Too close for comfort.

I was going to blog about my weekend with friends today but I'll have to do that later. I just found out about the shooting that happened at University of Central Arkansas. That campus is only about 2 hours away from me. Two people were killed and one wounded. So far the shooters have not been apprehended I am praying for the families and thanking God that none of my friends were involved. It's kind of scary to think of how close it is to me. I mean not only do I know people from that campus it's so close geographically as well! That just goes to show that it can happen anywhere to anyone. Just remember to keep this tragedy in your prayers.

Help I can't decide!!!!!

I have the opportunity to do two field studies next semester. One is to Washington D.C. the other is to London. I went to Scotland last year and it was a blast. The D.C. trip is much cheaper than overseas so I'm leaning that way. I would love to do both but I don't think I can get that kind of money. Anyway Vote in my poll and help me decide!!

Are we taking it for granted?

I was sitting in class a couple of hours ago and we were watching the murder trial of OJ simpson for my Mock Trial class. One of the witnesses made a statement that OJ was going through something that could be compared to the trials of Job. I thought it was a rather extreme comparison but whatever right? Well as the witness says this one of the girls on my class speaks up and says "Who's Job"? I was thinking to myself seriously? I said You don't know who Job is from the Bible?? She tells me she's never heard of him and that she's really never even read the Bible! I was amazed. I'm going to school in the Bible belt and yet there are people who actually dont know who basic Bible characters are. It got me to thinking that we really take for granted things like knowing the Bible and this precious truth. I am so blessed to have the word of God embedded into my heart forever. Thanks to programs like Bible Quizzing and sunday school teachers I know and love God's word. I may not always follow it like I should and I may mess up from time to time but I still have that knowledge and that love for truth! I don't ever want to take something so precious for granted!!!

Homecoming at UAM

Today was homecoming in case you couldn't figure that out from my blog's title! We began the day by making T-shirts in Royer hall. I'm posting some of the pictures! We have some really creative girls living here. Then came my favorite part TAILGATING!!! Since UAM is an alcohol free campus tailgating is actually fun and safe to go to! You walk around to all the different organizations tailgate tables and you sample all their yummy food. We had everything from Ribs to baked beans to hamburgers and cookies and chicken and mmmm it was so good. I was on duty today so I tried to stay close to the dorms meaning I didn't watch the walk of champions but it's the same at EVERY home game so I really didn't miss much. Then I went across the street to the football field for the crowning ceremony. My boss was a homecoming maid so I had to be there to watch her walk across the field. I left before the game started so I could get a few things done in Royer but I went back during the fourth quarter. I was glad I did because that's when the cool stuff happened. Now honestly I don't know a single thing about football. In fact the last game I went to my friends laughed at me because well. . . .I asked what a firstdown was!!! Now that I've gone to a few games though I semi-grasp the concept of football. . . sort of. Anyway I was way excited because the weevils won!!!!! The score was 27-14.

All in all today was a pretty stinkin awesome day. Now I'm sitting downstairs on desk duty until midnight when visitation hours end!

Here are a few pictures for your enjoyment.

ME!!!!!!!

My Shirt!!! It had homecoming 2008 on the front in Green and black.

Some of my residents decorating shirts.

Alex VP of RHA and one of my dear friends.

THE WEEVIL OUR MASCOT!!!!

Becca Routt one of my best RA's!!! She planned and directed the entire T-shirt event today.

My plate is getting a little full. . . .

Have you ever been walking through a food line at say thanks giving or a big potluck at church?What is it that always seems to happen?

We get about halfway through the line and there is still all this great food to be had and OUR PLATE IS FULL!!!!!!

I feel like that right now.

I'm currently taking 18 hours of wonderful classes.

I work as the head R.A. in Royer hall

I work as a student worker in the music building 15 hours a week.

I am the President of the residence hall association.

I try to find to time to work on drama and sign language for church.

We have church three days a week though I only get to go twice because of the wicked night class.

within my classes I'm currently writing a large paper and working on two oral presentations.

In RHA I'm attempting to put together a haunted house IN TWO WEEKS.

I have to put on programs in the dorms as often as humanly possible.

And my debate friends wonder why I'm not on the debate team????

I feel like I'm standing in the middle of the food line looking at all the wonderful food ahead of me. I can't put anything on my plate back because that would be rude! I certainly can't add anything else or my plate might collapse.

What to do what to do?

I always forget that there is always next year! It's like at Thanksgiving I know we're going to eat again in a couple of hours but I WANT IT ALL NOW!!!

Needless to say I'm feeling overwhelmed.

So why in the world am I on blogger?

Love y'all

Yvonne

The blog of a procrastinator. . . .

You all thought I wrote in this blog because I truly have something to say when in reality I write in it as yet another way to PROCRASTINATE! I'm suppose to be writing a paper AND studying for a test but instead I find myself browsing my favorite blogs and playing around on facebook. So when I fail my test on Tuesday and turn my paper in late I'm going to blame it on the Internet. Somehow I don't think that is going to fly with my professors. What do you think?

Random note: I just learned something new. According to spell checker Internet should be capitalized.

Kayla Pack

I've been writing about a girl named Kayla Pack that needed our prayers. It is with a heavy heart that I write and tell you that she passed away on October 9th at around 4:30 pm. Her family desperatly needs our prayers now as they mourn the loss of an amazing young lady. I didn't know her very well but it is obvious that she had great influence on those around her. Kayla was engaged to my brother-in-law's nephew. Jareds heart is breaking right now so please keep him in prayer as well. As her future father-in-law put it in his note to us our loss is heavens gain.

Home sweet Home

I FINALLY got home late last night!! I've been stranded in Linn MO for the past 5 days! I never thought I would be so excited about sleeping on a green plastic matress in a square dorm room but I was excited about it last night!! And today I was so happy to get to go to all my classes!!!!! I love going to a small school where all my professors know me by name and actually worry about me when I dont show up for class. I was sitting in stats today and my State government professor who is also my advisor saw me and stuck his head in the door just to say hi to me and make sure I was ok. I love that! That is one thing I am not going to like about moving to a bigger school when I go to Grad school. Although the nice thing about Grad school is you work really closely with your supervisors. Anyway I'm rambling so I'll stop now I'm just so glad to be home!!!

Please continue to pray for Kayla Pack. If you don't know her situation she is engaged to Jared Doran who is related to me by marriage. Jared is a dear friend and I love his fiance. Kayla collapsed on Sunday morning and quit breathing. It was because of blood clots in her lungs. She stopped breathing three times and this caused a lack of oxygen to the brain which has caused brain damage. The Doctors aren't giving the family a lot of hope for her recovery but we are all believing God for a miracle. When you pray just remember to say a prayer for her and her family as well as for Jared.

I know that sometimes it's easier to pray for someone if you have a face to go along with the name so here is a picture of Jared and Kayla.

Love you guys!!!

Yvonne

God is working

The other day I told you about a girl that was in the hospital and not doing very well. On Sunday night the report was grim and it looked like Kayla might die. The doctors were concerned that there was massive brain damage. However many many people banded together and began to pray. Thanks to things such as Everyone's Apostolic and facebook and blogger and text messaging thousands pf people have been praying for Kayla Pack. I am happy to report that she is in fact showing signs of improvement! There are still concerns and we dont know how much brain damage she has but I do know this my God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we could ask or think! If you have EA and are friends with Bro. Don Doran you can read an update about Kayla there. We are still believing God for a miracle and it is obvious that God is working!

Karynn and I are still in MO but the car is actually being worked on now!! I should be getting back into AR someitme late tonight.

Love you all

Yvonne

The Waiting Game. . .

I went to MO this weekend for a dear friends wedding. The wedding was lovely and all seemed to be going well. However my car decided it wanted to be a pain and it doesn't want to get me home! So now I am stuck in MO until Monday when I can get it fixed. Thanks to my mom I have the part to fix it and just have to wait until someone can put it on for me. Then today my niece who is with me got a text from her cousin Jared. Jared's fiance is in dire need of prayer she was rushed to the hospital because she stopped breathing and was having convulsions. We have found out that it was caused by a blood clot. Her name is Kayla Pack. I have only met her a few times but she is precious and we all consider her family already. Please pray for her and her family as well as for Jared as he needs strength in this rough time.

Needless to say at this point my niece and I are just playing the waiting game. There is nothing we can do in either situation but pray and wait. Thank God for internet!

God bless you all and thank you for your prayers.

Yvonne

Communication skills are going bye-bye!

I am convinced that by the time the next generation rolls around our children will not learn how to carry on a face to face conversation. I am so sick of people who will not pick up the phone and call me! Instead they waste my text messages which are NOT unlimted as they attempt to have a full blown conversation with me! I have asked my friends nicely to PLEASE call me when they have a question but do they do that? NOOOO. The other day I get a message on facebook from a friend that says hey I'm going to get dinner do you want anything. I said sure where are you going? She says let me get off the phone then I'll call you. Five minutes later. . . .I GET A TEXT MESSAGE!!!! I'm like what happened to calling me? I dont understand it! I have had people just stop talking to me because I asked them not to text me anymore. They tell me they don't know what to say on the phone. I'm like wow you're in your 20's and you can't carry on a decent conversation? That my friends is sad. It is becoming more and more common for the latest disasters in the lives of teenagers to take place via text messaging. It's the same in college. We are supposedly adults in college right? Well the other day this one chicks boyfriend broke up with her VIA TEXT MESSAGE!!! That is so chicken! Not only are our young people lacking conversational skills, hiding behind electronic communication has made them afraid of conflict. No one wants to say anything to a persons face. Personal story. . . .I got dumped ON MYSPACE!!! I seriously think that text messaging needs to be strictly limited when it comes to young people. Their cell phones shouldn't even have text messaging until they hit high school or college in my personal opinion. And I think EVERYONE should be required to take classes like interpersonal communications and possibly even argumentation and debate. It's very sad that we are living in the communication age but yet we can't have a decent conversation unless we are using instant messenger or text messaging.

Child hood games. . .Tag you're it!!!

I feel special I got tagged by TWO people!!!! The lovely Carissa and my favorite Aunt Jolene!!!
So I don't normally do these things but hey why not!
Here are six unspectacular things about me:

1. I think that the color pink is over rated
2. I secretly want to run over people who walk in front of my car on campus
3. I enjoy taking pictures of myself with my digital camera.
4. I want to focus on International relations and possibly terrorism in Grad school
5. Cristie may be perfect but I'm still mom's favorite!
6. I'm a night owl that suffers from Insomnia.


Meme terms & conditions
1. link the person who tagged you
2. mention the rules on your blog
3. list 6 unspectacular things about you
4. tag 6 other bloggers

I tag Jerald, Ashley, Chandra, and Tyler, and I don't know enough people for this LOL.

Irritated

I'm the head R.A. in Royer Hall. I absolutely love my job. However one of my R.A.'s recently told someone that I don't "assert authority" I replied that I do I just do it in a nice way. Tonight I was dealing with a situation in the dorms that was going to require me to leave campus. The RA on duty asked if she needed to go and I said no please stay here you are on duty and public safety will call you not me should something happen that needs our attention. Ok she says then goes over my head to my boss and asks if she can go anyway. By the way this is the RA that says I don't assert authority. Anyway in one way it's a good thing because I can go to bed but in another way I'm just irritated that people do that to me. It's really frustrating to try and do my job when the people I work with wont take me seriously. Maybe I'm too nice? Anyway I'm done ranting now and I'm off to get a few hours of sleep.

A Candidate that has a heart. . .Bet you didn't see this on the News.

I was reading through my e-mails and I got the following from my sister. It is a transcript of a phone call between Rush Limbaugh and a caller on his radio show. I found it very touching and it proves to me once again that the McCain-Palin Ticket is the way to go this November.



Family with Down Syndrome Child Meets John McCain and Sarah Palin



September 9, 2008



BEGIN TRANSCRIPT (from Rush Limbaugh Show)
RUSH: Kurt in Pittsburgh, hello, sir. Nice to have you on the EIB Network, and how about the Steelers defense?
CALLER: How about those Steelers, huh?
RUSH: How about that?
CALLER: Hey, listen, Rush, longtime listener, first-time caller, one of those Bible, family, gun clingers from western Pennsylvania.
RUSH: Thank you.
CALLER: And I wanted to share a story with you. A week ago last Saturday we went to the Palin-McCain rally in Washington, Pennsylvania, was the day after he announced her, and we have a five-year-old daughter with Down syndrome, and we made a sign that said: 'We Love Kids with Down Syndrome.' So when they pulled in in their bus the sign did catch their, McCain and Palin and the rest of their family, it caught their eye, we could tell, they gave us a thumbs-up from the bus, so we were all excited just by that --
RUSH: Wait, wait, wait. Who gave you the thumbs up, McCain and Palin?
CALLER: McCain, Palin, Cindy McCain, we could see them from the bus. We were in a position where we had eye contact with them --
RUSH: Oh, cool!
CALLER: My wife was holding our daughter.
RUSH: Very, very, very cool.
CALLER: It was really cool, Rush. I was like, 'Wow, that's awesome,' because I love Governor Palin and so I thought that's really neat. So then we moved around as the bus was getting ready to pull out, we kind of positioned ourselves so we could just wave them on and a Secret Service agent came up to us and said, 'Hey, can you come with us?' I was like, 'Do we have a choice?'
RUSH: (laughing) You shouldn't have worried. It's not the Clinton administration.
CALLER: Right. So we accompanied them up the hill, we went right to the bus, where it was, and Governor Palin, Senator McCain, Cindy, Todd Palin, they're all standing there. We're in this inner circle with just us and them, and the Secret Service agent, and they came right up to us and thanked us for coming out, said they loved our sign, and Governor Palin immediately said, 'May I hold your daughter?' and our daughter Chloe, who's five, went right to her, and I have some pictures I'd love to send you maybe when I'm done here, but Governor Palin was hugging Chloe, and then her little daughter brought their baby Trig who has Down syndrome from the bus, he was napping, and Chloe went right over and kissed him on the cheek, and my son Nolan who's nine, he thanked her.
RUSH: This is amazing.
CALLER: I will send you all the stuff, Senator McCain was talking to my son, and we thanked him for his service, and he asked my son if he wanted to see the bus, and we were hanging out and it was very surreal. I felt like we could have had a pizza and a beer with them, they were so warm.
RUSH: You know what? I want to put you on hold. I want Snerdley to give you our super-secret, known-only-to-three-people here, e-mail address.
CALLER: I will send you everything, Rush.
RUSH: And then could you send us these pictures? Would you mind if we put them on the website?
CALLER: I would be honored, and my main thing is they are warm, kind, genuine people, and they represent the best of this country.
RUSH: That's right. And when you send these pictures, make sure you identify them. I mean, we'll know Palin and McCain, of course. Identify yourselves.
CALLER: I will, I will identify everybody in the picture, Rush, and God bless you for being a beacon of hope and truth in this country.
RUSH: Oh, no, no. It's nothing, it's nothing. You're doing the Lord's work.
CALLER: Well, we're very blessed and I want people to know what a blessing it is to have a child with Down syndrome. These kids, they're angels.
RUSH: That's the thing. There's always good to be found in everything that happens. It may be a while before it reveals itself.
CALLER: Absolutely.
RUSH: Right, and when she hugged my daughter I said, here's the difference, this candidate embraces life and all its limitless possibilities.
RUSH: All right.
CALLER: That's what she is.
RUSH: Terrific, okay, I gotta run here, but I'm going to put you on hold.
CALLER: Thank you, Rush.
RUSH: Thank you, Kurt. I really appreciate it.
END TRANSCRIPT








Here are the pictures included with the e-mail

NOTE: There appears to be a typo in the transcript that had a few people doubting the legitimacy of this story. However the following link is the actual story run on the Rush Limbaugh website. In the story are links to local stories that ran about this as well.

A few things. . .

First of all everyone needs to link this blog. Paper Tutor It looks like an awesome idea from my friend Chandra!

Secondly If you live in Monticello come join us in Royer Hall at UAM on Friday night for our Debate Watch Party! We will be watching the first presidential debate between John McCain and Barack Obama!

Ok I'm done now.

Two posts in one day!! Sorry I have to share this with you.

So I was playing around with my computer and I discovered a very awesome feature of Windows Live Messenger!!! You can add a chat window to your blog with it!! Now anytime you read my blog you can look over to the right of the post and find out if I am online or not. If I am say hi!!! (I'm online allll the time lol). You don't even have to have a messenger account to chat with me. It takes a second to begin a conversation. You have to do the whole type the letters you see in this box thing. Then it will ask for an ID don't worry about that just click send anonymous message at the bottom of the list. Then You will have the option of putting in your name. Please do this that way I know who I'm talking to!!! Unless of course you want to be mysterious then by all means dont put your name!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway I just thought that was a really cool feature have fun with it!

A majority = 50 + 1 !!!!!!

So I keep hearing everyone talk about how much farther ahead Obama is in the presidential race and I dont get it! To win the presidency you need a simple majority. A smiple majority is always equal to 50% plus one more vote. Just a note for all of you who think that Obama is soooo far ahead of McCain. Only twice in all the VALID (Gallop or Rasmusssen) polling done between the two candidates has Obama managed to reach 50% and NEVER has he topped 50% ! So I say to the democrats don't count your chickens before they hatch!!!

Why protest the post?

As I was browsing blogs today I came across a good friends blog. She had linked to a website called Protest the Post. I understand the feelings of anger that many Christians are going through I just wish that people would realize that because we are in America with all our freedoms of speech, religion, and the PRESS we need to realize that things are going to be said and done that we don't like! It's one of the downsides to having so many freedoms!!! I posted a comment on the blog of Protest the post in which I reminded them that we aren't gauranteed freedom from being made fun of. Well here. . .I'll just paste a copy of my comment into this post.

Bryan I appreciate what you are trying do. You are practicing your constitutional right to protest something. It's in the bill of rights we like to call it freedom of speech. I myself am a pentecostal Christian so I found the part about Gov. Palin to be distasteful. The part that repulsed me was the fact that they put a curse word into the mouth of God. HOWEVER something that we often forget is that the same first ammendment that grants us freedom of speech also grants us freedom of the press. As ugly as it may seem the washington post had every right to post the cartoon.

Also in your blog you state the Washington post wouldn't run the cartoon about the muslims. However in that you are incorrect. I read the story in the link that you provided and here is a direct quote from that story.

"The installment did not appear in the Post's print version, but it ran on WashingtonPost.com and Salon.com. The same will hold true for the upcoming Sept. 2 strip, which is a continuation of the plotline."

It ran just like the one about governor Palin ran.

There are really no laws against poking fun at anothers religion unfortunately. The first amendment simply states that Congress shall make no law to probit the free exercise of religion nor can they establish an official national religion.

Again I myself found the cartoon offensive. I just think that Christians need to grow some thick skin and perhaps turn the other cheek.


And that was my incredibly long comment to Protestthepost.com As I stated above our "freedom of religion" doesn't grant us protection from being ridiculed or made fun of. All the bill of rights is, is a limiter on the power of Congress not other people!

Americans have this view that the Bill of Rights protects them from other people when really it doesn't. It's all about power and limiting the power of the federal government. The Constitution wasn't written because the founding fathers thought Americans were just so darn special. . .It was written to prevent certain things from happening. It was founded on the basic principle that the central government shouldn't be all powerful. It was written in such a way to prevent one person or faction getting from too much power. That is all the constitution is about is power. It wasn't that the founding fathers thought that God wanted us to have these basic rights and freedoms because we are such an incredibly awesome country it was a means to dole out power and that my friends is all politics is. Politics under one definition is the process of deciding who gets what, when and how. The majority of the power went to the states not the federal government and the people felt that a bill of rights was needed to further limit the federal or central government.

My whole point is this: How can we scream and holler about our right to religious freedom and then protest the fact that the washington post is simply practicing thier constitutional freedoms? As my title asks: Why protest the post? Protest abortions or the death penalty or even a presidential candidate but not someone who is practicing their constitutional rights.

Anyway that is my humble opinion and I can certainly understand anyone who wishes to protest what the Washington Post has done.

Devils Advocate

I am a debater at heart. I love to sit down and discuss a topic by looking at both sides. Lately I've found myself playing the "devils advocate" more often than not. That for me means I am arguing for a cause that I may not actually support. For instance Barack Obama. Everyone knows how much I can't stand him but yet I'll often argue some of his beliefs as being valid. I do it for many reasons. One I think it's a lot of fun! Two I think in order to fully understand something you must look at it from all sides and positions. You can't simply say I don't support this person or that issue without knowing why. If you know why it might possibly be a good thing you're argument for it being a bad thing will be much stronger. The reverse can also be true. I simply want you to know that over the next month I may be playing devils advocate on many political and religious issues but please don't' take that as my viewpoint on the issues. I think that it is so important to look at something from all sides and not be too closed minded about things. So anyway that is my explanation for the posts that will follow.

Love you guys!!!

College Professors are of the devil!!!!!

Dr. Craig Greathouse a poliical Scientist that formerly taught at UAM had a T-shirt that said something like this.

Knowledge is Power. Power Corrupts. Study Hard. BE EVIL!!!

That ladies and gentlemen is the basic belief of ANY political science professor!

I'm taking Arkansas state Government with Chris Wright this semester. He's a pretty great professor however today I have decided that HE is the root of all evil. In class last week he announces a test and ALL of us say please dont do multiple choice we all HATE multiple choice tests. As odd as it sounds we would all much rather write a paragraph answer than to fill in a little bubble and HOPE we picked the right one. So he tells us to bring a scantron AND a blue book and we'll have kind of a mixed test. Ok I can live with that. So we walk into class today with our blue books and scantrons all ready to take this test and wow him with our writing and critical thinking capabilities and what does he do?? He hands us a stinking ALLL multiple choice exam! Needless to say we all threw daggers at him with our eyes as we filled in our little bubbles.