, and probably my dad.

What was the last thing you ate?  Mozzarella cheese and organic raisins 

If you could be any fictional character, who would you be? Anne of Green Gables [Allison: me too! Evelyn: We have so much in common!  We should be friends!!]

If you were to perform in the circus, what would you do? I… I would probably want to be the bareback horseback rider, but I’d probably end up being the little fat clown.  Which would be fun too. [sidenote: Ev is NOT fat!]

So there you have it... a little view of the totally awesome 100% amazing super duper cool person who I live with!

xoxo,

Saturday's Silly Saying

This week's saying comes from my lovely roommate, Evelyn:

"They don't have an email address...Do they exist?"

~~~~
In case you didn't see my last post, please click here to see my exciting landmark that I hit... and please take the poll conveniently located right over (<---) there ;)

Have a glorious Sunday!
xoxo,

Eeek!!

I just hit 9001 views!  This is insanity! Thanks to all my readers... if you guys weren't reading, I wouldn't have half the motivation to post anything.  If you read and aren't a follower, I encourage you to do so!

I have frequent readers in the States, Canada, Russia, Japan, the UK, Germany, Australia, Croatia, Latvia, and others.  Yikes!  What a diverse bunch!  I have a question for you all- how did you find my blog?!?

Like I said a couple posts ago, I have some ideas of where I'd like to take this blog from here.  I enjoy writing for you guys, and I'd like to have some things that you're interested in.  I'm also hoping to do my fall/winter re-design in the near-ish future... but like I said yesterday, life is a leetle nuts right now.  Be patient with me, please!

Sooo.... I'm asking you to take a minute to take the poll that's over on the left side (<------) so that I can tailor my posts a little more to your interests.  Even if you're not currently following me, please fill it out!!  I've also added the ability to follow Faint Hue of Grace by email, so if you don't have a google account, you can get my posts right in your inbox :)

Thank you again, dear people who find my blog worth reading.  And thank you for commenting ;)  Comments make my heart happy.

xoxo,

Life, it just gets crazy

Sometimes, I look at my schedule, and I laugh.
Other times, I look at my schedule, and I cry (figuratively).
Most of the time, those two occurrences (^) are on the same day.

I'm now 3 weeks (and one day) into my sophomore year, and I can honestly say I'm busier than I ever have been before.  It's just that, when you add up 6 classes, Students for Life, Liturgy Committee, Austria meetings, homework, a holy hour, Mass, and oh-by-the-way eating and sleeping, there's only so much time left.  I'm actually quite sure that I'm forgetting something in that list.  Oh well... it'll come to me when I have to go do it.  Occasionally, it's nice to talk to friends, or just sit in the chapel, or read a book other than "Psychology of Human Development" or "A Survey of the Old Testament".

Speaking of classes, they are all going quite well.  (Did I ever give a rundown of classes?  Again, I can't remember...) I'm taking:

• Psychology- its interesting material... I'm hoping it gets a little more exciting as we get more into it, though.  First test on Friday!
• Theology of Christ- GAH I could sit in this class for hours on end.  Dr. Martin is a genius, and his insights are mind-blowing.  He's the one I've quoted on Saturdays, so he also has a great sense of humor :)
• Principles of Biblical Study (PBS)- I'm one of the few people in this class who's actually enjoying it.  I find anything and everything Biblical to be fascinating, especially since it's the Bible that convinced me to major in Theology in the first place.  OK, studying the Bible convinced me.  Nuance.  
• Youth Ministry- another one of those GAH classes.  We've been talking a lot about youth culture, and even though I'm still in/just out of "youth culture" myself, its great to learn about it from a more academic POV.  We're going over how to reach the youth, based on the environments that they're growing up in nowadays.  I feel so old saying that.  You get the gist.
• Environmental Science- it's just a filler course... Not my favorite, but definitely bearable!  and somewhat interesting.
• Graphic Design- difficult, but really, really good.  We're learning Photoshop, which I've never used before... our first project rough draft is due next week, so I'm scrambling a little to get that going.  I'm really excited about this class, too!

In other news...

• Our room now smells really nice, thanks to a care package from my amazing sister :D
• We can clean our floor now!!!! because the swiffer came in the mail.  Call me nutso, but I was uber excited about this silly swiffer.  Evelyn has never seen a swiffer before.  I don't know how she lived.
• My Crossroads family (aka Josh) decided that today was "post pictures of bacon on Allison's facebook wall" day.  (I can't stand bacon).  Some of my other friends have joined in.  It's painful/really amusing. :P
• iOS 6 is out today!  Yes, I'm a media major, can you tell?  Guess what I'm doing after classes today?  Yeah, upgrading my iPhone software.  It makes me happy!

Well, I've gotta run to youth ministry and learn more about how much our culture has gone downhill... as depressing as that sounds, it means that we can do something to change it!

Hope you're all enjoying this beautiful weather!
xoxo,

The next installment of the Dream List is here!

~go to an art museum

~sleep in an overnight train

~learn calligraphy

I'm making a new tab up at the top of my blog, where I'll keep a running list of these items on my list, and update it if I accomplish anything!

xoxo,

thoughts 'n' stuff

I am a collecter.

I collect words.  Quotes.  Beautiful phrases and compilings of thoughts.  Words, I think, are fascinating things.  You can get a complex thought across with a single word, or you can take paragraphs to say a simple idea.  I have a wall of quotes next to my desk here at school, and because I had so many, now they've spilled over onto my closet doors.

Because I love quotes so much, I decided to write an inspirational quote on the whiteboard outside my dorm door before the freshmen arrived.  I left it up for a week, and at the end, people had written on it "Thank you", "Love this", and "Keep putting these up".

Ok!  So the quote was a hit, and it has become a weekly thing:

Evelyn asked me the other day where I got so many awesome quotes.  Honestly, I just "pick them up"... Some have come from magazines, others from songs, others from blogs and articles online, or from inspirational people.  If I come across a quote online, I'll just quickly jot it down on a piece of paper or type it out on my phone or computer.

What are some of your favorite quotes?
xoxo,

Saturday's Silly Saying

First.... I have to tell ya'll this, because I'm super duper excited... I just passed 8800 views on here!  I think that's huge... I'm just a random little college blogger, and I never thought I'd get that many people reading just over a year.  Thank you all for reading and commenting and sharing and being amazing.  It's nice to know that people are actually enjoying what I write.  I didn't post yesterday, and that's simply because my Sadie Hawkins post was still getting a lot of attention.  I figured I'd let the dust from that one settle before I moved on.  (It's now my most read post!)

Without further ado- this week's silly saying comes from Dr. Martin once again.  (I'm telling you, this man is a hilarious genius!)

I've never taken a measurement of the human womb, but I'm guessing it's pretty small.  It's smaller than Rhode Island, and that's a tiny state!

Have a great weekend, everyone!  I'm off to a concert by Seraphic Fire... It should be really good!
xoxo,

Reversal Role

Disclaimer: This is going to be a rant, so if you're not in the mood to read a rant, come back later ;)

Today, I witnessed someone asking someone else to a dance.  Normally, this wouldn't elicit a rant.  Normally, my reaction would be something like "Aawwww....."  But it's not just any dance...

...it's the Sadie Hawkins dance.

You don't know how frustrated I am with the Sadie Hawkins dance.  No, I don't mean that.  I'm frustrated with the world.

What has happened to our world to turn it upside down enough that now "girls ask the guys"?!  What happened to ideals where men (not boys!) asked young ladies or women (not girls!) to dances?  Or heck, where young men and women could attend a dance and have fun with a group of people?  I'm fed up with this culture, where we women are "forced" to take the initiative, because the media has informed the men that "if the girl wants a relationship bad enough, she'll pursue you".  (I put "forced" in quotes because, in reality, we're not forced to do anything.  We make the choices.  But we've been programmed in a certain way because of our environment.)  No, no, NO!  Guys, take the initiative!  Please!  For the love of true love! just step up and ask!

I don't want to pursue a guy.  I want to BE pursued, the good old-fashioned way.  I will never- and I mean NEVER- ask a guy on a "date" (a real date, not just "hey let's go have coffee").  I give my family and friends full permission to smack me upside the head if they ever hear of me doing such a thing.

Now, if you are a girl who has asked a guy to a dance, or on a date, please know that I'm not bashing you.  If that's what you decided to do, ok.  But personally, it bothers me.

Here, I need to stop and admit that I have asked a guy to the Sadie Hawkins dance before.  But you should know 3 things about that situation: I was 5, the guy was my brother (who was 20), and I didn't actually go to the dance.  (Hey David, did YOU go to that dance?)  Anywho.

We need to get back to the kind of values we had 40 years ago.  What happened to the days of sitting on the front porch or the park bench, sipping lemonade and talking?  Why do we feel the need to be in a relationship all the time?  So many people nowadays think that having a significant other completes them, makes them the person they're supposed to be.  In reality, though, they should be a complete person before they find a boyfriend or a girlfriend.

I'm not going to the Sadie Hawkins dance.  But I will go to other dances with friends and have fun with those friends.  I'll go to swing dancing on Sunday nights and enjoy that.  It's not that I'm not against dances, nor am I against dating.  I am content without a boyfriend.  and here my family breaths a sigh of relief...  I haven't figured out who I am yet, much less how to be in a relationship.  I don't want to have the pressure of a relationship at this stage in my life.  I can't speak for next month or next year, but for now, I'm happy in this state in life.  It's 100% true: I'm happy in this state in life.  Because that's where God's placed me for right now, and I have decided to trust Him.

Sometimes, trust is just what you've gotta do.

xoxo,


Evelyn just said to me "Stop worrying about what you wrote.  It's good, and you're not going to lost friends over it."  Hopefully that's true ;)

buzz buzz

Today was utter insanity.  It was the ordination and installation of Bishop Montforten, Steubenville's new bishop.  As a liturgy committee member, I was working it, so after Mass, I ran to get changed for the Mass, then I spent a couple hours setting up, and then I got to greet priests, bishops, and cardinals for 2 hours.  (There were 110 priests, 32 bishops, 2 cardinals, and 8-ish deacons here today!).  And then a 3 hour Mass, take-down and carry-back to the chapel, dinner as committee, and a little homework.  I've been on my feet all day and my brain all swimm-y. (Yes, that's a word.  At least, now it is.)

So pardon the fact that this post is anti-climactic.
love you all, and keep in touch while I'm here on the hill!
xoxo,

turned all 'round

It's so hard to believe that it's already been two weeks since school started, and three weeks since I arrived back on campus.  I honestly really love it here, and when I call Steubenville my "second home", I mean it 100%.

I have been blessed with some amazing friends who help me in so many ways.  Every time I'm having a bad day or a hard time with something, they're there.  They're definitely up there on my "most thankful for list".  (another list. yup.  I'm into lists.) 

I've gotta say, my perspectives on so many things have changed since this summer.  Not just perspectives, but habits and daily activities.  I drink a lot more water, I eat trail mix like it's going out of style, I have no qualms about doing dishes in the dorm bathroom sink, and if my cell phone goes out of service for an hour, I may not even notice.  I wake up a heck of a lot faster, and when I go to bed, I crash (2:30 am fire alarm? didn't phase me).  I value conversations with friends and correspondence with family more.  I find myself "dropping in" to the chapel at random times, and I lovelovelovelove adoration (I missed that this summer!)  I pray the divine office every morning and evening.  My views of dating, dorm "visitation hours", and kneeling to receive communion have all changed, whether slightly or drastically.  And oh, walking the hills across campus?  No biggie.

Still, it's hard to tell what all the ways I've changed are.  Is it possible to see all the fruits from an entire summer in just 4 short weeks after completing the journey?  I can wholeheartedly say that this summer changed me, yet I can't say exactly how.  I can just feel, sense, a change, for the better.  Even two of my friends said to me, "You're different!" "How?" I asked.  "We don't exactly know.  But you're different, and it's a really good kind of different."

As I move on from this summer, I'll look back often and see all the good that happened.  I'll even revisit those difficult days, because I know they helped form me.  Hopefully, I'll be able to see someday how Crossroads made me who I am today.

But for now, I'm just gonna trust that God will reveal it all, in His perfect timing.

Saturday's Silly Saying

Happy Birthday, Mama Mary!

This Silly Saying is from Dr. Martin, my Christology professor.  He's been talking about Mary and her connection to Christology.

"Mary could have said 'No'.  She could have said 'No, I want to be a stenographer' or 'I want to be a lady wrestler'".

This particular career choice for Mary made us all crack up.  The best thing about Dr. Martin is that his goal isn't to make us all laugh, yet we do anyway.  I have a funny feeling that you'll be seeing more Dr. Martin quotes in the future.

Have a lovely weekend, everyone!
xoxo,

truth

"You ask yourself: "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?"  Actually, who are you not to be?  You are a child of God."

xoxo,

the list o' dreams

I believe I mentioned a while ago that after my sister-in-law began posting some of the items on her "bucket list", I thought I may do the same.  And then I thought that it may be nice if I started to get a little more systematic with my blogging... if you've noticed, I've been trying to post every day (or as close to it as possible).  That's definitely intentional.  (One of my blogging friends posts every day without fail, and while it varies from funny to serious to just a little quote, I always look forward to reading what she's written.)  So here's my thought: continue my "Silly Saying Saturdays", post an addition to my "bucket list" once a week... and... I have a couple other thoughts. ;)

I've never actually liked the term "bucket list"... it seems so harsh and cold and uninviting.  So I came up with my "dream list"- those things I dream of doing before I die.  Some of them really are simply that- dreams.  Dreams that most likely won't happen.  But you never know, right?  Some of my dreams are silly, some are extremely serious, some are completed, or in process, or years from being started.  But I wanted to have a concrete list of some things that I wanted to accomplish in my life.

And so, I present you with.....(part of) Allison's Dream List.

~eat fried green tomatoes

~go canoeing

~learn to crochet

~have an audience with the Pope

~grow a rose garden

Do you have a list of things you'd like to accomplish in your life?

xoxo,

like birds upon the dawn arising

This last week has been a week of beauty.

Beauty comes from liturgy committee; those people who I am able to serve with, who all have our Lord as the center of their lives and love helping others worship Him in the Mass.

Beauty is seen in reading blogs.  Blogs that emanate God's love and joy.

Beauty is a multitude of conversations with friends: Robyn, who I've known since Kindergarten; Stasia, an amazing friend here at school; Evie, my ever-insightful roommate; Patrick, who I hadn't gotten to really have a discussion with in a long time; Josh, who's got amazing views of so many things; Mario, who is just fun to talk to and makes me smile.

Beauty is found in the women at Lord's Day, singing praise and worship and sharing their joys of the week with each other.

There is even beauty in swing dancing for 2 hours straight 'till you're sweating, and sloshing through rain that's so heavy that your umbrella does absolutely no good.

These are the weeks that I just have to laugh and think, God is just so present in our lives!

God is there in so many seemingly everyday activities- long late-night walks, dinners in the caf, classes, and homework readings.

I have been struck at the number of relevant articles and such that I've been seeing lately.  Relevant to my life, that is.  Things that I've been struggling with or questioning, I've just run across these things to read and have said "Ok, God, I get it.  I need to work on this.  Thanks."  And then I'll read it and 6 hours later (no, more like 2) he'll throw something else in front of me that I need to hear/read.  People say that God never interacts with us?  I challenge that.  I challenge it from the depths of my soul.

Go now.  Live out the beauty that's surrounding you.  Be aware of God's presence in the minute, seemingly insignificant moments of your life.  And share your joy with others.  For it is through others that we can truly know God's love.

xoxo,

Saturday's Silly Saying!

It's back!  I figured now that I'm back at school, I'll start doing these again. :)  This story's from the summer:

We were walking through a fairly flat area, in some state out west (they all blur together after a while).  I had just finished my shift, so I was riding in the support van and there were 2 people walking (It may have been Stephanie and Zechariah.... but I'm not quite positive.  If you guys read this, let me know who it was!)  We approached some construction and, as we were supposed to do, made sure with the workers that it was ok to walk through.  (usually it was ok as long as we walked on the other side)  This worker looks at us like we were completely out of our minds and says "Guys, we got 5 trucks and a water truck... you can't walk through here!"  Uh, so the water truck isn't a truck?  Or is it just so significant that it stands on its own?  We were a bit taken aback, to say the least, and then realized the hilarity of the situation.  So we drove through the construction (it was one of those where a pick-up had to escort you), made a u-turn, got escorted back through, made another u-turn, picked up the walkers, got escorted back through.... by the end we were all laughing uncontrollably.

Oh, the things that happen on Crossroads...!

busy weekend ahead.... I have oodles and tons of reading to do.  Only 3 encyclicals, a chapter in Psych, a handout, an entire design book (209 pages), and another book (like 200 pages).  And that's just for Monday and Tuesday!  There's a Festival of Praise (FOP), 2 Masses,  Lord's Day, and a returning minister's training on Sunday.  Ach, well, I'd rather be busy than bored!

xoxo,