Eight Days and Counting...

It's a very strange feeling to know that in about one week I will be less than six months away from graduating - moving on to the real world, what's that? For the majority of my life, I have been conditioned to go to school, have the summer off, and then go back. So what about when I DON’T GO BACK? Wow, that just doesn't seem right. Don't get me wrong, it's exciting, but it just doesn't sound right. So what then? Where do I go? What do I do? Well, I began that thinking process in the beginning of the year, and just yesterday had the first solid action towards my future: my first job interview.

I interviewed with the Coalition for Christian Outreach (CCO), and it was a good experience for the first of many to come. It was relaxed, but not unofficial. The CCO is an organization that is dedicated to 'transforming college students to transform the world' (www.ccojubilee.org). The organization works on several different college and university campuses in the north-east area of the country to help mentor and guide students to maturity in Christ. What an opportunity! But at the same time, I keep thinking, what is the plan for Emily? Where is it that I am truly meant to be? That is the million-dollar question of the century!

It seems that most college students don't really know what they want, even if someone if an education major, half the time he or she doesn't want to teach. So how is it that we, as college students, make it so far in our college careers and have NO IDEA where we are supposed to be? In addition to that, how can we get from 'NO IDEA' to 'SOME IDEA' or maybe even 'OUR CALLING'? To anyone who asks, I can inform them of my ideas to teach, work for the CCO, or possibly go right into a masters program, but then I have to follow that up with the fact that I need to be where God wants me to be. I need to follow His will first and foremost, and then I can consider the thoughts that I have and that others have for me. There is never any time frame that I can put on 'my plans,' and that goes for everyone else who has ideas to share. That is all they can be, is ideas, that can be shared, but it is all God's doing that one door opens when another does not. In that case, all I can do is pray, love, and work my hardest to continually have my eyes OPENED to the possibilities that will come up.

With all of this serious talk and consideration going on, there is no way that I could survive without a bit of light-hearted fun and family time...here are a few pictures that show those spirits...




This is me being attacked by tape...we were doing our Christmas decorating!


My family is the most important thing to me, and all of these photos really show the uniqueness of us when we are all together. I hope you all can be with your families in times of stress, and enjoy the holidays together!
God Bless!

It's That Time of Year!

SNOW! SNOW! SNOW!

I am so thrilled to have white flurries EVERYWHERE this week! It has been so beautiful on campus...I think it is actually one of my most favorite times on campus because it it so pretty.

To make the season even brighter (not that it can get much better with break beginning at one o'clock tomorrow) we had Thanksgiving dinner last night! It is an annual tradition that we have a HUGE Thanksgiving dinner in the Caf, and several of the University's faculty and staff stay late in the evening to serve us. It is probably the only time of the year that there is a line clear into the commons from the doors of the Caf to get in, AND that the Caf is JAM-PACKED with almost every soul on campus! We enjoyed turkey, stuffing, PIE...all the usual Turkey-Day foods. It is one last chance to get together with all for your friends before Thanksgiving break.

I am so excited for the winter to finally be here. It seems like the weather can't make up it's mind - it's cold, it's hot, rain, sleet, snow - AHHH! Pick one! Either way, the Holidays are coming, and the one thing that I love so much about Waynesburg University is how it has taught me to serve others, especially during the Holidays. One of the greatest ideas that I have had for a Christmas gift is donating money on behalf of my mom. World Vision, a non-profit organization that creates relationships between people here in America and children around the world who are under the age of 18 and poverty stricken, offers a gift catalog to people who would like to give a gift to those children in honor of a loved one (Please visit: http://donate.worldvision.org/OA_HTML/xxwvibeCCtpSctDspRte.jsp?section=10024 to view the catalog).


We have SO MUCH here in America, and honestly, there is no material thing that I need at this point in my life. The entire Holiday season, we spend so much on people who HAVE and it seems as though we forget about the people
who HAVE NOT. We lose the reason for the season in the hustle and bustle of the shopping malls and the Christmas tree lots. Giving a gift, such as a goat, or two chickens, in the name of your Mom, Dad, Sister, or Brother, is a lasting gift that provides for a family across the world. Some of these gifts cost less than a video-game...and they are saving lives. The World Vision Website says about this young boy and others like him, "The early-morning bleating of a dairy goat is a happy sound for children in countries like Haiti and Kenya — they know it’s ready to be milked. A goat nourishes a family with protein-rich milk, cheese, and yogurt, and can offer a much-needed income boost by providing offspring and extra dairy products for sale at the market. It even provides fertilizer that can dramatically increase crop yields!" (http://donate.worldvision.org/OA_HTML/xxwvibeCCtpSctDspRte.jsp?section=10024)

Please remember ALL of God's children this Holiday Season, not just your own. Waynesburg has really taught me to reach out to those in need, across the world, and around the corner, and we are all called to spread that awareness and love.

Live and Love in His name and glory!

Until Next Time...

Phew!

Finally, I feel like I can breath! This entire week I have had time to relax, get my work done, and keep my feet underneath me. Thank Goodness! We had a cold weekend at the football game, but it was well worth it. The boys ended up getting the highest score of the year with a 50-34 victory! Now this Saturday we have the last, and biggest game of the year - W&J...the enemy...the team that Waynesburg has only beat about 5 times out of the near 50 times that the two schools have met on the field. We need all the support we can get, so come out if you are near!




It is surreal that this is the last game of the season. Every weekend for the past two months I've been there cheering - my friend Kyley says I'll be a great soccer mom, and my mother says I have quite the pair of pipes on me - needless to say, I AM LOUD! And I love to be loud! It will be sad to see this last game...not only is it the last game of the season, but it is Ryan's last game EVER. After nine seasons of playing, he doesn't know what it is like to not be getting ready for the next year. He's excited for the next stage in his life, but at the same time slightly anxious about where to go from here. Today is his last practice, and I pray that all goes well. More importantly, I pray that the team gets their heads together to BEAT W&J!!! This is possibly the most important game of all, and it would be A-mazing to end on a good note.

The weather doesn't know what it wants to do yet either. I keep saying, it's NOVEMBER! GET IT RIGHT! But it seems that the air is not quite ready to stay cold. Waynesburg is the greatest area to be outside running, or biking, but when it gets cold, I get stuck in the fitness center. Lucky for me, I was able to go on an hour long bike ride with good friend, and fellow actor, Matt London. Do make a note though, our campus seems to be at the top of a hill, especially my dorm. So the ride out is great, but the way back is torture!

Fortunately, I was able to go back to my room, and take a load off. That has been the theme of the week - breath in, breath out - lay down, relax!!! One more week of classes, and I can continue to relax over Thanksgiving break! YAY! Family, friends, my little niece who I get to see for the first time, and great food - you can't go wrong with Thanksgiving. PLUS, my birthday is the last day of break, so it just ends on a fan-TAS-tic note.

Busy, Busy, Busy

What a great, crazy week it has been! Last weekend was the end to the show, and it was fan-TAS-tic! My parents were both able to come out, and also Ryan's parents were here too!
The five of us had a blast at the football game, Mom and Susie got to chat, my father being the amazing, nerdy papa he has always been, and Evan (Ryan's dad) with his peanuts and questions. Even though the boys didn't get the victory, it was a great day for Ryan. I can't imagine the joy he felt when he looked up and saw his Grandfather in the stands, along with his uncle and cousin. They came all the way from New York to catch his game - what a blessing!


Ever since my first show at Waynesburg University, and my role as a witch, I didn't know if I would ever have another part that would live up to the FUN that I had with that one. But alas, I was proven wrong as 'Tituba' in the Crucible. I was able to branch out, use a Barbadian accent, be really, really dirty as a slave, and also be slightly insane.
I guess I would say that I love those unique roles that challenge me, whether they are small or large, they are always the best! I also love to see Ryan's expressions with each show that he sees me in, or that we go to together. That is one thing that I have grown to love more, and more is going to see shows in the theater. Waynesburg is unique in that it offers SO MANY opportunities to see the arts for an inexpensive price. We are blessed here with a great activities program, and honestly no one can say that there is nothing to do on any given night.
It is great to have things to do on campus, but it seems like this past week, even though the show is over, I still don't have time to do them! It is soooo close to Thanksgiving, and I know that everyone is feeling the anticipation, and stress, of being done. I wrote a list on Monday of everything I have to do, and it seems like I keep crossing things off, but at the same time adding to it - let's say 2 things to do for every 1 thing I get done. Needless to say, I am slightly overwhelmed, and keep praying that I get caught up some day soon.
My job as a resident assistant usually doesn't help with my stress level, more likely than not it adds to it. But, last night we had an all staff meeting - it is a more casual event than you might think. Adam Jones, Resident Director and friend, lead the meeting. His topic was finding time to relax. So many of us get caught up in saying we are 'sooo busy' that often times it ends up being the main thought of our days. This mindset will keep taking away from our positive, God-loving attitude, and might end up driving us insane! So, my goal for today, and the rest of this semester, is to make sure my focus and my drive is in the right place. God is really, truly the only way to make it through our 'hectic' lives, and finding time to spend with Him is key.

It's Show Time!

Hello All! It's a beautiful, crisp fall morning, and opening night of the play was last night! My, how the months have flown by! It seems like just yesterday that I was onstage trying out for the show.

At the beginning of last week, we were still preparing, and not everyone was in costume. We were tripping, stumbling over words, and missing costumes. I was amazed at how we pulled together this week, but oh how we did! Not only is this show a great production, but the talent that we have in the theater is phenomenal!


Erin Crawshaw does a great job as the twisted woman who causes most of the drama (not that Eddie type casts - at all!) The combination of Crawshaw, Matt London, and Sarah Hulyk has blown me away every night.
As a student who just got into theater when I got to Waynesburg, I have honestly been blessed with the friendships and experiences I have to take away from this place.

Last night was a great start to production week. We were on the ball with lines, our energy was up, and we finally had an audience!!! Grief! I cannot tell you how monotonous it gets to be on stage the week before production and not have an audience!

My character is slightly wild, and at the end of the show I get to have a blast with make-up and hair. I play quite the dirty slave, and have to make it appear so! I accomplish that with a ton of make-up, charcoal powder, and by teasing my hair. I have had multiple people ask me if it is my real hair or not, it gets so big! The answer is, YES.

Though I love the theater, it will be nice to have a break at this point. Three weeks until Thanksgiving break, and Ryan and I are both thrilled. That is when I will finally be able to see my niece for the first time!

It will be really good to be home in Ohio and have both of our families all together. It is just that time of the year that I am antsy for family and break and Christmas!!! All of that is not to say that I don't LOVE Waynesburg, because I do, but it is time for the semester to be moving on.

So long for now! Stay tuned until next week...

Roommate Separation Anxiety

In my fourth year of college, I am finally blessed with a roommate, and an outlook that has kept the year positive and fun. My first year, I had three different roommates, and whether it was my fault or the others, I will not and cannot say. My second year of college, I started off in my Aunt and Uncle's house. They live only half a mile away from Waynesburg, so it worked out well. Midway through the year, I thought it was time to man-up, and I moved on campus. I had felt very separated from the student life, and found myself spending less time with friends than I could. I moved into Burns Hall after Christmas break, and was happy to be there. My roommate and I had an okay relationship, but there were still things that I did that bugged her, and vice versa. Even so, we stayed together for an entire year.

Now here I am, in my fourth year, and I love! love! love! my roommate! We honestly have been very blessed in our relationship. Our personalities simply do not clash. I have not been frustrated with her one single time (and let me tell you, that is amazing in the dorm atmosphere). Before we moved in together, we had several conversations about our concerns, our habits, and our experiences. (Here is Kathy's empty bed) Though there were things that I was afraid of, she and I have had a great time together!



This past weekend, she was able to go home and spend time with her family. Kathy left on Friday, and came back on Tuesday. I thought, "Okay, I can handle this. It'll be nice to have the room to myself." WRONG! I can't say how much I missed having her around, just the presence of another person in the big, lonely room. So many times I wanted to turn to her and refer to an ongoing joke that we have, and she wasn't there. I had to find something to do with myself in all those times of stale silence in East, and had no Kathy to laugh with. I called her on Sunday afternoon to see if she was on her way back, and she said, "I am coming back on Tuesday." AHHHH! I couldn't take it!

Lucky for me, I did have a great night-time football game to keep me busy on Saturday. The boys played well against Geneva, with a final score of Jackets 34, Geneva 26. It was all we could do to keep warm, but I loved it! Fall is officially here, it seems, and the count-down until my birthday has begun! 38 days to go!

Blessings...

This past week, my mom was in town from California. She spent time in Ohio with my grandparents, and then with my soon-to-be mother-in-law (Sue). Over the past few weeks I had been stressing about the wedding, how to get things done, WHAT to get done, who to use for this and that…and when Mom got here, it all seemed okay. She and Sue got so much done for the wedding, that I feel ten times less stress than I did last week.


My mom and dad have been my foundation from as far back as I can remember. I freely tell people that I speak to my mom about ten times a day, given we each have the time. But the simple fact is, family is possibly the most important thing in my life. Sure, I want a career, and my own life, but all those things can only come when you have a support group – mine is my family. I have been so blessed with the parents that God gave to me, with their support and love. Through my entire college experience, they never fail to tell me how proud they are of me, and how excited they are to see new, great things happening in my life! I can only encourage all of the students getting ready for college to not look forward to getting away from mom and dad, but embrace the time you have, and love them dearly. As for the parents who are watching their children get ready to fly the coop, cherish them, love them, and always, always, always tell them how proud you are of them. They may not want your kisses and your comments now, but they’ll appreciate it in the long run.

I had to leave mom at the airport on Sunday after a fantastic weekend. Lucky for both of us, she will be back in town for the fall show in two weeks! I am so happy that she was here this past weekend for homecoming – I was homecoming queen!!! Go figure, I don’t ever see myself as that type. I see myself as the goober, RA who likes math. But as I said last week, I can be myself here! And people like me for who I am! What a concept – it seems as though that is how the world should be; people should be able to just be themselves, and be loved and accepted for that. But instead, we are often times criticized for our true personalities. I thank God for Waynesburg, and how it has shown me that it is okay to be me.

With two weeks from today until we open the show, I think we are almost ready. We are working on the fine-tuning in each of the acts, and I am so impressed with our actors. There is some impressive intensity in almost all of the scenes. So if you are anywhere in the area, please contact Eddie Powers (epowers@waynesburg.edu) for tickets! Again, it’s Arthur Miller’s, “The Crucible”, playing October 30th thru November 1st.