Monday, November 21, 2011

My Friends are Everything

Since Thanksgiving is coming up, I've really been thinking about what I'm most thankful for. The answer is simple: my friends. My friends mean the world to me and have brought me through times I couldn't get through on my own. I have made so many new friends this year; it's amazing to me. The strongest bonds I've ever had with a person were made in such short time that I don't know how we did it. God has blessed me with the best family of friends I could ever hope to have, and I know they'll always be there for me and love me no matter what I get into. This year has been amazing so far, and it's my friends that made it that way. They're helping me through the hardest time of my life, and I can never thank them enough. I'm so grateful God has put these people in my life. I love every single one of them more than I can ever hope to express.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Finally! An Idea!

I finally have an idea of what I want to do as a career. Today was career day at my school, and we had guest speakers from many professions to come and talk to us about the jobs they have. The sessions I attended were social work/psychotherapy, performing arts, ER medicine, and music. The session I enjoyed most was the social work/psychotherapy. The speaker was very smart and interesting, and that's the career I'm most interested in. She talked about working in mental facilities and how her patients were the funniest and most interesting people she's ever met. I had never heard that point of view on mental patients before, and it struck me today that this is a career I would really enjoy. She had such a passion and love for the mentally ill that it has really inspired me to get involved in this career choice.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Portia's Monologue: My English Project

My English class just finished the reading play Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare. It is the story of Roman men who decide to kill their new king because they think his power will go his head and he will destroy Rome. We had to do a project at the end of the unit, and I chose to perform a monologue spoken by the protagonist's wife, Portia. In the monologue, she is begging her husband, Brutus, to tell her why he's been so anxious lately. She doesn't know it's because he's about to betray his best friend, Caesar. It's a very powerful monologue, and even though I did not perform it well in class at all, it is very moving onstage.




You have ungently, Brutus,
stole from my bed, and yesternight at supper
you suddenly arose and walked about
musing and sighing with arms across
and when I asked you what the matter was
you stared upon me with ungentle looks
I urged you further, then you scratched your head
and too impatiently stamped with your foot
yet I insisted, yet you answered not
but with an angry wafture of your hand
gave sign for me to leave you so I did
fearing to strenghten that impatience
which seemed much too enkindled and withal
hoping it was an effect of humor
which sometimes hath his hour with every man
It will not let you eat, nor talk, nor sleep
and could it work so much upon your shape
as it hath prevailed in your condition.
I should not know you, Brutus. Dear my lord,
make me acquainted with your cause of greif.

Friday, November 4, 2011

God's Refining Fire in our Lives

This week was Spiritual Emphasis week at my school. We had an excellent speaker, who made us realize that talking about spirituality didn't have to be boring. He was the most hilarious guy any of us have ever heard speak, and he used some amazing analogies to make sure we got the picture. The comparison he used that stuck out to me the most is that of God's Refining Fire and a silversmith. He said that our sin is like the imperfections that come to the surface when gold or silver is put in a fire. He said that God wants to do this to us. He puts bad things in our lives so the bad things in us will come out and he can "scrape them off." Once we've dealt with a hardship in our lives, we don't have to deal with it again. God wants to make us pure of imperfections- more like Him.