Cinnamon Dolce Latte

The lady at Starbucks recommended it last night and I'm totally digging it. This is my second Cinnamon Dolce Latte within the past 24 hours. They were both delicious.

Time for a list: Things I Remember

1.  When I was 11ish, my dad came home from work with new videos for Charlie, Cat, and I. It turns out they were pirated and very crappy copies. I've always been angry with the guy who sold them and feel like I owe my dad the 30 bucks he paid so that us kids would be happy. I hate when people mess with my dad. He does so much and needs to be appreciated for his generosity instead of taken advantage of.

2. The Summer of 2003 I went to The Great Escape [summer camp]. Katie and I attempted to do cartwheels in the middle of the rain. It rained a lot that week, but playing in the rain was a highlight of camp. Oh, and Katie and I still can't do cartwheels.

3. While on Tour in July of 2007, Kimmy and I wrote Jen notes saying that she was the worst A.D. ever. We proceeded to write about 5 other notes asking for forgiveness for our unkind words by playing the "Jesus says to forgive" card.

4. When I was little, my dad would let me fill a small coffee creamer container with coffee from his cup. I've been hooked on the stuff ever since :] 

5. Corinne and I performed a skit in... let's see.... man, I don't even remember the year. But our skit was "CIB: Christians in Black". "Here come the Christians in Black, Jesus Christ defenders". 

6. I forced Meredith to break up with her boyfriend, Nick. And by forced, I mean, she was on the phone and I kept yelling "Break up with him". The next sentence from him was "You want to break up with me?" Ohhh it was definitely for the best.

7. Charlie and I were home alone. I was in my bedroom and all of a sudden, I heard loud banging and Charlie screaming. I opened my door to see Charlie sitting outside of my room holding a stick and a box, pretending to get beaten.

8. Yeeeearrrsss ago, my mom and I had a girls night out and went to the mall and picked out jewelry. I got a Y necklace. Fun day!

9. Katie, Emily, and I made the BESTTTTT chicken fajitas I've ever tasted. I then attempted to make Chai tea lattes, but the steamer went a bit berserk.

10. I was in the best shape during my sophomore year of high school. Right before I started working and while CHS had yoga fridays. Maybe I need to take up yoga again... :]

I've had some good times.

Also. T-minus 25 minutes until this psychology class is finally over for the session. It is about time!

Peace and Love.

Pictures of the Day:

See above.

Beauty.

"He must have looked up at an unfamiliar sky through frightening leaves and shivered as he found what a grotesque thing a rose is and how raw the sunlight was upon the scarcely created grass. A new world, material without being real, where poor ghosts, breathing dreams like air, drifted fortuitously about... like that ashen, fantastic figure gliding towards him through the amorphous trees" -The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald, page 103

Jenny has inspired me :]. I remembered how much I appreciate The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald's writing is absolutely stunning. It's beautiful. I need to start reading some of his other stuff... when I find time lol.

Today was, well, interesting :].

We had our first frisbee games today. We uh... didn't exactly dominate like I had expected. We lost our first game... well, the scores aren't important :]. We lost, by a lot, but never got shut out. Next time we will strategize and hopefully actually win. Despite our losses, I had a blast. I love ultimate frisbee!

Tomorrow should be a nice day :]. I've included a lot of smileys in this post.

:]!

Picture of the Day: We Write Mean Notes to our Assistant Director

A quick word.

With a crazy night running to visit my friend at the ER, staying with her a bit, waking up with a buttload of work that by the end of the day still didn't get done, somehow, today has been soothing.

My bedroom usually isn't my place to rest and study. If you know anything about me, one thing is I am almost never in my bedroom. I always do my homework in the living room or hallway. However, today my room was tranquil and soothing. It smells like lilacs and I have pandora tuned in to Hillsong music. Today has been a beautiful day, in some way I really can't explain.

Something I've been trying to figure out lately is whether I am understanding God correctly. I think I am. I really really hope I am. It would be great if I heard Him right. It's like this: God's like, "Christen, wait. Wait for my time so you can have this gift. Yes, that. It'll come, but you need to wait and you need to trust me and concentrate on a relationship with me before you get to this other thing." I'm not going to go in to specifics, but lately I've been getting slightly anxious. When I think about it, I really don't have to wait too long, but if God's saying what I think He's saying, then I am one excited girl! I need to trust!

Also, LOVE this:

"God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect" [Hebrews 11:40, NIV]

Picture of the Day: Gotta Love 'Em!

Well.

I was angry before. But I've realized my immaturity and unChristian behavior and have cooled down.

Picture of the Day: Cat is in love with the 80s

Umbrellas.

today was rainy. i walked from the student center to robertson hall and noticed all the people with umbrellas. they're so funny looking, umbrellas. it's entertaining to watch people as they walk and the umbrella just bobs up and down. you can't see the person's face, because the colored umbrella covers their face. this has been today's observation. :].

i'm not using capitalization in this post. fyi.

so i got the frisbee league schedule in today. i'm the team captain. my team is playing this saturday at 11 a.m. come watch us dominatee! i am so stoked. i need my frisbee time. :]

yesterday i went to bible study with pastor cheri at starbucks. we read luke 24. here's what really stuck out to me. i encourage you to read verses 13-32, if not the whole chapter. 

"when [jesus] was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight." luke 24:30-31

if you read from verse 13, you will see that jesus walked with the disciples all day, but it took until the breaking of the bread to recognize that jesus actual sat among them. i wonder, have i missed an opportunity to hear god's voice? has jesus been speaking and i am too busy and focused on worldly things that i missed his words? if the disciples, the men who seemed to know jesus best, didn't realize that the lord was sitting right in front of them, how will i, only knowing christ through faith, be able to hear his words?

i need to be observant. i need to shut up and start listening. my prayers have been full of "god, help me with this, heal this person, be with so and so, thank you for this" etc, etc. maybe i need to stop talking and let god say what he needs to say.

picture of the day: i miss this

Talkin' bout the Bobbys and the Billys out there... with they tight pants on.

Ohhhhh. Five Iron Frenzy :].

My life is crazy. For real. Like, I need to find myself some free time. And thank you Professor Cunningham, thank you for taking away the onnnnee free day of my week. Thank you for assigning the 5 page biography due on my day off. You're the best.

Lol. Okay. I'm so ADD today. I talked to my mom on the phone this morning and jumped from topic to topic to topic. Speaking of my mom, my parents will be visiting in 11 days! I'm really excited :].

Random Thoughts...

I need to get to the gym. I don't care if it's late.

Junk food and I need to end our relationship.

I'm wearing boys pajama pants right now. They are green with navy moose on them.

I know that God is calling me to wait. I've always had trouble being patient, but this has been so hard. Lord, help me to say strong.

"Ayyyyyyyyeee! I love my pantelones! They fit me oh so tight! They make me smile with delight!"

I miss Katie, Meredith, and Emily

I have a lot of things to edit this week.

Please pray that God will inspire me to write a song. I'm just waiting for the right words to sing.

"Carried to the Table" is an awesome song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pum11nM5MrU

I hope I heard You correctly...

Really, I'm leaving for the gym now.

Picture of the Day: Cinnamon!!

Water. Five. Chocolate. Personal Space. Distortion.

Once upon a time, Christen woke at 8:25 a.m. to find out that her bathroom flooded.

Yeah. What a great wake up call. Somehow while I was asleep the toilet clogged and water poured all over the bathroom floor. Liv and I had to sop up all this water, my bathroom rugs are soooakkkeeddd.

Way to start the day. Happy Valentine's Day, Christen here's a bathroom you get to clean.

My day did get brighter though! I ran 5 miles today! Without stopping. For the first time. I had so much energy. I made my roommate Emily promise not to let me get off the treadmill until I ran all five.

I definitely needed the calorie burn, because I ate sooooo much freaking chocolate and Valentine's Day candy. I can't even tell you how many calories I consumed. Oh, and plennntttyyy of animal crackers too. Oh my.

I gained strength in my values and boundaries today. I have a personal bubble and need to stay true to myself. Yay for staying strong!

The Notebook. Seriously? I have a love-hate relationship with chick flicks. I have never met a guy who treats a girl like that. I think a guy needs to be thoughtful, but is The Notebook a true representation of a romantic man? Or is the film over-exaggerated to fulfill a single girl's fantasy of a dream relationship? I can't help but get angry at these kind of films. Haha. Though I admit, I was definitely crying at the end. Romantic old people are so cute.

An interesting day, for sure.

Picture of the day: Growing Old Together

I'm in the mood to write.

There are some days were I just get this urge to write. I'm tired. I know I need sleep. I know I need to wake up early. But I want to write something. 

Last night I read Hebrew 11. I love this chapter because of its emphasis on faith. Sometimes I think that my life sucks, or that I could list 100 reasons why it's hard for me to remain faithful to the Lord. However, when I read this I get a reality check and realize that I'm acting like a sissy. Paul talks about all these Old Testament figures who persevered and followed God's lead, as unpromising the consequences seemed. Look at Noah; people must have thought he was crraazzzyyy. I mean really, if someone came up to you and said "Hey, listen, I'm building this ark because the whole earth is going to be washed away in a massive flood and God told me it's my duty to preserve the animals and mankind", you would have thought they had some sort of mental illness. But Noah remained faithful and trusted God's plan for his life and look where it got him!

Biblical figures had it so much rougher:

 "I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies." [Hebrews 11:32-34, NIV]

I need to place my trust completely in God. I need to remain faithful when I have a bad day, a low self-esteem, an overwhelming homework load, or a sick day. My petty issues are getting in the way of following Christ wholeheartedly.  I need to strengthen my faith and count on the Lord to get me through each day rather than rely on my own strength.

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." [Hebrews 11:6, NIV]

Thanks for reading!

Picture of the Day: My "Sisters"

The Season of Trees.

Last year I would call the Season of Parks, due to the large amount of time spent in the terrain park. But this season, Charlie and I shred up the trees. The glade trails in Vermont were beautiful. Lots of powder, no wind, peace and quiet. It was so tranquil. I miss it.

Yesterday was so cold. It was 15 degrees outside. After riding down an open trail, my face would be numb, my eyes would be tearing, and my fleece neck warmer would be frozen stiff.  It was great :].

I flew home last night and was stuck in Philadelphia for about two hours longer than I had planned. My plane was delayed, but I got back safe and sound. Now I'm editing all this footage together from the weekend. Some of this stuff is hilarious. I'll post a link when it's all finished :].

Today will be full of classes, but hopefully I'll be able to make it to the beach tonight! 

Peace!

Picture of the Day: Child with Tiger Helmet

Shakedown

Ohhh man.

Snowboarding. Sighhhhhh :]. I love it. I've been riding with Charlie basically the whole time, which has been nice. Everyone else is learning to ride, so my bro and I have been shredding up Mt. Madonna and Mt. Sterling, the more difficult mountains.

Yesterday we went on the glade trail that my car is named after, Doc Dempseys. We also hit up these reallyyyy nice glades, "Shakedown". SO NICE. I love riding in trees.

The terrain park here is pretty sweet. There are some good hits and jibs. All the jibs have gaps, which I haven't done before... until now. I've been enjoying myself!

Check my facebook to see a vid from the trip. I hope to upload it later.

Peaceeee.

Picture of the Day: Pure Beauty

I am very sneaky.

Today I surprised my mom by flying up to Vermont to meet her and the rest of my family for her birthday weekend. It was a little secret between me and my dad :]. My mother cried. She was completely shocked. I'm so glad to be chilling [literally, it's freeezing!] with my family. 

Tomorrow means snowboarding. I'm so freaking stoked! 

Here are some goals I wish to accomplish this weekend:

-Nail the 3

-Nail buttering

-Board my heart out.

-Get my homework done... :[

Oh, before I jet, I want to mention the Bible study/small group from last night. I'm really excited for what God has planned. So far we've got a cool group of people who want to dig deeper into Scripture and fellowship with God. I'm anxious to see what's in store for the group!

K. Peaceeeeee.

Pictures:

Tears of Joy

Dandelions

"I am floating away lost in a silent ballet"

Owl City is so cool. Check them out on myspace.

I wish I didn't have to write an emo post, but if I'm writing about my life and the happenings within it, then I guess it's inevitable. 

Eric dislocated his shoulder. Man that sucks! I feel so bad. I talked with Katie last night and we both want to be home. I hate when crap happens in Jersey and I can't be there for support. God has a reason for keeping me in Virginia and Katie in Massachusetts, so I need to find hope in His ultimate plan.

I came across Psalm 86 like, two weeks ago and I really just need to follow it. I especially like verses 11-12...

 

"Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever"

I realize that I need to be giving more time to God. I've been spreading myself too thin and haven't been really dedicated to my walk with Christ. I can't expect God to work and fix things if I'm not putting effort into our relationship. That's what I've really been thinking about lately. 

How can I make my relationships real, honest, and God-centered?

Picture of the Day: Riders, Friends, Brothers and Sisters in Christ

I'm in class.

Tyler is sitting in front of me. He's got this really nice lime green shirt on. The boy's got style.

Let's see how many things Christen has to do today...

Today is busy.

Tomorrow is busy.

I don't think there will be a time this semester when I won't be busy.

Today's been a lot of work. I'm finishing up my RUC office hours as we speak. And I've got a buttload to do when  I get home. 

BUT!

There is a light at the end of the tunnel. I'm going to the beach tonight. 

It won't be until like, 11 p.m. but my lovely roommate Olivia and I are planning to go.

Which means I will have to park in the Comm lot tonight, but it will be worth it.

The beach is definitely one of my ways to de-stress. I'm so glad I chose a college close to the ocean. I don't think I could have lived without the sand, seagulls, warm waves, and cool breeze. :]

With all this stress and busyness, I can't help but miss my family. I don't know when  I will get to see them next, but this picture will keep me going until I see them :]

Be blessed,

Christen

Picture of the Day: Never a Dull Moment

First Post.

What up, what up?

This blog is inspired by Miss Jenny Robertson.

So real quick. 15 things about me:

1. I'm basically really obsessed with snowboarding :].

2. My brother is my best friend.

3. I'm a Christian and am living my life for Christ.

4. I like making list of things, like "about me" lists.

5. My favorite animal is the elephant.

6. My favorite color is red.

7. I'm a college student majoring in Cinema Television.

8. I like playing with matches.

9. I play the piano.

10. I'm scared of butterflies and fish, but I'm okay with eating seafood.

11. I have a passion for worship music.

12. I'm a beast at ultimate frisbee.

13. I'd rather be a leader than a follower.

14. I'm from New Jersey, so I don't pump gas. 

15. My family is super tight

I'm watching House right now. It's bringing my back to my freshman year of high school when I was in love with Jesse Spencer. :]

Enjoy your week, thanks for reading.

Peace,

Christen