This is my 70th blog...its finally done!!! hahah like i have said previously i have enjoyed this semester of college greatly and have had a wonderful time. I have enjoyed this english class and this whole blogging experience very much. This blogging experience has been fun because i have had the liberty to say whatever and express whatever i want to however i want to do it.

I am so tired of people saying stuff about Cam Newton. Most people hav eno idea what they are talking about and need to keep his mouth shut. I dont care what he did...that doesnt change his athletic ability and he does deserve the championship(SEC and National). His moral standards have been questioned but there is no evidence that he ever wanted money or recieved any. Cam Newton is awesome. End of story.

I took a math test today and during the test my phone dropped out of my lap and fell on the floor. well the whole front screen got scratched...yeah im not too happy..and i dont think that they make a protective cover fo rmyt phone...greaaaaaaaaat..dad is gonna be like "I told you so" ...haha awesomeee

So every year my family goes to this christmas tree farm and gets a 14ft tree to put in our living room. this year my boyfriend came with us and so did another family and it was really fun. i loved having all of them here to decorate the trees and eat dinner with us. it was one of those times that i will never forget

so my dog has horrible gas. i have an english bull dog named charlie and oh my goodness he has HORRIBLE gas. So this is a WARNING!! IF YOU GET AN ENGLISH BULL DOG...THINK FIRST IF YOU WANT TO DEAL WITH THE HORRIFIC ODOR THAT COMES OUT OF THEIR BACK END AFTER THEY EAT. im just saying this to warn all of you...and to get 70 blog posts. :)

it really bothers me when people dont come to church or dont dont do things that they have committed to do because they have school...i feel like complaining for just a second...like its ridiculous that people break commitments because they have a test or paper...usually the person knows abt the paper waaay in advance at least a few days in advance and they couldve done it earlier...idk im annoyed right now..haha

my mom just made sugar cookies...ahhhh i dont need them but they smell soooo good...this is just sinful...why do things like cookies have to be fattening..but then nasty stuff like celery have to be good for you....this will be a question i ask when i get to heaven...

i really hate when like you think you only have this one thing to do and THEN you realize that you have a thousand other things you HAVE to do that day or ELSE...yeah this has been one of those days. i completely forgot today was the 7th and realized that i needed my blogs done, my paper done, and my math lab done...anddddd i gotta study for finallsss..yayyyy...well its my fault...i just felt like complaining

i have very much enjoyed this semester of college. i love college very very much and dont miss highschool at all. the ONLY thing i miss is basketball...sort of..hahah but i have very much enjoyed myself this semester and am excited to see how the rest of my college career goes. i cant waiiiitttt

5 alternate alternate blog names

1. Ashleys Thoughts
2. On the Road Again
3. Thinking With Ashley
4. Ashanator
5. Miracle on Ashley Street

ill admit it..im a shopaholic. I buy so many things and its ridiculous. It really is. i am waaay to frivilous with my money and its bad. i need to save my money and spend it on maybe someone else...or do somehting actually productive with it instead of buying something for myself

so i dont know what i think about parents being on facebook. i mean i dont have anything to hide from them on facebook but i dont know...it just seems weird that the "older" people are playing farmville and doing all the facebook quizzes and such. Idk i think facebook started off for younger people but now has turned into a highschool reunion for the class of 1980

Without technology i dont really know what i would do...which is sad. I have begun to rely so much on technology that i have thought about taking a fast from it and see what life would be like without technology every single day. It may be weird and i may get stressed but i think it would be good to see how much i have relied on technology and see where i need to rethink my priorities.

So i was looking on the internet to find blog topics to write about and one of the writing prompts was to write about looking for writing prompts..haha pretty funny...but i have found it difficult to find topics to write about this semester...i dont know, i thought that it would be pretty difficult but it has been challenging...but i like a good challenge

Mission Trip Letter

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits,

who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit,

who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,

who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Psalm 103:2-5

Ashley Hostetter

12510 County Road 45

Tuskegee, AL 36083

During my first semester of college I have enjoyed being able to get involved with the Baptist College Ministry at AUM.  I have had the awesome opportunity to help lead worship on Monday nights at what we call Resonate and now I have the opportunity to go on a mission trip with this ministry. We will be going to Alaska on March 11^th through March 19^th, 2011. We will be feeding the homeless, shoveling snow, helping on a Habitat for Humanity home, serving children at a Boys and Girls club, and will be able to minister to the people there.  

            The Pew Research Center recently released a finding that Alaska is the LEAST religious state in the United States. In addition to the cities and towns, there are about 200 villages in Alaska. Most of these can only be reached by airplane and sometimes by boat. Very few of these villages have healthy gatherings of believers. Our goal on this trip is to help the people of Alaska physically but also help them spiritually.

I am writing this to ask you to pray about two things:

1.      I ask you to please pray for me and the team as we prepare and go to Alaska. Please pray that the Lord will prepare our hearts and minds for what He wants us to do and that He will lead the way. Pray that we will humble ourselves and put these people before our own comforts and needs. Pray that our actions will show the love of Jesus and that the people will see Jesus, not us.  I thank you in advance for your prayers.

2.      I also ask you to pray about making a financial contribution. The total cost of the trip is $1000 and I do need help raising this money. Any contributions given will go towards my travel expenses and lodging in Alaska. If you feel God leading you to make a donation you can send the check to me but please make it out to Baptist College Ministry. All donations will be tax deductible as well.  Any amount of money that is given will be a huge blessing and greatly appreciated.

Thank you for praying about these matters and I can’t wait to share with you how the Lord moves. I am excited to see how He will use me and the team to minister to the people of Alaska. 

so this song posted previously is a song i am singing on sunday night for this drama we are doing at church. it is a good reminder what christmas is really all about and why we are actually celebrating. its not because of the gifts and santa but because Jesus Christ came down to earth and saved us from our sins by dieing on the cross.

As little children we'd dream of Christmas morn
And all the gifts and toys we knew we’d find
But we never realized a baby born one blessed night
Gave us the greatest gift of our lives

We are the reason that He gave His life
We were the reason that He suffered and died
To a world that was lost He gave all He could give
To show us the reason to live

As the years went by we learned more of our gifts
The giving of ourselves and what that means
On a dark and cloudy day a man hung crying in the rain
Because of love
Because of love

*Chorus

I finally found the reason for living
It’s in giving every part of my heart to Him (every part to Him)
And all that I do every word that I say (you know I’ll be saying)
I will give all my life just for Him, just for Him (every thing for Him)

We are the reason that He gave His life
We are the reason that He suffered and died
To a world that was lost He gave all He could give (all that he could give all)
To show us the reason to live

Today i studied for biology and then i went to biology..and then i went to sociology and he let us out 50 minutes earlyyy!! and tonight for dinner i am having camp stew and watching Miracle on 34th street:) its gonna be a good night

So this whole thinking of things to blog about so that i can have 70 blog entries isssss not fun. yes i shouldve done this earlier...dang..haha but anywayss...hopefully tonight i will go eat at buffalo wild wings and then go home and study for biology somemore..then wednesday i gotta go to work and then once i get off work i will study even mroe for biology ..but now im going to math..see you later

Anxiety

“Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). Anxiety is one of the most common emotions in people. This emotion causes the body to change and react to circumstances in different ways. This is what our group decided to test; the anxiety levels of people. We thought it would be interesting to see how subconsciously anxious people would get when different people would come into the room and sit beside them.

For our group’s project we chose to test people’s anxiety levels. People get anxious about almost anything and we decided to look at how anxious a person got when the same gender, opposite gender, and an authority figure came into the room and sat beside the person we tested. We thought that it would be interesting to see when a person got the most anxious. Our idea was that a person would get the most anxious when the opposite gender walked in and/or the authority figure walked in.

To distract the people we were testing, we made them take a personality test on a computer. We used a Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) meter to measure their anxiety levels while the person took the test. Before taking the test, we put the GSR receptors on the index and middle finger of the test taker. These receptors pick up the skin conductivity and send it to the box they are connected to, to be translated into numbers. When a person’s anxiety goes up the numbers on the GSR fluctuate showing that the person has become more anxious. While they were taking the test, we sent in people in to sit beside them, acting like they were also working on the computer. We sent in the same gender, the opposite gender, and an authority figure each at different times. Every time one of those people would come in, we wrote down each number, and every time it changed. Also, we recorded the starting level and the ending level of the person we were testing. When the test was over we told the person what was actually going on and what the test was for.

The results of our test showed us what we were expecting to see. We expected higher anxiety responses when the subject was put in close contact with a person of the opposite gender or an authority figure while taking the personality test. Generally, we saw the subject becoming most anxious after a person of opposite gender sat down next to them and started working on a computer. An authority figure sitting next to the testing subject showed the next highest anxiety levels, and often a person of the same gender sitting next to them produced only slight anxiety levels. We detected anxiety in a person not only when the numbers spiked but most often when they fluctuated very quickly. With most of our test subject’s high anxiety was shown by extreme fluctuation, especially when the opposite gender and authority figure came in. The fluctuating numbers may have been lower than the original starting number however this does not mena a lack of anxiety but rather a lot of anxiety due to the fluctuation. Occasionally, other factors caused the testing subject to become anxious, such as waiting for the test results, or noticing that we were writing down readings from the GSR.

            The test resulted in this way because, as we predicted, teenagers become anxious around people of the opposite gender and around authority figures. They were more anxious around these groups than their own gender because teenagers tend to feel more comfortable around this group of people. They were still a little anxious around anyone no matter what because they were taking a test, which would make them a little more on edge. But naturally, not all of the test subjects fell into this pattern. Some subjects’ anxiety levels went down around authority figures and the opposite gender, or did not change drastically. This could be because they were either too absorbed in the test to notice, or they were comfortable anyway around these groups of people.

            These test results prove our original idea more than change it. We saw in the results what we had predicted to see when we designed the test. Though we did expect to see greater increases than we did in anxiety levels when authority figures and the opposite gender came in the room, the increase was still usually there, in some cases very pronounced. If we did the test again, we might have the people interact with the subject in different ways rather than just sitting still to see if more anxiety is produced. Overall, though, the test went very well.

I believe we got the results we did for several reasons. First of all, the people we tested were all adolescents. Adolescents are extremely susceptible to the opinion and presence of others, especially those of the opposite sex. At the ages of thirteen to eighteen (which was the age range within which we tested) teenagers are perceived as often times very nervous around their peers of the opposite sex and we proved this to be true. Teens are almost crippled by self awareness at this age, especially around the opposite sex which they are subtly trying to attract or please at this age. So, this showed up very prominently in our experiment because we proved that teens are more nervous around peers of the opposite sex.

Additionally we suspected that teens would be quite anxious around an authority figure who was in a close proximity to them. This was another true aspect of our experiment because during high school teachers are often seen as mean or intimidating and both of these views produce and anxious reaction. I think that the teens were most nervous around the authority figure because they expected to be told they were doing something wrong or to be judged by them. Not to mention they were doing an online quiz and so they had no idea if the teacher would correct them or tell them to get off the computer because that was a non school related quiz. These were all thoughts that we believe were going on in the students head consciously or subconsciously which made them anxious

A new aspect to our experiment that we discovered was that when the kids got confused, their anxiety levels went up. Sometimes we did not know why they were spiking but one girl provided an interesting theory. All of the sudden she said “Oh I’m so confused!” and her anxiety spiked. This led us to believe that student’s anxiety may have gone up when they were confused. This is just a theory however, and we did not officially test for it.

Through this project we saw that people’s anxiety levels go up when someone of authority came and sat beside them and a person of the opposite gender. Before we even did the test, our theory was that this would happen. This test showed us how people react to other people subconsciously, without even thinking that they are anxious. It was very interesting to see how the body reacts to different situations. This project showed the greatness of God in how our bodies react to situations without us even knowing it. God designed our bodies so perfectly, to do everything we needed them to, to survive, and his glory is revealed through something so small as this project.

Today i have a math test and its the last test of the semester. I think its going to be pretty easy...well i hope so...haha i wish i had done more of these blogs earlier...haha well lesson learned. After class i have to go and study for this ridiculous biology final that i have on thursday which is going to be sooo much fun..haha not...but supposedly he is going ot give us a study guide so that will be helpful...after biology i have sociology with Dr. Mulllins and today is his last day of teaching...hes retireing...and my class is his last class. pretty epic if you ask me..

So this morning i got up and had this craving for some warm starbucks coffee...well i had a little bit of money left on my aum card so i came up to the cafeteria and bought a caramel mocchiato. well it was disgusting..and you know that feeling that you get when youve wanted something so bad and when you get it its not what you had hoped for AT ALL...it kinda lets you down. well this kinda made me think about how much worth i put on worldly things..like coffee...that like its really sad when a cup of bad coffee ruins my morning...it just reminded me what is important in my life...and it shouldnt be a cup of coffee...

10 reasons i love christmas

1. its a time where family gets together
2. FOOD :)
3. Christmas songs
4. Decorations
5. The christmas tree
6. the cold weather that USAUALLY comes with it
7. The smell of christmas
8. giving gifts
9.not having schoool:)
10. my moms christmas villiage she sets up every year

Telemedicine

Ashley Hostetter

English Comp 1

Mrs. Simms

November 22, 2010

Telemedicine

                Telemedicine is the rapid growing way of providing healthcare through technology. It is “the use of medical information exchanged from one site to another via electronic communications to improve patients' health status” (American Telemedicine Association).  This form of medicine is using not-so-new- technology like video, email, wireless phones, and other telecommunication devices to extend care to people in rural areas. This method began forty years ago but is growing rapidly and being used in operations at hospitals, physicians offices, people’s homes, and for the soldiers out on the field every day. Telemedicine is changing the way that people can receive healthcare and it could possibly help doctors reach people who would not be able to receive healthcare any other way.

There are many different services that telemedicine offers, some of those being: Specialist Referral Services, Patient Consultations, Remote Patient Monitoring, Medical Education, and Consumer Medical Health Information. Each of these services allows the physician to assess the patient in almost any way they need without the patient actually being present.  The Specialist Referral Service gives the physician the chance to diagnose the patient usually via a live consult or by sending diagnostic images or video to the physician for viewing. Usually this method is used so that a specialist may help a general practitioner make a diagnosis. The patient consultations may include an audio and live or still from a patient in a remote area to the health professional who would try to make a diagnosis and treatment plan.   The remote patient monitoring allows the physicians to use devices to monitor a patient without the patient being present. There is a form of remote patient monitoring called “home telehealth” where the patient is homebound but can be monitored by the physician. Their vital signs can be monitored like blood glucose or heart ECG. These devices are extremely helpful for the soldiers who are fighting in Iraq. The soldiers can wear the devices which monitor their vital signs and the doctor is able to see which soldier needs medical attention. Telemedicine offers medical education to those health professionals and physicians who are in remote locations; usually this is over the internet that the education is given. They are able to be updated on new and improved medical findings.  “Consumer medical and health information includes the use of the Internet for consumers to obtain specialized health information and on-line discussion groups to provide peer-to-peer support” (American Telemedicine Association). This allows people to learn from each other, provide support, and gain more knowledge about medical information.

            There are many benefits of telemedicine according to Dr. Jay Sanders and Dr. Rashid Bashsur. These doctors say that telemedicine will address three of the most prominent problems in U.S. healthcare, those being, “Uneven geographic distribution of health care resources throughout the country, inadequate access to quality, or any, health care on the part of certain segments of the population, including the under-privileged, the isolated and the confined, who are collectively referred to as the "underserved", and the unabating rise in the cost of care” (Milstein).  The savings that telemedicine can bring include the reduced travel costs for the specialists and the patients and savings on hospital care and accommodations. Telemedicine can also reduce the amount of waiting time for a patient that could cause more harm or even death, it can reduce the cost of another family member who would otherwise travel with the patient wherever the specialist was, and also can increase the number of patients that a specialist could treat because of the time saved by not having to physically travel.

“Among its many virtues is its potential: For lowering the cost of healthcare services, reducing healthcare services, reducing overall costs to patients, keeping patients at or close to home, and increasing both the availability and the quality of care, especially in rural and underserved areas. Lower healthcare costs will result from: earlier diagnosis and treatment of medically difficult conditions, need for fewer facilities, use of lower-cost rural facilities, less travel time and associated costs for healthcare providers. Overall savings to patients can result from earlier diagnosis and treatment, savings and travel to and from providers and reductions in lost work time" (Milstein)

There is another side of view on telemedicine which includes those who are not in agreement with it. Many of these people believe that it “constitutes no more than the introduction of another layer of technology into an already complex healthcare environment, with little or no demonstrable benefits either in terms of cost or quality of care” (Milstein).  They also believe that telemedicine is only the second best and that nothing can compare to actual face to face time with the doctor. They believe that it is not as personal as actually physically seeing the doctor and that the quality of care will not be the best.

Telemedicine has made many advancements in the last few years. This medical breakthrough can and will change the way people are cared for and receive health care. Although there may not be the personal aspect of healthcare to go along with telemedicine, it is better than no healthcare at all. This will give people in very rural areas better care than they have had before and doctors will be able to save more lives with this new technology. Telemedicine will give more people the care they need to live healthier and hopefully longer lives.

Time Flies...Even When Youre Not Having So Much Fun

So this first semester of college has literally flown by...its kind of ridiculous how fast the time has gone...and people say it just goes faster. I feel like my first day of college was just yesterday. But here we are at the end of this semester, getting ready for finals...and ya know...it makes me think just how fast life goes. It makes me think about what am I going to do with the little time I have here on earth. Just like this semester has flown by..our lives are nothing but a vapor on this earth and then we are gone....what are we going to do with the little time we have been given here on this earth? Make a difference with the time that you are given here...live every day like it was your last and dont miss an opportunity to make a difference in someone elses life. As a Christian my prayer is that every day of my life i can shine the light of Jesus into peoples lives...that my actions and my words would relfect those of Christ and that everyday i would live for Him because He died for me. I just think its something for us to think about as this semester comes to a close...

Thanksgiving

so ive been thinking about this whole black friday shopping spree and what all goes on and happens on this day and i think its quite ridiculous. i mean its the day after thanksgiving...the day where we are supposed to be thankful for what we have....and then not even one full day after we are already lined up at stores to get more and more and more stuff...its kind of contradiction if you ask me....thanksgiving is a time to reflect on how much we are blessed as americans and remember and think about maybe those who arent as blessed and maybe do something for those people. How can we give thanks for all we have but then trample people just to save a few dollars on stuff we wont even probably be using in the next year. idk its just something to think about...

Nursing Profile

Mrs. Mauney worked in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for eight years but is currently not practicing because she decided to stay home while she had small children. Nursing is one of the career paths that allows for flexibility like that and nurses are always needed. Since she graduated in 1998 the demand for nurses has increased in hospitals, doctor’s offices, schools, home health, hospice, mental institutions, etc.  She felt very drawn to the medical field and nursing seemed like a great choice for her. Mrs. Mauney loved it because it offered such a variety of career opportunities which was good because she didn’t know what exactly she wanted to do. “I didn’t know exactly what type of nursing I wanted to do at the age of 19. That’s a big decision for someone that age who doesn’t even know what they want to do tomorrow!” She found her job very rewarding but at times it was very difficult. Mrs. Mauney said that she loved watching a baby go home but the challenging part was to watch a family mourn as their baby either struggles or passes away; watching them go home empty handed. The character traits she said that a nurse in any field needs to have is patience, especially for a family who may be angry as they struggle with a sick child. A nurse also needs endurance and needs to be willing to go the extra mile for their patient. As a nurse you must be kind and selfless; you must think of others more than yourself and put your patient’s needs before your own. The ability to work well with others is also a very essential trait a nurse must have. They need to be able to work with all personality types because you do not get to choose who you work with or what patients you get.

                The ability to practice nursing comes with a pretty heavy cost. There is hard work and schooling that must be done in order to graduate from the nursing school and have a job in that field. There are many different degrees to attain in this field but to even apply for nursing school the completion of two years of specific courses is required. There is an Associate Degree in nursing (ADN) and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree (BSN) program.  To be able to seek career advancement it would be more beneficial to get a BSN.  Once accepted into a nursing program, it takes 2 years to complete.  There is classroom learning, and learning that takes place in the clinical setting.  Upon completion of the nursing program, the Alabama Board of Nursing's State Board Exam must be passed. If the exam is passed, you are allowed to practice nursing within the state you took the board exam.  The nursing license has to be renewed every 2 years in order to keep an active status, which gives the right to practice nursing. The hiring process includes making a resume, getting letters of recommendations, and interviews. The people hiring are looking for the ability to perform skills, ability to be taught and learn new things, personable people, and enthusiasm for the job. Also there is training and orientation with another nurse for three to six months, depending on experience, before taking on your own patients.

                A typical day for Mrs. Mauney in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit started by arriving at 6:45 in the morning and getting a report from the previous RN, which included a head to toe report of how the baby had been doing on the previous shift and sharing any changes or pertinent information for the continued care of the baby while on her shift. She usually only had 2 babies to care for at a time because of their critical condition (sometimes only one).  Mrs. Mauney would then check all the equipment (monitors, IV pumps, etc.) to make sure they were functioning properly and that the alarm limits were set correctly.  After a thorough scrub down (a required 3 minute hand-washing before touching the babies), she did a head-to-toe assessment of the baby, documenting all her findings, so that she would have a good baseline to compare later assessments to.  If there were any changes that needed reporting to the doctor, she notified them and carried out any orders given.  She would also give any medications throughout the day that needed to be given which was always on a strict schedule.  Most babies in the NICU are critically ill, requiring minimal stimulation, so they try to keep the environment low lit, quiet, and touch the babies a little as possible.  Many of them are on ventilators, so the babies are closely monitored.  For example, if a baby's heart rate drops, or their oxygen level drops, she would stimulate the baby to see if they just need to breathe.  If that did not work, she would increase the oxygen on their ventilator, or take them off the ventilator and manually give them breaths with an ambu bag, watching for their heart rate and oxygen to go back up.  Doctors are always close-by and available to intervene if a code situation arises.

                Mrs. Mauney said that she wished she had gotten more hands on experience in school and had a better understanding of the job opportunities.  She said that nursing is such a great field, especially for females. Her advice to someone entering this career field was to go straight through school because you can be finished by the time you are 22 years old. Having the opportunity to learn more about this career has excited me even more to continue on the nursing major path. There are so many different opportunities with this career and I am excited to learn about each one and decide which would be best for me.

Love Your Enemies

"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak do not stop him from takin gyour tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even siners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinner do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind ot the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful just as your Father is merciful." Luke 6:27-36
This passage of scripture kind of goes against everything the the world tells us is right or what to do. Love your enemies? What? Why would we want to love someone who hates us? Why would we go out of our way for people who dont like us? As Christians we are called to do so. We are called to live to a higher standard than just pettyness. Someone may ask a question like the ones that I just mentioned but the answer is..because Jesus loves us. He died on the cross for people who hate Him. As the crowds were beating Him and saying "Crucify Him!" He still loved us. As Christians we are called to be like Christ therefore we must love our enemies and those who we may not get along with. By just loving people we are showing Christ to them...maybe they will see Jesus through you and realize that they are missing something in their life. Love on someone today that you may not particularly like...be kind..be merciful to them today...maybe they will see Jesus through you.

The thing that I am most thankful and grateful for would be the love and grace of Jesus Christ. His salvation is everything I need. God sent His only son to die on a cross for me, to bear my sin and the sins of everyone on the earth, so that we could one day live in heaven for eternity with Him. Why Jesus would choose to love me and bear my sin, to pardon me and pay my penalty i will never know, but one thing I do know is that because He loved me and died for me I will live for Him. He is a loving God but also a just and jealous God. He wants all of me...not just bits and pieces but my whole entire life. I cannot put anything above Him. At first that may seem insane but when you stop and think about it its not at all. He DIED for me...He stood in my place...I should have been on that cross but because of His love for us we dont have to do that...So why would I want to put anything above Him? The sad part is though that I do..we all do. I find myself being to busy to spend time with the Lord but because of His grace I have forgiveness. But this doesnt mean that I can just do whatever I want and then be like "Oh Lord forgive me" do it again and again and again. I have to repent and turn away from my sin. Following Jesus Christ was never meant to be easy but the Lord will pull you through anything...trust Him...He will never change...He will never fail you.

10 Things I Am Grateful For

1. The grace and love of Jesus Christ
2. The freedom to worship God without deathly persecutions
3. Loving Family and Friends
4. A house to live in
5. The chance to get an education
6. Food
7. Technology
8. Movies
9. The News
10. Music

The Adventures of Registration Part 2

so im sitting there...poised...ready to register for clasess...and 8:00am rolls around...i click the register link..and what do you know...I HAVE A FLIPPIN HOLD...the admissions office said that they didnt have my final transcript...seriously....i was not happy. The policy is that AUM allows one semester to be taken without your final highschool transcripts..which is kind of crazy. jus sayin...so anyways i called my highschool and they said that they faxed and sent my final transcripts but AUM said they never got them. So now i have to wait to register until they recieve the transcripts and take the hold off. SO yes this day has been full of stress. whoo hoo

The Adventures of Registration

ok so i wake up at 5:45 just to make sure that I am ready for registration so that i can get my classes that i need. so there i am....waiting for 6:15.....6:13........6:14.....and finally 6:15! so i start logging into webster and guess what....the internet goes out...yep it had been fine that whole time and then when i need it it goes out...so i start freaking out and then it comes back on and i was rejoicing...ok so i click the add/drop classes link in webster and then.......it says i cant register till 8am. yeah i was not happy...buuut now im just sitting here waiting for webster to let me register. good luck registering! i have got to get these classes or im gonna have a hard time with my work schedule and all. but anyways..good luck to you all! Peace

PROFILE: ASIA DANIELSSS!! :D

  PROFILE: ASIA DANIELS    

       Ms. Asia Daniels has been born and raised here in Montgomery, Alabama but does not know if she wants to stay here or not. She has many interests, one of those being praise dance. Asia is in a group at her church, Carnegie Chapel AME Zion Church, which dances every third Sunday. They have practice every first and third Saturday of the month as well. Her group is called The Anointed Praise Dance Ministry.  Asia's major is Political Science because she wants to become a lawyer. Her dream job is to be a judge in the White House; maybe the supreme court judge. She also dreams of setting up a scholarship fund for kids; she wants to help them out. Asia is enjoying college very much and likes is more than high school. She loves the freedom college gives and the fact that you can leave when you are done with class; or whenever you want. She attended St. Jude and enjoyed it but likes college much more. She said her high school had a lot of restrictions and loves the fact college does not have that many.

       Her favorite place she has ever been is the North Carolina Mall because it is so different from any mall here in Montgomery. If Asia could go anywhere she said she would go to Africa. She wants to experience it herself and not just rely on the news to let her know what is going on. Asia says that her personality is anti social, but I see differently. She seems like an awesome girl and like she described herself, she is easy to get along with. She is focused and if she has something to do she will not stop until it is done. Her favorite quote is one by David Frost which says, "Don't aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally."

Apositive Phrase

Occasionally, one of the boys, usually sitting in the back corner of the classroom, would start making faces at the teacher when she turned her back to us.

Facebook Freinds RE-REVISITED

How many facebook "friends" do you have? How many people who are your "friends" on facebook do you actually know? On my facebook profile, I prefer to have a face to face relationship with a person I am considering friending. However I know that pretty much anyone can see your information anyways if its on the internet so asking to be someones friend on facebook is pointless. In my friend list there are my highschool friends, work friends, friends I have classes with here at AUM, church friends and random people that I "know who they are but have never met them "friends". I think my friend made a facebook for her dog, so yeah I have animal friends. Also I have family members as friends on facebook and those friends of your parents who have facebook and who randomly tell you how much "bigger" you have gotten since they saw you last. Haha I think we all have those friends on facebook that just get on our nerves but yet we have to go look at their profile to see what their status is, even though we know its gonna make us mad. Facebook, for some people, has turned into a huge drama fest and they can inconspicuously, through their status talk about people and try to get their point across without being explicit; I have those kind of  friends too. That pretty much sums up my friend list on facebook:)

FACEBOOK FRIENDS...REVISITED

How many facebook "friends" do you have? How many people who are your "friends" on facebook do you actually know? On my facebook i try to keep it where I at least know who the person is before i "friend" them...but however i know that pretty much anyone can see yoru information anyways if its on the internet so the whole asking permission to be a friend on facebook is kiiiinda pointless...BUT anyways...in my friend list there are my highschool friends, work friends, friends i have classes with here at AUM, church friends...random people that i "know who they are but have never met them" friends, uuuummm i think my friend made a facebook for her dog..so yeah i have animal friends...haha and ohh yeah family members..and like those friends of your parents who have facebook and who randomly tell you how much "bigger" you have gotten since they saw you last. Haha i think we all have those friends on facebook that jus get on our nerves but yet we have to go look at their profile to see what their status is...even though we know its gonna make us mad. Facebook, for some people, has turned into this whole drama fest and they can inconspicuously, through their status or something talk about people and that kinda thing...yeah have those kinda friends too...well that pretty much sums up my friend list on facebook:)

Hard To Break Habit

The habit I find the hardest to deal with or to break is the facebook habit...well more like addiction...I have this habit of always..literally always getting on facebook whenever I sit down at a computer...its like an automatic reaction...and this habit or addiction whatever keeps me from what I need to be doing...like schoolwork...writing papers etc. how to break this habit...i have no idea. maybe its called self control..i dont know but I do know that I have got to break it or i will never get anything done. haha but seriously I really need to lay off the facebook addiction.

My Profile

So my major is nursing and I am pretty certain that I am going to keep this as my major....so therefore...I will be doing my profile on this profession. When I was little up till I was probably in like the 9th grade I wanted to be a vet...and i was pretty adament about it to. BUT then something changed...I dont know what it was but something changed and the whole vet thing just didnt seem so appealing to me. I love helping people and trying to help them solve their problems and I still wanted to do something in the medical field....and nursing seemed like the perfect career for me. Now I still dont know what will happen in the next few years but I just have to go with it and see where it takes me. I ahve been able to work in a doctors office and still do and I have been able to watch some procedures they have done and it just spurns my want and desire to become a nurse even more. So I will be profiling a nurse and I think this will help me find out a little more about the profession I am studying to enter.

McDonalds Breakfast

k so in the last few weeks I have fallen in love with breakfast at McDonalds...no I'm not like way behind and live under a rock but I just had never had breakfast from McDonalds...oh but I have now. I specifically love their sausage biscuit and large sweet tea. Well the first reason I love it is becacuse well...ITS AMAZING..haha seriously its really good. The biscuits are so big and buttery and the sausage is a little on the spicy side but with just a little bit of grape jelly its just perfection in your mouth. The sweet tea is perfect too...just enough sugar..not too much either where it hurts your teeth to drink it. I would say that this breakfast at McDonalds is better than chickfala. The biscuits at chickfala are really floury and somtimes can choke you if you take too big of a bite...but these heavenly McDonalds biscuits just melt away in your mouth...yes its amazing. The sweet teas are the same both pretty much perfect :)....BUT the other reason that McDonalds is better than Chickfala...well pretty much the best..is because you can get a big sausage biscuit AND a LARGE swet tea which is what like 32 oz? FOR $2.20...yes I said 2 dollars and 20 cents. At chickfala I would usually spend up to like 5 or 6 dollars but at McDonalds only 2 dollars and 20 cents...now yall...,thats awesome. ok well my raving over McDonalds is over now...i love it. you should too:) BYE!

20 things that annoy me

1. little noises that i cant make go away
2. Sociology class
3. overly dramatic girls
4. overly prideful guys
5. unorganization
6. when Alabama wins
7. people who wont jus shut up
8. people who keep talking and have no idea what they are talking abt...BUT they think they do
9. when someone wont answer my text message
10. traffic
11. when my internet dies
12. trying to check out of a store when theres only one check out counter
13. little yappy dogs
14. Music appreciation class...(i dont appreciate it)
15. not being able to bring my drink into a place when i jus bought it
16. rap
17. yelling
18. when my alarm clock goes off early saturday morning cause i forgot to turn it off
19. when i wake up late
20.  lying
*note: these are not in order from which is most annoying to the least annoying*

Where Do I Go?

When my family is driving me insane..when i need to jus get away from my phone...computer...and where no one can really reach me...i get on my horse and jus go. I live in the middle of no where on about 350 acres and yeah..i just go...i can just get away from all the pressures of life and i feel like no one can come and tell me what to do..in a sense..im free..haha dramatic moment...unfortunatly because of my crazy insane schedule i dont get alot of time to ride my horse and have that whole "free" feeling..which is sad. BUT when i do get to ride it makes feel so much better.

Facebook Friends

How many facebook "friends" do you have? How many people who are your "friends" on facebook do you actually know? On my facebook i try to keep it where I at least know who the person is before i "friend" them...but however i know that pretty much anyone can see yoru information anyways if its on the internet so the whole asking permission to be a friend on facebook is kiiiinda pointless...BUT anyways...in my friend list there are my highschool friends, work friends, friends i have classes with here at AUM, church friends...random people that i "know who they are but have never met them" friends, uuuummm i think my friend made a facebook for her dog..so yeah i have animal friends...haha and ohh yeah family members..and like those friends of your parents who have facebook and who randomly tell you how much "bigger" you have gotten since they saw you last. Haha i think we all have those friends on facebook that jus get on our nerves but yet we have to go look at their profile to see what their status is...even though we know its gonna make us mad. Facebook, for some people, has turned into this whole drama fest and they can inconspicuously, through their status or something talk about people and that kinda thing...yeah have those kinda friends too...well that pretty much sums up my friend list on facebook:)

Lukewarm Christians

so in sunday school at church we have been going through the book CRAZY LOVE by Francis Chan. This book talks about how much God loves us and how "crazy" it is that He would love us so much to die for us..to take on our sin so that we can live forever with Him in heaven. The fourth chapter is where we are now and it has convicted me greatly...its about lukewarm Christians. Revelations 3:15-16 says, "I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth." This chapter pretty much gives examples of what being "lukewarm" is. That verse is very clear and says that if we are lukewarm we are disgusting, basically to God. Lukewarm water is not good to drink...its pretty gross...but not giving your everything to Jesus is like being lukewarm water. Being lukewarm means not really following Christ like we should..like as Christians..we are called to do...its being afraid of what other people might think of you if you mention Christ. We are not to be afraid of such things. We are commanded to follow Christ and give to Him every part of our lives...but yet so many of us just give 50% or 75% and think thats good enough. We dont do that "bad" stuff...we dont drink as much as them..we dont cuss..we dont swear..we dont smoke...but thats not following Christ...our actions arent weighed on a scale..we cant say..."well im better than her/him so im good"...no, that doesnt work. As Christians we must give 100% of our lives to Christ...living for Him daily. What does this look like? ...It looks like Jesus...go back to the 4 gospels..Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John and read about Jesus' life...see how He loved people and didnt judge them for who they were or what they looked like...He simply loved them and served them. Thats what we are called to do. To LOVE people...to be servants...not to jus "pray and prayer" in hopes we would be saved from hell...but to make Jesus Lord of our lives...to give Him complete control. I think many people today have deluded thinking and believe that they are Christians simply because they prayed a prayer when they were 7 years old. Its so much more than that. Its complete and total surrender to the King....its seeing how sinful and depraved we are but then seeing how God can bring beauty from ashes and make us new and alive in Him. It's an everyday, giving up of ourselves and giving ourselves to God and letting Him work through us and letting Him use us how He wants. Be in this world...but not OF it. Love the things of God...not the things of this world.
"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world."1 John 2:15-16

"Be Your Best Self" Essay for Jr. Miss

“I do the very best I know how, the very best I can and I mean to keep on doing so until the end.” This quote by Abraham Lincoln best promotes “Be Your Best Self”.  This states that we should try our best in everything we do and never give up. That is what the program “Be Your Best Self” is all about. If you give no effort towards your goal, you will never know what your potential is. Being your best self requires determination, perseverance and knowing that you are able to do anything you put your mind to.

Being physically fit and healthy requires self- control and discipline. Establishing healthy eating habits is essential to being your best self. Doing this will give you energy throughout the day and help you stay focused in school and other activities. To have healthy eating habits we must monitor what goes into our bodies. We must stand the temptation of doing drugs and consuming too much alcohol. Drugs are extremely harmful for your body. They destroy you and sometimes end in fatality. Drugs cloud your brain from thinking clearly and using them can lead to making terrible decisions. The Bible says, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” (1 Cor. 6: 19-20) We have been given only one body and it should be treated with respect by exercising, eating healthy, and living a drug free life.                       

Serving your community is another factor in becoming and being your best self. It shows that you think of others before yourself and you want the best for your community. A great woman once said, “Giving frees us from the familiar territory of our own needs by opening our mind to the unexplained worlds occupied by the needs of others.” Serving others opens our eyes to other people’s needs and takes the focus off ourselves. I know from personal experience that when serving your community or volunteering, your eyes are opened to a different world. You see that there are people less fortunate than yourself, making you thankful for what you have. After volunteering and traveling to different places I learned that many times I take what I have for granted. Serving and helping out your community is one of the most important things you could do to become a well rounded adult.

Education is vital to being your best self. Learning extends your imagination and opens your mind to new ways of thinking. Staying in school and working diligently is key to being successful in the classroom.  Doing well in school requires paying attention in class and not being afraid to ask questions.  Many people take the education offered to them for granted. They go to school, don’t pay attention in class, and rarely do the homework the teacher assigns. This attitude towards school will result in poor grades. Paying attention in class will prepare you for the next step in furthering your education, which is college. Yes, school can be tough sometimes but we must be thankful that we have schools to attend and teachers to instruct us. Millions of children never get the education we are offered and do not have the privilege of learning. Our education is valuable, and we must treat it as such.

These goals to be physically fit, to serve your community, and to do well in school can all be accomplished if you are responsible. Being responsible has many different aspects to it like managing your time wisely. By prioritizing the time you spend on school work may allow you to do other enjoyable activities. Another aspect of being responsible is managing who you hang out with. There are many temptations and bad situations that are easy to fall into but if you are not careful. It is so very important to be aware of your surroundings wherever you are. Surround yourself with good friends and peers who will not lead you down the path of drugs and destruction. Proverbs 13:20 says, “He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed.” Being responsible difficult at times but in the end will assist you to become your best self.

My Resume

Ashley Hostetter

Objective:                   Become a Nurse

Accomplishments:      1^st runner up in Macon County’s Jr. Miss program-2009

Be Your Best Self essay contest winner

Featured soloist at Man of the Year banquet-2008

Soloist in church dinner theater (fundraiser for choir tour)-2009

Soloist on student choir tours

Basketball State Championship

                                                                 

Activities:                    Piano-1998-present

                                    Guitar-2008-present

                                    Basketball Team-2005-present

                                    Church choir-2006-2009

                                    School choir-2008

                                    Student band at church (Wednesday nights)

                                    Praise band at church (Sunday mornings)

Mission Trips: Ocean Springs, Mississippi; Dallas, Texas; New York City;                New Orleans, Louisiana; and India.

Volunteered for Salvation Army and Shepherd Staff Ministry

                                    Travel Abroad: Hungary, Austria, Italy, England, Russia, Serbia, France, and India

Interests:                     Basketball, Singing, Playing Piano and Guitar, Horseback Riding, Traveling, Cooking

Education:                  Eastwood Christian School

                                    1701 E. Trinity Blvd.

Montgomery, AL 36116

2002-Present

Trinity Presbyterian School

1700 E. Trinity Boulevard
Montgomery, AL 36106

1997-2002

The Fair

So the fair is in town and at first i was like heck no im not going...last time i did i passed out...well i ended up going...my friend talked me into it..haha.. so i go in there,...pay my eight dollars and we jus walk around and met up with a few other friends. Well i went into the petting zoo they had there...THEY HAD A CAMELLL! haha sorry its not everyday i get to see a camel...well anyways we walked around a little more and i was dying to do one of those things where you play the game and win a prize...well that is if you win the game..so i came up to this basketball game and payed 2 dollars to shoot one basket.......well i missed it...of course...well then i payed three more dollars for 2 more shots...i missed the first one and i thought to myself...i HAVE to make this third one....people had stopped and started watching me...and i was getting emabarrased...so i took the shot.............AND MADE IT!:D i was really really happy...haha my friends and i were like screaming and i was so happy cause i had never won anything at the fair before...haha so i picked out the huge stuffed animal and went on my way. and for the rest of the night i had people staring at me with this huge dog stuffed animal in my hands...well anyways my friend and i rode the ferris wheel and went home. so yeah the point of this story was to tell you that i won a big stuffed animal...im very proud of it...as you can probably tell :)

Invasion of Privacy

so hearing this story this morning makes me really sad and upsets me that someone would do this. I mean these two people who filmed this guy and put it on the internet..LIVE...have absolutely no respect for people. Its insane that they could possibly think that its ok to do that...no matter if the guy is gay or not...there is never a reason to invade someones privacy like that...and look what happened...the guy who was filmed ended his life. A life that was just begining...was ended because someone didnt have the decency to not make fun of him and leave him alone...they had to think only of themselves. Now I am sure that the thought this guy would kill himself over this never crossed their minds...but nonetheless, they should never have invaded his privacy like they did. They should have thought how they would feel if the same thing happened to them. Although yes, the guy killed himself because of how he was treated, should they two peeping toms be charged with man slaughter or murder? I really dont know....they personally did not kill him BUT what they did made him feel so horrible and embarrassed that he killed himself. The two people who were filming him probably never thought that they would be charged with murder or get in any trouble...they just thought it would be a joke...and that nothing would come of it....well, they were wrong. This is a lesson for all of us...there are consequences for our actions..so think about what you do before you do it. Think about the other people involved instead of just thinking about yourself. Think about how you would feel if the same thing happened to you. What happened to this poor guy is a tragedy and should not be taken lightly..but from this we can learn something and be reminded about how much they way we treat people can affect them. Be kind and thoughtful of other people....put them before yourself.

Sociology

sooooo we all have those classes we just cant stand right? well mine would have to be sociology. Idk this class just is so boring to me and it does not interest me at all whatsoever. To me this class should be called DUH! All the professor talks about is like statistics and what if this happened or this happened and its just not my thing. BUT its one of those classes that i just have to take and get it over with. Maybe its the professor but all i know is that i dislike sociology with a passion and cannot wait until its over. haha i dont suggest you take it..but it may be your thing...its NOT mine. Its almost ridulous...haha

To Save A Life

The movie "To Save A Life" came out i think sometime last year but I just saw sunday. The main character(Jake) is this guy who seems to have everything going for him...the pretty girlfriend, the best basketball player, the scholarship he wanted, and the right friends. In his early years he had been best friends with this other kid in the movie(Roger) and when they were around 8 years old his friend saved his life by pushing him out of the way of a car, getting hit himself. The accident caused this kid to have a limp from his knee which caused him not to be able to play sports. As they got into highschool the two friends drifted apart, one became popular and one became a laughing stock of many people. When they were in 12th grade this kid who had been rejected by so many people and had been made fun of finally snapped, and bnrought a gun into the school and started shooting. He didnt shoot anyone, but himself. Jake was right there when Roger shot himself. Jake had know idea that Roger had been feeling so alone and didnt realize how much he had left him out and not been a friend to him. What happened with Roger completely turned Jakes life around and made him think about how he treated people and made him into a comletely different person. He didnt care anymore what people thought about him and didnt let how someone looked judge what he thought about them. He wasnt concerned with if people were "cool" enough to be his friend...he was a friend to everyone. He was willing to sacrifice his "reputation" and his former "friends" to do the right thing and not be a jerk to other people. The most important thing though that happened in the movie, what really changed Jake, was Jesus. Jake became a Christian in this movie and that is what truly changed his heart. The people making this movie were trying to get many points across...one being that words and actions really do hurt and you dont really know how badly they can hurt. They can even drive a person to think that they are so worthless..enough to take their own life...like Roger did. They want people to be aware of how they treat people and to realize that the outward appearance is not the most important thing...that just because someone may not dress or look the same as you does not give you the authority to judge and make fun of them and it doesnt make them any less "cool" than you. Highschool is one of the meanest places on earth sometimes I think. As teenagers we can be so judgemental of other people and we care about what people think of us and how "cool" or popular we are. Who can say what is "cool" and what isnt? We need to take our eyes off ourselves for a change and care about other people...you never know how your words can influence people...let your words influence for good.  Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.Eph.4:29

Homeschool

I was never homeschooled and I never wanted to be. Ok wait, I take that back, on  the days that I was sooo tired I wished I was homeschooled...jus so I could sleep longer. But I never really wanted to be and my parents never even considered it. Now I'm not against it at all! I have lots of friends who were either homeschooled their whole lives or for just a few years, its just not the best for me. I LOVE to be around people and my friends and having to be at home for school would have driven me crazy. I live about an hour away from civilization and so being out there even more than I already am would have probably sent me into a state of depression or something. haha Although I didnt really like the "school" aspect of school, I loved the friends that I got to see and hang out with everyday....school is how I met and made friends...I would not have gotten to do that if I had been homeschooled. I wouldnt have met the best friends I have today if my parents had kept me home.
I think that school helps develop social skills and teaches you lessons that would be difficult to learn if you are at home all the time. Like it helps you learn how to be a leader and stand up for yourself in tough situtations. Now I'm not saying that you cant learn lessons like this at home but you are garaunteed this at school because you have peers all around you for five to seven hours a day and you will be faced with difficult circumstances. I am glad I was not homeschooled for these reasons and others as well but I have absolutely nothing against it.

Series

The Hamlet paper, the Thesis paper, every paper, shaped my writing skills that I have today.

That conversation changed the way I thought, saw, and felt about this situation.

There are absolutely no words, no actions, and no person who could take this feeling out of me.

Highschool changes...revisited

If I was in charge of my highschool what would I change?? Well I actually really loved my highschool..although the uniforms got annoying sometimes and some of the rules i thought were ridiculous...like for example there were only certain types of nail polish you could wear and only certain color shoes. Yeah it was kind of ridiculous. but all in all i really did love it. But if i had to change something it would be that we would have our own gym and have a football team probably. The whole not having a gym situation was hard on our basketball coaches because they had to find somewhere for us to practice and that was just a hassel all in itself. Sometimes before the season started we werent sure where we werwe going to practice...but like always something was available at the last minute.
My highschool was very small and every one knew everyone...haha sometimes that got kind of old but now I look back and cherish all those friendships that I had. Eastwood has a very family like atmosphere and you feel like you are part of a big family if you go there. If I could change something I would have more school functions like dances and stuff like that. I would give more uniform choices for the girls. I mean no I didnt like the uniforms but it sure did make getting ready for school easy..i didnt really have to think about what i was going to wear. haha I would proabably do like every Friday you could wear what you wanted too...of course their would still be guidlines on the clothing though. I mean if i could I would just take the whole uniform policy away...BUT theres no way on earth that would ever happen. hahah ummm lets see...anything else i would change? I mean we were done with school at 140, we had a holiday at least once a month...I cant really complain. Like i said, i really liked my highschool and theres not much i would change about it.

Highschool changes

If I was in charge of my highschool what would I change?? Well I actually really loved my highschool..although the uniforms got annoying sometimes and some of the rules i thought were ridiculous...but all in all i really did love it. But if i had to change something it would be that we would have our own gym and have a football team probably. My highschool was very small and every one knew everyone...haha sometimes that got kind of old but now I look back and cherish all those friendships that I had. Eastwood has a very family like atmosphere and you feel like you are part of a big family if you go there. If I could change something I would have more school functions like dances and stuff like that. I would give more uniform choices for the girls. But like i said, i really liked my highschool and theres not much i would change about it.

RIP Sweet Virginia

There really are no words to explain the pain and emotions I have felt in the last few days. A friend, a team mate, and a sister in Christ was taken from this earth late Saturday night in a car accident. Virginia was the sweetest girl I had ever known..like I really couldnt think of any fault I had ever seen in her. She could light up a room with her smile....she was beautiful. But she wasnt just beautiful on the outside but more importantly she was beautiful on the inside. She loved the Lord with everything in her and she loved people. She loved to help people and encourage them. Virginia was dearly loved and will be missed greatly by all her friends, family and basketball team. She was an awesome basketball player by the way:) But although she will be missed, I know that she is in a better place, shes in heaven with her Savior.

I have had many different emotions flow through me in the last couple of days but I have come to the realization and have been reminded that everything happens for a reason and that nothing happens without God being in control of it. Virginia lived life to the fullest and honored God with her life, but Saturday night was her time to leave this earth. God knows how many days that we will be on this earth and when its our time, His will, will be done. This reminds me that no one knows when our time to die will be, and because of that we should live for the Lord with every second we have and love on people and encourage them. In spite of this sad and tragic event God will use this and work a miracle through it...we may not see it happen but He will recieve glory from her death. The Bible says that "Everything works together for good for those who love him." It also says that God has a plan for us, plans not to harm us but for hope and a future. So even though she will be missed we must stand up confidently with hope in Jesus and keep moving...it will be slow at first but we will get through it, but only because of Jesus.

Please keep the family and friends in your prayers...these are going to be rough days ahead.

Textual Analysis

For years women have been trying to find the next best thing to make themselves more attractive to other people. Some have gone to desperate measures to “make” themselves appear more beautiful or likable. These two ads are completely ridiculous in their way of advertising and promising popularity and beauty. Both ads advertise that their product will make the customer the happiest and that they cannot possibly live without it. These two ads over dramatize the problem they are supposedly “fixing” and promise to do more than what is humanly possible.

The first ad, “For Your Dream of Romance”, is an ad for a makeup line. First off, the ad states that the woman will get to hold a man tonight “with Hollywood’s thrilling new beauty secrets”. Already, before even actually reading the text, the seller of this product is saying that Hollywood has the best secret to beauty and that you will even get a man if you buy these products. Last time I checked, Hollywood’s beauty secrets are not keeping the man in the arms of the woman long, if you get my drift. The ad goes on to say “be what he wants you to be”. The ad is telling the women to change yourself to please a man, that how you are naturally is not good enough. Then it says “be what you want to be-lovely-fresh-young-vibrant!”. Again, this ad is telling the women what they want; it is deciding for them. The ad talks about how this Hollywood makeup is “glorious magic” and that no other makeup could possibly do what “Hollywood’s” makeup can. Probably the best line in the entire ad is the one that says, “A facial such as the exciting new Hollywood Mask is vital to intelligent skin care”. So now, not only is this makeup magical and will make you attract men, but, it also makes you smart. It is saying that if you use this facial mask then you are automatically making an intelligent decision. The ad ends with stating that women all over America have tried this makeup or have “turned to it” like it is some kind of saving grace.

The second ad is an ad for a book, “Better than Beauty”. The ad begins with a discouraging comment right at the top, it says, “You, too, can be more beautiful, charming and popular at once!” The seller is already assuming that the woman reading this ad think so lowly of themselves and are completely socially inept basically.  The ad begins with a question “what has ‘she’ got that I haven’t?” and goes on to ask if you ask yourself that question. The ad asks if we want to know why some girls are so happy and popular while others are lonely and depressed. It states that they have the secret of popularity, “You must “highlight” and dramatize your strong points, and hide your weak ones. When you learn how to do this, you have learned the “inside story” of a girls success.” The ad is saying that the woman needs to hide part of her personality and being popular is the ultimate success of a girl. This ad goes on to say that girls who have read this book and put it into practice have received “astonishing popularity” and also states that with this book you will become someone the boys admire and the girls envy. At the bottom of the ad there is a coupon for “How to Charm with Color”. The most ridiculous claim is made in this paragraph. The seller claims that, “Girls who wear a certain color more readily receive marriage proposals than those who wear the other colors”. And this comes FREE with the purchase of the “Better than Beauty” book! Last time I checked, a marriage proposal was not based on what color clothes the woman wore.  Both of these ads degrade women and try and make them think that they are worthless without these products.

FALL:)

Fall is finally almost here!!! All the signs are here football is the first sign that my favorite time of year is here.  I love what fall brings with it..football...time with family and friends....changing leaves...and Food!(thanksgiving to be specific). I love walking outside my house in the morning and not breaking out into a sweat after only being outside for a minute. I love breathing in that cool crisp air. Fall also brings a change in what people wear...I love winter clothes like sweaters and jeans and boots. So of course the change of the clothing i wear demands more....SHOPPING:) haha so yes the change in the season also brings some shopping with it and usually there are some awesome sales going on during this time.
One of my favorite times is during Thanksgiving when my entire family gets together. Of course the food is absolutely amazing but I love the time I get to spend with family members I dont see often. My family will gather at a house for a few hours and we will eat till we are stuffed and just talk and be with each other. But back to the food...my grandfather always fries a turkey for thanksgiving and there is always stuffing and a million different kind of casseroles..green bean, pinnapple...and some that i have no idea what they are. haha and then the desserts...oh yes the best part:) there is, like the casserroles, a million different things to choose, from pound cake to pecan pie to blackberry cobbler.