It's Sunny Out!

This morning I didn't have to go to school so I got the unusual chance to sleep in. When I normally leave for school in the morning, it's still fairly dark out. And over the last week or two it has been cloudy and overcast.

I got up and there was sun! Glorious sun! I felt like the whole world had pressed a restart button and now we could enjoy a cold version of summer. Just looking out the window makes me happy.

Go out and enjoy the sun!

Dear Curious

This past week, we started the Dear Amelia series where you can send in question for us to answer. After an overwhelming response, I figured it was time to actually answer one.

Dear Amelia,
Is college really as hard as everyone says?
-Curious

Dear Curious,
After being homeschooled for twelve years, I think that I can safely say that college is different from any other school experience I have ever had. Although I can't say that the work is exceptionally hard, like any other new school year, it does demand a bit more study and perserverence than the previous one.

I believe the reason many college students proclaim that college is difficult is because all of the sudden they actually have to be responsible for themselves. Professors don't care if you miss every lecture and the only action they would take is to eventually drop you from the class.

All of this to say that I don't think the homework is what makes college hard; I think the growing up and being in control of your own life part can be difficult for many people.

But don't concern yourself with what everyone else says about the work. If you know how to read, write and study fairly well going in, you should do fine. ;-)

Amelia

The 18th Candle

As many of you know, thanks to spadoodles, Sunday is my 18th birthday.

If you asked me right now if I think being 18 will be cool, sweet, jazzy and altogether a blast, I wouldn't have an answer for you. You see, at this point, I have mixed emotions about the whole "becoming an adult" thing. I can't wait to be old enough to drive everyone I want, old enough to vote, old enough to fall in love, old enough to get married, old enough to have children and raise them according to God's will, old enough to actually grow old, and eventually die completely sure of where I will go. On the other hand, though, the whole "mature adult" thing kind of freaks me out. Turning 18 signifies the change from a dependent kid to a mostly independent individual.

The responsibilities seem overwhelming all of the sudden. My tasks seem endless, and school feels like it will never end. I feel so inexperienced in the ways of adulthood. When I was a senior in high school, I felt fairly knowledgeable about many things. I guess you could say that I had a big head. (I wish that you wouldn't.) Being a high school senior made me feel important as most everyone was carefully observing my every move. But now I know that I was just fooled like all the other seniors into thinking that we had made it to the top of the "knowledge ladder," and could just take in the view.

I just recently realized (like since I started college) how little I know about adult life and everything that is enjoyed or endured by the normal adult. Take marriage as an example. I can't get married right now, and if I did, I wouldn't know the first thing about it. Or we could talk about jobs. Besides working as an intern for my church, I have never had a "real" job in my life. Or we could even talk about managing a household, having children, raising children, enduring the stresses of normal life and providing for someone else's needs. I have some head knowledge yes, but my experience in the real world is very limited. VERY limited.

Part of this shock comes from being carefully sheltered from materials and images that would have scarred my mind at a young age. My parents both realized that protection would not be necessary forever, only until I was capable and mature enough to make wise choices on my own. Over the last few years they have allowed bits and pieces of nonkid-friendly material to reach me. Their godly wisdom was displayed by the careful thought that went into the exposure. Recognizing I would eventually need to understand complex and worldly issues, they have gradually been "working" me into the world when they saw the desired amount of maturity. Meaning I still don't know all that much. ;)

Growing up requires a lot of responsibility and maturity. As I am slowly shoved into the adult world, I am just going to have to learn how everything is done, and believe me, I will be doing a lot of praying along the way. I realize mistakes are inevitable because of my human nature, but by asking my Heavenly Father for wisdom, I will be able to trust that He will lead me and show me the right thing to do.

James 1:5 "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."

Without a Price Tag

It has arrived.

Time to drop your pool floatie and pick up you pen and paper. When school rolls around, we see a lot of advertising for school supplies. "Come get your pens, paper, rulers, backpacks, and folders!" But after being bombarded with all these advertisements, it comes to mind that we would not be fully equipped without something that we can't buy at a store. Something that doesn't have a price tag......

A good attitude. One morning when we wake and find fall on our front doors, we are faced with a challenge. The challenge of being a cheerful worker. Just like the bee or the ant goes out everyday and works hard, God wants us to possess these qualities as well. We live in a very privileged country where an education is available. And yet sometimes I find myself taking my education for granted. And how do we tend to respond? We respond with ungratefulness.


Ungratefulness. It is an ugly word. The kind of word that leaves an unpleasant taste in our mouths post utterance. Someone once told me that no one has a right to an education, but that it is a privilege. So why not be grateful and have a good attitude toward the privilege of school?



Now I don't want everyone to think that I love school to the extent that I want it year-round. I did say it was a challenge. So as school creeps around the corner, let us not lose sight of what we have been blessed with. Remember to not forget your willingness to learn and your good attitude. The school supplies without a price tag.

Proverbs 6:6 Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.

I Have How Many Hours Left?!?

School. The very thought of it is haunting every student in the whole San Joaquin County, state of California and even the whole world! Some unfortunate souls have already returned; I am one of the fortunate few who are left. There are only 63 hours left until school starts, and I am determined not to waste the last precious bit of my summer.

Even though I dislike admitting this, I will tell you that I had to pence about school for a little while today. After all, textbooks and binders don't purchase themselves. And when I finished my stroll through the Delta College bookstore, I found myself thinking very unusual thoughts. I became excited about my new (and used) books, and I wanted to have a chance to actually use them. I soon realized that I was anticipating the coming school year, and the classes I would take.

This excitement, although unusual for most students, is not abnormal for me. I believe I can safely say that almost every year, I look forward to returning to a normal routine. I do enjoy my summer, but after a while, the monotony starts getting to me. I find myself wanting to complete a difficult math problem or craving to analyze a literature passage. My mom is the main reason for these desires; she always likes the return to the scheduled school lifestyle. But even my sisters, who are die-hard summer people, eventually find themselves looking for alternative outlets for their unused energy.

I believe God created us to seek change. He understood that if we were always repeating the activities in our lives, we would become bored and unwilling to change. He also understood that we need to, dare I say it, do some good old-fashioned hard work. School combines the much-needed expansion of our minds with a substantial amount of change from the ordinary. We should embrace the challenge of change!

Proverbs 18:9 "One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys."