College Update #4 - Spring Semester Summary

These updates definitely have been few and far between, but I thought I would fill in all who cared to know about the latest developments. This particular update will focus more on the broad scope of what's happening this semester rather than just being limited to college.

That being said, I'm headed back into a life without a life (which I hate...and will battle said notion with the sincerest form of denial), but I'm quite excited for everything that's happening this semester, also.

- Apologetics Academy is back up and running.
I'm jazzed about all the work the students have done. They've definitely made it exciting to be a teacher. I look forward to the next several months of working with them.

- Excel Still More Speech Classes have ended.
The students have been amazing and I will miss them very much.

- Rainmakers is hosting Regionals.
This event will continue to have a resounding impact this semester and a large ripple effect afterwards. But I'm psyched that we're actually doing it. It'll be great.

- I'm a fourteen-credit college student this semester as opposed to an eight-credit college student like last semester.
Classes:
 o New Testament Survey
 o Perspectives (on World Missions)
 o Basic Two Dimensional Design
 o HTML and Web Design
 o Anthropology and Hamartiology Seminar
 o Christology Seminar

- Other Currently Unkonwn Projects
Seeing as I struggle with impulsive visionary inclinations, I'm sure there will be other projects that I will make time for somewhere.

- Sarah and I will go out for coffee at various points during the semester.
Because if we don't, we'll never see each other.

- I will continue to wonder about the handprint on my wall.
It's been there for years. I have no clue how it got there.

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Au revoir!

- Lauren

DISC Test Results

I love these types of assessments. I'm not quite sure why I find them so fascinating. What's hilarious about my results is that my dad is an a high "S", my mom is a high "C", and Sarah is an absolute "S". I basically defied all familial norms when I came on stage.

 The test I took was not the most thorough, but it was free. I know Wikipedia's not the most wonderful source of all time, but I did like the following summary:

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Dominance: High "D" people are described as demanding, forceful, egocentric, strong willed, driving, determined, ambitious, aggressive, and pioneering. Low D scores describe those who are conservative, low keyed, cooperative, calculating, undemanding, cautious, mild, agreeable, modest and peaceful.

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Influence: People with high "I" scores are described as convincing, magnetic, political, enthusiastic, persuasive, warm, demonstrative, trusting, and optimistic. Those with low "I" scores influence more by data and facts, and not with feelings. They are described as reflective, factual, calculating, skeptical, logical, suspicious, matter of fact, pessimistic, and critical.

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Steadiness: High "S" individuals are calm, relaxed, patient, possessive, predictable, deliberate, stable, consistent, and tend to be unemotional and poker faced. Low "S" intensity scores are those who like change and variety. People with low "S" scores are described as restless, demonstrative, impatient, eager, or even impulsive.

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Conscientious: High "C" people are careful, cautious, exacting, neat, systematic, diplomatic, accurate, and tactful. Those with low "C" scores challenge the rules and want independence and are described as self-willed, stubborn, opinionated, unsystematic, arbitrary, and unconcerned with details.

Life at the Miller House

Life at the Miller House:

At random times throughout the day, people burst into song.
Inside jokes cracked left and right.
::knock knock:: ::opens door:: "Hey, Mom's calling you."
"I'm a WHALE!" - Sarah
"Lauren, could you come here?!" - "Coming!"
Morning meetings of giggling girls.
Cello practicing every day.
Sisters often make faces to make other sisters laugh.
The quiet hum of computers.
Flute practicing every day.
"Aundra?!" - "I think she has her headphones on, I'll get her."
Footsteps pounding down the hall and stairs after the dinner call.
Hugs.
A super hyper dog whenever anyone arrives home.
::someone sighs:: Someone else: "Yeah, I know, me too."
Violin practicing every day.
Laughter from the twins room.
Music suddenly blasts from speakers someone forgot to turn down.
"Virus database has been updated."
Hilarious conversations at the dinner table.
Finishing other sister's sentences.
"I'm gonna gut you in the punch! ....wait." - Aundra
Saying the same thing at the same time.
Sisters huddled around Sarah's computer screen.
Piano practicing every day.
High fives.
"Who's day is it to feed the dog?" - Dad
A psychotic fish who likes bubbles.
Baking cookies by memory.
Mickey-mouse pancakes.
Singing very loud with music while cleaning.
Morning chores.
Everyone hangin' out in the school room.
Sister visits in Lauren's room while she listens to an audio session.
"Special listening" playing in Megan's room.

Dash from the movie Incredibles said it so well...

"I love our family."

Older Siblings and Strawberry Lemonade

Awesome older siblings are the best thing ever. You know they love you enough to let you get away with some things, but also love you enough to be reasonable. At the same time, they know when you’re pushing them too far, and respond accordingly, at the same that they’re very sharing. Even though I only have one older sibling, I think she’s the best one ever. At the same time that we have loads of fun, I do know my boundaries. Take the following example for instance:

Sarah’s talking.
Her water bottle, filled with strawberry lemonade, is sitting on the desk next to her.
I grab the water bottle, open it.
She doesn’t see me at first.
I take a sip and grin.
She looks over.
I sip some more.
She give me that older sister level one cut-it-out look.
I know it’s non-threatening.
I drink a little more.
She keeps talking.
I sip again.
She gives me that older sister level two cut-it-out look.
I grin and sip some more.
I know I’m dangerously close to physical threat now.
She finishes what she’s saying.
I grin and sip some more.
She gives me that older sister level three cut-it-out look.
I know that I won’t get away without a penalty because I’ve brought it this far.
I grin, sip some more, close the top, hand it back, and giggle deviously.
She whacks me on the head with the water bottle.
“Ah-ha-ha-ow!”

I knew the levels were progressing. And I knew not to drink the whole thing. I knew to hand it back at the point that would not evoke serious physical or psychological turmoil. And it was because she had set those levels, those guidelines, and those consequences in previous entanglements.

Also, there is a fine line between being seriously annoying, and being funnily annoying. This exchange was camped in the latter of the two arenas. She didn't really mind that I drank some of her lemonade, this also had been previously established in past situations. However, it would have been seriously annoying for me to drink the whole thing.

I know right where I am, what I’m allowed to do without being seriously annoying, but what’s still considered teasingly funny. However, teasingly funny has its levels, and even results in teasing consequences. I know where the line is, but testing it is sure a lot of fun, as long as it doesn’t cross the line into seriously annoying.

Besides, it was worth the strawberry lemonade.

A College Decision and My Silent To-Do List

“So, Lauren, what are your plans for after high school?” ...oh, the question. Oh, the question I have been asked countless numbers of times all throughout high school, and especially in the past year. For the longest time I have had no answer to that question. “I’m not sure yet.” “I’m still waiting to see.” “Still trying to find some direction in that area.” …have always been my responses. Each time I try and glaze over my internal turmoil with a shy smile and slight shrug like I don’t think that anything is wrong. …and I don’t. …but I do.

The worsening of mental turmoil that I feel in relation to my college decision is directly proportional to the increase in the length of consideration time. As the days pass, and the deadline draws nearer, I find myself becoming more and more restless. I have a lot of options. I have a lot of interests. I have four majors among which I am trying to choose. I can only do two of them at once. Which ones? Which ones…

This decision is like flubber, if you’ve seen the old movie. It is as if the flubber of my college decision starts bouncing at the beginning of the day, and with every bounce from one side of my head to the other, it increases in energy and continues to bounce, until I reach a moment… like tonight. …as I sit alone in the quiet of my room, trying to sort out the next season of my life… and flubber’s going nuts.

I’m not going to pretend I don't constantly battle fear in regards to this decision. I’m not going to pretend that this whole process doesn’t occasionally bring me to tears. I’m not going to pretend that this decision has not concerned me for the last four years, and that time is not rapidly running out. But what I’m also not going to pretend is that there is no hope. I know there is an answer.

I’m one of those types of people who reasonably waits. I can wait until its time to act. I can wait and consider and ponder and analyze, UNTIL… I am out of time. This is my problem. I feel like I am out of time.

However, this is not a simple to-do list item. This item is on, what I call, my silent to-do list. Unnoticed by others, this list sticks around for a very long time, never making any noise in and of itself, but the mere presence of the list screams volumes. However, it is silent. Why? …because it is undetectable to everyone but me. Everyone around me can see when I vacuum the family room, but no one can see when I’m working my college decision issues over and over in my head. This is no ordinary decision.

I wish I had a prompt, victorious, grand, and enlightening closing for this post. But I don’t. I just have me. Lauren Marie, feeling incredibly weak in the hands of her Almighty Creator, trusting in 2 Corinthians 3:5-6, determined to keep working, thinking, and moving forward, and tearing up as she ponders the realization that “He’s been so faithful every other time.”