Strengthsquest

According to Strengthsquest, my top 5 strengths are:

1. Adaptability. People especially talented in the Adaptability theme prefer to “go with the flow.” They tend to be “now” people who take things as they come and discover the future one day at a time.
2. Communication. People especially talented in the Communication theme generally find it easy to put their thoughts into words. They are good conversationalists and presenters.
3. Ideation. People especially talented in the Ideation theme are fascinated by ideas. They are able to find connections between seemingly disparate phenomena.
   
4. Includer. People especially talented in the Includer theme are accepting of others. They show awareness of those who feel left out, and make an effort to include them.
5. Strategic. People especially talented in the Strategic theme create alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues.

Does that sound like me?

Like a UFO

Dear Abby,
I strange phenomena has been happening to me recently. It's as strange as being abducted by a UFO. About a half hour after I eat, even if I completely glutton myself to death, I feel hungry. It's the weirdest thing. I'll just be stuffed out of my mind, and then before I know it, my stomach's telling me to eat more food. I have been able to ignore it thus far, but I'm growing weak against the forces of this misleading hunger. I fear that I may soon give into this. I've already gained about ten pounds since going to school here, so that really wouldn't help me out too much. I'm not really sure what I'm going to do about this. I'm just so confused about it. What should I do?

Signed,
Stuffed-yet-hungry.

A new plan

I've had several sorry attempts at memorizing scripture, so now I'm on a new venture. My last try was recently, within the past month, to try to memorize Galatians by Christmas. I quickly realized this was a task only for the hardcore, super committed, and plenty of available time person. Not me. I also understood that it was, in a way, rushing too much. In one of my classes we were talking about the best way to memorize scripture (its crazy how your issues get addressed in places or ways you don't expect). I think my plan of action now is to go one verse at a time, adding a verse every 4 days. Each day I aim to recite the verse(s). So for the first 4 days i will recite galatians 1:1, then the next 4 days, 1:1-2. next 4 days 1:1-3. and on and on. When I get to chapter 2, the first day i will recite chapter 1 with the first verse of chapter 2. then after that i won't recite chapter 1 anymore. except when i get to chapter 3, then i will do all of chapter 1 and 2. make sense? probably not, but i get it in my mind.

I've already got one other person in on this, mostly serving as an accountability and encouragement kinda thing. I forget a lot, so it helps to have somebody reminding me. Plus its easier for me to remember to remind somebody else to do something than to remember my own things to do. Da?

Pshea!

Here's the DL

• HP is finally sending me a box. A box that I put my laptop in. A box I then mail in. Then they fix it and mail it back in a new box. They mail back a new laptop with my stuff on it. A working laptop. I'm freakin pumped.
• I started a new checking account. Chase College Checking. No monthly or yearly fees. Needed 25 dollars to start. Realized I had -95 bux in my other account. 2 overdraft fees. 32 bucks for the first one. 64 for the second. Got them both reversed. YEAH!
• Had a ten page paper returned to me with a 55/60. Nice.
• Got a 5-7 page paper due today thats worth 120 (or 160... not sure). I think I did a terrible job on it. I worked hard on it... it's just a weak paper. I was not satisfied when I was finished. I had time to go back and redo stuff, but I just didn't know what to do, so I left it.
• I think my truck's leaking power steering fluid. This past summer whenever I turned the wheel it was all jerky. I had like no fluid. I filled it up. It's jerky again. I need a new exhaust too.
• I've applied for a few jobs and heard nothing. I just applied for a mail job on campus. Hope I get that.
• I have made a goal to memorize the whole book of Galatians by the new year. I'm excited. I have to do about 3 verses a day to make it. So far so good.
• Just finished reading Blood Brothers. Fantastic book.
• Just started reading i am not but i know I AM
  
• Just got a job at trinity. You may now call me "Mailman"

Still no lappy

It's been insane not having a laptop. Almost a month ago, my laptop decided to stop working. Since then I've gone through countless conversations with countless different people from HP trying to see if we can get my laptop fixed. In the mail I just received a new recovery disc, which I know will not work. All I want is to send my laptop in so they can send me a new one.

I honestly hate how everybody I talk to from HP is from India. No offense to them, but I can hardly understand what they are saying. I think it's crap that HP does this.

In light of not having my laptop, things have really changed. I was actually very dependent on my laptop. I used it for notes, my hw, email. School has actually been quite a challenge without it, and I'm pretty mad that HP isn't helping me at all.

Another sucky thing is my guitar broke. The nice one that Jon's church gave me. I just bumped it a little bit and the guitar fell and broke right at the first fret. The head was completely separated from the guitar. Don't know how much it's going to cost to fix... don't even know if I'll be able to afford it.

So two of my top possessions have been taken away from me. Coincidence? I think not. I'm just waiting for somebody to steal my truck...

Peace

I think I'm starting to get a better understanding of "peace." I've been thinking about a few blogs I've posted lately. One about loving everything, and another about "the end is near." I always enjoy having memories of my childhood, or being in a spot where I'm just really happy... like looking at the stars. I was thinking about the idea of "shalom" and how the meaning behind it is about a deep peace. I don't know why I've ever really thought about this before, but I really think this is how God gives me peace. I never really thought about peace and if I was ever at peace. It's where I just feel calm-- when I'm just in a spot where it really feels like I should be. Almost like at that moment nothing is wrong. Where I'm just completely happy and content. I don't really know how to describe it more than that.

Simply just I think I'm learning what it means to be at peace... and I like it!

Discus again

Today Jeremy and I went out and did some discus again. I don't remember what my scores were, but they were all pluses, but not more than 5 over. We went to 2 different 9 hole courses than the two we went to the other day. This is a map of the courses we go to, or plan to go to soon. I found and Eagle disc today, and I love how it flies. Lucky me, there was no name or number on it... but the edges of it are kinda chopped up (but I still love it). Definitely my new fav discus. Also, I'm looking in to discs that either glow in the dark or have LEDs. They're not cheap, but they're not expensive. Anywhere from 10 to about 30 bucks. Still, I'm too poor to buy anything. My bday's comin up soon... don't hesitate to go all out on gifts for me.