Palmtree Contemplations

Today I want to write about someone very special: Miss Elaini. I first heard about Miss Elaini on the Rebelution blog. All I knew then was that she was going to wear 1 dress for 100 days in order to help orphans in India. I very quickly discovered that there is a lot more to this story. I started reading her blog miss elaini ous' , and found out a few things about this amazing girl. Elaini has always struggled with health problems. For many years, she was unable to attend college because her health was so bad. It was a difficult time. On her blog, Elaini writes, "Over the next four years, I struggled not to go completely crazy from the pain and sleepless night." Yet, despite all this sadness and physical pain, Elaini has chosen to rely on God. She believes that God can and will use her pain for good. A lot of times, I meet people like this who say that God will use their pain for good, and then they just sit there waiting for Him to do it. Elaini is not one of those

This was my second year to perform in JBU's annual Candlelight service. The experience was a blur of memories. Here are a few: I remember leading devotions the first night and praying over all the girls in Women's Chorus section by section. I looked at each of them when I prayed their name, marveling at how unique they all were even when they stood before me dressed in identical black dresses with their heads bowed in unison. I remember the thrill of that first step into the Cathedral. I was the last choir member to enter, which made me feel special. I remember how nervous I was during the first rehearsal. My hands started clenching up because I wasn't breathing properly. I remember how Lindsey's face glowed as she passed the flame to my candle before Silent Night. After two nights of listening to the Cathedral Choir sing "Incarnate Love", I discovered that they were singing about elephants and mosquitos. A suppressed giggle vibrated down our row dur

Tuesday Original plan for the evening: Buy food with Nette at some fast food place, practice piano, do homework, and be in bed before midnight. How the evening actually turned out: Nette and I were on our way to said fast food place when we took a "slight detour." Of course, little unsuspecting me did not suspect anything when we headed for the basement instead of the parking lot. That must be why I screamed so loudly when a bunch of my friends jumped out and yelled "Surprise!". It was one of the most incredible surprise birthday parties ever, complete with blueberries, cake (still warm!), brigadeiro frosting, and chai. So much for practicing. Thank you to Danny, Sophie, Lisa, Nette, and Jonathan for making it such a great party. Wednesday Ah, sweet sleep. Nette and I both ate cake for breakfast. Then, it was off to Nette's house to be attacked (in the most affectionate way possible) by her siblings and pets. Nette, Missy, and I stayed up late to bring i