Juggling Oranges

I suppose I'd better start by mentioning that I've posted some things in a "school" blog lately. I'm calling it Sophos-Moros to satisfy my love of puns and self-lampooning. I'm just copying posts that I've put on class blogs and also speeches, papers, and essays and putting them there, sort of as a resume and partly to make them available to anyone with interest.

On to the bloggy stuff:
I came up with an analogy the other day that I feel adequately describes college life. It's like I'm juggling oranges. Sometimes just one, sometimes five or six. (We'll ignore for the moment the fact that I'm incapable of juggling more than three things or for more than a few seconds, although on second thought that fits the analogy fairly well.) The catch is, I don't just have to keep the oranges in the air - I need to peel them. Perfectly. And then turn them in to my professors. (Side note: I had to edit that sentence - at first I put into rather than in to. Hilarity ensues.) So - life? Life is like juggling oranges.

Orange number 1: School. Obviously school is supposed to be my number one priority, since it's costing a lot, taking up a lot of time, and (theoretically) will shape everything about the rest of my life forever and always. I'm taking Ethics (with Randy Harris. Jealous? :D ), Core (with McCracken and Willerton. Again I say: Jealous?), Honors Speech (ridiculous amount of homework but a great class nonetheless), Developmental Psychology (I'm making a baby! Only a virtual one, but it's really interesting!), Choir (We're singing a song in French about dancing monks), and Costume Design (we're making outfits for The King and I right now).

Orange numbers 2 and 3: God. Obviously God is supposed to be my number one priority, since He's the creator of the universe and saver of my soul, and (theoretically) everything I do should be completely and totally focused on Him. Sadly, I'm not as good at that as I should be. This is actually two oranges. The first one is my personal walk with God. I've committed to getting up early and doing a Bible Study in the morning every day but Sunday.... We'll see how that goes. Prayer appreciated!
The second one is that I've also committed to running a Bible Study type thing here on campus. I'm not really sure yet what it's going to look like, but the idea God has been hammering into my school since the middle of the summer goes something like this: I will be in the COBA (College of Business Administration) Quiet Place (which is next to the spiral staircase on the main floor) from 5 to 6 PM every school day for the purpose of being available to anyone who needs a shoulder to cry on, a big hug, a listening ear, some encouragement, or just some distraction and happiness in the middle of a bad day. It doesn't have to be just people I know, either - I'm hoping that this becomes a campus-wide ministry. And specifically, on Thursdays I'll have a passage chosen to talk about with as many people as want to show up that day (PLEASE COME if you can! I really think God is going to do things!) so that we can discuss it and talk about what God is doing in our lives and just generally fellowship together.

Orange number 4: Relationships. Obviously my friends are supposed to be my top priority, since I feel my spiritual gift is encouragement and I believe my purpose in life is to bless people by being a reflection of Christ. Not only that, but "Love your neighbor", and "Do unto others", and "Couldn't that girl use a compliment?" and "Go give that guy a hug", as Jesus often reminds me. Please pray that I'll continue to focus on loving like Jesus (sacrificially and without judgement) to everyone around me.

Orange number 5: Work. Obviously work is supposed to be my top priority, since it's the means by which I earn money to, I dunno, buy food and water, gas, Dr. Pepper, books, and Sharpies. Not only that but it's a commitment I've made to do my absolute best and serve customers above and beyond the call of duty. I should get a medal or something.

Orange number 6: Being an idiot. OK so maybe this one isn't EVER supposed to be a priority, but it seems like it kind of takes over my life anyway. Recently I've lost my wallet, forgotten about homework assignments, had something awful go wrong with my laptop screen that meant I had to get it repaired, forgotten to do laundry, take showers, eat, and use the bathroom (not all at once though).... Generally I'm just a mess. Please pray that God gives me (and everyone around me!) patience and strength to deal with all the trouble I get myself into.