Forgotten Letter

Okay so last fall.... early winter I wrote (yes, pen and paper) a letter to the lead singer of the Contemporary Christian Group; Addison Road, Jenny Simmons. My letter was about how the song, What do I know of Holy? challenged me as a christian, a single woman, and inspired me to keep on keeping on with where I am at right now in this journey called "life." Not to mention my letter was like 3 pages long (one sided).

TOTALLY forgot about the letter!!!!

Today with my thoughts completely submerged in my finals, if I'm going to pass with a "B" or a "C" in my ENG 336 class, the looming last final of the year this Saturday at 12:20 my brain was seriously spinning at a pace that no stress level should ever reach. When I got home this evening I walked to the mail box to get our mail (duh), opened the box to see a little pink envelope sitting on top of like 3 other articles of mail. And it was addressed to myself. I LOVE getting mail, especially if it's not a bill!!! As I'm sure all of you enjoy it too!! I look at the return address and it said it came from Irving, TX. My first thought was that it was from Premier Designs' home office, or prayer minister's of the business. But to my delight it wasn't (not that getting a card or something nice from them isn't a delight... b/c it is).

This card, with a hand written letter inside, was from Jenny Simmons. It's funny how God's timing works out sometime, and in the same way it is completely perfect!!!

She opens up her letter with the fact that her family and her are in the process of moving to Nashville, TN and as they were packing and moving some furniture when she found my letter, unopened. So she apologized that it was miss placed. She spoke about how when you are 30 one get a sense of "settled-ness" that comes with this age. Not so much in the "plans" but in the sense that - who you are starts to grow roots and flourish and all of the sudden we get it and can say, "Oh- so that is how God created me." Settling into yourself - In my case; even in the midst of going back to school, working, etc. She goes on to say/state that it is perhaps what has allowed me to finally embrace the voice & art that God had put inside of me.

Jenny goes on to quote her father, "God will not call you to something only once, but will whisper... sometimes scream it to you time and time again." She goes on to tell me that it seemed that He keeps drawing me back to be the one who captures and creates beauty. As artists we are called to express beauty, expose truth, and question everything in between.

"I wonder what hand questions God will face people with through YOUR ART?" She goes on to encourage me, "Stay faithful and be courageous."

Like I said I needed this today.

Yey God!!!! I love you Abba!!!!

A's in all my classes but one ='s no happy dance for me this semester

My week is going soooooo extremely slow. But I guess that's the nature of the beast when it's finals week? I'm doing pretty good.... I have had two, I totally rocked out a 100% on my EDT 190 (a what "teaching really means" kind of class) and I'm not too sure about my ENG 226 (a creative writing class, and I think this prof is a total creeper) but I have a really high A before the final so I'm sure I aced this as well. 2 down 2 left to go. The one today is an "Applied Learning Project" paper that has to be 5-7 pages long.... and I'm 10 lines past 7 pages. I'm freaking out just a little bit, b/c yes I will get docked points for it being over. I have spent hours pouring over the paper and have cut a lot out... as well my friend has looked over it and found nothing to cut. This is the only class I'm worried about, I have A's in all my other classes, but this class I have totally no clue what I have. The professor is not as informative as the other ones I have or have had.

For the proposal we had to submit for this "ALP" final paper, we had to have some "Works Cited" listed in the proposal. I had been looking for things I could use in my research but I was unable to locate anything pertaining to my topic of choice because it was such a very broad topic. So I submitted it with nothing cited, because I had nothing to cite. With that being said, I had noticed that under the Niihka grade book for this class (my grades) I had a 0/25 for the proposal. I had mentioned something to her about the "0," and she said that "I should look in the 'notes' section as to why it says zero. I never give zero's without a comment or reasoning." Well, I looked... NO COMMENTS. I resend her my proposal like she asked me too, and she responded with that fact that I had stated about the cited material, that she would only give me a 12.5/25 points.

I have a 40/50 for our "Group lead student discussion." NO OTHER GRADES ARE LISTED!!! I know I have to do a few blogs (at 10 pts a blog I have about 4 to do today) about some of the readings we had in class.... easy cheezy stuff. But I'm seriously FREAKING about this STUPID PAPER!!!!

For my visual for this ALP final (when we had like 15 min's to present our project in the class) I did a painting/illustration of a little slave boy.

I save the jpg to my flash drive on my key chain and took it to Wal-Mart and had an 8x10 printed. I titled the picture "Ray" and wrote the class info at the bottom right corner with my signature and year. I plan to give this too her when I return the books to her in a little bit. I guess you can say I'm "kissing up" to her better nature (or at least hope to) so I can get by with the 10 extra lines in my paper?

When I presented my project to the class, it went over good (at least I thought it did...). When I was collecting my material (books, papers, and the painting) when I was finished present it, she said "Now, you said I could have that painting right?" Um... no.... I responded with, "Ya sure you can have it... but I'll need $250's when I give it too you." After saying that I think the price should be a little higher? What do you all think?

But I'm stressed... my heart feels like it's beating OUT OF MY CHEST and my hands are shaking (at least it feels like this).

I need to get moving.... BLAH!! 

I'm out............................................................................