Don't fall out of your chair...

...because this is a new blog post. For real.

See, I thought I was doing well since I'm keeping up with publishing comments and always respond within a couple days to the emails from people with questions about my blog posts. But...then I hopped onto my blog and saw that my last post was published in May. And I realized that, dude, it's been way too long.

So here I am!

To be honest, I had plenty of time to blog in the first few weeks of June. I simply didn't have anything to blog about. Actually, I was bored for the first time in at least a year, maybe longer. I had been so busy finishing high school, applying to college, working, campaigning, and doing college that when it all abruptly ended, I really didn't know what to do with myself. It was the strangest feeling ever.

I spent the majority of June job-searching. It was a frustrating process, but on June 20th I finally landed a job. After weeks of looking, sixteen applications, and two interviews, you better believe that I was incredibly relieved. Proof that persistence pays off? Maybe. But definitely proof that God was teaching me a lesson about being patient and trusting Him to provide for my needs (namely, money for college) if it's His will that I continue at PHC.

Right after that, life started getting crazy again. A family reunion, two college classes in full swing, working three different jobs in the space of two weeks (I was helping out/filling in at two of my past jobs and training at my new one), and some political work quickly ended my boredom!

So now I'm working as a server (waitress) at a rather classy restaurant. On nights when we're busy, I've found that I can make up to $70 in tips, which is nice. Especially because I've now found a place to park legally! That sounds bad, so let me explain. The Chautauqua Institution has this thing about charging an arm and a leg for e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. Including parking. I found out the hard way that they really do care if you park without buying the $175 parking permit. Soo...I now park a million miles away (about a fifteen minute walk, not bad really) and pay $2 for parking. Anyhow, I've learned so much and have much to learn, but I'm starting to enjoy working there (especially the part where I find money meant for me to like, have under plates after my customers have left). It's quite a thrill.

Today is my second day off since my job started (on June 20th). I'm spending it creating a Euclidean geometry proof and catching up on some Spanish homework. It's surprising how difficult it is to motivate myself to do homework without falling asleep when I get home from work around 10 PM. Actually, the geometry proof was due last night, but I got an extension from my awesome professor since I literally had no time to finish it this week due to work and circulating petitions.

Some things I've been thinking about...

A couple Sundays ago, our pastor preached on Philippians 1:21, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." Normally I focus on the second half of that verse, contemplating on how, for the Christian, death is not something to be feared or dreaded. But the sermon focused on the phrase "to live is Christ." In other words, everything we do in this life should be for Christ. Nothing I'd never heard before, but somehow it made me start thinking. Is my life spent passionately pursuing the Savior and doing God's will, or is it only centered on what I want to the exclusion of all else?

While driving to work last week, I was thinking about this when Francesca Battistelli came on the radio:

"It’s your life
What you gonna do?
The world is watching you
Every day the choices you make
Say what you are and who
Your heart beats for
It’s an open door"

Sooo, what do my choices say about me? That my heart beats for Christ...or for me?

Anyhow, it's something I'm still wrestling with, and something I'd encourage you to think on as well.

All right, that's it for now. Peace out, folks!