17/66

Unlike the last two books of the Bible, this is one I've read many, many times. I love the story if Esther. She is one of my Biblical heroes and I take something new away from her story every time I read it. This time through, I saw the significant role her cousin Mordecai played in the success and happy ending of this story. God has also placed people in my life who encourage and support me like Mordecai did Esther. I am truly thankful for the presence of those people in my life because I would have been in bad shape without them.
Loves

16/66

Nehemiah is another book of the Bible that I've not read before. In this book, the Israelites return to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall under the direction and guidance of Nehemiah. It was interesting to read about some of the things people struggled with back then because we still struggle with the same things now. That's why stories like these are in the Bible. We can read about the different problems people had and how they handled them. We can learn so much from these godly leaders. And I'm sure you've heard the saying that those who don't learn history are doomed to repeat it. It's definitely something to think about.
Loves

14-15/66 and an update

I finished the book of Ezra today, and II Chronicles a few days ago. Ezra was pretty neat because the Israelites returned from their exile in Babylon. They got permission from the king to rebuild the temple. I've never read Ezra before, so I enjoyed it a lot. And I made it through II Chronicles too. There was a lot more detail about the kings of Judah and how they did or didn't serve God. There was a lesson in every story, although some were harder to see than others. That's something I have to remember constantly as I read through the Bible this year. Everything in there is in there for a reason, so everything is important, especially because it is the word of God.

 So, other than being thoughtful, I've been doing other things as well. I drove home on Sunday and went straight to my friend's Baccalaureate ceremony. It's hard to believe that I was attending my own ceremony just one year ago. It's crazy how time passes. I also got to see my brother play the second round of CIF golf on Monday. He didn't play super well, but I was happy to have the chance to see him play. The rest of the week, I'll be hanging out, unpacking all my junk and getting ready to go to Phoenix on Sunday. Work doesn't start until June 7, so I still have plenty of time to just relax, which I'm really looking forward to.  And, I'll definitely be playing with my new iPhone a lot too, haha.

 Loves

Currently

The house I'm living in next semester is beautiful with tons of character. I'm super excited to call this home.

Reading: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. I'm not very far, but I like it so far, which surprised me. It's a non-fiction novel about cancerous cells taken from a woman and grown in a lab and the controversy that surrounds the HeLa cells. The author does a great job of discussing all the science/medical terminology in a way that is accessible to people like me who aren't at home with that sort of thing. I'll let you know what I think when I finish the book.
Watching: At the moment, I'm flipping back and forth between HGTV and the Food Network. It's been nice to just chill out on a comfy couch and watch some of my favorite shows, like Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, and House Hunters.
Thinking about: I'm mentally organizing all the stuff I just moved out of my dorm. I need to sort through and decide what I'm leaving in Albuquerque for the summer and what I'm going to take home with me for the summer. I also should probably throw out some stuff and maybe set aside some clothes to donate. You don't realize how much stuff you really have until you have to box it all up and move it.
Anticipating: Summer. I am so excited for sunny days spent at the beach, relaxing by the pool, visiting with friends and enjoying life. I do have a job this summer, but I'll be working at a Christian camp in California, so I think it will be a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to it.
Listening to: The same old stuff, really. Nothing new or exciting on the music front.
Eating: Granola cereal, which is really good, but after watching Food Network all afternoon, it's just not all that appetizing. I really want to go out to a good restaurant for some fantastic food right now...
Working on: The play! We're less than a week away from our first show, and things are starting to get crazy. It's all coming together very nicely though and I am so proud of these kids. They really are putting their hearts into this show and it's very obvious that they all love to act. This internship has been so rewarding and I'm thankful that I had the opportunity to work with this class this semester.
Wishing: That my family was here. Mother's Day is tomorrow and my mom is two states away. I'm pretty homesick right about now, especially now that school is done for the summer. This week will be really busy and I'm thankful for that, since the busier I am, the faster time seems to go. I do need to find something to keep me occupied tomorrow, though, just so the day doesn't drag on. Another thing I'm wishing? That I had the guts to do something radical and crazy to my hair. Amber, who writes one of the blogs I read, just got a sweet new 'do, and I love it.

13/66

So, I finished I Chronicles today. It was a little hard to get through because there were a lot of names and records and numbers, and the events were pretty much the same as I Kings, but from a different perspective. It was neat to see the different perspective though, and it gave some insight to what happened in I Kings. Another thing I finished this week? My second semester of my first year of college! I'm so happy to be done, and quite relieved as well. Spring semester is rough, but, by the grace of God, I managed. I move out of the dorms tomorrow, and I could not be more excited. Living in the dorms is an experience to be sure, and I'm glad I did it, but it's time to move on. This weekend, I'm just going to hang out and rest, since next week is going to be crazy busy with stuff for the play. And my mom is coming a week from tomorrow! I'm so stoked. I'm really close with my mom and I'm bummed that I won't see her for Mother's Day, but she'll be here in a week and I'll take her out for dinner or something. I can't wait, but for now, I have laundry to finish and packing to do.
Loves!

12/66, and a few other things

I finished II Kings on Sunday, and moved on to I Chronicles. The beginning of the book was good. Solomon asked for wisdom and built a beautiful temple for the Lord. But, his love of foreign women led him astray and, after he died, his kingdom fell apart. The nation of Israel split into two and neither kingdom had many godly rulers. At the end of the book, both nations have been taken into exile, and foreign nations are living in the land God promised them. Very sad, but also very important because this book shows the significance of having a godly leader. Being a good leader is hard, but it's even harder without God. Definitely something to think about.

I will probably be more quiet than usual here for the next two or so weeks. School is winding down, which means I'm stressed about finals, and this semester I have a play to worry about as well (our first show is two weeks from Friday!) Crazy life=quiet Meredith. But, it's May, the weather is beautiful and the end is in sight, so yay for that. Speaking of May, one of the blogs I follow, Saturated Canary (I have a button on the side) is having a fantastic giveaway! One lucky reader will win $100 to Modcloth. How sweet is that? All you need to do is follow her blog (which  I would anyway because it's fantastic. It's one of my favorite reads). So, go here to enter the giveaway and have a fantastic rest of the week!
Loves