I came home from the Kosciusko band camp tonight and got on the computer to check my email and facebook. Then, I fell asleep on top of my laptop. HA! I am so tired. After that, I took a bath and talked to mom for a while, and now I'm updating my blog! YAY!

So camp....

It went pretty good again today. I had to go off on the clarinets that I am working with today. It was quite amusing to watch their faces. I haven't been able to go off on anyone since I finished student teaching! It made me happy. HA!

Genesis 10

This chapter tells about how Noah's sons and their sons "spread out over the earth after the flood."

At one point, the writer is talking about the Hamites (the children of Ham-the son of Noah). In the particular passage that I am talking about, the writer is specifically talking about Ham's son, Cush. It sounds a lot like an obituary. Have you ever thought of what your obituary might say when you die? What would you like it to say?

Points I would like my obituary to cover...

-my family

-my Christianity/my home church

-my home town

-my love for music

-my love for MSU

-the way I treated others

My life has been kinda crazy lately. The reason I haven't updated lately is because I've been in Starkville, lately. I went up there Thursday to Sunday to pack up my apartment. My apartment is so empty, now! It's crazy! I brought home a car...or SUV load of boxes and other stuff! It seemed like I had so much stuff in my car, but when we put it all out in the barn, it seemed like just a small pile. I still have just as much stuff left. Plus, I have to get all of my furniture: a couch, a recliner, a piano, a table with 4 chairs, 2 other chairs, a bed, and a desk! I don't know how we're going to be able to move all of that stuff back next weekend! We'll have my vehicle and my dad's truck with a trailer. I really hope I don't have to take 2 trips!

Today was the beginning of the Kosciusko band camp! It is so weird being up there and knowing only about 10 students out of the 135+ students. Also, the staff is basically completely different. Mr. Bishop is the only one left. Camp is run so differently under Mr. Yates. It's pretty great though. I like the way he runs things. Maybe one day I'll be able to work under him! HA! The kids are doing a great job! They got their music today and played through the entire show! We had only worked on one song when they did this! That one song is pretty ridiculous. It's hard. However, the other two songs are pretty easy. I'm excited about what this year has in store for Big Red. I hope I get the chance to watch them perform a few times.

Next week, I'll be working at the Clinton HS band camp under my old HS director, Mr. Mangum. I look forward to that camp, as well. Maybe I'll be able to work under him one day! HA!

I feel as if being in grad school is getting so close on me! I got 2 of my books in the mail, today. I am waiting on 2 more. Also, I got an email saying that one of my scholarship letters has been placed in the mail for me to sign and send back. I'm really excited about going to grad school. (Notice: I never said I was excited about going to OM.) Kinda on the same note, I look forward to driving back to Starkville almost every weekend to watch MSU football! MSU rocks my socks! I'm going to miss Starkville and MSU so much! I am going to miss all of the friendships I have made. Starkville has really become home to me. I don't look forward to having to move to Oxford and being alone all the time outside of school. Pray that I make some friends fast-or stay really busy with school so that I don't have time for friends! And pray that I have the motivation to put forth the effort needed for grad school. I don't need to be getting lazy! HA.

I want to thank a friend of mine. She really encouraged me this weekend and kind of put me in my place. She asked me why I haven't been updating my blog the past few days, and I told her how I had been in Starkville without internet. Well, she replied asking if I had read my Bible. And I said no, I accidentally left in in Kosciusko. Her response was pretty great. You know how you got an iPhone? There's an app for that. Sadly, my response was "I have it."

I just want to thank her for reading my blog and taking the opportunity to encourage me. She could have easily not said anything at all. Or when I told her I had left my Bible in Kosciusko, she could have said-Oh okay! You can read it later! But, she didn't. She reprimanded me, and I appreciate that!

Before I talk about Genesis 9, I want to go back and mention something from chapter 1. We talked about this in Sunday School yesterday, and I had never noticed it.

God made everything during the creation. After day 1, he said it was good. Day2, it was good. So on and so forth. However, Look at day 6. God made male and female and it was VERY good! Pretty cool stuff.

Genesis 9

v. 6 "...for in the image of God has God made man." The writers of Genesis keep reiterating that God made man in his own image. This just hit me. God made everyone in his image. Therefore, what right do we have fun to talk about other people? I know I am the world's worst. And you probably are all agreeing with me right now. But what makes me so much better than someone else if we are both created in the image of God? Is it my car or my phone or my clothes? We all know that none of that can be taken with us after death-so what does it really matter?

Our church drama team is called IMAGE (I Must Act Godly Everywhere). The theme verse is Ephesians 4:24-We are created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

If I am making fun of someone-someone made in the image of God- First, I am making fun of God and saying that he doesn't make all things beautiful. Second, I am not acting as if I was created to be like God in all things.

I am noticing so much new stuff lately by reading God's word!

Starting in v. 20-It tells how Noah gets drunk and passes out naked! I wonder how God felt about this. I mean-back in chapter 6, God talks about how Noah was the most righteous and he walked with God. Okay-Noah was the only person that was "good" enough to be saved from the flood. However, he goes out and gets drunk and passes out. Pretty sad.

Anyways, Noah's son sees him passed out naked. So, he goes and tells his brothers. The brothers go cover up Noah. When Noah wakes up, he gets mad at the son who told his brothers! What the crap? He's the one who was passed out drunk!!! I don't really get this. Someone needs to explain to me the hidden meaning here. It makes no sense to me.

P.S. I still need to read Radical chapter 4.

How appropriate is it that last night I was reading about Noah and today I went to the zoo? It was a lot of fun. I went with the children's ministry from our church. I was in charge of the fifth and sixth grade girls (they requested me!) I'm am really tired from all of that. It was really hot! Here's a kinda fuzzy picture of me riding a sumatran tiger on the carousel!

Genesis 8

The rain has stopped, and the flood waters are beginning to dry up. Chapter 8 tells a lot of dates. The seventeenth day of the seventh month. The first day of the tenth month.

"By the first day of the first month....the water had dried up from the earth." What is the first day of the first month? New Year's Day! What decisions are made at New Year's? New Year's Resolutions! I wonder what Noah's resolutions were. He was on a "new" earth. Within a matter of a few months, everything in his world had been turned upside down! What do you think was going through Noah's mind at this time?

During the next few days, try to remember your 2010 New Year's Resolutions. Are you staying true to them? If you planned on losing weight, there's still enough time before 2011. If you planned to read your Bible more, it's never too late to start. Re-visit those resolutions!

"As long as the earth endures,

seedtime and harvest,

cold and heat,

summer and winter,

day and night

will never cease."

Today was rather uneventful. I went to Cafe on The Square with mom for lunch. That's always a good choice. Afterwards, I came home and I was texting Mr. Mangum. I am working the Clinton HS band camp in a few weeks and need to get the music. As I was texting him, my phone rang. It was Katy B. I called her about a week ago asking if Kosciusko needed any help with their band camp. She told me all of their spots were filled but mentioned a few other schools that I should call. One of those schools was Clinton. Thanks to her, I'm working their band camp. Anyways, Katy called me today saying that the color guard instructor had to back out. Therefore, Katy is going to teach the guard, and I'm going to take her place and teach the clarinets. I went to the school and got the music. They are doing a Spanish/Latin type show-I'm guessing. It's "Copacabana" by Barry Manilow as the opener. The ballad is "Time to Say Goodbye" by Andrea Bocelli. This song is absolutely beautiful. The closer is a Latin Jazz piece. It should be a pretty good show.

Tonight, I went with mom to Power Hour at the gym. Surprisingly, my arms held up pretty well. I was shocked at myself. However, my legs were pitiful. There was one point I had to take a rest because my legs just couldn't handle it anymore. I think it was because I had last eaten at lunch around 12, and Power Hour was at 5:30. I had swam this afternoon, too. I was just not prepared.

That was about the extent of my day. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Genesis 7

In the first 4 verses, God is telling Noah to take 7 of every clean animal and 2 of every unclean animal. What defines a clean or unclean animal?

Also, in v. 4 God says that in 7 days the rain will begin, and the earth will be wiped out. How many of us would have said, "But God..." 7 days! That's not very long. You mean to tell me I only have 7 days to get all of these animals onto this boat!? Plus, how are they all gonna fit? I need to have a registration where I can give the animals a room number and a key to their room. I just don't have the time! 7 days?!?!

Now, look at v. 5. "And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him." It doesn't say Noah complained. It doesn't say that Noah felt as if he didn't have enough time. It says Noah did what the Lord told him to do.

If you know anything about me, you know that I love water! I love to be in my pool. I love to go to the beach. I love to swim! I love watching the rain! I loving listening to thunder. I think lightning is beautiful! I love fish! I LOVE water! Despite how God was wiping out the planet and destroying everything that he had made, I can only think of how Noah must have been standing on the deck of the ark adoring this beautiful water. I'm sure Noah had seen lakes and ponds before. He had probably even seen the ocean. However, he had never seen it rain. He must have been in awe. I know that I would have.

On another view-I still want to know...If God sent this flood today, how many of us would be left? How many of us would be standing on the ark watching people fight for their lives? And how many of us would be in the flooded streets, climbing up buildings, trying to get above the waters so that we wouldn't die?

"...Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark."

Final Touches

I antiqued my coffee table over the past few days. I painted it green and glossed it with brown. I'm still getting used to it. I'm not too sure if I like it, yet. Also, I found some tiles that were left over from when our kitchen was redone. They are like 3 inch tiles. I painted them gold. I was going to paint them like the icons on an iPhone or iPod. I thought it would be funny; however, my paints wouldn't stick to the tiles. Gold was the only color that would stick. I have a picture of a gold magnolia that will be hanging in my living room, gold lamps, and gold candle holders. I think it will all look pretty good once it is all put together. I bought some stools to put at the bar and a canvas that has a treble clef and jazz music terms. I'm very excited about my new apartment! I can't wait to move in and post pictures. You guys will have to come visit!!!

Genesis 6

This is the beginning of God's account with Noah. I ask myself, "What were these people doing during these times that caused God so much pain?" Also, I ask myself, "How much worse are we?" God has promised not to ever send a flood and wipe away mankind again. I wonder how many days of the year he regrets making that promise. God has the power to wipe us all away, and we must live in fear of him. He is a loving God, but he means business.

There are two verses that I want you to put your name in where Noah is written. I'm going to type it out with my name in it. Do you think this statement is true about yourself?

v. 9-CODY was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God.

v. 22-CODY did everything just as God commanded him.

I could not concentrate in church, today. There were so many things going on around me that were so distracting. I'm going to try to make this rampage short. The fewer words I say-the less of an opportunity to put my foot in my mouth. However, I feel like something needs to be said.

First, there were adults that were talking the entire service! Can we grow up and sit quietly in church? Weren't you supposed to learn that when you were like 4 and weren't allowed to go to the nursery anymore?

There was a couple (HS students) sitting near me that kept looking at each other as if they were going to just do the deed right there. How appropriate for church!

There were two girls that had an iPod. Each of them had one of the head phones in their ear. I sure hope they were listening to some hymns...or a podcast of a sermon.

There was a JH student in about 6th or 7th grade that was laying in the floor coloring in a coloring book! How old are we? There's more to this story, but I shouldn't put it on here. It would be way too easy for you guys to know who I'm talking about.

All-in-all, I should not have even been at church. I think I could have learned more about God at a 3 ring circus. Seriously folks, think about what you're doing in church and how it affects those around you.

On a happier note...

In "Radical", we continued to discuss the American dream. "While the goal of the American dream is to make much of us, the goal of the gospel is to make much of God."

"...God actually delights in exalting our inability." When do we rely on God the most? When we need him the most. We mostly call on God when we realize that we can't do everything on our own. God puts us in situations to test us and see if we are going to rely on him or try to accomplish everything on our own. In the end, it always ends up the same way. God wins! "And in the end, he makes much of his name." Life would be so much easier if we just cut out the middle step of trying to do everything alone and just let God take over from the beginning.

Today was bonding time with the Mom! This morning, we picked corn and cut it off the cob to put in bags to go in the freezer. We did that from around 10 until 2. At 2, I started working on my table that I'm painting for my new apartment. It's the same old coffee table I had, but I'm painting it green. After that, I'm going to rub brown paint on it, and it's supposed to give it an antique look. I really like the way it looks so far. I hope I like the finished product!

Tonight, mom, dad, and I went to my brother's girlfriend's house to have dinner with her and her family. We had steak! It was really good! Fun times!

Mom and I taped the Miss MS pageant and watched it when we got home.

CONGRATS TO SARAH BETH JAMES!

I'm not reading a chapter in my Bible tonight since I need to read a chapter of "Radical" by David Platt. It's what we're studying in Sunday School! I'll post something about it and what we discuss in church tomorrow!

Good Night to All!