Grape Juice and Good Friends

Tonight I had a girls night out with my friend Gabe. We went to dinner (Mexican food and Margaritas of course), came back to her apartment exchanged gifts and watched the movie Julie & Julia while drinking sparkling grape juice out of the new pink stemmed wine glasses I got her for her Christmas gift.

Yes, I said sparkling grape juice... unfortunately Elizabethtown is a dry county AND it is a Sunday so we had to settle for juice. The juice was a flop. It tasted like bubbly white grape juice with a bit of buttered popcorn... TERRIBLE. But the chocolate, movie and dinner were great so the buttered grape juice was just sent to the trash. At least it provided a great laugh.

Good times and great friends I would not trade them for the world! :-) Goodnight!

Hello World

Today I am exhausted. I sometimes wonder why I do the things I do. I try my hardest to be the person I want to be but it is so hard when the respect is lacking. I do anything to have respect for myself but it is hard when I can't trust others to do the same. I wonder why I put myself out there to always get shot down or disappointed. I try my hardest to keep a smile on and just move on but that is exhausting in itself. I can only do that for so long until I just get tired of it. I am so tired of expecting the worst out of relationships and it actually coming true. I need to take time on my own, I need to breathe and think on my own, do something for myself for once and gain my strength back. I love my life and have learned it is not about waiting for the storm to pass but about dancing in the rain. :-)

Gravity - Sara Bareilles

Something always brings me back to you
It never takes too long
No matter what I say or do
I still feel you here 'til the moment I'm gone
You hold me without touch
You keep me without chains
I never wanted anything so much
Than to drown in your love and not feel your rain
Set me free, leave me be
I don't wanna fall another moment into your gravity
Here I am and I stand so tall
I'm just the way I'm supposed to be
But you're on to me and all over me
You loved me 'cause I'm fragile
When I thought that I was strong
But you touch me for a little while
And all my fragile strength is gone
Set me free, leave me be
I don't wanna fall another moment into your gravity
Here I am and I stand so tall
I'm just the way I'm supposed to be
But you're on to me and all over me


I live here on my knees
As I try to make you see
That you're everything I think I need
Here on the ground


But you're neither friend nor foe
Though I can't seem to let you go
The one thing that I still know
Is that you're keeping me down
You're keeping me down


You're on to me, on to me and all over
Something always brings me back to you
It never takes too long

Thunderstorms

I love thunderstorms. Plain and simple. They make me want to curl up in bed, listen to the rain against my window and the thunder chrashing outside and fall asleep. When it thunderstorms at night I feel especially lucky because I can do just that, in fact I did last night. Right as I was falling asleep last night it started to pour rain, lightning and thunder. I couldn't have been more content with my life at that moment.

I dont know why but I think that thunderstorm allowed me to relax for once in long time. I woke up this morning smiling. When my alarm went off at 8am I shot up out of bed positive I was late for work. Thankfully I realized before I got to the bathroom it was Tuesday. I don't have class until 9:30. I actually laughed and got right back into bed.

Finally got up at 9 ate breakfast, put in my laundry, got dressed in what clean clothes I had left (a zip up sports jacket and black exercise pants.. my stomach was slightly showing but whatever its movement class right??...) and went to class. My teacher called my name, looked at me and said wow you have a beautiful smile today! You look very happy for some reason! That made my day :-) I'd like to thank last night's wreckless thunderstorm for the smile on my face today. 

Shoes

I went shoe shopping yesterday. I had set out to buy a new pair of white leather keds seeing as how I have practically ruined the ones I have now. So I went into Shoe Carnival with the intentions of just buying those shoes and leaving. Well, I just happened to forget what wide array of shoes they had in their store... PROBLEM! I stumbled upon a pair of plaid polo shoes for $20 so of course I had to buy them along with the pair of keds I found. Anyways I am wearing these wonderful shoes today and I feel like a new person!!

Cherish the little things in life like a new pair of shoes :-)

Lessons for Life

This is an email I was sent and I thought it has some really good stuff in it so I'm sharing it with you...

1. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.2. Memorize your favorite poem.
3. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have, or loaf all you want.
4. When you say, "I love you," mean it.
5. When you say, "I'm sorry," look the person in the eye.
6. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.
7. Believe in love at first sight.
8. Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams don't have much.
9. Love deeply and passionately. You may get hurt, but it's the only way to live life completely.
10. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name-calling.
11. Don't judge people by their relatives, or by the life they were born into.
12. Teach yourself to speak slowly but think quickly.
13. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"
14. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
15. Call your mother.
16. Say, "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.
17. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
18. Follow the three Rs: Respect for self, Respect for others, Responsibility for all your actions.
19. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
20. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
21. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.
22. Marry a person you love to talk to. As you get older, his/her conversational skills will be even more important.
23. Spend some time alone.
24. Open your arms to change but don't let go of your values.
25. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
26. Read more books. Television is no substitute.
27. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.
28. Trust in God but lock your car.
29. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life. Do all you can to create a tranquil, harmonious home.
30. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.
31. Don't just listen to what someone is saying. Listen to why they are saying it.
32. Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.
33. Be gentle with the earth.
34. Pray or meditate. There's immeasurable power in it.
35. Never interrupt when you are being flattered.
36. Mind your own business.
37. Don't trust anyone who doesn't close his/her eyes when you kiss.
38. Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.
39. If you make a lot of money, put it to use helping others while you are living. It is wealth's greatest satisfaction.
40. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
41. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
42. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
43. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
44. Live with the knowledge that your character is your destiny.
45. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

Honey and Milk

When I think of forever I think of May when I graduate and get a job. I have always known I wanted to have a family but had never thought it would happen to me before like my mid 20's. Im not sure why but it just has never crossed my mind. So when presented with the question of children and a family I kind of freeze up. I guess it was just a completely new thought that someone would actually want to have a family with me.

I did some thinking and I discovered I would love to have a family and children and that it's not a crazy idea to think it could happen to me as soon as I wanted. It's a good feeling, knowing that I want to be a mom to have a family with a loving hubby :) shalom!

One long night.

After a wonderful day spent with my family and this cool guy I like I ventured home for what I thought was going to be a great nights rest. I was so tired. I pull up..ahh home sweet home... OH there is someone in my parking spot.. GREAT.. so I back it down to park on the street. I hike it up the hill in my exhausted state to my apartment. Ahh bed finally. I lay down and fall asleep immediately.

OK so my body is asleep but my mind must have taken an energy drink before I laid down. I first had a dream about the guy I spent the afternoon with. No complaints there. Then the rest of the night was spent dreaming about how I missed work, my test today, failed to write a paper, missed an appointment, and all of my classes. Shew talk about waking up exhausted.

My alarm went off at 7 this morning. I woke up and realized that it was all just a dream. Ughh I slumped back down for an extra 20min of sleep. Totally not enough. My allergies are kicking my butt and the worst part is that the whole stressful day I just dreamt about is actually happening I'm just not missing anything. O well this is life I just put on a smile and head to work!

Great Success

Yesterday my roommate and I decided we were going to go camping.. just the two of us. Bonding at its finest. We had been planning this trip all week so when Friday rolled around I was ready to go and forget about the stressful week I had. Well little did we know this simple camping trip was going to be more than we bargained for...

Around 2pm it started to downpour but, not to worry, it was supposed to blow over so we just decided to pack up and go as planned to my grandma's land. Well I call to let her know we are on our way and she has the biggest fit in the world about 'No Fire!' and 'people just showing up.' So this left us packed with no place to go. We run inside and find a place in Bardstown then head out.

On our way we get stuck in 30min of traffic before we even get out of town. Finally relief we get moving, 13miles out of Bardstown we see a wreck. Perfect. We sit there for 30 more minutes then finally make it to the site. Shew... ok. We get out our stuff and get my tent out...O my gosh it is made for a small child... so off to walmart to buy another tent. We make it back and I get started on the fire while she sets up her tent. The fire won't start... AWESOME..

Reghann tries and I try for about 30 min. We decide it is not something we can give up on.. Our problem, we needed a beer. Got the beer out, bug spray, and a prayer from Reghann 'Dear Jesus, light this fire. Amen' and we were set. The fire lit and we were all prepared finally for the night ahead. We had a few beers and went to sleep.

Today: we got up, went to my old kentucky home, heaven hill, nature, my gmas, home for dinner. now nap! perfect end to a perfectly funny weekend! Great Success. Great times with great friends and lots of laughter! Sherry 43!

True that...

"Do one thing every day that scares you." -Eleanor Roosevelt

"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in getting up every time we do." - Confucius

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined." - Henry David Thoreau

"If you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best." -Marilyn Monroe

“Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.” - Dalai Lama

"Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses." - Confucius

"It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop." - Confucius

"Life becomes harder for us when we live for others, but it also becomes richer and happier." -Albert Schweitzer

"You'll never leave where you are until you decide where you'd rather be."

"I'm the type of girl that can be so hurt but can still look at you and smile. The type of girl who is willing to brighten your day even if I can't brighten mine."

"It just makes sense for a change."

"Do things with passion or dont do them at all."

"We are all a little wierd and life's a little wierd and when we find someone whose wierdness is compatible with ours we join up with them and fall in mutual wierdness."

Unusual You...

Baby, you're so unusual.
Didn't anyone tell you you're supposed to break my heart.

I expect you to.

So why haven't you?

Baby, you're not even human 'cause only an angle could be so unsual

A sweet suprise I could get used to.

Unusual You

Boxer in the ring, trying to defend myself.

Hire a private eye to see what's going on.

When I'm with you I can be myself.

You always were when you say you will be

Shocking cuz I never knew this could exist.

Tables are turning.

My heart is learning.

That you'll never let me down

Answer the call.

Here after all.

Never met anyone like you.

I hope you can handle my heart...

"I hope you know what you're doing..."

I don't think I am ever going to actually "know what I am doing." But isn't that the fun part of life? Aren't we supposed to take chances, live a little and love a lot. If, in the end it doesn't work out at least we can say we tried. It may result in a little heartbreak but with time that will heal and life will go on to bigger and better things. I will never be certain that what I "am doing" is the right thing but damn it I will live a bit and learn a lot. And I will be a stronger more open and loving person after it all! Life is beautiful so love the life you live and be certain that what you are doing and where you are is EXACTLY where you are supposed to be!!

Serenity

This summer I have learned a lot about how important it is to take time out of each day to acknowledge yourself; your body, spirit, and all around well being. I am working at a summer camp where I deal with frustrated over weight teens daily. This becomes taxing on my body because I am working with these kids from 7am to 10pm daily, on my spirit because no one likes to deal with frustrated people and it is hard to keep spirits up when all around there is negativity. I have begun to take time out, even if it is just 5min, to calm myself and acknowledge my being alive. Some of the things I have found to be important to me as a woman to do are:

1. First and foremost wash your face in the morning. The splash of cold water on my face leaves me invigorated and feeling fresh and ready to go. This is also a great pick me up throughout the day!
2. Take time to breathe..... Ready? Go, close your eyes, deep breath in...... exhale all the way. This exercise is useful when I am frustrated and just need to calm down. Also, I do this when it is so wonderful outside I just can't get enough. I breath it all in until I can't take in any more.
3. Work out. Whether it be a ten minute walk for you or a 3mile run and an hour of lifting weights in the gym. Any form of exercising is a wonderful way to make yourself feel refreshed and alive as a woman. Do it because you want to not because others want you to. This is something we should do for ourselves.
4. Walk tall and strong. Own your walk, be an independent woman walking with a purpose and a pleasant look on your face. Not only do you steal the attention when you walk in a room but you also feel beautiful and empowered.. Try it. You will be surprised.
5. Dress in clothes that fit. Sometimes it's nice to just be a bum but when you go out put on some mascara and some casual, cute clothing. You will feel much more alert and womanly.

With this said, we all should embrace today. It is beautiful, you are beautiful. There will never be another today so, don't put off for tomorrow what you can do for yourself today!

Fish

I'm Finally 21 :O) woooo!! It's about time I'd say. My night was pretty awesome on my 21st. It was pretty perfect; low key, not too many people but lots of drinks. It was a night I will never forget thats for sure. We went to the bars and the next day to the karaoke bar in the small town of Waynesville NC. I was all excited to drink that night again but go figure I forgot my ID at camp so I ended up being the sober driver on the night of my birthday.. haha o well it was still fun!! I have to say it is nice being 21 and being able to go where I please without a worry.

The Bar

I went to the bar last night with some of the people that I work  with. We had a blast listening to the people doing a terrible job singing a long with the terrible songs they chose to sing to. After a while this cute guy wearing a Chevron shirt walks in... I didnt have the guts to tlk to him but eventually I did.. go figure. I headed towards the bathroom, made eye contact and bam he talked to me. This is how the o so entertaining conversation went:

Chevron: "Do I know you?"
Me: "no"
Chevron: "O... well I love you."
Me: "....u too."
Chevron: "Will you marry me?"
Me: "Yes, but let me pee first."
Chevron: "Ok... wanna make out later?"
Me: "What's your name?"
Chevron: "Brian.. when you come back from the bathroom grab my ass."
Me: "I'll be back."

I then went to the bathroom, came back and sat back down at my table. This conversation with Brian was very short and random but it made me smile. It's funny how the small things in life start to mean more. Since I have been at camp little things like a stranger noticing that you are a woman and can look good make me more happy than ever before. I find myself laughing at Chevron Brian and appreciating his slightly inapropriate very honest gesture.

Camp

Sooo I finally made it to North Carolina and talk about a wake up call. There is nothing like the feeling of an ice cold shower in the evening after a long, hot, rainy day. Top it off with a nice restless night on the thinnest matress I have ever seen and were off to a good start... NOT

I was so overwhelmed in the beginning; three meals a day, less than 1500cals, 10g of fat and 5 miles of running and I was beginning to worry that I was going to waste away. But, this problem was solved quickly and we now get secons and things are getting better. We now have a hot shower, internet, and cell phone reception.

I finally got into my office and got organized as well as finished some of my homework making my life easier and much more stress free!! Tonight we are off and are all headed to Asheville, NC for the night and tomorrow :O) well its dinner time!!

Music

Music washes away from the soul

the dust of everyday life.

- Berthold Auerbach

 

Beans

Random thoughts and things I have found that I like :O) Enjoy.

We pour out our miseries
God just hears a melody
Beautiful the mess we are
The honest cries of breaking hearts
Are better than a Hallelujah
Cartwheels at Midnight
Faith is the substance of things
hoped for and the evidence of things unseen.

Hello boys,
Here are some things you should do on a first date:
1. Show up on time.
2. Make a decision.
3. Turn off your phone.
4. Walk the girl to her car, even if she parked next to you.


Now, don't laugh at me, but one of my favorite times of day is SHOWER TIME! :) Haha i feel like I can just forget about the whole world and just turn my iPod on and sing and dance to fun songs and just totally let go! It's fun and carefree and I always look forward to it :)


Have you ever wanted something sooo badly it almost hurts? It's like you can see it, watch it dance, but cant grasp it.. it always seems to be just out of your reach...that's happening here...


Bloom where you are planted :O)


Whatever relationships you have attracted in your life at this moment, are precisely the ones you need in your life at this moment. There is a hidden meaning behind all events, and this hidden meaning is serving your own evolution.”

Words of Womaly Wisdom from Ivanov

There are a great many things a man cannot understand. Any girl would rather love an unfortunate man than a fortunate one, because every girl would like to do something by loving. A man has his work to do, and so for him love is kept in the background. To talk to his wife, to walk with her in the garden, to pass the time pleasantly with her, that is all that love means to a man. But for us, love means life. I love you; that means that I dream only of how I shall cure you of your sadness, how I shall go with you to the ends of the earth. If you are in heaven, I am in heaven; if you are in the pit, I am in the pit. For instance, it would be the greatest happiness for me to write all night for you, or to watch all night that no one should wake you. I remember that three years ago, at threshing time, you came to us all dusty and sun burnt and tired, and asked for a drink. When I brought you a glass of water you were already lying on the sofa and sleeping like a dead man. You slept there for half a day, and all that time I watched by the door that no one should disturb you. How happy I was! The more a girl can do, the greater her love will be; that is, I mean, the more she feels it.

Prince Charming

Departure

Today I am sitting at work with little to nothing to do and am thinking about what I have learned from my time here at SCS. There are several things that popped into my mind:

1. At the beginning of every day do something for someone else before you do anything for yourself.
2. Office computers and printers are possesed by the devil but can be coaxed to work if you just show the machine some lovin'.
3. It is ok to cuss at work but only when talking about time, the temperature, or the printer.
4. Relationships are everyting in maintaining a calm and very productive work environment for the employees.
5. You can mix work and play but do it carefully.
6. I HATE crushed ice... I believe I am the only one in the office that doesn't like it. Every time I go to get ice it has been previously crushed so I get half crushed half cubed. I don't like that.
7. Bathroom breaks are sent from heaven. Not only are they the warmest place in the building but we also have bath and bodyworks had soap making the experience even more enjoyable.
8. The break room is where everyone stands and talks like it is ok to just stand and chat because they are in the "break room."
9. Lastly, women try to sit as still as possible in the restroom as if they think if I don't hear them they are not there... I can see your feet under the stall mam'... I know you are pooping.

This is my list as of now. It may be 'to be continued' but we shall see. As I am wrapping up my last few days of employment I will add things as need be. It's a beautiful day!!

April 12th

So, today has been not one of the best so in an effort to redirect my focus I decided to write a blog. I have been browsing around trying to find something to write about and I found a list of the most beautiful words in the English language. This list is amazing! I love learning new things especially new words, there's nothing like expanding your vocab! I considered writing a poem with them but that wouldnt be as much fun because you wouldnt know what it meant! So, here are some of my favorites:

 

1. Ambience- atmosphere. vibe.
2. Ambrosia- food of the gods. something that smells and tastes wonerful.
3. Cadence- Accent. inflection. tone.
4. Cascade- flow. fall. gush. surge.
5. Enigma- mystery. puzzle. riddle.
6. Maisma- mist. haze. fog. murk. cloud
7. Beguile- entice. lure. charm. captivate. mesmerize. facinate. enthral.
8. Coalesce- unite. combine. come together.
9. Arcane- mysterious. secret. deep. hidden. unknowable.
10. Bacchanalian- boisterous/ drunken festivity.
11. Ebullient- happy. cheefrul. fun. jovial.
12. Idyllic- peaceful. tranquil. restful. calm. relaxing. pleasant.
13. Impassioned- emotional.
14. Languid- relaxed. lazy. lethargic. sleepy. graceful. slow moving.
15. Quixotic- idealistic. romantic. unrealistic. dreamy.
16. Tempestuous- stormy. passionate. emotional. turbulent.

These words are just some that struck me as interesting. Do with them what you wish :O)

Random Thoughts of the Day

Two of the three of these thoughts happened in the bathroom at work... haha that should tell you something about my hectic life :o) They are as follows:

1. Laughter makes the world go around. I believe that everyone should start their day with a laugh. I did and it made one heck of a difference!!
2. You know you are getting old when you tuck your shirt into your underwear on purpose...
3. Lastly someone posted this on Facebook and I thought it was great...
•  Dear heart, You're in the wrong place. Looking out for yourself no matter what I say. And I know that you're holding me back and it's time for a change, so I'm giving you away. And heart, we've fallen out. All of your emotions have led me to doubt. Only Jesus can save us now. ♥

Running with God

Today I was fortunate enough to go for a run in this wonderful warm weather. I decided to change my running route today from the normal Bardstown Rd. loop to a near by graveyard. Driving past this graveyard everyday to work made me curious as to how big it was so I thought what a better way to find out than to run through it. So, I set out on my run with my room key and ipod and not much else. I got to the entrance of the graveyard and at this point was beginning to warm up, sweat a little bit so I was feeling good. I finally run through this beautiful gateway and am astonished by the size of the graveyard I am beholding. It is beautiful inside, there are flowers blooming everywhere and wonderful statues of the saints and Mary.

I set off to my right at a nice steady pace and become aware of my surroundings... nothing... no people or cars in sight... just me and the souls resting there. Eventually as I get deeper into this graveyard the noises from the cars and houses cease and all is calm. It was then that I noticed the presence of God. The song playing on my ipod was singing "what do you want from me..." I was running down a hill, the wind was blowing in my face, and there were more Mary statues than I had ever seen. I felt as though God was running there with me. I began to observe all of the different forms of Mary statues and began to feel a tingling in my hands as well as a few small tears fall softly down my cheeks. I knew God was there. It was such a happy moment in my run I felt sort of like I was flying just, being with God.

Finally I was rounding the last turn and was beginning to come to my senses and realize that I was smokin hot and thirsty as all getout. I saw the final stretch out of the graveyard and I decided a prayer was needed to help me on my way home.
This is what came to my mind:
                         
                 Dear quiet souls of heaven carry me out on angel's wings. Amen

I said this over and over, as I did the wind picked up and I got my one last wind that carried me on out of the graveyard and on my way home. Today I felt the presence of God in the most peaceful yet unnerving way on my run through the graveyard of St. Agnes. In closing I would like to say: Dear God, I LOVE YOU. Amen

Farts

PostSecret

Heaven on Earth

With the semester coming to an end and work closing out I am finding myself pretty stressed out. It becomes frustrating because all I want to do is stop but I literally cannot so I have to find other ways to create peace within the day. This is a challenge sometimes to see the beauty in my surroundings while enveloped in my thoughts and strict schedule.


To start my day off I get up about thirty minutes early read a reflection from a prayer book or website, eat a bowl of cereal, and drink a cup of hot green tea while still in my PJ's. This allows me time to wake up, say hello to God and start on the right foot. I find this to be one of the most relaxing times of the day for me. Not much thinking happens during this time and I am just allowing my body to be soothed from the warmth of the tea and my soul awakened by God.

Then my day takes off running whether I am ready or not. My days mainly consist of class-lunch-class, more class-dinner-class again-work out-homework-4th meal-bed-repeat. As you can see there is not much down time involved in that schedule so I have to seek peace in daily occurrences.

Lunch is spent at my desk at work and I take this time to relax. I pull out my PB&J sandwich with my apple, turn on the radio and just relax. I stop all thoughts at this point and focus on nothing I am giving my body and mind a rest. The same sort of thing happens at dinner. I will go to the cafeteria, pick up a news paper and grab a table by myself to just veg out on a healthy meal and good ol' news. These are the times I make a conscious effort to rest during my day because I believe that rest is necessary to give life 100%.


As for the rest of my hectic day I do several things:

1. I try to see the beauty in my surroundings and nature no matter where I am. I will pick out one thing and thank God for it.
2. I try to see God in all my interactions. I ordered my sandwich from a woman today that is always smiling and I smiled back just as big because she brightened my day.
3. I try to smile at as many people as possible and/or do something to brighten someone’s day.

These things are small but allow me to keep God involved in my day and to keep peace within my mind, body, and soul all throughout my day. This is my heaven on earth.

Great Undertakings

A few weeks ago I walked into the cafeteria at school after work, handed the woman at the counter my card to swipe and was sort of preoccupied with my thoughts. "Are you a teacher?" snapped me out of my trance and back to the impending question. "No" I responded, shaken a bit from what I thought to be odd question. The lady behind the counter proceeded to tell me that she sees me around here a lot and thought that by the way I carried myself that I was a teacher.

There is something to body language. My mom always told me to walk with my shoulders back, chin up, and with determination. I have been doing this for so long now it is a habit. I didn’t realize how much poise had an effect on others perceptions of me until this incident. In one of my classes we are talking about a speaker’s credibility and how body posture affects if the audience views them as credible or not.

Slouching with shoulders down indicates being timid and afraid. This gives them little credibility. Leaning against something while speaking shows that the person is nervous and unsure of themselves. Most of the time when a person is leaning they are no longer directly facing the audience creating an automatic barrier.

Although those are just a few things speakers do I would like to be bold in saying that some of these concepts can be applied elsewhere. For example, when I see someone walking on campus with their head down and a slouched posture I think they are shy and don’t like to be confronted with new people. On the other, more extreme side when I see someone walking with their shoulders so far back they are almost waddling, nose up in the air, and greets everyone with a “hello” I think they must be stuck up and think they are above everyone else.

This is not an exhaustive list of ways that body language can affect your life daily. I believe that body language is such an important part of interpersonal relationships and is something that everyone should pay attention to.

Dear God, allow me to present myself in a way that will cater best to your mission for me. Help me to see others and respond fully to their needs. Amen

I am Smiling with Love

"I am smiling with love..." What does this mean? As I sit at my desk and wonder what it means I become distracted by an interaction outside my window that is obviously between two lovers. The man hugs the woman, gives her a kiss, smiles at her and she in turn smiles back. Then it comes to me, this interaction that I have just witnessed explains this quote so well.

A smile closes the distance between two people, it says things when words are not available. This man and woman were smiling with love at each other. They may or may not have verbally said 'I love you' but one can see that their smiles communicate that they care about each other.

I personally love smiles. I love it when people are smiling it makes me smile also. This kind of smile is a sort of prayer. It means 'I am smiling with love' at you, you are important and I love you whoever you are. I believe that when we do something for someone else and they smile we have touched their soul. This is my goal starting now: to smile with love as much as possible each day regardless of if the smile is for a stranger or a friend.