Tiff's Life in Waco

Do you have the look?

2008-06-15T19:24:00.002-05:00

Have you ever wanted to be a model, but didn't know how to get discovered? There is this worldwide beauty contest at "Look of the Year". You submit a photo online and then the world can vote for you to win the prize ($10k!). If you are interested, click "look of the year" above and you can do the following:

1) submit your photo

2) browse the photos and vote for who you think "has the look"

3) learn more about the contest

Happy photoing!

I don't know if I will submit a photo, but I've posted the most "modely" picture I have of myself right now in this post, just for fun!

My New Opportunities

2008-06-15T19:17:00.002-05:00

As I recently mentioned, I'm doing a lot of different things these days to earn money. One is working with Bloggerwave (my friend Sarah Mudd turned me onto this). Bloggerwave provides jobs to bloggers - it could be trying a new product, etc - and then you blog about it for cash. Sort of like getting paid to do a review of something.

Bloggerwave will soon be the largest blog advertising media in Europe - and maybe the states! Stay posted for information from me regarding this company and other opportunities!

For more information, check out the link below:

You'll hear more from me soon about this experience!

Last Post - moving you to the new blog

2008-06-13T13:42:00.001-05:00

Well friends, The time has come (as the walrus says) to move you to a new blog. Yes, its true. And its happening now, because I think I'm done tweaking the new one for now. Love to have any feedback on the new blog if you want.

Please redirect yourself, your links, any RSS feeds you have set up (like Google Reader), and any bookmarks to the new blog:

http://tiffslifenow.blogspot.com

And thanks for your interest in my life!

Love, Tiff

Trying new things

2008-06-12T17:58:00.001-05:00

Hi Friends,

Here I am in Phoenix Arizona. Soon I will be posting about the summer bible study my mom and I are taking, as well as some activities we've been doing around here.

I'm also going to start posting about some products for a company called "Bloggerwave" - Its sort of like being a shopper and referral artist through my blog all in one, and its a way for me to make some money this summer. Add that to my half.com listings ($45 to date!), and some occasional babysitting, hopefully I can make some money this summer after all!!

Will post soon - this weekend we are headed to Laughlin, NV to visit my grandparents. There are bound to be post-worthy stories!

Love, Tiff

You'd think I have more time to update... but read here and enter to win a Kitchenaid Mixer!

2008-06-10T19:54:00.003-05:00

Hi Friends,

I will indeed try to get a real post up soon... but there isn't much going on.

So in the meantime, check out this link and enter to win a new Kitchenaid Mixer!

http://ribbonrockstarhairbows.blogspot.com/2008/06/lets-mix-it-up-kitchenaid-giveaway.html

And on a separate note... other people's blogs look so much better than mine (the one linked above is one of them)! I may spend some time learning how to do html and making my blog cooler, for the next phase of blog-dom.

Love, Tiff

Latest

2008-05-26T01:35:00.003-05:00

Well friends, soon a blog change will be coming, its true. Some of you have asked. :) The new blog is not in effect yet, but will be "tiff's life now" instead of "tiff's life in...." - it was just too hard with my apparent geographical ADD to keep on switching them when I moved. The new blog will be up and running soon - I just want to make it look perfect while I have time.

Today my mom and I went to Ikea. We went to the mall yesterday. We are on a fact finding mission to see what kind of decorating I want to do in the new studio apartment. I am officially approved for a studio in on campus housing. Its little.... less than 400 sq. ft., but I'm excited. I've attached some pics here of what we saw today that may come in handy.

I love Ikea. Although the store in Phoenix doesn't have the model apartments that are really small (in Round Rock, TX, they have these great little apartments (700 and 400 feet square) that help you see how you can live well in that space. We still managed to find some great ideas, and hopefully won't have to spend too much to make it work.

I'm going to get a loft bed, because I can put my desk below it. Its silver, so it goes with my desk. We saw it in person today with a little desktop addition (which looked like my actual desk) and a computer on it, and it looked really good! Yay!

The table below attaches to a wall, and then folds out. I didn't post that pic, but you get the idea - it is a great space saver!Lastly, for now, I am going to hang a wire and hang a sheer-ish panel from it, on hooks, so that I can have a "bedroom" when I want to, and separate my office and bedroom from the little living space. Its mostly visual, but I am almost more excited about this part than the bed (and I'm really happy about the bed, because I wasn't sure how I was going to use my space effectively. The first picture below is the hardward for the curtain. Then one of the examples of a curtain we liked is below that.

OK, its late. I'm going to bed! Good night!

p.s. I'll post the floor plan of the "example" apartment, soon, too. :)

Graduation Week #2

2008-05-19T00:15:00.001-05:00

Here is the second mini photo album of graduation photos. These are all taken on graduation day! :)

Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end

2008-05-18T23:54:00.002-05:00

Just under two years ago I sold over 1/2 my stuff at an amazing, God-blessed garage sale, and traveled to Waco, Tx to begin my master's study. My mom came with me and we packed my little tan protege to the gills, and some friends who were moving to San Antonio let me piggy back some of my stuff on their truck - so that I could have a bed, etc. I didn't know my roommate, Sarah, we had spoken about three times on the phone and that was it. I just knew I would be able to see the Fergasons more often and that Sarah and I seemed compatible.

Now here I am again. My furniture is packed in the truck. I'm sleeping on a mattress on the floor, on a sleeping bag. I'm about to make a long drive tomorrow, and I don't really know what the future holds for me. Its all speculation and expectation.

So I have a few quote for me, and for my friends who read this blog. As encouragement.

The first is a paraphrase of Thomas Campbell: "To live in hearts we leave behind is not to leave"

I like to think that its better to say "see you later" or, as the hymn says, "God be with you till we meet again" - there is something good about expectation and knowing that there will be a time when we will meet again... even if that time is not until we get to heaven. There is a time coming. We will remember each other.

The last is a quote from a carving on the Pacific Coast Trail. It's one that i love, but that I had forgotten in my mind. My heart had not forgotten it though, and when Matt discovered it in my high school creative writing manuscript, I felt like it was right for this time in my life, again.
It is a quote by Rene Daumal:
"You cannot stay on the summit forever; You have to come down again; So why bother in the first place? Just this: What is above knows what is below, but what is below does not know what is above. One climbs, one sees. One descends, one sees no longer, but one has seen. There is an art of conducting oneself in the lower regions by the memory of what one saw higher up. When one can no longer see, one can at least still know."

This experience has sometimes been summit, sometimes valley, and it has often been work - climbing to either location. I am grateful for knowing that I have a God who walks beside me; I am grateful for knowing that even as our journey is individual, we have companions who walk along with us at different points. I am grateful for the reminder that I can still conduct myself in light of the experience here at Baylor. And I intend to do so.

I love Baylor. Thanks for all the great memories, Waco. Despite what I thought at the beginning... I will miss you.

Graduation Week #1

2008-05-17T08:24:00.001-05:00

Hi Friends,

Here is the first group of pictures from my last week in Waco. Some friends and I went to a Rangers game on Wednesday, on Thursday my family and Sarah's went to dinner together, and then on Friday we had our "hooding ceremony."

More pics to come!

Love, Tiff

Today's the day!!!

2008-05-16T07:33:00.002-05:00

Its getting sad around here. We packed for a number of hours yesterday and my stuff is mostly packed, but not totally. We are going to pack again today. Last night Sarah's parents came into town for graduation and our families had dinner together at Ninfa's. It was the first time they had met and it was really fun. Even more fun, the staff of my church (including David Crowder and his wife) showed up and as we left, Barb went and got a pic with David - it made her day! :)

Sarah's hooding "Convocation" is this afternoon, and my hooding and dinner celebration is this evening. My aunts leave Seattle in about 20 minutes and will get to Waco by 4-ish.

I am working on our gifts for the faculty and trying to figure out what we really have left to do today. Its hard to pack and know we aren't putting it into the trailer for two more days. Its also hard because some of it is going into the house in Phx, and the rest into storage, but in storage its in two categories - UCLA, and long-term. Yuk.

Ok, this post feels kind of boring, but informative. Pray for us as we pack and enjoy family and say good bye. I'll post again, probably when I'm back in Phx.

Cohort Photos

2008-05-10T23:48:00.002-05:00

Also, we had a "cohort photo shoot" a couple weeks ago - here are some of the results. We are giving one of the pics to our professors at our hooding ceremony. :)

me and my friend, Candice.

the girls of the 2008 cohort - i love this pic!

my study group - we've been together for two years and are pretty glad about it!

"Sing!" faces.... this is the photo we are giving to our professors. :)

Goodbyes (part 2)

2008-05-10T23:31:00.004-05:00

God provides in a timely manner. I think that means that just when you need it, it is provided. That has happened a few times for me lately. Additionally, God provides generally. Which I think means that when He is behind the provision, your mind will be blown. This has also happened to me a lot recently.
For graduation, my friends John and Karen gave me a new car. They gave me the last car (blue saturn, pictured here) but were afraid it wasn't going to make it to LA, so they prayed specifically for a car in good shape with low miles (60k), and that was inexpensive (under $2,500). And the Lord provided. I am now the proud owner of a 1996 Oldsmobile Ciera, and I am really excited about it. (see picture here).
They couldn't bring it to me when they came up for their visit, because it needed to get some work done, so John and I (and Andi and Jared) met today in Austin to do a "car swap" - it was really fun to spend a bit of time with them, and get to hear the stories of this car. The Lord's generousity continues to amaze me, especially when I see it in my friends. I want to evidence that kind of giving in my life, too.
Some other friends of mine recently gave me a gift for graduation, and that gift will perfectly cover my rent for June and July (I leave in May, but still have to pay my 1/2 of the lease). I was nervous about how I was going to afford it, but it was really neat to see God's provision through their gift. Again, I want to evidence this kind of giving in my life.
So, after a marathon of updates, I am headed to bed. I need to get up in the AM and write like crazy, so I can be done with this paper! See pics and captions below of car experience!

The old car, which Sarah named "Jasper" - it had some flaws, but it was a great car for two years! And it was free, so I was doubly grateful. :)

John and Jared at the Starbucks. J just turned 6 and he's kind of a stinker whenever cameras are around. Actually... he's been that way since he was little - he loves to be funny.

Me and my peaches. I can't believe I'm going to be gone for a while and miss seeing her!

The new car! It is a little "pimpin'" but great! Its dark wine colored, with maroon interior. Its a LOT bigger than the old car, which is great as I prepare to move. :) Right now I'm calling her the "Red Raider" but I might let Sarah name her if I decide I don't like it. For now... I do. It reminds me of the Protege, which the football guys called the "Brown Bomber"

I called up some friends and said, "let me pick you up in my new wheels and we'll go have ice cream!" Here we are afterward, posing with the new auto. Hooray!

Goodbyes (part 1)

2008-05-10T23:15:00.004-05:00

The Fergasons came up to Waco to celebrate mine and Sarah's graduations. It was so fun to have them here. I got to tour them around campus and show them where I take classes and where I work. We also went to the Bear Habitat, where Lady was just coming in from her walk and so we go to see her go into her side for a little, then open the gate with her nose and head in for a nap with her sister, Joy, who was already asleep in her den.

I thought this picture was really amusing, because trying to get all three of these kids to smile at the same time is like trying to herd cats.

Here are Andilyn and I at Chili's in Waco, for our big graduation dinner. John and Karen treated us, and they got to meet Myles, Sarah's boyfriend. This was a really fun time. Also, John regaled me with the story of my new car (see next post) and why it didn't make the trip to Waco with the family. That night the kids stayed overnight at our apartment (all except little Drex, who stayed with mom and dad at the Super 8). They stayed in Sarah's room, which was a great boon for me. :) We stayed up late watching Jonah: the Veggietales Movie, and had biscuits for breakfast. Then the family went with me to UBC, which was fun. Afterward, we had hoped to picnic in Cameron park, but the weather was bad, so we relaxed at the apartment instead. It was a great weekend.

Later, we all said goodbye, and I started crying, then we all started crying. Even knowing that we were going to see each other soon, and knowing that I might even get to visit in the summer, was not enough to make us forget that this season of being so close together, of getting to be a part of the lives of the kids on a regular basis, etc, was coming to an end. It has been a great two years in that respect. John and Karen's home has been a place of respite and safety for me as I struggled in this community and with the workload. I am grateful for their love and hospitality, for the same from Dorothy and Nick, who often felt like back up parents since mine were far away, and for the friendships I made in San Antonio over these last two years. I will look forward to my future visits.

While the formal cohort goodbyes are coming this Friday, this is a photo from our "Cohort Hootenany" - our last official Cohort party. It was both fun and bittersweet to be celebrating one last time with this group of friends. I look forward to our future times together at conferences and reunions.

Brief update: One week till graduation!

2008-05-10T22:40:00.002-05:00

Its been crazy times, and I'm falling into old habits of not updating. I think I'll need to set a goal for myself of updating once per week from now until September (when I will likely get a new blog because of my new location...). That would be better, I figure, for those of you who might still be reading this blog - despite its lack of postings this year.

(here's what really weird, though, I thought I had posted once since the last post.... don't know where that post went)

Well, its one week until graduation officially.

In the last month or so, I have not only made a few major life decisions, but also completed (virtually) all of my coursework to make me a "Master." :) For our Capstone course, we each had to give a 30-minute presentation response to a case study (that was provided to us earlier this semester) and then be prepared to answer about 15 minutes of direct questioning. If I can get my presentation to post, then I will put it on the site. In the meantime, its enough to know that it was about free speech, sexual harassment and use of pornography on state university computers. I was really proud of the presentation I put together; I thought it turned out really well and though the question portion was difficult, I felt good about it all.

In fact... it so happened that our entire cohort passed their cases on the FIRST TRY! It is the first time this has happened since the program started doing case study finals and so we were really proud of the entire group! There was a ton of celebrating that night. :)

After that, we had two finals and one (optional) paper. Our Law final was in two parts - the first was a grueling vocabulary test where I handwrote almost eight complete pages of definitions to 40 law terms. The second part happened last Tuesday and it was about 50 true/false questions and then we had to choose 10 of 13 cases and write about them, including: principals, major issue, ultimate decision of the court, and implications for higher ed. administrators. That was another almost 10 full pages of writing - yikes!

The next day was our Stats final. We had a few really fun study sessions, including one in the library that was really productive. The test was still pretty hard, but it all turned out OK, I finished the final feeling pretty confident. Ultimately, I ended up with an A in Statistics, which is C-R-A-Z-Y!!!! WOOHOO!! Back at the midterm, when I couldn't figure out probability and thought I would never understand what we were doing in stats, I would never have thought an A was possible. I'm pretty happy. :)

So, I could be done right now as we speak... but I'm not because I decided to complete the optional Law paper. In order to get an A in Law, we have to write a research paper on an issue in higher education with legal implications. I am writing on spirituality and the growing emphasis in higher ed, and the possible legal ramifications. Right now I'm almost half way through this little paper. I'm hoping to have it finished by tomorrow! Then I'll be done for the school year!

I've had to work a little bit this week, while serving on a search committee for a Coordinator position in my office. I'll work on Monday from about 8:45 - 4pm and then go to a lunch at my office on Tuesday. That will be my last days.

There are a lot of endings these days. A lot of goodbyes. Frank Shushok always reminds us that "Every entry is an exit" or to put it as the song goes "every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." I love beginnings, and so I don't mind endings, but it is sure hard to say goodbye to good friends and good experiences.

In the next post I'll put up a couple pics and some notes about recent goodbyes. :)

Decisions.....

2008-04-13T08:17:00.003-05:00

Hi Friends and Family!

It has been busy times lately. Decisions being made, homework being done and traveling. I checked my own blog recently and realized that I posted on the 29th about upcoming decisions, and then did not actually post the decision! :O

On the 31st, I was offered a campus interview at a college I really like on the West Coast. But as he was offering me the interview, I felt like I should say "no" because I had already made up my mind.... so after thinking about it that afternoon in stats, I declined the campus interview and acknowledged to myself........

I am going to UCLA!

School starts September 22nd! I'm not sure when I'll be moving yet, because it depends on a lot of factors - like if I have some kind of job and what that job is. I'm applying for a few house director positions (sorority "house mom"-type jobs), and that would be the ideal scenario for me this year. I'm also looking for some "GSR" (graduate student researcher) positions which would help pay for my fees and provide me valuable research experience.

I am excited for this next step in my life - I'm not sure where this road is leading, but I know for sure that I am making a good decision. I am looking forward (so looking forward) to living on the west coast again - I have missed low humidity, seasons and "west coast thinking." I have especially missed being closer to my family.

Depending on what kind of job I get for the fall, and when it starts, I may or may not get a job over the summer. If I don't have a job, I'll be more able to travel. If I have to work, then y'all may just have to come visit me in sunny (hot... but dry heat!) phoenix.

Thanks for y'alls support and encouragement in this experience!

p.s. I'm going from Blue/Yellow at NAU to Green/Gold (technically) at Greenville to Green/Gold Bears at Baylor to Blue/Yellow Bears at UCLA - weird!

latest prayer requests (3/29)

2008-03-29T09:31:00.003-05:00

If you are the praying type, please see below my prayer requests for this season. I would be greatful for any prayers you offer on my behalf. Blessings to you! This is a transcript of an email I sent to my prayer team recently. Love, Tiffani

Hello friends,

March. Wow. What a whirlwind of activity. I feel as though I am being swept along by a force not my own toward graduation. It a little unfortunate, because there is a lot to do before the semester ends.

I think I have made my decision about UCLA. I am waiting until I have one more conversation with a dean here at Baylor before I make a decision, I'm expecting the Lord to confirm what I have heard from two other counselors. In the meantime, I will wait to announce until then. Its difficult, because I want to wait until I have all the possible information - and that just isn't goin to be possible until after the deadline, so my decision will be made with the best information I can get in the short time left to me. Please continue to pray for me as I make this decision - that I would have discernment, and hear God speak.

In the desert wanderings, the Lord preserved the Israelite's clothing and shoes for 40 years. I often think of this miracle and of God's faithfulness. I sometimes wonder at what point their clothes and shoes did start to wear out - were the shoes just starting to fall apart in the last few months? Did this signal to the Israelites that their wandering was almost over? Did their shoes and clothes last in perfect condition until they crossed over into the promised land and then it all spontaneously combusted? Well, I am thinking about these things today, because I have seen God's faithfulness in so many things (especially in regard to provision of finances, etc, and the ability to live happily on very little) - but I am also starting to see the "wearing out" of some of these things as I approach this newest promised land: graduation.

Various things around me are wearing out - my sonic care toothbrush (which I purchased before heading to Greenville 5 yrs ago) will no longer hold a charge. Its ironic because I haven't had dental these last two years, but I will either this summer or fall, and I credit the Soniccare with my lack of cavities since arriving in Greenville. My car (which was a tremendous gift when I arrived in Waco) is starting to show signs of wear; for example, the driver door is acting kind of funny, the dashboard crack is bigger, etc. My finances are getting low and I believe will just sweep me into Phoenix after graduation. There are others, but I will leave them for now. Please pray that the Lord would continue to sustain me in all areas as I come to the end of this wandering.

All these things are reminders that this season of desert wandering is about to be over. Even as I battle anxiety about if my "clothes and shoes" will keep until I reach the land of promise, and as I praise the Lord for his faithfulness in this season, I am filled with great joy and sadness about the end of this season. These two years have been hard for me in all dimensions: emotionally, intellectually, physically, spiritually (especially), and financially - that knowing its almost over brings me great joy and gratitude to the Lord. But they have also been years that I found areas of great interest and excitement, met knew friends, deepened old friendships, and learned a lot about myself.

When I picked up my hood, cap and gown this week I could not stop giggling. It was so exciting to think that it was almost here and that this was like the evidence that the promise is going to be fulfilled! But then it adds stress thinking that there are only a few weeks left before I have to have my case study (our big final project) complete and that I still have to do statistics and complete a statistics final, write a law paper, read a ton of chapters, and write a law paper, and complete a paper on improving higher education access for transfer students (by this Wednesday). Please pray that I would be diligent, focused and sharp over these next days. Pray that I would use my time wisely and balance my relationships and personal time with my need for studying.

Thanks for your faithfulness in praying for me. I am grateful.

Brad Pitt

2008-03-28T23:42:00.003-05:00

(the above picture is courtest of: http://justjared.buzznet.com/2008/02/28/brad-pitt-tree-of-life/)

It would be weird to start a post with "Brad Pitt" except we saw him today at the Texas State Capital!

My cohort had a field trip today to Austin, to visit the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (in the AM) and the Director of Research for the Speaker of the House (in the PM). In between we had lunch at a great place near the Capital called "Serranos."

Anyway, when our van got to the capital we walked over and while we were trying to figure out how to get in, some guy with a walkie talkie asked us to walk away a bit, about 20 feet from the entrance. We weren't sure what was going on, but soon a couple people and some sheriff's deputies were walking into the building. Katie T. said she thought one of them looked like a movie star, but I poo-pooed her. Well, I was wrong. We found out immediately after that, that it was Brad Pitt.

Brad (as I call him, though I don't know him...) is in Austin right now filming a movie called, "Tree of Life" and apparently part of it takes place at the state capital. When we got inside we got to stand around (because we had to - they wouldn't let us walk through until they were done with their shots, but overall the crew was polite) and watch them shoot the scenes which mostly looked like Brad walking - we couldn't see them filming any dialogue.

It will be interesting to see what those shots look like when the film comes out.

Later we got into our meeting and Al asked me to round up the girls (who were using the rest room) and Carrie and I got stuck as they were filming in the hallway right outside our meeting. That was fun because we got to see him even closer. But alas, no photos (well, we are working on one, but it remains to be seen if we can get it to look good) and no interactions other than watching. Interesting, though! What a fun day!

p.s. They were also filming in Smithville, TX, which was also the location for Hope Floats (I just found that out yesterday)

Less than 50 days to go....

2008-03-27T21:32:00.003-05:00

I did a number of things yesterday and today in preparation for graduation and moving.

1) I moved my music from my desktop to my laptop.

2) I formatted my problematic external hard drive which will serve as my back up and is also moving all this material back and forth between computers (formatting a disk like that is particularly troublesome for me... "what if there is something on it that isn't on both computers?!" but I just did it! woo hoo!

3) I checked out about 12 books from the library to help me with my case study and my paper on access and transfer student pathways. I cannot find anything on technology and students for my law paper - its making me pull my hair out, but I've decided to drop it until after April 25th at this point. This was all frustrating (the legwork to check out books is kind of time consuming and questionably helpful) but exciting!

4) And most importantly..... I picked up my graduation regalia. Yes, that is right... I got my cap, gown and HOOD!! WOOHOO!!!! Those of you who know me well will appreciate this story:

My friend Kathryn (heretofore known as KW) and I head over to the Alumni center for the "Graduate Bear Faire" (why the extra "e" on the end of Faire? no idea) and first we (really, I) accidentally skip the line, thinking that the first line we've encountered is for diploma frames... it wasn't... and some girl cleared her throat at KW who grabbed me and we took our appropriate place in line. KW noticed coffee over in a corner, so she jumps out of line to get coffee and we are going to switch places and hold our place in line and both have coffee... great plan, except KW ends up talking to a student and I get swept away into the line.

A woman says to me, "Cap and Gown?" and I'm doubly confused because clearly we are all in line for a cap and gown (later a friend tells me she just bought a hood because she won't be at big graduation and then I understood better...). When I say, "yes, cap and gown" she says, "Undergraduate or graduate" in a moment of craziness, because I really don't look like an undergrad - but BLESS HER, it was a treat to think that to someone I still looked 22. :)

I answer, "Graduate" and we go through the rigamarole of my height and getting the right gown and tassle (black) and hood (blue velvet for the school of Ed and yellow and green on the inside for Baylor U.) and she hands it all to me.

All of a sudden I realize that I am going to graduate with a Master's degree in 50 days. 50 days! And I am holding the proof of it in my hand! Those of you who know me well, understand when I say that I start beaming - I can't not smile - I'm trying to be serious and "whatever" about it, like the undergrads, but I can't - so I shout to try and get Kathryn's attention because I didn't realize they were going to GIVE it to us that day! I thought it was going to be ordered or something - I had no idea - and I'm freaking out. I pay the lady, who doesn't notice I am grinning like a fool and about to start giggling, and head over to Kathryn.

Kathryn sees my face and says, "Did they give it to you?" and as I reply, SHE starts to beam, too, and then we both start giggling as if you told us we were about to have a one-on-one with Patrick Dempsey AND George Clooney!! Seriously, we might have been the two most joyful people in the entire room - it was hilarious, we couldn't stop taking our hoods out of the bag (still in their plastic) and looking at them - smiling like fools. When we checked our names off the registrars list and headed outside, we could not wait to take them out and have Kathryn model the hood for us!

When I got home I put whole deal up on my closet door as inspiration, and I took a few photos, so that you (the viewer at home) could see it. Come May, I'll take a photo IN the regalia, for those of you who can't make it to graduation.

See below for photos with my comments. :) Blessings to you all!

Here it is (above), cap, gown ("master's gown" with special weird long sleeves), hood (yay!), tassel. The tassel has a little Baylor seal on it instead of "08" or something like that, and the zipper pull of the robe is a little Baylor seal (see below).

The hood, up close, in all its fantastic-ness.

Photos from Easter Weekend (part 2)

2008-03-24T21:44:00.003-05:00

Sarah - the resident queen of egg dyeing, the kids this year just did solid colors, but Sarah created a four-colored egg
On Easter, a picture of Nick with all his grandkids. Taking this photo (and the others) was a hilarious endeavor and the one above is one of the best results.
Drex with his new helmet - he was adorable, after he was done using it, he reached for the top of the pillar to put it away - so cute.
Jared - being goofy as usual, with his very stickered egg, and Sarah, egg-dyeing queen.
Ryan digging into his Easter basket

Photos from Easter Weekend (part 1)

2008-03-24T21:34:00.003-05:00

I traveled to Dallas mid-week (early in the AM) to have breakfast with three of my favorite Greenville Lady Panthers! I picked up Murph, Erin, and Michelle and we drove to a nearby Denny's to enjoy each other's company! It was great to get caught up, even though it was way (!) too short.

Erin and Julie
Me and Michelle
On Easter weekend in San Antonio, Andilin took us all on a nature hike together in the back "woods" behind her house. She was a great little nature teacher - but mostly was pointing out trash along the trail instead of pointing out the names of vegetation and animals.
On Friday, Sarah and I took Andi to her horse riding lessons. It was really neat to see her up on the horse so confidently. Here she is above, trotting on her regular mount, Top Gun.
Here is our precious little Drex, worn out after running around the trampoline later in the afternoon.

Photos from Boston and UCLA

2008-03-24T20:54:00.002-05:00

Me and my hotel roommate, Kat Reed, who is the Coordinator for Greek Life at BU. Because I was really sick, I was so grateful to have her as a roommate, and to have a bed to myself!

Me, on the first morning of the "Placement Exchange" - in my "business casual" outfit. I changed later for an interview.
Here we are outside of the Old North Church - don't believe the smiles, we were freezing, wet and tired of walking in the rain... but we were having a good time just making memories!
It was fun to be at the oldest park in baseball... even if I'm not really a Red Sox fan (only because I will always be a Mariner fan!).
Part of the UCLA campus. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful campus. To the right of this photo is a tall rolling hill - and there were students out studying - it was a perfect spring day!

Updates following Boston and UCLA

2008-03-24T20:53:00.000-05:00

(started on Thursday, March 13th)
Well, I'm back from my travels. I still have a cold - which is a bummer. I got it right after my parents left and right before I left for Boston. I may stop into the Dr. tomorrow just to see if there is any way to get rid of it faster. Already, it's kept me from going to Bearobics since I've been back. Boo!

What a fun and full week I had! We left Waco at 4:45 am last Wednesday (the 5th) and headed up to Dallas. It was really fun to travel all together. Once in Boston, we checked in at the hotel and then headed to eat. Thursday started the marathon interview experience. After checking in and attending an orientation, we started the process of sending out our resumes to various schools, hoping for interviews. I went to Boston with two interviews scheduled, and after dropping off a few resumes for mostly resident director positions, I added one interview to my schedule. The interviews went well, and I was really encouraged by them... even though I was pretty congested and sick.

(at this point, I was down for the count for the entire weekend, so I didn't get to finish my initial post, nor the follow up…. But I am feeling better now, and am back to blogging as a form of procrastination! date: 3/24/08)
I was able to tour around Boston on Saturday - and though it was rainy (!!!) it was really neat to get out and see some places I had previously only heard of, including Paul Revere's House, Old North Church, the Freedom Trail and Harvard (!). We had a fun time despite the weather and enjoyed each other's company! On Sunday, I went with a few friends to Fenway Park - it was a tour offered by the conference and we got to tour the inside, including the press box. Great fun! Our tour guide was crazy and we loved him!

After leaving Fenway and walking back to the hotel, we had just enough time for a quick lunch before I had to finish getting packed and hop a cab to the airport and head west.

It was pretty neat to see the Atlantic AND the Pacific in one week! When we were in Boston, it kind of weirded me out, because the sun was rising over the ocean instead of setting - I couldn't get my bearings. Thankfully on Tuesday, I got a glimpse of the Pacific and the sun was in its proper place again. :)

My visit to UCLA was fun and informative. I met a lot of great people and got a lot of questions answered, and got a lot more questions to ask. I'm working on that right now.

I'm still not sure what my future holds, but I'm grateful to know that God's will is not a little tiny path, but rather a bigger picture. I'm glad to know that my calling it to influence college students, and that there are a lot of ways I can do it.

That's it for now. At some point I have to get back to homework, so I'm going to act like I might start at 9pm. Or… I might make a phone call. :)

Blessings, friends.

Three days to NASPA... its a marathon of activity!

2008-03-02T21:42:00.003-06:00

Well, my parents have been here this weekend and it was a GREAT visit (they leave tomorrow - Monday - morning early)!!!!!!! They got in around 1am on Friday night/Saturday morning and we spent a really relaxing but fun weekend together.
On Friday, I sat on a panel for the prospective students of the Student Affairs program here at Baylor (my program). My folks sat in and observed the panel, met a few of my colleagues and enjoyed Dr. Pepper floats. We walked back through campus to the apartment and hung out the rest of the afternoon. Once Sarah got home she and I went to vote (early voting in TX); and then we went with my parents to Buzzard Billys - which turned out to be a cajun-style restaurant. It recently moved to this restaurant right on the Brazos river; we sat on the back patio right over the river and really enjoyed our time together. I was thrilled to get to have a dish with crawfish! After dinner, the four of us headed back to the apt. and played a game of Settlers of Catan. Joel and Jessica came by and chatted for a bit, too.
Saturday, we had breakfast and ran a few errands (buying a suitcase, printing resumes, etc), and then relaxed back at the house - i.e. played a game of Settlers! That evening we went to Rudy's for dinner and then to All-University Sing! It was a great night! The acts were really "on" and it was fun to see how they had changed their acts since the week before. ADPi didn't make it to Pigskin Revue, and that was disappointing, but they put on a great show and I was so proud of them all!!!
Sunday, we met up and headed to UBC for church. It was a great surprise to read in the bulletin that Gideon Tsang was going to bring the sermon and that the Crowder Band is back in town. There was more excitement that morning at church, with the return of an old friend, Missy Davis (Baylor SAA master's grad) and another old friend who at this point will remain anonymous at her request. I'll try and post about it soon. But the most important part is that I screamed out loud, because I was so excited to see her - and it brought joy to my heart. After church we went home, at up the leftovers and then headed to Jones theater on the Baylor campus to see "Bye Bye Birdie" with Kathryn. We LOVED it! The cast did a fantastic job and the music was great. Mom, dad and I headed to Health Camp afterward (and most of you know that isn't really healthy), came home and I spent the evening studying stats for our midterm tomorrow.
Its almost time for me to go to bed, so I'll just give a quick rundown of my next week or so and you'll understand if my blogging is sporadic.... (per normal, right?)
Monday - bfast with M and D, Statistics Midterm, Law studying
Tuesday - Law Midterm, Tunnel of Oppression facilitating
Wednesday - early early travel to DFW to catch a flight to Boston, MA
Thursday through Sunday - The Placement Exchange (job placement part of NASPA) in Boston
Sunday - leave Boston for DFW and then LA
Monday-Tuesday - UCLA Open House for prospective PhD students.
Tuesday - leave LA for DFW and Waco....

YIKES. Wish me luck. Pray for me. Blessings on you!

Countdowns

2008-02-25T17:06:00.002-06:00

9 minutes until I am leaving to go do my law reading.

I was thinking today about countdowns. I love them. I love being able to plan ahead to something. 80 days until graduation (hooding). 22 days until Greenville College Softball gets to play some spring ball in Texas. 9 days until I leave for Boston. And now 7 minutes until I am leaving my apartment.

The problem with countdowns is that it makes me feel like there is always pressure on me to get a certain amount of things done prior to the deadline - whatever that deadline is. Right now, I have three days until my parents arrive in Texas. I am psyched about their upcoming arrival, but as I think about how I'm going to get all my work done, the pressure increases.

Then I think about how I have 9 days until I should have interviews scheduled at NASPA (right now I only have one - which is great, but do I want more? I don't know - I only have 9 days). And I only have about 14 days until I leave from Boston for LA (hopefully) and meet the people at UCLA. And I probably only have about 20 days until I have to make a decision about my future.

Yikes.

Well for now, I like to think that have a certain (undefined) number of days until I get to Heaven, and I get to be there forever. In hindsight, most of these countdowns will look pretty insignificant.

I'll try to remember that next week in my statistics midterm....

The Joy of Webcam Communication

2008-02-19T22:48:00.002-06:00

Am I the luckiest girl or what?! Here is a screen shot of what my mom and I look like about twice a week, when we get to chat on Skype. Its free and we get to use our video phones. I am always relaxing on a couch or bed, and she is always in front of the computer at home – playing video poker or solitaire. It's pretty fun. I took a better picture of her – its posted below, along with a picture of what I try to look like to her – I keep trying not to look at her video, but instead look at the camera, so that its like I'm looking at her.

Mom – what a cutie!

Me… the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, they say. J

ALSO – I have learned a lot of cool stuff lately about Microsoft Office 2007 (some of it from my friend Melissa – check out her blog: http://mel-dyes-her-hair.blogspot.com/). One of the neatest things is this program called "One Note" – I saw Mel using it and was intrigued – its basically a "paper" filing and note system that you can just use on your computer – you type instead of writing (unless you have a notepad that you can use a stylus on). One other thing it allows you to do is take really quick screen shots of whatever you want (example: the skype pic above) and it pastes it automatically into OneNote – where you can make notes about it, etc. It's a pretty neat program! Anyway, tonight I wanted to get that shot, so I clipped into OneNote and now here I am. The next step was that I was trying to get it onto my blogger, but I couldn't figure out how…. SO – I was in OneNote with my clipping and when I right mouse clicked it, it said "Blog this" and so I clicked that…. Lo and behold, it threw me into Word 07, where it hooked me up with my blogger account and let me put in pics and everything. Hooray!

Well, I should be reading or doing laundry right now, so I'd better at least go change my sheets and get my laundry ready for the AM – and get into bed. I hope you give these functions a try (Office 2007 stuff) and that you also check out Mel's blog – she always has new stuff to say and things to discuss. Blessings, friend.

Postscript: I did have some problems after all... the photos that were in my original blog in MS Word did not upload to the blog. Something about where they were stored. I"m trying to figure it out still, but if there is no screen shot at the top... that is why. :)

contemplations

2008-02-18T21:31:00.004-06:00

Well, its 9:30 on Monday night. I have not finished my law reading for class tomorrow at 1pm and have barely started my reading for capstone class on Wed. We have about 100 pages to read for that class and a quiz. yuk.

So it probably doesn't make much sense that I'm writing on the blog instead of reading, but two things:
1) I'm trying to be more "in the moment" about my decisions.
2) I want to keep those of you who were faithful readers-when-I-updated-frequently-but-may have-stopped-even-looking-to-see-if-I-have-updated friends guessing and interested. :) More than that, I want to really keep you up to date on my life.

I have created an outline of things I want to talk about tonight. I know I won't get to all of them by my self-imposed deadline, but perhaps they will come up again in future posts:
1) PhD stuff
2) Job stuff
3) School stuff
4) TV, and other technology

First things first.... I have been admitted to UCLA - to the Higher Education and Organizational Change PhD program in the School of Education (http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/oss/programs.html, http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/oss/heoc.html). WOW. It is a pretty compelling offer. The professor that would be my advisor, Dr. Linda Sax, called me to tell me just over a week ago. I was in shock and thus unable to post about it for you. I am waiting to make my decision until I can go out to LA and visit the school and the professors there. The paperwork has not arrived yet in the mail and so I feel like I am in a holding pattern - people here want to know what I'm going to do... and so do I.... others feel like the decision is already made - why WOULDN'T I want to go to UCLA and do this? it would be crazy not to - but I'm trying this new thing where I follow my heart (I used to do this much better than I do now).

So... stay tuned for updates on this process. You will know when I do.

In the meantime, I have been job searching. I have applied for about 5 jobs. There are a couple that I would really like to do, but haven't heard back yet regarding even phone interviews.... bummer. I know that it is sort of hit and miss, but because there is one job in particular that I have wanted since Christmas and I applied a couple weeks ago (right before I found out about UCLA, actually) and haven't heard it makes me nervous!

I'm also trying a new thing where I trust God better, so I'm being patient and believing in God's faithfulness.

School stuff has been crazy lately. So much work - way more than we've had before it seems like. I think that I often feel that way near the beginning of the semester, but this semester it is like we are on a roller coaster toward graduation and the brakes are broken... it is a fast moving train toward May 16th and its crazy! Less than 90 days until graduation. And only two weeks until we all get our best clothes packed up and head to Boston for NASPA. I'm excited that I may not have many interviews for that conference (I am officially only applying to jobs I really really want, because of the great UCLA offer) and I'm looking forward to seeing some old friends, learning a bit, and touring the historic city of Boston. Today we got a note saying we could tour Fenway park for $12 - awesome!!

Last thing for tonight (I have 6 minutes). I've been contemplating giving up recreational TV for Lent. I don't give up something for Lent every year. Its not a part of my background and so sometimes I do, and sometimes I don't, and I feel OK about it. Well, this year Ash Wednesday came around and it was busy and roller coaster-y and my ability to contemplate life was at a minimum, so I did not give anything up. I'd rather not give something up than commit to something without thinking and not be really committed to it.

So my friend, Karin, was talking to me about how she gave up recreational TV for lent - you know what I'm talking about - the "keep the TV on to be in the background" kind of TV - or worse (and more applicable for me) the "keep the TV on while I do homework" kind of TV. See, technology has seemingly invaded my life. I now own two computers and there are two TVs in our house. My roommate has her own computer and a laptop she uses from her work - that means that at any one moment in our home, we might have four computers running and two TV's on. Or one TV and a CD player. Yikes. What has happened? And I think part of my problem in getting things done for school is that I'm watching TV in the AM while I make breakfast, which turns into while I get ready, which delays getting ready, which delays homework, etc.

Here's the issue: I don't know if I can do it. I don't know if I can handle the quiet or the slowness of not having technology on.

So pray for me as I contemplate. Pray for me as I think of my future and what it looks like. And pray for me as I consider breaking my addiction to television, noise and technology.

And I'll be back soon with more updates. :)

"When sleep her balm denies, my heart awaking cries, 'May Jesus Christ be Praised!'"

2008-02-09T06:20:00.000-06:00

This is the third morning in a row that I have woken prior to my alarm clock. At least an hour before my alarm clock. It is only problematic because I set my alarm about 7 hours from when I turn off my light - the minimum amount of sleep that I know still gives me enough to function at 100%..... so its the beginning of the third day where I have less than 100% value worth of sleep. Ick.

The title of this blog comes from an old Hymn that I love called, "May Jesus Christ be Praised!" It sings of the feeling that as Christians we have (or should have?) in all circumstances... including when the balm of sleep is denied to the believer. And so I praise God today that I am awake and alive, and I am grateful for an extra hour this morning - an unexpected bit of time to write in my blog, drink coffee, and think before heading to Alpha Delta Pi initiation.

By this point (6:24am) I have gotten dressed, grabbed a bag of homework and necessities and made coffee and have about 20 minutes before I have to leave for the ADPi chapter room to help get everything together for this morning's ritual and celebration.

There are so many things I need to post about:
* PhD news
* Job application status
* My life in general
* This semester and how its going

But in honor of this morning, I am going take a few minutes and write about Alpha Delta Pi! Alpha Delta Pi was the first secret society for women - it began as the Adelphean Society in 1851, later adopted the Greek letters: Alpha Delta Phi, but when it was discovered that there was a men's fraternity with the same letters, changed Phi to Pi and here we are today. Our open motto, "We Live for Each Other" we believe exemplifies the highest ideals of Christian womanhood (the sorority was founded by six christian women who were friends and classmates at Wesleyan Female College in Georgia).

My experiences in Alpha Delta Pi are numerous and varied. I was a collegian at Northern Arizona University, and it was my relationship with my Diamond Sister (ADPi does not have "big" and "little" sisters - choosing instead to have relationships which place the sisters on equal footing - not in a heirarchy. a diamond sister is a special sister who serves as a sponsor through your beginning experiences in alpha delta pi) - it was my relationship with my Diamond Sister that moved me toward a relationship with Christ. Her name is Chalea and I've told her this before, but her invitations to Campus Crusade, and the way that I could see a difference in the way she lived versus how other people lived caused me to realize that there was something missing in my life. So you can understand one of the special connections I have to ADPi.

My roommate, Terra, became a special friend to me as well. She was two years younger than me, but had some life experiences which had caused her to become a mature and thoughtful woman early. She stood by me as I made the decision to not get married to my college boyfriend - and I have always been grateful for her support through that entire experience! My other roommate, Amy, was a woman who could make me laugh and think depending on the day. I was priviledged to attend both of their weddings and joyfully watch them marry men who valued who they are as women.

Another sister, Liz, and I were good friends - I think mostly because she had tried out for Collegiate Jeopardy and I thought that was awesome. I drifted out of touch with many of my sisters but somehow Liz and I reconnected years later and found out we were both active members (and maybe both discussion group leaders) of a Bible Study Fellowship class. It was a blessing to me to have this friend from my past turn out to be a committed Christian and it deepened our bond as sisters! I was also able to travel to her wedding, which was a super fun reunion of sisters.

I had wanted to get involved with a Collegiate chapter for a number of years, but wasn't in a position to do so in Seattle (no time). And Greenville was really too far from any chapter (I thought) - plus football season kept me pretty tied down. Well, when I decided to attend Baylor I found out that they had an ADPi chapter there and was pretty excited. I thought, "maybe now I can get involved with some women and help them see the love that I have for ADPi and help them to cultivate it!"

See, the core of what Alpha Delta Pi is - which is revealed most fully during initation to our newest members - guided me through my life following my own initiation in 1994. I cannot begin to describe how our open motto: "We live for each other" and what ADPi stands for have helped me to become the woman I am today - hopefully a woman who values others, who serves others, and who tries to exemplify the highest ideals of Christian womanhood.

At Baylor, I have made so many dear friends from women who I only knew initially as sisters. Both collegiate (undergraduate) women and alumnae advisors are now in my sphere of friends who share special memories, jokes, and care for each other deeply. Danielle, Holly, Sara; Naomi, Michelle, Kristen, Alice, Bethany, Sammi, Katie, Ashley - these are only a small drop in the bucket of names - I could go on for about 200 names of women who have touched my heart! :)

As I prepare for this initiation this morning, (my second to last initiation as a member of the Zeta Chi advisor board (We will initiation 8 more women just after Easter and these will be the last until next spring)...... I am grateful to God for bringing me to Alpha Delta Pi as a junior in college. I'm grateful that I had the ability to see how our deepest shared values and meanings lined up with what it meant to be in Christ and how that helped me to become a stronger Christian and a stronger woman over the years. And I'm grateful for the opportunity to share that with women today at initiation. I am grateful that I had even two years to serve this chapter as an advisor - and no matter how much I wish it were more - I wouldn't trade these two years for anything.

To my ADPi sisters who read this blog: I love you. I live for you. Thanks for what you've added to my life.

To my friends who have not been a part of a sorority, but who I count as sisters of my heart: You have also touched my heart in many ways and I'm grateful for you.

To collegiate women who read this story and think, "I want a sisterhood like that" - then may I please encourage you to consider Alpha Delta Pi?

Blessings to you all - another update coming. But for now - Love, Tiffani

Gift Ideas

2008-02-04T07:38:00.000-06:00

I love the "how to" wiki, and this idea is a really neat one. A person with some free time (which right now I define as many people, none of them graduate students) could make this chocolate portrait - and it seems pretty easy!

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Chocolate-Portrait

I also liked this one on makin a candy/chocolate bouquet:

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Chocolate-Bouquet

Enjoy your "valentine's day" projects. I will be posting soon with the latest on my life. Info from UCLA PhD program expected soon, and applications to various jobs on their way out! Woo hoo! Life continues to move forward and I have stats today at 1pm.

Blessings to you!

5:30 - yuk.

2008-01-23T07:22:00.001-06:00

Well, this semester I am for sure in graduate school. I felt like that last semester, too, but was too tired and lethargic (depressed maybe?) to really be productive about it.

Today, surrounded by a sense of urgency and some low level fear, I got up at 5:30 to work on homework for tonight's class (which is from 5-8). I had not intended to leave 1/2 my work until the DAY OF class - those of you who know me well know how much I hate doing that! :)

Last week (as I mentioned in the last post) I had a ton of ADPi stuff, and then recovery. It was so bad that I didn't get started doing my homework until Saturday and then I was so tired it was pretty hard to read the Law reading (you can imagine!). So I finished Law on Sunday after church, and tried to start on Capstone - but I wasn't moving very fast on that either. Blah, blah, blah, add in a bunch of misused time (from a homework perspective - though in reality it was good stuff - the Amazing Race finale with Kathryn, Sarah and the Schwartzs; outlet shopping with Sarah - a suit, two sweaters and new tennies!; movie with some gal pals)..... and here I am at 7:30, mostly done with my homework (one chapter and one article to go) and with very few breaks today to get it finalized.

But, I feel like I'm in grad school! I'm drinkin coffee, taking notes, checking email and facebook on my new laptop. Perhaps I should get that PhD after all! (apps are in, and I won't have any info until early Feb (UCLA) and early March (WSU))

Today I am looking forward to:
* Session with Ashley
* Coffee with Marquette
* MLK, Jr Luncheon (last year was awesome, I can only expect this year to be great, too!)
* Mtg with Lynn to discuss planning her sorority's mission trip
* Mtg with Courtney to get to know each other and talk about ADPi stuff
* Class (well, mostly I am looking forward to it!)

Tonight I vow to not do any homework (maybe).... but I have THREE chapters of stats homework to do (due Monday), three chapters of Law and one tab (due Tues) and some other reading, interviews, and resume etc due next Wed. How in the world you ask!~? So do I. Wish me luck!

Blessings on you and yours!

Photos related to January 20 post

2008-01-20T22:24:00.000-06:00

Ringing in the new year a few days late!

2008-01-20T21:40:00.001-06:00

Well, 2008 is already almost 3 weeks old, and so I apologize for my relative absence thus far on the blog! It was not intentional! And as you all know, if my actions met up with my intentions, I'd have posted 12 times by now!

I spent New Year's Day with my family, enjoying coffee, books and Settlers. My parents and I went up to Barnes and Noble and were able to use up my mom's gift cards! It was really fun to know that I had $25 to use toward books - I think I ended up being able to get 5 of them - HP 5, Break In (by Dick Francis - an old favorite), Little Women and two other classics that I can't remember right now. I had to leave those two behind (along with some John Piper books I got at Derek's church for $5 each!!) to save space and weight in my luggage, but I'm looking forward to reading them when I get back. It was fun to play games with the family on New Year's Eve - My mom was crowned the final "lord of catan" for 2008, and the day - with its Barnes and Noble trip, movies and snacks was really fun.

I left on the 2nd to head back to Tx. Dad and I had a nice morning together chatting in the airport and then I got picked up by Karen and the kids in San Antonio. I was only able to stay for a few days, but it was really fun to do so. I love those kids, and I am always glad to get to spend time with them, John and Karen, and Dorothy and Nick. We had a good time!

I returned on the 4th to Waco and Sarah and I were able to spend a day together before she moved down to Austin and I began sorority recruitment. I have lots of pictures to share with you in the next post. It was a really fun week of recruitment! I got to hang out with my friend Danielle, who is the recruitment advisor, I spent a lot of time with the Alpha Delta Pi women and we ended up recruiting a really incredible bunch of women! I was so proud of all the work the ladies went to to get it completed and done in a great way. I am sad that I won't be here next year to be with them again - who knows, maybe I'll find a way.

During the week, we had our first mixer of the year - it was a "basketball mixer" - and it was really fun. It was also (embarassingly) my first baylor basketball game ever! We won, and that was great, but it was also a really good event for the chapter. On Friday night, we hosted our Sisterhood Retreat: "Legends of a Hidden Sisterhood" - it was great. I was so proud of Naomi (our membership education vice president) and the way she organized it, delegated work and the work that the women came up with - it was all really creative and it was fun to be at a gymnasium with trampolines, etc! A few of us slept overnight, but most of the women left around 3am. I was pretty beat when I got home - as you can imagine - and slept away the morning at home (I got home at 8:40). Later, Sarah and I went grocery shopping and then I started reading for school. bleh. Myles came over for dinner with Sarah and I and we watched "Rushmore" - I couldn't stay awake. I'm too old to stay up till 3am, it turns out! Today was a great sunday school class and church and then relaxing until the Amazing Race finale - which was excellent! Joel, Jessica, Kathryn, Sarah and I enjoyed a potluck and then the finale together. Tomorrow, Sarah is off work and I don't have school, so we are goin up to the outlet mall in the AM to do a little shopping. I'm hoping to see a movie later in the day - but also doing a LOT of reading, too!

So, on that note... finally, on to school talk. Well, this semester should be informative, kind of fun... and maybe a lot intense. We have a ton of reading and homework for our classes this semetser. I am taking: Statistics, Higher Education and the Law, and our Capstone course. Instead of taking comps, we have to present a case study analysis for some of the faculty of our program (at the end of the semester). We present for 30 minutes and then answer questions for 15-ish. We were assigned our case studies on the first day, in expectation of our working on them all semester, while we also do our other work! A fun requirement of our Capstone course is a trip to Boston in March for the NASPA conference. NASPA is the professional organization for student personnel administrators, and I think we are all looking forward to a weeklong stay (except for the bill of how much food will cost - yikes!).

that's probably it for now. There are 116 days until I get hooded/graduate. There are 45 days until Boston. And I am working on applying for jobs while I wait to hear graduate school application results.

I will write soon! I'm going to make a quick slide show and post it in the next post!

Briefest of brief updates!

2007-12-28T15:41:00.000-06:00

Well, better late than never, friends! I am at my folk's house in Phx and writing this update from my own, very new laptop! hooray! I am so grateful for this gift which will accomplish a number of purposes.... one) I will not have to hide out in my cave at my desktop computer to write my papers all the time - this is a particularly special gift; two) it includes a webcam, and my parents bought themselves one also, so that we can talk to each other and SEE each other. We all agree that 8 months is too long to go without sight of each other. Finally, this laptop will make my spring travel much easier and will also save me some $$ on library fees from when I inevitably forget to renew my rented laptop! One final awesome blessing... it will enable me to work even away from home AND the library - Starbucks... here I come! :)

Merry Christmas to all of you! I'm sorry I haven't had a chance to write sooner, but my mom has been working at the computer and its hard to get online next to her, and they don't have wireless, so I haven't really been able to access the world wide web on the laptop until today (when I stole the internet cable from the desktop next to mom).

I had a wonderful Christmas celebration with my family including my brother, parents and grandparents, and special guests: Derek Robinson (former Greenville College football player), Judy Heddens (his moms) and Derek's friend, Pamela. We had a really nice time together and I enjoyed it a ton. Not only was Christmas day fun, but I also have had a really nice vacation thus far. I got to hear dad sing the Messiah (complete works) with the Pheonix Symphony Chorus and the Phoenix Symphony - awesome! It was the first time I'd heard Handel's entire work and it was really, really moving and beautiful. I also attended the Bach choir in Phoenix with my parents, and am looking forward to hearing my dad sing two solos in church this upcoming Sunday.

Tonight my parents, brother, and I are headed to a fancy dinner as part of our annual tradition to get dressed up together and do something adult-y. Last year my parents and I dressed up and went out for dinner, and my brother couldn't make it. This year we'll all get to go and I'm looking forward to it.

I have also been working on my application to Washington State University. My dad is proofing my essay as we speak. And, last but not least... We have been playing a LOT of Settlers of Catan. Look out Joel Schwartz.... I'm really improving!

I will try to post again later today when I can connect up to the internet again. But for now, its time for a game and I have to get the other computer back to normal so that my brother doesn't know I've been messing with his desktop. :)

Miss you - and wishing you the happiest of Christmasses!

Losing focus

2007-12-14T11:13:00.000-06:00

Well, its the end of the semester. I made it. Today is my last day of work, I turned in my last two final papers on Monday, finished my baby shower gifts on Tuesday and went to Ruthie's mexican restaurant in Lorena with some girl friends, took a friend to the airport in crazy weather then made the "sweet potato cheesecake" I mentioned before, on Wednesday, Thursday was our office party and gift exchange, and last night (thursday night) went over to the Schwartz's and played games with them, Matt, and Angela.

On a side note, games was really fun (though we missed Sarah). We played regular Settlers of Catan and Jessica won (!) - Angela and I tied for second place, the guys tied for 4th. Then we played Up and Down the River (or Muffins) and Angela won. Jessica got 2nd and I got 3rd. It was the best game night for the girls since the day that we played three games of Settlers in a row and Jessica, Sarah and I each won one and blanked Joel!! :) This was the first time I'd had a chance to play games with Matt and Angela - or really even spend a good amount of time with them. It was really fun and I look forward to some more adventures in the spring.

Because I have been working so hard all during the semester, it has been hard for me to do the few things I know that I need to do for my WSU (washington state university) application (hence the title of this article). I have to edit a writing sample today - but I think I'll do it at home this afternoon, since I leave here in 30 minutes and am not working on it at all yet.

Two of my three recommendations are turned in for WSU (thank you RCC and Frank!!) and one is supposed to be happening this week. I hope so... I really don't want to have to call his assistant again next week to follow up. I think I also have to edit the statement of purpose from the UCLA app to be appropriate for WSU. AND, I'm going to try not to do it while I'm at the Fergasons.

I'm excited to be at the Fergason's for a few days with no homework. I'm also excited to visit my folks next week after not having seen them for so long - I think my folks, Ben and I are going to play Settlers almost non-stop, so that is great fun. ALSO, Derek Robinson (D-Rob), his mom, and his girlfriend are all coming over for Christmas dinner - HOORAY! There is also a chance that dad and I are going to take a quick trip to Tucson and LA for quick college visits and that I might get to see both Erin O'Hara and Gretchen Musgrave - sweet!

Thats it for now. I have some pics to post of the burp rags and of a cool wall hanging I got in Kenya. I'll work on that later.

In the meantime, sorry for the randomness of this post - see, focus issues.

:) Tiff

quick update!

2007-12-08T11:50:00.000-06:00

Well friends.... it is so close. So close to being done with assignments for Fall 2007. So close to getting to visit my family. So close to getting my house cleaned, mopped, scrubbed. So close to making my first "sweet potato cheesecake" (this is for the southerners at my office christmas potluck) So close to getting to sleep as late as I want for one or two days.

I am three days or less away from turning in my two final assignments. At this point, Matt, Candice and I simply need to pump up the references and we'll be done with our spirituality final project. I'm about 1/2 way done with my cultural final.... so close.

Here are some pics of this week's events (christmas parties galore) to keep you busy, while I finish my homework! Blessings to you!

Sarah and I at Red Robin in Round Rock -
on our winter field trip with our fun neighbors Joel and Jessica!

At the Christmas Party for our program, hosted by Dub Oliver, the Vice President for Student Life (L-R: Katie, Heather, me, Candice)

Lyndsy (far left) and I being "tree huggers" when our friends showed up for the 08 Cohort Christmas party dressed as Christmas trees. (trees L-R: Brittany, Kathryn, Katie).

Kathryn and I posing in our adorable outfits. I borrowed my amazing sweater from Julia Greenlee. The poinsetta was a hit, and only hurt a little when people hugged me. Kathryn is my Amazing Race partner, so I'm kind of sad we already sent in our photo because this would have been a good one (the one we sent was good, too - 80's style).

My friend Kristen and I - you can get a better look at my sweater from this photo...
Merry Christmas to all!

Let's Say Thanks

2007-12-06T09:04:00.000-06:00

Sometimes I think about the Vietnam war, and the parallels to the Iraq war.

The Vietnam war became increasingly unpopular as it was evident we were not going to "win," in particular against the geurilla style warfare of a people determined to keep fighting. Eventually the soldiers became unpopular as well, characterized as "baby killers," etc.

The Iraq was is increasingly unpopular as it becomes more evident that we are not reaching our goals, and as the American people become jaded with regard to the goals and purpose of the conflict to begin with. Knowing what happened to the soldiers who served in Vietnam (it seems like a higher percentage struggle with PTSD, and they are certainly more bitter and angry than those who served in previous conflagrations), and grieving over it, I fear the same may happen to our soldiers who are in Iraq.

Let's try to agressively avoid that result. These men and women are dads, moms, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, and friends. They are boyfriends and girlfriends, teachers, managers, baristas and students.

Let's say thanks for the sacrifice we are making. I know I am particularly grateful - I have never felt called to military service (having wanted to be a fashion designer most of my life). I appreciate that someone is taking my place in a Humvee in Bagdad, basically.

Here is one way you can do it, and it takes about 90 seconds.

1) Go to this webpage: http://www.letssaythanks.com/Home1024.html (its a page sponsored by Xerox)
2) Pick out a drawing from a child
3) Select a prewritten message of gratitude, or select "other" and write your own
4) Click "send"
* your drawing and message will be printed by Xerox and sent overseas into the hands of a serviceman or woman.

Hooray! Lets say thanks this holiday season!

Greenville Photos!!

2007-12-01T23:44:00.000-06:00

Check it out.... Photos from my time in Greenville!!

Photo link for now! (greenville photos)

2007-11-30T09:51:00.000-06:00

Hey friends,

For now, here is a link to some of the photos from my trip to Greenville! Woo hoo!!!

http://baylor.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2008304&l=a35f0&id=152400460

Love, Tiff

Greenville trip, part 2

2007-11-29T23:15:00.000-06:00

here is the rest of the update on my trip to Gville, while my nail polish dries on my fingers. :)

I stayed both nights in Greenville with Heather in the little Locust Ave apt. #B at the Jewitts. I was grateful to stay with her and enjoyed our times of talking as we fell asleep and lounging together on Sunday!!

Saturday morning, I went over to Liz's and we visited some more before the pre-game tailgate. The tailgate was fantastic and fun. Heather and I hung out with the parents, and enjoyed Louisiana Gumbo and some other delightlful foods. It was neat to be there with the Sr. parents and think back to my first year with all of them (it was my second year at GC FB)... our first tailgate was pretty small, but neat. Since then, EPAPP has built a gigantic smoker/bbq and dontated it to the program, and huge tent that shelters the players in hot sun and cold rain (during pre-game and at the half), and a big cowbell decorated with "EMAP" and our panther logo.

I loved being with the parents as we prayed and cheered the team onto the field for the pregame senior ceremony.

This part was pretty moving for me. All seventeen of the seniors paraded through a tunnel of the other players and met their parents or another representative at the end. At one point I sat down next to Kess on the bleacher at the sideline and got a little teary. It was pretty neat to be there with Scotty and think back to his vision for Greenville Football at the time these guys were recruited. Seventeen is a huge graduating class, and it was pretty neat. I missed Dave and Kyle at that point. They would have loved to see it!

The game was fun - Derek Robinson surprised us and showed up in town. I spent the second half on the sideline, talking to Lash and DRob. I love those guys. We didn't win the game, but in the fourth quarter, down by three touchdowns, the team rallied and ended up scoring twice before the buzzer sounded. I was proud to be with them.

Eric moved the post-game locker room time into the Briner building ("The Shop") and the Seniors got up to share.... three hours later it was done. I only got to stay for about two hours, but the two hours I was there was amazing. I was proud to hear them share, to listen to the way they've become men of character and gratitude and to cry with them in joy! :)

I left early to go to dinner with the Filby's and that was a great time. I loved hearing about their lives and really just enjoying their company. I wish I could have spent more time with them!!!

I returned to Liz and Eric's for just a short time and then headed to Jo's to hear Katie Kapteyn play a show. She was great as expected and I really enjoyed it.

Sunday morning, I was tired but trying to fit it all in! I had early breakfast with Scotty and Kyle Krober who were both in town. Super good to go back over our memories, and get caught up on our present. Then I met with Norm to hear a little bit about what's happening in Greenville Student Life and Residence Life. Finally, I got to be in my old Sunday school class (it was awesome!!) and then go to church with my old friends at Greenville FMC. If you get to Greenville, check it out!!

After church, Heather, DRob, TJ, Jared and I all went to Rancho Nuevo, where we had a great time laughing and enjoying each other and just being totally redic. Then followed a brief wal-mart stop and a trip home to relax before Heather took me to the airport that evening.

I had a good trip home (delayed flight, but it was OK), got home around 1am and started back to school and work.

So it was quick and full..... but it was great!

Thanks to my pals in Greenville (etc) for a WONDERFUL (if brief) vacation.

Nearing the end.

2007-11-28T16:32:00.000-06:00

Hi Friends,

Forgive me for the (repeated) delay in posting.

I'm actually trying to head home for the day, but the voice of my friends Alexis and Sarah are ringing in my ears that I'd better get posting because they have been very faithful posters lately...

The last time I posted, I wrote about my trip to Greenville.

What I didn't have time or energy to write about was that that week I had been helping some students grieve the loss of their friend. She was in a car accident the Friday prior, and was in a coma until Wednesday when she succumbed to her injuries. Her name was Kate and she sounded like a marvelous woman.

Grief counseling is difficult. (how's that for an understatement?) As a helper, and one who didn't know Kate, I had forgotten that I would end up with emotions and pain and stuff coming up that I needed to deal with. The Lord is good to all who hope in him, though and I was able to (slowly) go through the grieving process myself as I helped with these women. Friday we will have a campus memorial service that I was blessed to help plan. May the Lord be glorified and his people made to be at peace through it.

That same week I had a big paper that was supposed to be due, but (in the Lord's grace) was postponed until Tuesday before Thanksgiving. I also had slating interviews for Alpha Delta Pi all day on Sunday and Baylor Youth Day for half the day on Saturday. AND on Saturday morning we filmed our Amazing Race application video.

Wow, this is the most disjointed post ever.

Anyway, the AR video turned out great. Soon we will post it here, but we aren't sure if we're allowed to post it on our website... we certainly don't want to be disqualified! (I think its OK, but we just want to be sure)

The ADPi slating and elections went fine, too, though it was a lot of hours in the chapter room! I am very proud of the chapter for the work they are doing to continuously improve.

Then on Tuesday (having turned in my paper at 1am on Monday night), I drove to San Antonio for a week with the Fergasons (pics soon). It was a great time. I got some homework done, played and read to kiddos, toured the Center for the Intrepid at Brooke Army Medical Center, watched a bunch of movies (Ratatouille, Amazing Grace, We are Marshall, The Nativity Story, to name a few!), and relaxed. It was wonderful.

That's it for now. More soon. Its getting dark and I'll have to bike home!

What a week!

2007-11-16T15:49:00.000-06:00

I went to Greenville last weekend. I don't think I've even had time to post about that experience, but it was GREAT.
* I flew into St. Louis on Friday morning around 9:30 (that meant I had to leave Waco around 5 in the morning - yikes! it was a good drive, but a little scary - dark and a lot of fog!). I got to the airport about 45 minutes before my flight was to depart, but made it to the gate without injury and thankfully caught my flight.
* Sue Groves picked me up and we spent a few glorious hours together chatting and getting caught up. I am always encouraged by her.
* I spent the early afternoon in Jo's Java on campus. I chatted with some friends and worked on some homework in between people (ok, mostly I chatted...)
* Maura came up from Edwardsville around 2:30 and we enjoyed an hour-long stroll around Greenville, really getting a good visit in and talking about graduate school, loving our neighbor and creating environments which honor all people. She is such a mature young woman and I was glad we had time to visit!
* Maura dropped me off at Liz's house and Liz and I visited until it was time to head to the Sr. dinner. Matthew woke up while I was there and he is a HOOT!
* The Senior Football dinner was a surprise for the players. They arrived at Durley camp and all of their families were there, the coaches and their families, and Kess and I, too! It was so wonderful to see the parents again! These parents are the ones who started the Parent's Booster Club - which quickly became "EPAPP: Every Parent a Panther Parent." It was a vision of mine and Scotty's to see this group form and begin to support the program in an organized way, and these parents, with the help of a few others whose sons were upperclassmen at the time, jumped right in and did it better than I ever could have imagined. At the same time, they were like parents away from home for me. And when I think of hugs from Doug Dahnke, and the happiness on his face when he sees me, I still get emotional. I'm grateful for all those parents and the love they have for the players and staff!
* I'll post a pic of me and the seniors (minus one, who had to leave for a short time) later. It was especially neat for me to see these men - who were Sophomores when I left Greenville and who I only saw one day last year - as Seniors. They are so grown up in their appearance and in their character.
* Scotty and I both shared our thoughts at the Sr. Dinner and it was a treat to be able to do so. I only hope I blessed them enough. Eric spoke, too and both Scotty and Eric recounted the ways that the program has turned around. It was an emotional festival and it was great!
* Later I traveled to "Pokey" (the Powhatan in Pocohantas) with Heather, Amber, Erin O'Hara and Julie Murphy and we just enjoyed each other's company for a couple hours over various foods - dessert and otherwise. They are great women and I was glad to see how the Lord is working in their lives! I am blessed to have been a part of their lives for a short time!

~~~ That is all I have time for. I am leaving to go do a presentation on unity and spirtual development. I will post more about last weekend and this week, soon!
Love, Tiffani

Tag - I'm it.

2007-11-12T22:08:00.000-06:00

OK, to honor my friend Liz, I'm going to tell you seven things about myself that you may (or may not know). Hers were pretty good. I fear mine will not match up, but I'm going to step out in faith anyway.

1) I can cross my pinky toe over the toe next to it.

2) My family is well known for creating what we call "Rube Goldberg inventions" after the famous cartoonist (see link here). My favorite one is the hook that we invented to string Christmas lights on tall Cacti - it is a pool pole, with a hanger bent into a hook at one end, duct-taped within an inch of its life to the pole. Then one person holds the lights on a little spool while the other uses the pole to navigate the cactus arms. It is a hilarious enterprise and probably pretty amusing to the neighbors, too.

3) I like rock climbing a lot. But I feel constrained by indoor rock walls because I have to follow a prescribed path. I'd rather just find holds and get to the top however I can.

4) I go to cemetaries when I'm sad or just want to sit or walk quietly alone. Wherever I live, I find a nice cemetary to wander around. (right now its Oakwood Cemetary on 5th and LaSalle)

5) My mom and I often will say the exact same thing, at the exact same time, with the same inflection. Most often in response to a question of my dad's, and sometimes hollering it from opposite ends of the house. its rediculous.

6) I am currently applying to be a participant on the Amazing Race.

7) I was an art major growing up. I still love to do art, but my school schedule constrains me from doing any sort of crafts, let alone painting, etc.

Tag... you are now it:
Sarah M.
Alexis C.
Missy D.
Jenn C.

Love you!

multitasking and trying to be productive

2007-11-06T08:42:00.001-06:00

Well, its Tuesday. The first Tuesday in many many weeks that I don't have any appointments scheduled, so I have decided to work from home almost the entire day. I have a ton of work due next week: a presentation for that Wed.'s class, a theoretical orientation for that Thur.'s class, a presentation to student organization leaders for that Friday and a weekend full of activities that weekend. It would maybe be less of a big deal, if I wasn't going to be out of town this weekend.
Don't get me wrong... I'm VERY excited to be headed to Greenville this weekend. I get to see my fun friends who I miss, I get to see my men play football (some of them for the last time, as I'm headed there to attend the Sr. day football game), and I get to go to church at the FM, which I love. So its tough to be in this pressure cooker, but hopefully I will survive.

Today I am at home and working on the following: 1) PhD program "Statement of Purpose", 2) Reading "God on the Quad", 3) Theoretical Orientation paper, 4) (and also, OK, this blog).

Its nice and cold here today, so that is great for staying alert and working. Its fun that it is a little cooler right now, and I have hopes of a cooler winter! I'm also hoping to go to Rosa's for dinner as a study break later (and/or maybe on a walk). :)

See you soon!

33 and wondering...

2007-10-29T12:29:00.000-05:00

"what am I going to do with my life?"

Its ironic that I help student discern their calling. I could use some of that right now. Well, that is not totally true - I believe my calling places me in collegiate environments, working with college students. The question today is how does that look in preparation for graduating in 200 days?

I am currently in the process of applying for PhD programs. I am applying at a number of schools, including UCLA and USC.

I'm applying at UCLA for two reasons: 1) it is in California, and I think I'd like to be there (kind of between-ish Wa and Az), and 2) its the highest-ranked program on the West Coast (#3 nationwide). The other top two are Penn State and Univ. of Michigan.

But the more I look at UCLA, I wonder if its the program for me. I also wonder if I should go back to the earlier plan, before the reconsideration, which was to work for a couple of years before I start PhD work.

Here's the deal: I love learning. But I also love being a part of college student formation and development. Will doing PhD work make it easier or harder to transform college students? I don't know.

What are my goals once I have a PhD? I don't know.

ARGH! And now I have people helping me through this process that are totally gung ho about it... and I am unsure. Some days I am really excited about the opportunity to apply and continue in school. Other days I want to abandon it all and go back to my earlier plan of getting a job at Pepperdine and living out my days in Malibu.

And then I think - is a PhD in Education the right choice? Maybe I should be going to Seminary and getting a degree in Spiritual Formation. Maybe I should be getting a degree in Counseling Psychology.

So here I am. Confused, a little bit frustrated at myself, and not wanting to let anyone down. I think i just realized that I may have some "people pleasing" issues.

That is it for today. t-minus 35 days until applications are due at UCLA and USC. For now I'm going forward until I have more direction.

Pray for me.

New Haircut~

2007-10-22T16:37:00.001-05:00

I forgot to mention that about a week ago I got a new haircut! I'm posting some pics here for all y'all to see. :)

Tiff

Its about time!

2007-10-22T16:12:00.000-05:00

Well, its only been just over a week since my last post, but it feels like forever. This one may be brief as I'm trying to get ahead of my homework in preparation for "Fall Parties" this weekend.

I may have mentioned this last year, but for those of you who are new... Baylor has delayed sorority recruitment. This means that formal recruitment doesn't happen until the week before Spring semester (rather than fall semester). Its good for freshman because they are able to get familiar with the campus and make friends prior to going through formal recruitment. But to get the recruitment season started we have "Fall Parties" - two days of a sort of preview to recruitment. Every potential new member visits every "house" (which in this case is a sorority chapter room) - hears songs, meets women, and tries to see which will be the best fit. Then they go back and rank the chapters in order from 1-9. In the spring, each woman will return to 7 chapters at most.

So that is happening this weekend. 4pm on Friday until late.. and 6am on Saturday until mid-day. I'm trying to get ahead on homework this week, so that I don't suffer so much later this week!

Yesterday, while doing homework I watched the first two Lord of the Rings movies: "The Fellowship of the Ring" and "The Two Towers." Today, as I type up my answers to counseling reflection questions, I am watching "The Return of the King." I have to admit that I love these movies. After seeing the second one a number of times, I read the trilogy and it was pretty amazing (I cried at the end). But there is something about the movies that I love.

I love the heroism of Samwise Gamgee - his honest and true heart. I feel like he is the kind of Christian we are supposed to be - he is naive like a child, not understanding what he is headed toward, but suspicious of evil, he is gentle but aware. Now sometimes, he's not very nice and calls Gollum names, true, but he is as faithful a friend to Frodo as anyone could hope to have.

And I love when the Elf king, Eldred says to Aragorn, "Put aside the Ranger... become who you were born to be!" There is this point in our lives when we all have to put off who we were pretending to be when we were hiding from our true calling, and become the person we were created to be.

There is so much more than this, but perhaps the reason I need to watch these movies right now is that I'm traveling through my own journey (again) of discovery. I'm traversing dangerous paths to figure out who I am and who God is calling me to be. And frankly, sometimes I'm a little scared. I fear that I will choose wrongly. I fear that if I choose to work for a couple years that I will lose my passion to go back and get a PhD. I fear that I am choosing the wrong area for PhD study, or that I should be getting a master's in counseling at a seminary first. I fear that if I go ahead and get my PhD that I will not be able to get a job because I'll be overqualified.

Crazy isn't it? And the Lord says, "Do not fear, for I am with you." (among other things)

So I am trying to remember my passions and courage. Trying to regain my footing on this slippery and dimly lit path. And trying to let the light of Christ shine through me and others to help me as I traverse this way.

Well, that is it for my philosophical ramblings... here is what's going on this week:

Tonight - ADPi chapter meeting, and hopefully "Heroes"!

Tuesday - I'm one of three graduate students speaking at a luncheon for the division of student life. the theme is "applying theory to practice"

Thursday - After class a few of us get together to watch the Office and Gray's Anatomy. I'm looking forward to Thursday. :)

Friday and Saturday - Fall Parties

Sunday - dinner with the Weathersbees!

Goals for the week: spend at least one hour working on grad school applications. work out 4 mornings, eat more vegetables.

Blessings to you!

"The beacons are lit!" "Gondor calls for aid." "And Rohan will answer."

explaining my recent absence

2007-10-12T07:50:00.000-05:00

Hi Friends,

Its been a rough week. Thanks to those of you who told me that the Lord has been putting me on your hearts. I was mightily encouraged.

On Tuesday of this week, my computer - which I've been having trouble with, as you know, I think - inexplicably erased the BACKED-UP files as I was transfering them to my hard drive (which had been reformatted and thus had no data). Yes, you read that correctly... the only copies of files like music and pictures were erased. (please understand that I had a backup... it was this backup which was erased)

I was mightily discouraged but trying to trust the Lord that there might be a way (because I called the IT office and they said they might be able to recover some of it). The next morning as I was reading scripture I felt like Matthew 6:8 was especially appropriate for me. "for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." That was good, because I was so discouraged. I decided to just be optimistic in my trust for the data recovery, and deeper, to trust that God knew what I needed more than me -and maybe that data had become an idol for me.

Yesterday, the IT desk called and said that they had recovered the data. My phone was dead and I didn't get the message until after my night class, so I don't know the details yet, but I'm guardedly hopeful at this point.

Between this computer issue and a take-home mid-term that caused me to cancel a planned trip to San Antonio, not to mention my need for extra time to get stuff together to apply for doctoral programs, and time to continue to seek God about that course of action, I have felt alternately discouraged, disappointed,crushed, overwhelmed and angry. In the meantime, I still see God being faithful to me through all this, which humbles me and brings me deep joy.

Be blessed today!

My life in 10 minute blurbs.

2007-10-04T08:30:00.001-05:00

Today I'm working on completing an annotated bibliography for my counseling class. For those of you don't know what that means - have no fear. I just recently learned and will 'splain.

An Annotated Bib (as we've come to call it) is a document that has a reference for an article and then a brief summary of the article's contents (between 100 words and a page-ish - no longer than a page). The purpose is for research, as an individual is doing research on a topic and reading articles, they put the reference and summary down so that they can easily find articles they are looking for later when writing a dissertation, literature review, article, etc.

Mine is on depression and I've found some really interesting articles about counseling and psychotherapy and depression! Nerdy, but true.

So all that to say that we have to have 10 articles annotated and turned in by class tonight. And also the reading reflection questions (due at noon). My reading reflection is done, I just need to look it over one more time and make sure its coherent (no guarantee!). But I am still four articles away from being done with the Bib. I have to read them and then write the summary.

After I read and summarize one article, then I get to have a 10 minute break (woo hoo!), during which I will update this blog, and when that's done, read through my questions.

I'm going to change color every time I have had to go away and come back!

What is up with me, you ask?

1) School is crazy right now. I'm liking my classes, but there is just a lot of work for them. A lot. I'm surviving barely, but Sarah and I are doing homework seemingly non-stop (with a couple breaks I will share about here).

2) Last week, in a huge bad-decision moment, I decided to put Windows Vista on my computer. My computer is 4 years old, and not really Vista compatible it turns out. I thought I was putting on Vista "home basic" - but turns out I was putting on "ultimate" - yeah, really not capable of running that kind of technology. Its still working, but a little slower than normal. However, some of the stuff I normally use was not working and then it shut down my computer, and I ended up having to take it into the shop at school. They told me they would try to fix it and it would cost $43.
I didn't have a computer for the entire weekend - the one week when I had three different written projects due. nice.
Thankfully, Sarah had a work laptop I was able to use and the library checks out laptops for four hours, too. We were at the library for a long time. I lost track of time and turned my computer in 13 minutes late. $10 fee. suck!
The shop called on Monday saying my computer's recovery partition (we were just going to run that and reload Windows XP) was corrupt and I could call HP and get recovery disks for $20-30. (you can imagine my glee, since at this point I was ringing up appx $100 in stuff to fix this mistake!)
I asked if instead I could just buy XP at the bookstore and reinstall it. He said yes, and I called the bookstore. I was able to get a copy of XP for $5 (saving $25 vs. the other HP plan) and when I picked up my computer... they hadn't charged me, because they couldn't do anything! woohoo!
* Price tag back down to $15 (plus emotional grief...)
So I hooked up my computer when I should have been doing homework, and tried to load XP. But the bookstore sold me XP professional, which is a 64-bit software and my computer is an x86 (which is somehow different, I don't really get it but I get it enough to understand it won't work).
So sad news... I had to go to the HP website and order the recovery disks.
* Price tag at $45.
Meanwhile, when I installed Vista it made me uninstall my antivirus software... and so then I had to re-order antivirus software.
* Price tag at $70 (total).
And now, I have the recovery disks, but I'm forcing myself to wait until tomorrow night (friday night?...nerdy!) or sometime this weekend to put the disks through and reformat my computer. The downside? I may have to wipe my entire computer clean in the process... it looks like there is a way to load it with out doing that, but I'm not feeling super positive at this point. Thankfully, before I put on Vista I bought an external hard drive and backed up my entire computer, so if I do have to wipe it, I think I have all my files....
* Price tag $170.
That doesn't even include the actual COST of Vista. Price tag $185. What was I thinking!?

But really, I needed the backup drive anyway, my computer is getting old and its for the best that I have a backup, so lets just call it $85 and be done with it. Unless I can't get it to work and have to take it back to the shop. But for now, I'll be positive and say, "I'm sure it will all be OK."

On the bright side, my car insurance went down $10 a month, so I have an extra $120 this year, which just about covers my computer mania.

3) I am going to be speaking at our next Student Life staff development lunch. Two of my fellow students and I are going to speak about putting theory that we are learning in our program into practice. We have about 10 minutes each. I'm excited, but nervous. I also wonder how I can make this a good practice experience for my PhD interviews. I think I have a lot of ways that my theory has informed what I do for my work at Baylor (and in the future) but we'll see how it goes! Its a great honor, though, and I'm really blessed to have been asked!

4) I just spent part of my 10 minute break surfing facebook. I'm sorry. I'll be right back. :)

I am only one article away from being able to take shower. amazing.
OK, life update continued!

5) I think I mentioned that I am in a debate with myself right now about my future. Am I going to work full-time after graduation? Am I going to start a PhD program full-time? yikes. I have to make these decisions relatively soon, because the PhD deadlines are in early december and I have some work to do to get ready (re-proofing papers, etc). I really like the idea of going straight into school again, just to get it done. I like the idea of working toward a doctorate - its kind of crazy, but I feel like there are a lot of areas in which I could do research and be really excited about it. But there is some debate amongst the people I've spoken to about how my experience will help me get a job. Some say I have enough experience and get the degree. Others say that perhaps I should work FT for a year and then start PhD work part-time, so that I can bulk up my resume.

In the meantime, I just don't know. I'm praying, and seeking wisdom from God, and also from man. My last meeting with Baylor people about this is on Friday, after that, I'm going to have to really seek to hear God speak and direct me in a path!

I'm not done updating, probably, but this is long and so I'll say Goodbye for now. And next week I'll have more updating. :)

Blessings on you!!!

2007-09-24T07:39:00.000-05:00

Dear faithful friends/readers.

Some of you know that I am a co-facilitator of Sunday School class this semester at my church: UBC (university baptist church). I help lead "The Other Side" - which is essentially a gathering of 20-40 year old men and women - we say that we are "post-college age, without being too old." There are a bunch of grad students, but also a number of working professionals and a professor or two.

Recently, we have been studying and discussing the Core Values of UBC with the class. Each week we take one of the core values posted on our website (www.ubcwaco.org), read the description, read the supporting scriptures and then break it down together to see what that means for our lives, for our church and for the world.

After Sunday we post a continuing discussion on our message board and try to keep dialouging about it through the week. While I can't give you the password to chat about it there, I can post my comments here and invite you to participate with me in the discussion. (I may not do this every week, but this seemed like a good discussion to start this week).

I think the sermons are available on line, but I'm not sure when yesterday's (9/23) will be posted... well, BAM! I just looked online and its there already. So click here and listen to Don's sermon so you have more context for the note below.... and then lets talk.

I have to go do homework now.... :( Boo. Make it a great day!
~~~~~~~~~~
Hi Friends,
Its Monday morning at 7:30. I'm drinking coffee and putting off finishing my reading for class. So I decided to go ahead and post some continuing thoughts about this week's class.

Was it just me or (first of all) was class really good on Sunday? You all are so smart and
thoughtful and I'm so glad to hear your thoughts every week as we break down UBC's core values and how they integrate into our lives. Secondly, was it just me or did Don's message seem to dovetail perfectly to our discussion?

As a reminder, the scripture we looked at this week in Sunday school were: John 14:6, John 8:31-32 and 2 Tim 2:15.

As Don was talking about the American zeitgeist that those things he mentioned (consumerism, fast food, money, hummers, celebs, google, etc) all are thing our culture is trying to tell us are TRUE values; that those are the values we should not only aspire to, but also advocate for. And I can admit that I frequently get caught up in it. I love being able to communicate quickly with my family and friends who are scattered literally to all the corners of the nation, I love being able to look up the phone number and address to a restaurant by text messaging google or even getting driving directions to that location - at any time. (Recently, we texted google during a BU football game, to get the number of Pizza Hut, so we could find out if they still do that percent off deal after the game... they don't)

Its this weird dichotomy, I think, that we can be more fully present with our friends in town because we have a blog that updates people without us having to call them... and yet we can be totally not present because we are text messaging, listening to i-pods, watching TV, sending emails, all while people are trying to talk to us face to face. Its not just a weird dichotomy, I guess, its a painful one for me to think about - because I know I don't always give my full attention to either the people that are in front of me, or to those who are far away.
As we continue this discussion, how does Jesus enter into it? Don says that Jesus comes in and presents an alternative to the zeitgeist (not a similar but "christian perspective" but a real alternative) - that He turns the culture upside down.

I love that Don said (my paraphrase): "The goal of the church {universal} should not be to be relevant but to empty herself and be an alternative, presenting new ways of being, new ways of living and new ways of seeking God" He added that we should be LEADING art and culture - because we have TRUTH as our banner and at our center, if we have Jesus as those things.
How does that look for us this week? What are your thoughts about how we as individuals, and how the Christian church at large, can empty and simply represent Jesus? Should we shun modern technology? Should we literally sell everything and give it to the people around us? Lets discuss! What are your thoughts?

Weekly Update (9/23/07)

2007-09-23T21:47:00.000-05:00

Its the middle of two long (full) weeks for me. Last week, I presented Adlerian Theory with my friends Matt and Candice and then went to Freshman Retreat for Friday night and Saturday. This week I am attending the Crowder Band album release party on Monday, meeting with Chaplains on Tuesday, attending the Student Organization Summit on Wednesday.

All of this while I'm going to class and trying to get homework done... not to mention transcribe an interview that took me two hours to perform (and thus will take two hours to type...). I have to have a 2-3 page summary done on Wednesday morning.... yikes.

So, in order...
Adlerian Theory - Matt agreed to the "an interview with Alfred" plan - which seemed like amazing grace by the Lord, because we didn't think that there was any chance he would agree. But it was awesome! We made a fake TV show called, "Rise and Shine! with Candice and Tiffani" and Matt dressed up in a corduroy jacket, pipe and hat. We took a few days to script out the info, worked on a powerpoint presentation and some group discussion questions and were ready to go. The final perfect part was to add an "encouragement" piece - since the central piece of Dr. Adler's theory is encouragement. The professor gave us great feedback and I think the class really enjoyed learning. I know that we enjoyed teaching it a ton!

Freshman Retreat - for the first year (it hasn't been offered in a number of years), it went really well, and I think the students enjoyed their time, and hopefully they learned a lot, too. My favorite part was the "worship experience" on Friday night. Taylor Dodgen played music for an hour, and we had a few men and women read scriptures periodically. There were 10 prayer stations ranging from intercessory prayer to pray for the earth to drawing picture of yourself in Christ, etc. We grabbed the lamps from our hotel-style rooms (the staff all slept in the camp's motel) and put them out around the stations so that we could have the overhead lights off. It was perfect and I loved being able to pray for students as I worshiped around the room. I taught a breakout session on Saturday about Going Greek and I think it went OK. There were a lot of crickets in the room, if you know what I mean... (and what I mean is that I would ask questions of the group and there were no answers.........). Hopefully it was really OK. I'm excited to assess this year's experience so that next year's can be great.

That's probably it for now, except that a friend of mine (sarah gail) wanted my book list for my spiritual and moral development course, so I'm posting it here because there are some great books we're reading this Fall!

* Chickering, et. al.: Encouraging Authenticity and Spirituality in Higher Education
* Colby, et. al.: Educating Citizens: Preparing America's Undergraduates for Lives of Moral and Civic Responsibility
* Fowler, J.W.: Stages of Faith: The Psychology of Human Development...
* Fowler, J.W.: Faith Changes: The Personal and Public Challenges of Postmodern Life
* Hoppe, S.L.: Spirituality in Higher Education, New Directions in Teaching
* Jablonski, M.A.: The Implications of Student Spirituality for Student Affairs Practice
* Lewis, C.S.: Mere Christianity
* Newman, L.L.: College Student Affairs Journal
* Parks, S.D.: Big Questions, Worthy Dreams
* Riley, N.S.: God on the Quad: How Religious Colleges.....

Enjoy... and happy reading!

You thought....

2007-09-17T12:31:00.000-05:00

... I would go back to my old habit of not writing, didn't you?

Well, you weren't far off. I kept wanting to write and then I've just been swamped at work and in school. But I have a few minutes right now before class to post a brief update. :)

First of all, congratulations to my friends Anne and Shawn Brown who welcomed their first daughter into the world last Tuesday, Sept. 11. Sophie Magdalene ("Pearl of Wisdom") weighed in at almost 8 lbs and is just a little precious bundle of girl!

In other news, Freshman Retreat is this weekend. As of right now we have about 110 students signed up and are expecting 10-20 more. I am really excited to be a part of this project, which I think will really be impactful for the students. My role has been to select and train student leaders, and to present a breakout session on Greek Life and faith. Its called, "Its all Greek to me!" - because that is a pun I use a lot around here. :) I'm going to lead a discussion on the common fears of sorority and fraternity involvement, and also address how to stay faithful to your Christian beliefs while participating. I came to faith in large part due to my involvement in ADPi, so its nice to have the opportunity to share that with students.

Also this week, Matt and Candice and I are presenting an 80-minute long teaching session on Arthur Adler, and his counseling (psychology) theories. I really like Adler's stuff - he's all about empowerment and encouragement and confronting the "myths" that we've believed during our life based on our early experiences. Very interesting.

This week on my mind is the decision to pursue at PhD or EdD. Before I came to Baylor I didn't think that was where I was headed, but I am more and more convinced of it. That being said, I am currently debating about, asking about, and praying for wisdom and direction about, whether or not I should pursue doctoral work right after finishing here at Baylor. At this point, while I'm doing those things I am going to start getting my application materials together, so that I'll be ready by the deadline - just in case.

I don't know what this means for my future. I'm still planning to move to CA, so I'm looking at programs in that state - UCLA, Pepperdine, Azusa Pacific, USC, are my main options right now. I'll update you more on this later.

That's it for now. I'm headed to class.

Blessings!!!!!

one more thing (again)

2007-09-08T14:06:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I like to read the blogs of my friends, and pretend like they are a letter from that person to me especially. I like that. It makes me feel like I'm home.

Cultural Issues class - reading response

2007-09-08T13:46:00.000-05:00

I am in a class which looks at cultural issues (essentially in higher ed, but it ends up about being in the world). This class is a GREAT class. We are going to be forced to look at ourselves and our world with new eyes and I love that.

Each week we have to write a reading response. I may not post my response regularly, but this week seemed like it would cause us all to think about what messaging we are producing and seeing.

My entry is intentionally "unfinished" - we don't have space in our reflection writing to really finish any of this work, but its just to get us thinking and help our prof know where our head is. I hope to continue thinking about this issue this week.

Blessings, Tiffani

Here follows an edited version of my response:

I came to my desk to write about stereotypes and prejudices. When I was reading yesterday, I thought I would be writing about ethics. I may still try to write about both those things… but my first order of business is the new Baylor homepage (www.baylor.edu). I don’t remember ever looking in depth at the photos on the old BU homepage (and I haven’t even done this work yet on my own department’s page). However, as I was reading about assumptions and stereotypes (i.e. “Whites are smarter than African-Americans.”), I happened to load up the internet. This wasn’t the first time I saw the new BU homepage, but I guess my reading just happened to make me look at it with more critical eyes.
I first saw a white male, with the words, “Be Strong and Courageous.” I decided to see what other messages we were sending. There was a white woman graduating (with “be transformed…”), white people in a computer lab (“give me wisdom and knowledge”), an African American male in his Baylor Line jersey – clearly running onto the football field with “live by the spirit” – he is surrounded by white women, and this is followed by a picture of the rock wall with two white males on it. The next photo is of an African American woman (with “give me in your truth…”), and the last photo is of white males and says, “nothing will be impossible.”
I have thought about this issue before. I have tried to imagine that I was a student seeking to find a college where I would fit and I look at websites to see if I’m represented there. What Baylor’s new site tells me is that BU is primarily a place for white people, and maybe some African Americans would feel Ok about attending, too. But if I were an Asian or a Pacific Islander, or a Latina woman (just to name a few), I appear to not be represented here.
Today, I was struck by the subliminal content of the messages next to the pictures. I feel like our new homepage reinforces the stereotypes that African American males are only interested in sports, not school. I see stereotypes that the worship we have here is only for white people (the first picture is one of students worshipping and only includes white students). I know that this is not intentional – in fact, I’m sure that if I mentioned this to the office that controls the webpage they would be surprised by this messaging. They might even disagree.
This makes me think about the ethical concern of “Do no harm.” I appreciated the perspective of Pope when she mentioned that even ethics can contain cultural bias. That the intent to do no harm isn’t good enough, as professionals we have to consider if someone received harm from our actions (even if it was unintended). I don’t know that I had really thought of that before – but thinking about it, especially in light of what I know is white privilege in my case, I wonder how many times I’ve had to apologize because I’ve hurt someone’s feelings or been insensitive to a cultural difference even though it wasn’t my intent. Incidentally… a lot of times.

Photos!

2007-09-06T10:09:00.001-05:00

Here you go, friends. Enjoy.

one more thing

2007-09-06T09:45:00.000-05:00

And it was labor day weekend...

I spent Friday and Sat in Waco - delightful. We layed out by the pool and read and then Candice, Collin, Kathryn and I went to Red Lobster- what a treat! After, I joined Myles and Sarah at Pirates 3 (at the cheaps).

Sunday after church, Sarah and I loaded up and headed to San Antonio to see the Fergasons.

It was a great visit! We stayed until early Tuesday morning.

Weekly Update (9/6/07)

2007-09-06T09:19:00.000-05:00

Ok, there, I said it... "Weekly Update"

Yes, friends, its fall again, and hopefully I will be able to keep this up all semester. I'm excited to feel like I could have time to spend 20 minutes a week updating!

The last couple weeks have been really fun!!!

My friend, Kristen, had a birthday and we dressed up in 80's clothes, surprised her at the Starbucks (and 80'ed her up) and then traveled to "Skate World" where we skated the evening away to the sounds of current music (mostly hip hop) and some 80's requests that they threw in for us. Our last dance was to Thriller which was especially fun, since we had created a dance to Thriller during line camp. We all skated to the center circle and did the dance - so fun!
(p.s. to see the thriller dance at line camp, click this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pmIKw_u0HY)

Pictures of 80's night to follow.

Last week, My pal, John Hickam, was in Dallas for a few days with his work (Boeing). It was great fun to be able to drive up to Dallas mid-week to visit him - especially since I didn't get to see him when I was in Seattle last month. He flew in on Wed and I arrived just before his flight. We got all dressed up and headed to Chamberlain's - which is a fancy steakhouse on the West side of town (I think). It was delicious, but even better was the company and getting to talk and make each other laugh. I always have a great time dining with John. After dinner we went to "Pete's Dueling Piano Bar" because John had thought it would be nice to go to a jazz lounge or something like it. Well, not knowing Dallas, there was no way of knowing that this would be nothing like a jazz lounge... but more like a bar that happened to have live music. That notwithstanding, it was a SUPER time. The pianists were incredible - they also played drums and the harmonica - and it was fun to sit and sing and watch people be ridiculous.

The next morning we had breakfast at La Madeleine (I think I like lunch there better, though it was good) and then we went to see where President Kennedy was shot. That was a fascinating experience. We saw the sixth floor window where they believe Lee Harvey Oswald was standing when he shot the president. We also saw the place on the grassy knoll where some people believe the shooter actually was. We met a man who was there when he was 13. Interesting experience.

Pictures again, to follow.

I drove back to Waco just in time for a baby shower for my friends Ryan and Kristen Richardson - they are having a baby boy named, Syler James and I'm really excited about it for them.

Finally, school has been overwhelming - at least in theory. There seems to be a lot of work ahead, but aside from reading I've mostly been working at work and not doing any of those aforementioned assignments. Hopefully I'll get on track and get ahead this weekend.

Our sunday school class is going well - I'm helping lead "The Other Side" - a class for post-college age indivs and I am enjoying it. I was hoping to join BSF, but it looks like at least for this month that I will not be able to. I'm still praying about how I can use my Monday nights as a ministry to me (aside from Heroes, which I'm excited about starting soon!).

That's all for now. Pics to follow. Thanks for being patient with me!

Love and Peace, Tiff

After a two-week absence

2007-08-19T12:34:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I wonder if you've all given up checking my blog. I realize that I haven't been very regular about posting. And the people that aren't regular eventually get taken off my own "check" list, so I can understand if you've stopped. But I figure there are a few of you who continue to check in... so I'm going to continue posting.

So I'm here at home today - its Sunday, and I have an ADPi meeting at 2pm, so I will try to make a quick update before I have to get ready to go. School starts tomorrow and I feel like I'm ready... or at least as ready as I can be. I have my books, and my schedule (though I don't think I know where my class is tomorrow).

Tomorrow I am going to be at both chapel services. The first reason is that I'm sitting at the freshman retreat table after both services to sign people up to attend. The second reason is that in the absence of the Crowder Band (they are on vacation and so unable to open the chapel semester) we are introducting the entire university ministries staff. At least I think its because the Crowder band can't make it... it might have been part of the plan all along. But anyway, I have to introduce myself and I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to say yet... hopefully in a few hours I'll have thought of something. Sarah is going to help me pick out my outfit, which makes me laugh, but I need the encouragement that something looks cute enough to be on the chapel stage. I kind of want to wear a black dress, but that seems too dressy.

So that's chapel, and school, and that rounds up my Monday, except for the Baptist Student Ministry BBQ that evening - which should be a fun time.

Now, for the last two weeks....
School ended on a friday and I drove up that evening to Dallas with some friends so that I could fly out the next morning. I landed at Sea-Tac around 11, and immediately enjoyed some lovely lunch and catching up with Erin. That afternoon, Bethany picked me up and we enjoyed dinner with Scotty and some former GC football players (so fun!) then hung out with new boyfriend after church. Church at New Song was great and I was refreshed by their enthusiasm and passion, and was as always reminded of my enthusiasm and passion for Jesus.
Sunday I drove to Kirkland and spend the day with my aunts, Gloria and Donna. It was the company picnic for Gloria's office and the day was amazing - very fun (music, BBQ, bingo, etc) and beautiful weather (sunny, no clouds, seafair weekend, 85 degrees). We enjoyed a good dinner of leftover BBQ and then went to see the Bourne Ultimatum (great!). Monday morning I met Kristen, Amy Jo and Verla for breakfast. It was delightful to catch up with all of them, and was food for my soul. Kristen, and I then picked up Janae and Jean and headed north.
We met Larina and Paul Wang in Bellingham and enjoyed lunch together then caravanned (?) to Vancouver (or Richmond, actually) and spent the evening with them in their country of Canada. It was great fun to be all together, talking, laughing, watching movies and getting caught up. I miss those women!!!
We headed back to Seattle on Tuesday and I met up with Gloria and Donna and we had a great dinner together ( I love hanging with them!) and then watched some TV together. We got up early and they took me to the airport... and my trip was over.
So short, so fast and intense, but a great visit over all!!!

Sarah picked me up at the airport and we had a great time on the way home shopping at the outlet mall and getting caught up after my vacation. She's a great roommate. We only had a few days together before she left for Michigan for a week - she gets back today.

I attended the willow creek leadership summit ( baylor was a sattelite campus), after my return. It was incredible this year - Marcus Buckingham, Richard Curtis, Colin Powell, Jimmy Carter, all gave presentations, among a number of other amazing speakers. I was really challenged and hopefully learned a lot about leadership to supplement my class from the summer.

The summit ended and there were a few days where I just worked on getting ready for the school year at work, and then students moved in on Wed and Thursday. Its been welcome week since then, with a variety of activities, and also me at work getting ready for new grad assistants and to start my year with chaplains, etc.

I am so excited for this school year. There is a lot on my plate, but I'm looking forward to all of it!

I'm still working with fraternity and sorority chaplains, but am making a more concerted effort to reach other chaplains as well.
I'm going to be training the small group leaders for freshman retreat - which I'm super excited about - and then I'll be at freshman retreat giving a presentation on keeping your faith while being in a fraternity and sorority.
I'm going to help train a youth ministry team leader
I'm going to coordinate operation christmas child (again)
I'm co-leading a sunday school class at my church (UBC)
and I'm going to have a sale of Amani Ya Juu products in early september.

And while i do those things, I'm also going to be working on my classes, reading a TON (we have 13 books this semester) and writing, and trying to have a life.

And for myself I'm going to be attending BSF on Monday nights. :)

I can't wait!

Blessings to you, and especially those of you who are starting new things this year or at this time.

Leadership Journal - Week IV (and final)

2007-07-30T17:40:00.000-05:00

Wow. Writing a journal every week sure speeds up the time. I think that probably also had to do with participating in Line Camps for the last three weeks - I know that last week went by at the speed of light.

I have almost finished reading The Leadership Challenge, by Kouzes and Posner. This week we read about Enabling Others to Act and Encouraging the Heart.

As I process through these chapters, there are a number of points that the authors make that directly apply to a situation that I was talking with a friend about last week. We are going to call my friend Jim, so that if someone googles his name this story won't come up and hurt his office.

Jim is the manager of a staff of 5. He is a clinician and supervises two other clinicians at his same level (essentially, though Jim is the preeminent clinician in his field and is the most senior of his staff). He also supervises three technical support roles. Jim works in the military - he is a civilian, and his staff are civilians, but they serve soldiers. The problem with this is that due to the heirarchical nature of the military, Jim didn't have any "real" power over his staff - in the sense of firing and other disciplinary actions. Unfortunately for Jim, his office was having some "real" problems - and he needed to solve them in a positive way.

Jim, his wife, and I were talking about this earlier this summer. The problems in his clinic were:

* communication difficulties between the clinicians and the techs

* poor quality work as a result of the poor communication

* finger pointing and a lack of ownership of projects and product

* possessive nature of different areas of the office

* lack of a "team" atmosphere due to new members and new office situation that reduced casual interactions between team members

* one specific tech/clincian relationship which was in great tension and disarray

I told Jim about some teambuilding and communication that our cohort had done earlier this year. In one class our professor took us through an excercise where we each had a chance to speak about the things in our group that were a problem, and then we each had a chance to speak about the things that were good. And then we set some expectations for behavior to address some of the issues. I also mentioned some other ways that team building could be done - i.e. manufacturing interaction time in the form of staff lunches and regular meetings to get everyone on the same page, staff "fun" activities as well.

Jim's response was admirable. One of the things I learned about leadership from him in this conversation we had was that a good leader is a learner as much as a teacher. Jim was really interested in solving these problems, because his office was suffering and so was his sanity, but more importantly he realized that to solve the problems he was going to have to humble himself and ask for suggestions from others. I think sometimes leaders think that they need to have all the solutions when if we humbled ourselves and asked around we wouldn't have to reinvent the wheel.

As the conversation progressed, Jim caught the vision for what we were all talking about and decided to implement some changes in his office immediately. Some things can't be changed - for example, he can't change the location of the clinic and the tech's offices. The design was too expensive and "state of the art" to make any changes to proximity of individuals. Additionally, his preference was not to fire anyone if possible - for a number of reasons (stability and workload of remaining staff, belief that the individuals in the office are capable of doing great work, etc).

Prior to this discussion, Jim had arranged the Techs and Clinicians into pairs or teams - each one working with another on a regular basis. Jim's wife suggested that rather than always having the same two work together, the techs took on rotating tasks, for a month each. That way they were always working on their skills on a variety of areas, they were not getting bored with one type of skill or task, and they encountered all the clinicians (and all the clinicians encountered all the techs). That way if there was a problem with one individual it would be more noticeable because it would affect either all three clinicians or all three techs - and would not look like just one clinician complaining about one tech's behavior (or vice versa). This initial suggestion was pretty revolutionary in the field, and so we talked about innovation and the idea of creating something that was bigger than just this particular clinic.

I really like process improvement. I love thinking the best way in the world something can be done (I'm a developer and arranger) and then implementing it (I'm also an activator) and seeing if it will work. I love the idea that the solution may be unique and may help other people improve their processes as well. I think we were all pretty jazzed about thinking outside the box regarding how the office was set up to run. This led us to discuss Jim himself stepping out of a clinician role into more of a coach/consultant role (and replacing himself with a less senior clinician who could be trained up and sent out) - then Jim could consult and work with difficult cases and step in when people were over their heads, but could also be better equipped to handle the administration of the office.

To continue... Jim went to work the next day and called a team meeting for the following day. He told them to clear their afternoon for that day and he ordered in lunch for the staff. At the meeting he discussed the fact that he was aware there were complaints on either side of the office. He took responsibility for this situation, because his expectations had not been presented clearly. And then he asked them to talk about what they did not like about working in the office, what problems they had, and asked them all to listen to the others. He wrote these complaints and issues up on a big note pad at the front of the room. And added any issues that he had heard before but which didn't come up in the conversation. He later told me that they went around the table 6 times completely before the group was spent of complaints. Then he had them go around and talk about what they liked about working there.

After this, he presented his expectations for the office. He had prepared a number of them in advance, and in large part they addressed the issues that were brought up with some new processes for paperwork and documentation which held different members of the teams accountable for giving the correct information to their teammates. To this the team contributed other expectations, giving them some buy in into the process and the solutions.

When I was reading The Leadership Challenge this week, K and P discussed fostering accountablity in the organizationn and modeling the behaviors to you hope to see. I think setting expectations for Jim's office was a great way to begin to foster accountability. By incorporating solutions to current goads as expectations for behavior, there is a now a way to give appropriate positive and negative feedback as needed.

This process has helped Jim's staff to work together. And it had another benefit. It has also helped to identify individuals who are either unable (due to lack of skills) or unwilling to conform to the group's expectations and behaviors. This has created another issue that would be discussed in later journals - any maybe they will be, but not today.

However, there was a follow up conversation as Jim reported the results to me. He, his wife and I discussed the value of recognizing contributions to the team. Kim, his wife, mentioned how valuable it could be to identify the positive contributions individuals are making and try to insert a reward system. She even mentioned that if they had to they could find a way out of their own money (if he didn't have any funds at the clinic) to make some meaningful rewards.

K and P discussed that two in the "Encourage the Heart" section. They talked about the importance of recognizing contributions to the team. The first its important to start with clear standards (check) and then give positive feedback. One suggestion I really liked was an example of a "brag board" where the supervisor posts notes of acclaim or praise about specific individuals on a bulletin board that everyone can see - I thought that might be a great place to post pictures of service men with their prostheses and their techs and clinicians, and/or letters that were written by servicemen or their families, so that the reward of working with people is always at the forefront of the minds of the staff.

The last few things to mention were things I heard at church and read in Parker Palmer's book (Let Your Life Speak):

* Parker says, "A leader is someone with the power to project either shadow or light onto some part of the world and onto the lives of the people who dwell there.... A good leader is intensely aware of the interplay of inner shadow and light, lest the act of leadership do more harm than good." (p.78)

* and... "I now know myself to be a person of weakness and strength, liability and giftedness, darkness and light. I now know that to be whole means to reject none of it, but to embrace all of it." (p.70)

The last note I have for today is: Sometimes to be a leader you have to sacrifice and give even when you are at your most tired, or when you think you have nothing left to give.

That is what I learned last week at Line Camp. :)

Leadership Journal Week III

2007-07-23T22:18:00.000-05:00

Its Monday night, and I will confess that I'm later than normal in getting this journal written. I was out of town this weekend and though I took a few notes, I was not around earlier today to synthesize them. And then there was Hairspray. We saw it tonight and I can barely focus on leadership with the soundtrack running through my head (ok, and on my computer...).

Despite the toe-tapping, I do have a few things I'm thinking about this week:
* How much does a good leader communicate? Is there a point where there is too much? (I think we all agree there are plenty of leaders who don't communicate enough)
* When is it appropriate to step out of a situation, trust others to take care of it and leave, so that you can get rested up for the work you have the next day?
* How to "squash crickets gently"?
and maybe a few other things as they come to mind.

First - how much does a good leader communicate.
Last week I mentioned Scotty Kessler, one of the leaders I would (and did) move across the country to work with. He was an "over-communicator." Let's just call it like it was. He communicated everything, from his rationale for decisions to the concerns he had no his mind about a myriad of issues, to his thoughts or feelings about players and how to help them. The problem, I think, came when he overcommunicated his fears and worries to the staff. There are times when a leader needs to be confident toward his or her staff, even when he or she doesn't feel so sure about the future. Scotty would occaisionally reconsider his decision to stay on staff - and he would verbalize this to the group. My impression of this was a dad on a camping trip, who was lost, and then told his boy scout troop that he was lost - instead of just confidently walking to the left for a while until he figured out his plan, or even just making a camp out where they were until he came up with a plan.
This is a classic leadership mistake, I think. I think that once we get liberated into communication (and we do need this liberation, because mostly in America we undercommunicate, and the leaders of the world seem to be the best at keeping things close to the vest) we often hang our banner on communicating everything, so that we don't fall back into under communication. However... I think that most people want to know about the here and now, and they want to know the vision and values of an organization, but they don't want to know that someone doesn't believe in the vision, the values, in them; they don't want to know if their supervisor is afraid. As leaders, somehow we need to learn to be honest and still positive in situations that cause us anxiety or worry. At least, until the inevitable comes and then we need to communicate that information as positively as possible.
Here's my real life example before I move on: When I was at Eddie Bauer, we went into Chapter 11 bankruptcy (or Ch.7 - OK, I'm not sure...). We knew there was going to be lay offs, and then one day there was a big meeting and they announced that they were going to be laying off people that day. Yuk. I was middle management, with two direct reports. I was pretty confident that they were not going to lay off anyone working for me, though I thought my job was in jeopardy (in the Lord's goodness, however, I already had a job waiting for me and was one week from giving my two week's notice!). One of my analysts, Matt, was very concerned about his job. He had just gotten married and was one of the newest analysts on the team. I assured him that it was going to be OK, and his job was safe. Later that morning, I was laid off, along with all the other store planners. It was sad and hard for all of us, but it was OK. Until I realized that they were laying off the most recently hired analysts (they hadn't told us if any of our staff would be laid off) - including my Matt. At that point, I immediately went to him and told him that I was concerned about his job. I don't know it I did it exactly right - I don't know if I should not have assured him at the beginning or told him before the end. But I think that had I told him I was worried about his job earlier (if I had been), he would have been very concerned, unproductive and unconsolable. Instead, he was OK until our conversation and then prepared when they called him into the office to speak with him. (epilogue: he was immediately rehired by EB, after going through an interview process, and though I have lost touch with him, I know he has a big future ahead of him)

Second: delegation.
I think knowing when to delegate is difficult. I think also that when you like to be in the middle of the fun (this is one of my burdens), its doubly difficult to leave before everyone else has left - at least when you are one of the responsible people. I've been proud of Matt and Keane that there have been a few late night events where they are not present (i.e. the coffee house) until midnight. However, I wonder if they are at home sleeping or just in the office working on preparation for the next day. And I wonder how much work could be differently distributed to allow them, and Candice, and Carrie, etc to sleep.
I know that I have a threshold for tiredness, when I just want to go home and go to bed, and where I need to. But I think back to football camp and in-season and I remember the nights when I felt like I needed to be there until the bitter end. I am really grateful in hindsight that I was part of a staff of servant hearts, who were all willing to do the work together so that we could all go home a bit earlier rather than later. I'm also grateful that the Lord gave Scotty a heart of trust in me (and thus let me do things while he slept so he could be the face of our team), and that I had a heart of trust for Dave and Jared and some of the others - without whom I would have been miserable and trying to take care of little details all the time. And not getting any sleep. I need to remember to look for opportunities to delegate tasks, and to let others run the show, so that I can help them develop their skills, feel trusted, and rest up in order to lead. I also need to remember to look for opportunities to let others rest and work late or early so someone else can be in the spotlight!

Third: gentleness
The bible says we should be gentle. Paul talks about it constantly - its a fruit of the spirit (Ephesians 5), we should be clothed in it (Colossians 3) and our "gentleness should be evident to all" (Philippians 4:5). And at the same time, John says that both Grace and Truth came through Jesus Christ - so I know that we are supposed to speak truth - but gently.
This week we talked a lot about how to speak truth without crushing people's spirits, how to get them to agree to actions which they may not like without coercing them. On Friday night - about 12 hours before the students would leave - we found another student with a cell phone. I thought Matt did a great job of being firm but gentle when we spoke to the student outside. The discussion centered on not being an exception to the rule, on the idea that breaking rules now (even ones as small as a cell phone) leads to breaking rules when you are at Baylor, and how this is an opportunity to define who you are going to be. It was a dicey situation, to be sure. Our ideal was that he would turn over his phone voluntarily, and enjoy the rest of his stay. The worst case.. he keep it and leave camp. yuk.
But, I was blessed by Matt, who really consciously thought about how to gently talk with the student, who asked me and a baylor bound leader to accompany him to help fill in gentleness and truth gaps as needed (I think), and who listened well to the explanation the student had, but didn't give in to the reasons of the student. He listened, and demonstrated his caring, but then told the student how he could handle that situation in the future. The result was the student voluntarily gave up his phone and the next morning was still at camp and had navigated the 12 hours successfully.
I want to be grace to people all the time - its easier, mostly, and its happier, and it involves less confrontation. But there are times when I know I need to be truth and its OK. Jesus brought both grace and truth, and as an effective leader, I need to find a way to do the same.

That is probably all my thoughts on singleness for now. For you regular readers, I will try to post more on my life soon, in the meantime. Lead well and love well, too. Blessings.

Last week in Photos

2007-07-16T22:30:00.000-05:00

Sadly, I didn't get any pics of our visit from Dave Banks when he stopped by last week on his way to a new post in California. But I did take a lot of pictures at Line Camp, where I led a small group and helped out all week.

Here are a few for your review. :) Love, Tiff

my small group from week 1 - they were fantastic!This team went CRAZY when they found out they won the "Bear Food" challenge during "Bearing the Elements" on Thursday night.
During "All-Line Camp Sing 2007" - hysterical.

See... even the guys get into it!

As do the girls...!

Journal on Leadership, week 2

2007-07-16T14:34:00.001-05:00

I enjoyed this process last week and am excited to be writing again about leadership and my reflections on it. This week Dub asked us to reflect on the questions "So what?" and "Now what?" as they relate to the study we've been doing of different leadership theories. I also want to discuss characteristics of the most impactful leaders I've worked with and some reflection on servant leadership.

First... Characteristics of the Leaders I would move across country to work with:
a) Marc Adams - Marc was my district director when I first worked for JCPenney - he taught me a lot about working, retail and integrity. Later, we worked together again at Eddie Bauer (randomly).
The characteristics that I remember admiring about Marc, and which would make me willing to move across the country to work with him are: honest, caring, fun, knowledgable, humble, respected, fair but tough.

b) Julie Harris-Cheney - Julie was my director at Eddie Bauer and later in my time there I reported to her directly. It was a blast to work for Julie and we also had great opportunity to talk about spiritual matters (she is Jewish). I appreciated her willingness to listen and share and ask honest questions, in addition to these other characteristics: tough, expects excellence, loves people, respects others, fun, knowledgable, open, stubborn, smart

c) Scott Kessler - Scotty is the former head football coach at Greenville College... I actually DID move across country to work with him. He was a tough boss and a hard worker, but I learned so much from partnering with him in ministry and working with him in the football program. Characteristics of Scotty are: honest, visionary, Godly, wise, risk-taker, caring, respectful, interested.

When I think about leaders I want to follow (and thus, who I want to be), I think of these three people (among a few others) and their characteristics. I think about honesty and openness, respectful-ness of other's views, wise and knowledgable individuals, intelligent but also fun. I also know that while I love working for Christians, I think a person could be a good leader without being one - my mom always says that Christian principles work for everyone, so if a person led using Christian characteristics, I know that I would follow them. Granted, of course, I would prefer to follow someone who I believe is seeking God for the direction of our endeavor, and relying on God's gifts for their abilities - but frankly... I know some who call themselves Christians who may not reflect those things so....

OK, second, servant leadership. Working with Line Camp this week has offered me great opportunity to observe leadership first hand - in the person of its main full-time leaders and in the student leaders.
At check in we realized there was an error on the website, telling students the correct name of the check-in location... but not the right building number on the map. When it was pointed out, Matt tried to correct it on the web, but the server was down. So he decided to go out to the street and flag people down. I asked him why not send a Baylor Bound leader so that he could be at the Heritage House in case other stuff came up (he seemed like a pretty important dude to the process). He said that he would go, and I was left to ponder Servant Leadership. In situations like these, what is the best thing to do? I appreciated Matt's trust of all of us that we could handle it, and I think symbolically it said a lot that he left us there to handle it, and that he went and did this very hot job on his own. I think that I would have sent someone to go do it (or had them rotate) - not because I wouldn't have wanted to - I don't think I would have minded had I been in Matt's place - but because I like to be in the hub in case people have questions or need direction. I was grateful for Matt's example of trust and empowerment in this case, as it gave me a lot to think about. He certainly didn't abandon his post - he came back periodically to check on people and give us encouragement, but then he was gone again - and everything went smoothly.
Later in the week, Matt was very intentional about giving positive feedback to the small group leaders for the work they had done. He was sincere and grateful and I think it made an impact on the group. I've appreciated his enthusiasm, his passion for Line Camp and his ability to convey gratitude.

Third, So what... Now what....?
This is the hardest part of the journal for me this week. In my written journal I wrote: What will I do with all this info I have learned?

I wrote two answers so far:
a) I want to make informed decisions about how I currently lead and what kind of leader I want to be - are they the same?

What kind of leader do I aspire to be?:
thoughtful, honest, visionary, servant, humble, wise, Godly, knowledgable, interested, respectful, listening, sharing openly, prayerful, fun and passionate (probably among other things).

What kind of leader am I?:
sometimes controlling, not always adaptable, respectful, listening, hopefully Godly, hopefully interested, fun most of the time, passionate, generally thoughtful though sometimes too quick to act.

Perhaps if I keep my "aspirations" in front of me, that combined with my philosophy of ministry will keep me headed in the right direction.

b) I guess I need to think about how I would rank on some of those scales and see if they are where I want to be. Most of the scales we looked at would place "good" management at places that are both task and people oriented (somehow). But good management varies depending on the situation ( I think I talked about this last week - sometimes people need an authoritarian, for example).

More importantly than figuring out where I fit on those scales, though, is figuring out if my leadership style fits in the places I want to work. I don't think I could work in a place where they have only authoritarian leaders and that type of leadership is appropriate. But I also know that I like to get tasks done, and so working somewhere where it was all play and fun would be difficult, too. Thinking of these things makes me think that part of what I could use the recent learning of our class for is to identify questions I would ask of future colleges as I look for employment.

Q's:
a) Describe your leadership style in 3 sentences.
b) What types of leaders succeed in your college or university?
c) How will I be challenged to grow in my leadership skills?
d) How do YOU view success in your organization - is it task-related or people-related?

I also need to answer these questions for myself in a different way:
a) Describe MY leadership style in 3 sentences (right now I have a two page philosophy of ministry... I need something shorter!).
b)What type of leader am I and am I a fit for this organization?
c) Am I committed to constantly changing and improving myself and if so, how am I hoping to improve my leadership skills?
d) How do I view success - my own and those of people who I support or work with?

I don't have answers yet, but its good to be thinking of this and mulling over it as I prepare for class tomorrow.

Finally, and as a bonus... I don't have a definition of leadership yet, but here is Dub's favorite, and some other quotes about what leadership is (from this site linked here):
** Dub's Fave ** Leadership is... "a subtle process of mutual influence that fuses thought, feeling, and action to produce cooperative effort in the service of the purpose and values of both leader and followers." (Bolman and Deal, 1997)
** "My definition of a leader . . . is a man who can persuade people to do what they don't want to do, or do what they're too lazy to do, and like it." Harry S. Truman
** "The superior leader gets things done with very little motion. He imparts instruction not through many words but through a few deeds. He keeps informed about everything but interferes hardly at all. He is a catalyst, and though things would not get done well if he weren't’t there, when they succeed he takes no credit. And because he takes no credit, credit never leaves him." Lao Tse
** "Leadership is the art to of influencing and directing people in such a way that will win their obedience, confidence, respect and loyal cooperation in achieving common objectives." US Air Force
(The next two are from the website linked here)
** "Leadership is a process of giving purpose (meaningful direction) to collective effort, and causing willing effort to be expended to achieve purpose." Jacobs and Jacques, 1990
I like this definition a lot.
** "Leadership is about articulating visions, embodying values, and creating the environment within which things can be accomplished." Richards & Engle, 1986
This definition makes me think of the book we are reading, "The Leadership Challenge," and so I will stop here. I like this definition a lot, too.

Make it a great week. Practice leadership and service. :)

quick #1

2007-07-13T07:48:00.000-05:00

Thought i'd take a page from my friend, Alexis, who is really good at just posting short little regular messages... lets see if I can hack it.

For work this week and the next two, essentially, I am working with New Student Programs to help support "Baylor Line Camp" - which is a 4 day on-campus experience for incoming freshmen. Its an opportunity for them to get to know other students and really get integrated into the baylor experience. I think its been going well so far, but it feels like football camp - we have line camp stuff every morning, class most afternoons (though on some days we have class in the AM and line camp stuff in the afternoon...) and then line camp stuff at night. Meanwhile, we are still expected to get our homework done! :) I am not in the worst shape - some people actually work for New Student Programs and they are working until after midnight every day Tues - Fri and still have to do this other stuff - -- - crazy!

I am also taking pictures at Line Camp for the office, so hopefully I'll have some of those pics up on the blog soon - maybe this weekend - so you can see.

In the meantime, I'm taking two summer courses during this session: Leadership in Higher Education and Faith-Based Higher Education (a survey of the history of protestant colleges and universities). Both are very interesting. And both are taught by Dub Oliver, the vice-president for student life at baylor - which makes us feel important, I think, and also very very lucky that he's willing to devote a lot of hours a week to learning with us.

that's it for now - breakfast starts in 30 minutes and I need to get ready! Love you!

Journal on Leadership, week 1

2007-07-09T13:23:00.000-05:00

(Note to my readers: first of all, as always thanks for your grace with my infrequent - especially since returning from Kenya - updates. I commit to posting weekly beginning this week.)

As an assignment for class, our professor asked my colleagues and I to journal on leadership. He has asked us to focus on "all or a combination of the following questions:
* what am I learning about myself as I participate in this seminar and related activities?
* what has been particularly thought provoking as I interact with the seminar readings and class discussions?
* how do I define leadership and what do I need to do to grow in my leadership capacity?
* what leadership related activities and behaviors am I exhibiting and/or observing in my work environment?

I will be making effort in the next four week to at least comment weekly on these questions in a response to my professor's assignment. I decided to use this forum because journaling is hard for me, but dialoguing with you all (even though its not face to face) is somehow easier.
~~~~~~
While I have not finished the reading for this week, yet, I have made effort to reflect on leadership all weekend and think about my recent experiences with a variety of leaders and leadership opportunities, and to journal about them. I've also started reading a devotional book that Ish Smith gave me when I left Greenville, called Women in Leadership.

The first day it defined management and leadership thusly:
Management: getting things done BY others.
Leadership: getting things done WITH others.
~ I think those are pretty good short summaries of what leadership vs. management each really are.

As I was thinking about what Leadership IS and IS not, I identified these topics:
Leadership can be:
* setting a course, visioning
* doing something first
* doing something last
* listening and asking questions
* giving counsel
* teaching
* serving

Leadership should not necessarily be:
* blanket enforcement of "my way"
* prescriptive advice
* bossing
* controlling
(but I also understand that sometimes leadership has elements of those things - in crisis times, etc. Truly, leadership is about the heart and its attitude, I think, since so quickly we can devolve into the bossy cranky leader from the once affable and servant-hearted leader.)

As I read through Philippians I thought about the model that Paul gives us in Christ. And I think that it is a great picture for leaders.

Philippians 2:1-11 essentially says: take on the mind of Christ and lead from the lowest position. Christ's example teaches us that its not about titles, and recognition, and being seen. Authority is more than a nameplate, and when you have authority, in particular God's authority, to lead, you can speak with a whisper and the heavens will move.

When I think back on my recent trip to Africa, I was really struck by the difference in leadership styles of Marquette and myself. I am an arranger, and activator, and when something needs to be done, I find someone to do it, or I do it, and I try to make it fun (I'm an ENFP after all). And I saw my role, not as better than the students by any means, but certainly as responsible for their lives as traveled into these places that were a little dangerous. I parented more than Marquette did, for sure, in the sense of rules and being aware of where the students were at all times. Marquette is a super relational person (as am I, I know) but her style was to stop and talk to one person at the expense of everything passing by - she's a great listener and always gives her full attention. I give my full attention, but not always when we're in the field or when other stuff is going on - my mind is always to the next thing, anticipating the next need or crisis. In truth, even though sometimes our leadership styles clashed (and even here I haven't enough space to detail all of it), I think our styles were complimentary. It made me think of the debate in Spring semester between Shushok and McCormick - Servant Leadership vs. Shepherd Leadership. I identified with both sides during that debate, but clearly saw myself (in hindsight) using shepherd leadership on the trip - even as I washed dirty lunch dishes or painted the barn instead of doing the "cool" weed whacking, I saw very clearly how when I needed to lead the flock, I went to the front, while Marquette to the servant leadership route and stayed at the back to pen everyone in.

Today's devotional pages reminded me that:
* Decisive action always requires a bit of bravery.
and * Decisive action is necessary in critical situations.
~ I was thinking about how risky it is to be a leader. Whether you are a leader by position or just by circumstance, leading is difficult. The priests had to go first across the Jordan. Even Joshua who was the new leader of the Isrealites wouldn't go first - the priests were the ones. And I think sometimes of the first two priests, at the front of the poles thinking, "dang it, I should have taken the back today, but no, I wanted to be up front..." and I wonder what was going through their minds when they saw the Jordan river at flood stage and Joshua said, "Just put your toes in and start to cross. The Lord will make a way." I imagine those priests thinking, "Yeah right, Joshua! If you're so confident, why don't you step in." They had to risk everything on their belief that God would show up. And I think Leaders are like that, especially Christian leaders.

Recently I had the opportunity to hear Tommye Lou Davis speak on the 10 Characteristics of Effective Leadership. It was during an event for soon to be high school seniors, called the Christian Leadership Institute. Tommye Lou is the chair of the Baylor Committe for the George W. Bush Presidential Museum. She told a bit of her story about how that came about, how the Lord has presented her with a number of "burning bush" moments and then we worked on these 10 characteristics together:
L: listening, love, look closely, Lord
* listen to the voices within and to the voices of others - but be discerning.
E: empathy, equality
* empathize with the life history and needs of others
A: action, attitude
* we are the directors not victims of our lives
D: delegation, determination, discipline (Heb 12:11)
* trust others, let go, give jobs away, give glory and recognition away
E: enthusiasm, excellence
* get other excited, don't except less than an excellent product or effort - from yourself and others.
R: reflection, risk, respect
* think, meditate, ponder, pray, assess regularly
S: stewardship, serve, sacrifice, sincerity
* remember the golden rule
H: humility (james 4:10, Phil 2:1-11), humor
* consider others better than you, enjoy life and see the humor in all situations
I: integrity, invention
* say what you mean, do what you say, and when you don't... admit it.
P: patience, passion, purpose (col 3:17), positivity, planning, preparation, perseverance
* give yourself and your friends a break, let go of past mistakes, love what you do and work hard at it, plan ahead.

~~~~~~
So as of today, I don't have a definition of leadership yet. But I am still thinking about my leadership, how and when I lead and when I lead because I'm in a position to do it (like in my job with chaplains) and when I lead because it comes naturally (i.e. planning an event).

I'll be back with more reflections on leadership next Monday. And in the meantime, hopefully I'll be writing an update on my life, this week. :)

Blessings to you all. Phil. 1:9.

Adequacy and Authenticity

2007-06-17T14:46:00.000-05:00

I had a great conversation with a friend today. It followed a great sermon at my church. Matt, who delivered the sermon today, discussed how we behave in certain ways to try and get others to authenticate our faith. We use certain language or wear certain clothing or do certain things, etc, to try to fit in with others who do/say/wear those things that they will say we are Christians.

Matt used the Pharisees as his example (in Matthew 23:1-12). The Pharisees were always interpreting their version of following God and then putting it on other people - and if you behaved in those ways, then you were OK. If you didn't behave in those ways then you were "out" (as Heidi Klum would say). We do the same thing in our Chrsitian life - we find these pastors or authors that seem to have it all figured out and try to follow all they say so that we can say "I did it! Everyone will know I'm a Christian now."

Matt didn't use this verse, but I thought of it during his talk. Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching you are really my disciples, then you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." But he also said, "If you love one another, then all people will know that you are my disciples." So somewhere in here we've gotten off track and its no longer about loving God and
people but more about "being" or "doing" something that qualifies us.

So then I was talking to my friend today on the phone. We were talking about how easy it is, when we feel inadequate to follow God, to fall back into our old life and patterns. And then we prove to ourselves that we are indeed inadequate. And the case is closed.

Except that its a lie.

Well, its not really a lie - we are inadequate. But God is not. "God is able to do more than we ask or imagine," and frankly, I can imagine a lot of things so God is pretty amazing to do more than that.

Her question, "Doesn't it ever get easier {to follow God}?"
My answer, "well, actually... no."

The analogy we used in our conversation was climing a 14,000 foot peak. (Now, this metaphor may fall apart if you are a mountain climber, so bear with me and don't email me saying its not true - just listen for the idea, OK?!) Let's say that you were going to climb this 14k peak and you were going to climb 1,000 feet a day. Each day your muscles would get increasingly stronger, but the air would get increasingly thinner. So even though you are stronger, it is still hard each day. But following Jesus is like climbing a 14,000,000 foot peak.

A wise person once said that the closer we get to Jesus the further away we realize we are. The closer we get to him, the more we realize his holiness, his power, his love and his grace. And the more we realize these things, the more we see ourselves in stark contrast. The person who just met Jesus feels pretty low, but I would venture to guess that as they continue to know Jesus in a real way they may make changes in their life in those initial areas, but slowly the "little" areas (which I really think are the big areas) come into view - we move from our past of (we'll use this example) murder to our current behavior of slander, or whatever. And we realize that slander is like murder to God. He doesn't differentiate like us humans do between things that are "really" bad and things that are just a little bad. Jesus actually said, "if you look at a woman lustfully, you are committing adultery" - yikes.

So I know that I need help in these areas. I need to believe that God can do things through me, even though I fall - a lot. I need to remember that its not really about ME, but about God. And I need to remember that I am adequate because God has called me. Not that God called me because I was adequate.

And I need to remember that God authenticates my faith. I may live my Christianity different than a lot of people, in ways that people think are "good" or "bad" - but its not really about "good" and "bad" Christianity. There are a lot of different beliefs about what those descriptors mean. To some people a "bad" Christian is one who never reads their bible, or drinks occasionally, to others the "bad" Christian is one who is legalistic about those things.

I don't want to be a Christian in the eyes of my friends or family, but lose sight of the type of Christian God has called me to be.

I just want to follow Jesus and do as he tells me. I don't always know what that means, but I'm hoping to keep learning as I climb the peak with him.

here are books that speak to what I'm thinking about today:

Hinds Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard
We Would See Jesus by Roy Hession

Love to you today! Tiffani

faithful friends!

2007-06-03T19:41:00.000-05:00

To my faithful friends. Please take one last opportunity to learn about the Kenya trip from this site: http://kenyahelpusgo.blogspot.com. From now on I'm back to updating here. I should be able to throw out an update later this week about my summer plans. :)

In the meantime.... check out this site for pics from the trip: http://picasaweb.google.com/tiffanibelle/KenyaMemoriesI

If you get time, check out these links to places/people we visited and worked with while in Kenya:
http://www.amaniafrica.org/ (women's ministry - amazing)
http://www.newlifehometrust.org/ (orphanages)
http://thecityharvest.org/ (the church we worked with)
http://www.journeytokenya.com/ (homepage for the Dellamaters)
http://lodges.safari.co.za/safari-lodge-sarova-mara-tented-camp.html (the site for the hotel we stay at, on safari)

Love! Tiffani

2007-05-13T06:31:00.000-05:00

Just to make my life easier, I'm going to plan to post on the Kenya website while I'm gone and if I get extra time I'll post a copy here. But if you want to see updates or info:

http://kenyahelpusgo.blogspot.com.

Keep it real. Go in peace.

Love, Tiff

UPdates...

2007-05-11T20:32:00.000-05:00

Hi Friends!

A couple housekeeping items... here is my travel itinerary for Kenya:
Travel Itinerary (for you to know and pray):

Sun 5/13 - travel to Dallas, fly to Chicago, fly to London
Mon 5/14 - layover (tourist time in London), fly to Nairobi
Tues 5/15 - travel to Masai Mara Safari Park and stay there
Wed 5/16 - safari at Masai Mara
Thurs 5/17 - safari at Masai Mara and travel back to Nairobi
Fri 5/18 - work at Railia Kids Club in Kibera Slum (crafts, sports, tutoring)
Sat 5/19 - work at Railia AM, painting/landscaping at "Karen Project" in PM
Sun 5/20 - Church at City Harvest Ministries, sabbath rest/team time/shopping
Mon 5/21 - work with City Harvest Ministries - visit AIDS testing clinic, meet HIV+ microcommunities
Tues 5/22 - work with City Harvest again - more HIV+ communities, help renovate hairdressing school
Wed 5/23 - tour of Kibera, learn more about life of men and women in the slums
Thurs 5/24 - TBD - either Railia or work with CHM in Kibera, plus team time in afternoon
Fri 5/25 - work at Mitumba Kids Club in Mitumba Slum (a poorer part of Kibera
slum)
Sat 5/26 - return to Railia Kids Club in AM, work at Karen Project in PM
Sun 5/27 - church at City Harvest, sabbath/team time/shopping/pack -
fly to London
Mon 5/28 - fly to Chicago, fly to DFW - arrive DFW at 10:30pm, travel to Waco
Tues 5/29 - start summer classes (me and a few others)

OK, please pray as you feel the Lord prompt you!! He knows even better than I know how much I need it.

Well, here's the rest of the news! The semester is complete and tonight a few of the members of my cohort of students attended the "hooding ceremony" of the graduating students. It was pretty neat - and the Vice President of Student Life (Dub Oliver) says that we are officially "Second Year" students now. Wow. that is pretty cool. My semester ended well. After really struggling with getting my 25-page case study completed, I was really proud of the document I turned in and received an A for my work.

Most of my students are gone now for the summer - but there are still a few ADPi women and Chaplains who I will have the chance to talk with this summer. I'm especially excited to spend time this summer with Celina - who I've met weekly-ish this year. She is a neat, gifted women with a passion for Jesus!!

Many of my former students at Greenville are graduating this year. Annie, Kristina, TJ, Jared, among others. Its pretty crazy to think of these students walking across the stage - and bittersweet to think I won't be there. And Travis and Ashley are getting married - and again, sad that I won't get to see it - though I'm excited to hear about it and see the pics afterward!

I wish I had more to offer in this update, but my life has been full of Kenya and finishing school and so that is all I can think about.

I'm 60% done. And I'm starting to look at the places that I might end up next year. California is the likely state, with a bunch of schools in consideration. I'll keep you posted.

OH - and neat news: I receieved a scholarship from the Alpha Delta Pi Foundation for next year's school - The "Stafford National Officer" scholarship. I was also awarded one of two "Outstanding Graduate Student" Awards from the Division of Student Life, for 2006-2007. What an honor! There are some amazing students working in our division, so that award meant a lot to me.

Blessings to you - and if I can, I'll post some pics while I'm gone.

Love, Tiff

Life, Frailty and the Importance of Community

2007-05-03T11:27:00.000-05:00

There is so much to talk about today, friends.

I have good news: I am the proud recipient of a scholarship from the Alpha Delta Pi Foundation - $1,000 toward my graduate studies next year; and I'm also the proud recipient of the "James Huckins Award for Outstanding Graduate Assistant" for 2007.

I have sad news: We had a student die in a car accident on Monday night, as she traveled to her grandmother's house to study for finals. Her name is Caitlin Creed.

As I sit here at my desk, I can look out the window and watch the happenings of Collins Hall. Collins Hall is a women's residence hall, housing almost 600 women - mostly first-year students. It was Caitlin's hall. Last night Caitlin's best friends packed up her room.

As I look out into the parking lot today, Caitlin's friends and a few of my friends on the Hall staff are loading up her possessions into a car to be taken to her family today.

And now I watch as one of the moms of her friends drives the truck away.... and I think about how frail life is, and how valuable.

This week has brought with it grieving weather. Ever since Tuesday morning it has been grey and raining off and on. It makes me think of Psalm 18 and how when David was being opposed he called out to God and God responded immediately, he was angry for David - on his behalf, and he stormed down from heaven. David says that the Lord rode bolts of lightning and his shouts were like thunder. And this week every time I hear the thunder and see the lightning I think of how God is grieving this loss with us. When the rain comes down in torrents, then back to drizzle, and then takes a break - I think of the cycle of crying that some of these students and adults are experiencing - weeping, worn out and unable to cry any longer, resting, then weeping again.

We are frail and vulnerable. But lives aren't supposed to end like this. And so we grieve, because we miss Cailin. We grieve, because we don't understand "why". We grieve, because we know that it could have been anyone.

This week I was priviledged to see community spring into action - it was Caitlin's friends that packed her room, the hall staff and residence life community that stepped in the night we heard the news, the university ministry staff who helped out wherever there might be need to talk or pray. Caitlin was a Tri-Delta sister, and it was amazing when I recieved an email from another sorority's chaplain letting me know that she was organizing a time of prayer for Caitlin's family, friends and sorority sisters - and it was more amazing to see the variety of people that attended the prayer time.

I am blessed to be a part of this community. And this tragedy reminds me of how important my friends and coworkers are to me. It reminds me of the value of life - and living my life in every moment for God's glory.

May we all experience the awesome power of God today - in deliverance, in comfort, in peace.

Love, Tiff

sin.

2007-04-25T07:57:00.000-05:00

"I don't think it bothers the world that we sin. I think it bothers the world that we act like we don't. There are times that instead of being myself and exposing my own weakness and hurt, I portray a character of the person that I know I should be. But when I expose myself as weak and frail at times, it frees the Body of Christ to restore me as it should and invites others to unmask as well." Mark Hall, Casting Crowns

I think this is a great quote. He's right. If we were honest about our own sins, instead of simply judging the world for its sins, perhaps we would establish new transparency with those around us and they would offer us the freedom to tell them about the ONE who has helped us all to overcome the guilt and punishment of our sins.

The Fruits of the Holy Spirit and Moldy Vegies.

2007-04-22T12:02:00.000-05:00

My only consolation about not writing as often as I'd like (and maybe you'd like) is that you're used to this, faithful friends. I'm not always a good, consistent writer. And I'm sorry about it.

Today, I was working on a bible study regarding the Holy Spirit that we will discuss at tonight's Kenya meeting.

The last question made me think. "In light of other scripture read today, how do you think we receive the fruit of the Spirit?"

I was thinking about how when we receive the Spirit of God, we also receive the fruit. The bible says we put off the sinful nature, that we are no longer controlled by it, but instead are controlled by the Spirit. And that if we live by the spirit we will no longer gratify the desires of the sinful nature (Gal 5).

A couple things about this.

FIRST: A couple years ago I gave a workshop at a women's retreat about "moldy vegetables." Some of you, friends, may remember this. I spoke about the things in our lives that we don't want to talk about or acknowledge, and how our lives can be like refrigerators - full of vegetables - some fresh and some not so fresh, and how hard it is to force yourself to open the vegetable drawer and take out those moldy smelly vegies. But that if we don't remove them and clean out that drawer, the mold will spread and infect even the fresh vegies until our entire fridge reeks and we are afraid to open it when we have people over. People go to open the door and we're like - "OH, we just drink tap water around here - nothing for you to see in that appliance!" Because we are ashamed that we can't even keep our own house clean.

What a glorious thing, that with Jesus we can clean out that fridge at any time without embarassment - and even better, Jesus sticks his hands into that drawer (without gloves, even!) and just pulls out those vegies, throws them in the trash, ties it up and even takes it to the dumpster for us. Then he sends in his assistant to clean that fridge until it shines. Its like he says to us, "I know you can't do this job. But I can, and I love you and will do it for you, if you really want it to be cleaned." Well, the assistant is the Holy Spirit, who purifies our impurities and cleanses us through. And then he works like "Arm and Hammer" to keep out the stench and to help us stay clean.

But the thing is that we keep buying vegies - because we like them and want to be healthy - but sometimes we leave them in too long again and anyway.... you get what I'm saying.

In fact, recently a gal who I know approached me and said, "I have to show my room to a campus tour and I don't have time to clean it and its REALLY, REALLY messy" (that was my paraphrase). I encouraged her to ask a friend for help and that it wouldn't take as long as she feared. But get this - when she got home, some friends of hers had gotten her extra key and were in the process of cleaning her room for her. Pretty amazing. That is Holy Spirit work to me. God knows our needs and will find a way, if we are seeking him. These friends exemplified what it means to be a Christian, and to live according to the Spirit.

SECOND. So I was thinking about the refrigerator and the moldy vegies, because of the question above. I was thinking about how the Holy Spirit is like a grandmother who comes to visit and she brings all this great stuff with her - baked goods, homemade presents, etc. She offers all of it to you, but in order for you to really have it, in order for it to be part of you, you have to reach out and take it from her, and then put it to use - either eating it, or sitting under it (if its a blanket) or whatever.

And I was thinking the Holy Spirit is like a friend who stocked your refrigerator with good things - apples, pears, strawberries, peaches, etc. Well, that friend can sit with you at your kitchen table all day long and you can never reach into the icebox for an apple. In fact, you might reach past the apple and grab the Coke or pull ice cream out of the freezer instead. Your friend isn't going to force you to eat the apple or peaches - even though those are better for you.

The Holy Spirit is like that. By receiving him into our home (our body) we have access to all these good things: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, but if we don't reach for them and use it - or eat of it - we will not necessarily be living by the Spirit and shutting down the desires of the sinful nature.

I'll admit it - I like ice cream. Frankly, broccoli (though good) is not an adequate subsitute to my brain, my heart, my stomach - I like ice cream better. But when I stop eating ice cream for a while and eat other things (broccoli included) instead, I feel better. My body feels better. Now, I don't necessarily realize this when I'm eating the better things, but I do realize it when I go back to ice cream and I feel tired, lethargic, sick to my stomach and when my pulse changes. Then I realize how much better I feel eating things that are good for me.

I realize that by eating good (better) things I am starving my desire for sweets, which makes it die (slowly, but truly) and I am stoking my desire for good things. When I eat better, I want to work out more, read more, pray more. When I eat less well, well.... I want to eat more and sit more.

I have to be proactive to eat healthy. I have to be proactive to live the fruits of the spirit. I can't say, "Hey, I guess I'll just be loving today because the holy spirit dropped a big bushel of love apples in my fridge" - I have to grab the apple and take a bite - which will make me want to offer apples to those around me and then I'll BE loving. I have to make a choice to BE peaceful in the face of frustration, to BE joyful in the face of grief, to BE gentle when I want to be harsh.

I don't always do this stuff very well. But I'm going to try to be more proactive now.

And to eat more fruits.

Blessings to you today! Love, Tiff

Kenya Supplies

2007-04-20T08:22:00.001-05:00

Hi Friends,
Here are some of the supplies we need and my estimated cost:

Soccer Balls - we are hoping to take over about 20 - est. cost: $120.

Picture Frame Craft Supplies - we want to take over materials to make picture frames and then print out pictures of the kids from our first meeting with them and give them to them for their frames - est. cost: $100.

Crayons and Coloring Pages - kids love to color - est. cost: $70.

Notebooks - for our team members to write in as they go through reflection excercises: est. cost: $85

Toilet Paper - little toilet paper rolls for everyone on the team - est. cost: $35

Snacks - we would like to bring snacks with us that won't melt, but that we can eat as we travel and work - est cost: $125.

That's probably a good start for now.
Blessings to you! And thanks for considering!

Kenya Update!

2007-04-20T08:15:00.000-05:00

Hi Friends!!

As of today we have raised... with your help and God's provision.... about $35,600!!!!!!!!!!!

This is 82% of our goal!!! AMAZING!Thanks be to God for his faithfulness!

And thank you for your obedience to help!

We only have a little bit more to raise (about $8,000). To do this, we are still receiving donations (through may 1st), we are selling t-shirts and collecting coins.If you are interested in making a donation to the team in general, please email me and I will explain how (just comment on this note and leave your email and I'll write back to you privately).

Additionally, at this point we are giving away free t-shirts for any donation of $15 or more. Of your $15 donation, $10 will go toward the trip and $5 will cover the cost of the t-shirt. Please make your checks payable to "Tiffani Riggers" (we will give one check to Baylor). If you live outside the Waco area, we may have to take $1-2 shipping out of your donation, so please consider that as you make out your check. Contact me (by leaving a comment) for more information about how to get a shirt, or contact the person you know on the Kenya Gen Min team. We anticipate raising between $1000 and $2000 with this effort - but we need your help!

Finally, we started collecting our "Koins for Kenya" cans and rolling the coins this week. So far we have rolled about $350 in change and are expecting to collect about $1,800 from this effort. Thank you so much for your donations! If you live in Waco and you still have spare change lying around, please either bring it to the Harris House (let them know its "Koins for Kenya") and they'll get it to us, or give it to your friendly Kenya-bound general ministry team-er. We are so grateful for the generousity of everyone who has tossed us their pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters (and sometimes 50-cent pieces!) - AND their paper money.

We are also getting ready spiritually, as we continue to work on our "I Believe" bible study weekly - learning about God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit as we work through the Apostle's Creed together each Sunday night.

Thank you for praying for us - that we will be prepared spiritually and emotionally for this trip.

I will post a second post in just a few minutes with a supply list, in case you want to donate money for specific supplies.Thanks for your continued support of us!

Love, Tiff

What's your Post-it?

2007-04-05T22:19:00.000-05:00

On Suffering...

2007-04-04T06:45:00.000-05:00

I'm re-reading "Hinds Feet on High Places" right now, by Hannah Hurnard. I just finished reading "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens, which I enjoyed tremendously (it was very funny - ironic kind of humor and some straight up comedy, too). But at the end of Great Expectations I was surprised to find that it was like dust - no lasting "meaning." Most of the books of Dickens time had some sort of "wrap up" that made you think or contemplate new ways of behavior or belief. "The Brothers Karamazov" for instance (which I think was written about the same time, but in Russia...) really made me think about punishment and justice, and is it OK for someone to escape punishment if they are innocent? "Great Expectations".... good book, so far, not necessarily making me change my thinking.

So, on to "Hind's Feet." I've written about it before in the old blog (tiffs life in waco), but never here. Its an allegory, so its full of meaning. Here is the quote that has me thinking today. Its an excerpt from Chapter 6: Detour through the Desert. (first note that the heroine, Much Afraid, is journeying to the high places - the Kingdom of Love - and the two companions that the Great Shepherd gave her to help her get there are Sorrow and Suffering, who take her hands and help her to climb)

Then one day the path turned a corner, and to her amazement and
consternation she saw a great plain spread out beneath them. As far as the eye
could see there seemed to be nothing but desert, and endless expanse of sand
dunes, with not a tree in sight.... To the horror of Much-Afraid, her two guides
prepared to take the steep path downward.
She stopped dead and said to them, "We mustn't go down there. The Shepherd
has called me to the High Places. We must find some path which goes up, but
certainly not down there." But they made signs to her that she was to follow
them down the steep pathway to the desert below.
Much-Afraid looked to the left and right, but though it seemed incredible,
there was no way possible by which they could climb upward. [They were
surrounded by sheer walls of rock on all other sides.]
"I can't go down there", panted Much-Afraid, sick with shock and fear. "He
can never mean that - never! He called me up to the High Places, and this is an
absolute contradiction of all that he promised."
She then lifted up her voice and called desperately, "Shepherd, come to me.
Oh, I need you. Come and help me."
In a moment he was there, standing beside her.
[Much-Afraid appeals for a different way, she knows he cannot contradict
himself, so she asks him to fulfill his promise by sending her up higher.]
He looked at her and answered very gently, "That is the path, Much-Afraid,
and you are to go down there."
"Oh, no," she cried, "You can't mean it. You said if I would trust you, you
would bring me to the High Places, and that path leads right away from them. It
contradicts all that you promised."
"No," said the Shepherd, "it is not contradiction, only postponement for
the best to become possible"
[Much-Afraid asks if it is "indefinite postponement of the promise," and
Shepherd nods yes. Much-Afraid begins to despair because this is the completely
opposite direction of his promise and her heart's desire.]
Then he answered her very quietly, "Much-Afraid, do you love me enough to
accept the postponement and the apparent contradiction of the promise, and to go
down there with me into the desert?"

+++++
A friend of mine received some bad news yesterday that is breaking the hearts of his family, and of us who know this situation.

This is one of my favorite parts of the book, because (I think) I know what Much-Afraid is feeling - the wonderment and confusion of trying to walk forward with God but watching as you turn 180 degrees away from your dream.

After hearing the sad news of my friend and his family, I was struck by more than just the fact that we often have to go through the desert on our path toward the high places. Our companions, who are strong and surefooted and will indeed lead us through these desert places.... are Sorrow and Suffering. We (like Much-Afraid) would choose to have Joy and Peace lead us through these times, but I think sorrow and suffering serve a greater purpose. I know for me that to have experienced sorrow and suffering along the way through the desert makes the decision to continue on through the desert that much more sweet. If it were easy, if our companions were happiness and mirth, would the desert be as difficult as it is, and would I grow in the same way?

Even knowing all of this, I pray for my friends to avoid the desert. I know the desert is necessary, and I know Sorrow and Suffering are good companions in our lives.... but I don't want my friends to experience pain or loss or confusion or broken hearts. Nor do I really want those things for me, if I were honest.

But I do want to be closer to my Lord. I do want to grow in grace and godliness - and sometimes the desert is the only way.

Do YOU trust God to keep his promises to you, even though the way you are headed appears different or contradictory? Are the promises you think you are headed toward really promises of God's or are they hopes that you've pinned onto him (marraige, kids, a certain job)? Are you avoiding the desert right now, trying to climb sheer rock faces to get to your heart's desire?

To myself I say, "Dear heart, be of good courage and be not afraid. Believe in God and also in Jesus and trust Him to lead you down right paths." To my friends I say, "May God go with you in this time of suffering and may you see His Glory at the path's end and be able to say along with the psalmist - My God is in the heaven's and he may do as he chooses"

And to God I say, "Your ways are not my ways, Oh God, and my ways aren't yours. Your paths are beyond searching out and no one can truly understand what you are doing. Only help us to follow you more closely, Lord, to argue less when we see the desert path in front of us, and to allow sorrow and suffering to do their helping work in our hearts that we might eventually make it to the places you have set aside for us." Amen.

Tiff's Life today.... 4/3

2007-04-03T08:14:00.000-05:00

Hi Friends!

Here is a quick update of my current life - recent past/present/future. :)

Jenn came to visit last weekend (see pics)!! She flew into Dallas during a tornado watch and it took me 5 hours to go the 80 miles to the airport. I was worried she'd have to wait 3 hours in the airport for me.... but actually, she had to wait 2 extra hours in the plane just for it to land, and then another hour on land for me to finally show up! Texas drainage is not that great (at least not on the interstate) - but I'll give them credit - they aren't afraid to just drive through deep water. I however, was a little nervous in the tiny Saturn, but we both (me and the car) survived the drive up, and it was a lot better to drive back with Jenn in the car!

Friday... more rain. It was raining hard enough we decided to skip the campus tour for the day and go to a movie.... we saw "Blades of Glory" - ok, it was funny. lets just admit it - FUNNY. and then rented the Holiday and got Pei Wei to go - went home and hunkered down for a good rainy day afternoon. Sarah came home and we were watching the flick when suddenly Jenn says, "is that a siren? can you hear it?" (I couldn't at first) Yes, folks - we were having a tornado WARNING. Redic. So we watched the news for a bit (Andy Wallace on our ABC affiliate - we love him!) after about 20 minutes it was clear that even Andy wasn't going to convince us to give up the movie to go huddle in the bathroom - the storm wasn't going to hit Waco - so we turned back on the movie! :) Later we played Wii with the Schwartzs and "Train Ride to Europe."

Saturday was a BEAUTIFUL day - amazing - and because of the rain the day before, everything was super green and vibrant colors. This is why they call Seattle the "emerald city" because the rain makes everything REALLY green! Anyway, we decided to take a walking tour of campus, grabbed a starbucks along the way and then got in the car to explore Indian Springs Park and the suspension bridge (the first in the US) downtown. Because my church was having an outdoor service the next day and we wanted to get familiar with the area. And because the suspension bridge is pretty neat. The river was REALLY high - even yesterday, 4 days after the storm it was still pretty high - crazy. We went to Rudy's BBQ for lunch and then explored Cameron Park (the second largest municipal park in the country - second only to NYC's central park!). We went to Lover's Leap and looked down, hiked around a little and enjoyed the sun. Saturday evening we had a fundraiser at Pizza Hut for our Kenya trip and then Jenn and I went home and watched a movie together.

Sunday came too soon! It was Palm Sunday and another beautiful day. Church was outside and it was a great, great time. We had about 7 baptisms, communion, great music by Crowder and the band, funny announcements and I really felt the Lord's presence with us as we worshipped him from that beautiful setting. As we sat down after communion, there were still really long lines and they kind of formed around where we were sitting - so people lining up on either side of us, and joining in the middle ahead of us. I was really moved thinking about how that is how it looked when Jesus was doing ministry - people were just lined up, waiting to talk to him, swarming him - young and old, healthy and infirm, dressed up and dressed down. That was really neat to be in the middle of that and think about how people still come to him that way and in no situation is that more true than when we line up to get communion.

Jenn left on Sunday afternoon - we had a nice stop at a crazy Texas-style southwestern truck stop and got her to the airport really early... only to find out here flight was delayed - yuk.

I had a Kenya meeting that night and have been working on homework ever since. In fact... I need to get back to homework right now! I have a big paper due in a couple weeks and another smaller one due next week. Then we also have a group project due in 3 weeks - yikes! Add to that this weekend is Easter and we'll (sarah and I) be headed to San Antonio on Friday morning, not to return until Monday lunchtime and you can imagine I'm a little stressed out!

My brother turned 30 on Saturday. My parents had a big garage sale and then took him out for lunch. I'm really proud of all he's accomplished in his 30 years. He's a neat man, kind and gracious, and really funny (and fun). Happy Birthday Ben!

My dad turns 58 this Thursday. I wish I could be home to celebrate all these birthdays, but I'm looking forward to moving back toward the West (in theory) after I graduate so that I can be with my family when my dad turns 60 (what!?) and get to spend some valuable quality time with my family members on days like their birthdays. I haven't been home for birthdays in about 7 or 8 years, I think, so that will be great when its possible!!!

So that's the news for now. Make it a great day, friends. I'm going to be typing for a while now. :)

For a look at the pictures, check out this link to the webalbum!

Jenn's Visit

Presenting: Fred W. Smith (my great grandfather)

2007-03-27T22:03:00.000-05:00

My great-grandfather, Fred W. Smith, was an artist. Most often he used watercolors, but he also did some pen and ink sketches. I am priviledged enough to have 4 of his pieces in my possession - the rest of the collection still held by the family are spread between my cousin, my mom's sister and my mom, though there are a number of others sold out among the world.

In honor of him, and of my grandparents (Joy and Dick) whom I love so much, I wanted to post pics of his paintings tonight. I had one of them hanging in my old house, but when I moved to Illinois three years ago, the frame broke. The others were not ever framed. So this week I bit the bullet and decided that I would rather have his pictures hanging in cheap frames than not hanging at all (while saving up for custom frames).

Here they are:

I used to think this one (above) was a painting of my grandma, Joy, and my mom and her sister. Even though my mom says its not so... secretly I still believe it. And I love it even more because even if it isn't really them, it could be. And it reminds me of my happy times in a state that had lots of water places - WA!
You may think I picked this photo because my fantastic new bookcase is in it... but no. The pic on top is of a harbor, with a sailboat in the foreground and a boathouse in the background. It goes nicely in that little space above the bookshelf (click photo to enlarge)
Lastly, this one of a country cabin, kind of ramshackle, seems to fit perfectly in th space above my bed - the colors are really pretty and its a peaceful setting.

This is part of my family legacy - and why I am fairly good with art-related stuff. Genetics. :)

Jenn's Coming!

2007-03-25T23:37:00.000-05:00

OK, one last post before I go to bed tonight!

My friend Jenn is coming to visit (Jenn from Greenville, IL) this Thursday through Sunday. I am super excited for her to be here and I'm looking forward to relaxing with her (ok, doing a little homework, too) and showing her around Waco. We're going to a fundraiser on Saturday night at Pizza Hut and may go to a Disco dance fundraiser on Friday if she wants - the David Crowder Band will be performing and people are wearing costumes - it could be fun. But we'll see.

Anyway, - hooray!

Missions Orientation and Pictures! (recycled from Kenya site)

2007-03-25T23:35:00.000-05:00

Please don't be mad, dear friends, but its 11:35 and I have a quiz in something like 9 hours and so I can't bear to re-write an update. I wrote this for our Kenya webpage tonight and thought those of you who haven't checked out that site yet might like to read this info.

Blessings to you and peace. Love, Tiffani

Hi Friends!

I've written this update twice (last night) and started it a third time... this is the fourth. I'm going to chalk it up to spiritual warfare and push through...

Yesterday we had our mission trip orientation. All the students and staff were there that are going to go on trips this summer - 140 people between Kenya, Armenia and Honduras (go to: www.baylor.edu/um for more information on the various trips!). It was a great day - I think that all of us are itching to go more now than ever! There were four main parts to the day.

First, the team members spent just over an hour filling out paperwork and turning in passport and visa information. It was pretty difficult actually, and most of us messed it up at least once - the key to the Kenyan passport: surname = last name, and "block letters" means CAPS! You'd be surprised how many of us made mistakes on that form at least once.... if not more times!

Next, Becky Kennedy (director for missions) gave us tips on how to travel, what to expect and what kind of attitude we should bring. Christy Correll-Hughes (GA for missions), packed pretend luggate to tell us what physical items we should and shouldn't bring.

Then, Ryan Richardson (associate director for worship and media) gave the Kenya people specifics about the country - like the size = about the same as Texas; population = way bigger than Texas; major exports = coffee; major industry = tourism, etc. Meanwhile the other teams got schooled on Armenia and Honduras. Its possible that Ryan's talk gave us as many questions as it answered!

Finally, we met together as a team, talked more about what we were going to be doing and experiencing and enjoyed each other's company (as usual).
Marquette and I have been blessed by some missionaries and pastors who live in Nairobi and our itinerary for our activities in country is almost complete. Lord willing, it will all be approved and set in stone (as much as anything like this can) by the end of this week. We are both really excited to be working with these communities in Kibera, Mitumba and Nairobi!

We are also encouraged by your prayers and financial generousity, as we continue to receive donations that are amazing and prompted completed by the Lord's moving in people's hearts as a response to prayer! Thank you for your spiritual and financial gifts on our behalf! We will have another fundraising update tomorrow.

Lastly tonight, attached are some photos taken by a mission team that went to Nairobi in January. There are a number of slide shows at the website listed below, but some that you might like to check out are: Gracia Guesthouse - where we will be staying while in Kenya, Railia and Mitumba Kids Clubs - both of which we will be visiting while there, and there are shorter slide shows with photos from Kibera and Mitumba slum (Mitumba slum is a poorer district of Kibera). There is also a slide show from the Masai Mara safari park, where we will spend our first 2 days resting off jet lag. http://www.smitsphotography.com/kenya.htm

I hope this information and the photos are helpful as you pray for us. We are grateful!Blessings!

today's playlist

2007-03-23T10:58:00.000-05:00

Hi Friends,

First - here is the current song on my ipod - its new to me, and I love it. But I think this album's been around a couple years. Its from tthe album Writing on the Wall by Jill Phillips.

Even Still:
Well you came just like they said you would
Like you always have from what I’ve seen and heard
And you took our dreams and future plans
Crushed them all like grains of sand

Even still, even still
You have no power, you never will
And even still, even still
You have no power and you never will

Easy to say, but it’s hard to live
When life itself is near the end
Because that fear resides in every soul
When it shows its face, it’s good to know

Even still, even still
You have no power, you never will
And even still, even still
You have no power and you never will

So when the hourglass is empty
And there’s knocking at my door
I don’t want my fear to grip me
So I’ll sing this ‘till I’m sure

This song ministered to me today.

Second - Kenya trip planning is going well and I'm getting SO excited. Its just under two months now until we go - can you believe that? I can barely believe it. Thank you to my friends and family who have donated monies toward the trip, and to those who are preparing to do so. And thanks to all of you who have been praying for our planning and preparation - the Lord is doing great things.

Blessings to you today!

Brief Photo Update

2007-03-18T22:33:00.000-05:00

More to come, and writing too - but for now, here's a pictorial report on my spring break.
Blessings.

(see pics and captions below)

This week Andilyn read a chapter book to me - I think she read me three chapters in all. It was pretty amazing. She likes to read now. I love this picture - her little fingers and painted nails holding the book.

From left to right: baby drexel, Karen, Andi, Jared, Kristen, Ryan and AJ. We were hanging out outside on Thursday after the girls arrived in town. It was a PERFECT day!

Drex is teething. It was only a matter of time before he latched onto someone's nose...

Here are the three of us getting ready to take our San Antonio Riverwalk Boat Tour. Fun.

Last one of the night. Kristen is being a superhero. So is AJ, but it looks like she is about to kill Kristen with her gun - this picture (and the other to be posted later) cracks me up!

On my heart today

2007-03-11T12:17:00.000-05:00

Here is one of the songs we sang in church today:
"Jesus Calls Us"
Jesus calls us o'er the tumult
of our life's wild, restless sea;
day by day his sweet voice soundeth,
saying, "Christian, follow me!"

As of old the apostles heard it
by the Galilean lake,
turned from home and toil and kindred,
leaving all for Jesus' sake.

Jesus calls us from the worship
of the vain world's golden store,
from each idol that would keep us
saying, "Christian, love me more!"

In our joys and in our sorrows,
days of toil and hours of ease,
still he calls, in cares and pleasures,
"Christian, love me more than these!"

Jesus calls us! By thy mercies,
Savior, may we hear thy call,
give our hearts to thine obedience,
serve and love thee best of all.

(by Cecil Alexander, 1852)

We talked about "The Secret" today. And how we, as a church, are failing to communicate the grace of God enough when people are taken in by this type of teaching. It was a great sermon and I was glad to hear it and think about the areas where I live for the things I want, versus living for giving to others the things they need.

Blessings to you today, church.

Bookcase

2007-03-08T10:44:00.000-06:00

I couldn't resist posting these pics.... of my new bookcase. I'm so excited about it. All my books fit in it. And sometimes I lay in bed and just stare at it happily (its at the end of my bed). Thanks for putting it together, Dad!
the whole thing - its over 6 vertical feet of book-holding goodness! and there is room to spare!
some of my favorite books!
the school shelf. last semester I had WAY more books - would have filled it up. this semester, not so much. but eventually i'm going to run out of school book space as I add each semester.

This one is for Kristina Mosier

2007-03-08T10:25:00.000-06:00

Kristina Mosier wrote me a long newsy email in the beginning of February. I started to write back to it, but then was unable to finish my email to her, because of school, work, Kenya, etc. Her email to me is still in my inbox, and my half-written note is still in my drafts... waiting to be finished.

This update is dedicated to her.

Hi darling!

Sometimes I use the opportunity to send an email to one person to create an "update" that I can use for all peoples - so here goes. :) YOU are the lucky solo recipient and my blog will get the reheated version.

To utilize your format...

Regarding School:
I love graduate school. Have you considered going? Normally I would say that people should get some work experience before they go to further study... but when you don't know what you want to do, sometimes grad school is a good option. You could get a masters in Social Work or Theology or Divinity.... just throwing it out there. In an unrelated topic... perhaps you should come to Baylor for graduate school. :) Anyway, about me. I love graduate school. I enjoy what I'm studying and that makes it less of a burden. Last semester was pretty challenging - lots of reading in every class, lots of papers, but even though I was exhausted by December, it was like the exhaustion of a good workout. I did well in my classes, too, so that was nice. This semester is a little easier, but still a lot of reading and a lot of forcing me to make decisions about what I believe about Higher Education and my part in it. I'm thrilled with this choice for my field of study and career.
Each semester I only have three courses. They meet one time per week, for three hours each. This semester two of those classes are evening classes. That makes for a really full feeling week because it means that if I go to sorority meetings on Monday nights (see below) I am booked Monday - Wednesday nights. :( boo hiss.
March (which to me seems like its almost over, because next week is spring break and when we get out its the 20th!) and April are going to be doozies (is that how you would spell that?)! I have two big papers and two projects due. The one I am most excited about is a 25 page paper based on a case study of a college - I have to pretend I'm the newly hired president and developing a strategic plan - crazy. I have some friends visiting next weekend and hopefully near the end of March, so I'm hoping to be really diligent with my homework in the meantime!

Regarding Work and other activities:
Work is good. I have been worn out lately, because I've had a lot of intense meetings with people one-on-one, and they have often been back to back to back. I don't think it would have been so tiring except that I haven't had a lot of relaxed fun interaction with my friends to charge me up. A couple weeks ago some friends and I, along with my roommate and her parents played this game, Settlers of Catan, and we had a rollicking (literally) good time! There was competition, laughter, shouting, wheedling, etc and I felt totally charged up and refilled. I really like my job a lot and I'm hoping to get more opportunities this semester to teach small groups, though its slow in starting (i'd like to start a bible study for a segment of campus, but I have to wait two more weeks until this other campus activity - not spiritually related - is over).

I'm advising my sorority - Alpha Delta Pi. I'm the "membership education advisor" and that has actually been really fun. I have enjoyed spending time with the girls and learning about their lives. Sometimes its hard because right now the sorority needs a lot of attention (there is a big campus-wide musical production at mid-semester - it just ended - and all the sororities and fraternities are involved and so I've been helping make costumes and attending practice, PLUS helping them learn how to recruit and coordinating initiation for the new members, etc), and I don't want to sacrifice the time that my other students (for my work) get. So I've really had to balance my time carefully.

I'm co-leading a mission trip to Kenya this summer. (our group website is: http://kenyahelpusgo.blogspot.com) I've really had a good time getting to know the other leader - Marquette - better. We have breakfast on Thursdays and it blessses me. We've met with the team and they are really starting to enjoy each other. They are working on fundraising right now and thats been great. Balancing my work with fraternities and sororities with my work with the Kenya project has been difficult.

My parents came to visit two weeks ago (I can't believe its already been two weeks!) and we had a GREAT time. We visited the Dr. Pepper museum (Waco is the original home of Dr. Pepper... it was invented here!) and Cameron Park (the second largest municipal park in the country - second to Central Park), toured campus, ate at a lot of places and attended "Sing" that big musical event). I won't see them again until Christmas, so it was nice to have them out here for a little bit.

Thats probably all from me for now. I miss you! I miss Greenville, I miss church and Jo's Java and Tuesday mornings. But slowly I'm finding my place here and seeing God working. I hope I get to visit again before too long, but it may not be until next school year (or late summer). So maybe you should consider a road trip here?!

I should be in bed... (II)

2007-02-28T22:43:00.000-06:00

Its 10:45. But I wanted to post a few pics here. And on Flickr. I'll have pics of the new bookshelf soon enough. Good night! Love, Tiff

My parents and I at "All University Sing 2007" - totally amazing show!!!
Here we are playing Settlers of Catan: Cities and Knights... as we like to call it: The Daily Smackdown. This was my parent's first time playing Settlers with Cities and Knights... and it also happened to be the first time I won (see below for victory photo)... I don't think I won again all weekend, though I did tie one night when we had a time limit and I think I could have won....
Sweet, sweet Victory. Is this how Joel Schwartz feels every time we play?
Here we are stuffed into the car with my new bookcase. It was gigantic and so my mom was wedged behind the passenger seat which was pushed way back, I was half on top of the box with only a little room for my rear... and dad rode in comfort. figures. but my payback was him having to put it all together.... (thanks, dad!)

My parents dining with my friends at Rosa's for Taco Tuesday. Fun. p.s. there is my crazy roommate Sarah posing in the background, and Jonathan and my dad, completely oblivious to any picture taking going on.

yikes! 4 minute

2007-02-28T10:39:00.000-06:00

I have four minutes to post about my life. The sheer pressure of it is making me freeze up. Anyway, 4 minutes and then I have to take off my sweater, put on my jean jacket, put on the backpack and skidaddle.

I'm hoping to have more time to update later this weekend on a study break (3 minutes to go), but here is the long and short of my life:
1) crazy. lots going on right now in life, school and work.
2) my parents came to visit this week - it was amazing fun and if I have time I'll post some pics. we had a great time eating at a variety of places, playing settlers of catan, watching our two favorite shows: Amazing Race and Heroes, we went to Sing and toured Campus on foot AND walked a little bit around cameron park. And while we were at it my dad put together an amazing bookcase for me and they bought me a new backpack. :) thanks mom and dad, for a great weekend!! (2 minutes)
3) this week is national eating disorder awareness week. we have (1 minute) a person coming to chapel to speak on this issue, then I and a few of the chaplains I advise, plus some others are going to lunch with her - fun!
4) interview weekend for the program is this thurs/fri, so that is exciting - we'll get to meet next year's first-year students. :)
5) there is an ADPi convention this weekend that I have to help with here at Baylor. Should be fun.

When will I do my homework.....? Who knows. I'm out of time for now. Love, Tiffani

ME. That's who I am.

2007-02-20T21:52:00.000-06:00

There are a number of songs that talk about "who I am" - and today as I read an article about the injustices we, as a nation, are committing to our lower-income high school students in (essentially) barring them from college, I was reminded again about who I am. I've rephrased the song by Jessica Andrews ("Who I Am") below (and you should check out the real lyrics... because they are good, too!).

Chorus:
I am Joy and Dick's granddaughter
The spitting image of my father
And when the day is done
My folks are still my biggest fans
Sometimes I'm wish I could be more things
But I've got a God who loves me
And I know just where I stand
They're all a part of me
And that's who I am

So, I know who I am.

I can define myself by labels of my work (GA for Univ. Ministries), my education (master's student in higher ed; fashion merchandising major), my family (the only daughter), my looks (brown-haired, blue-eyed bombshell...), my home (Waco, Seattle), my religion (Christian), my income (low), my prospects (high), or my interests (games, laughing, Jesus). But none of them really define me, or even, when all put together really tell you that much about me.

I'm reading this article tonight about the myth of access to a college education for a large percentage of the population. I say its a myth not to be controversial, but because frankly... it is. As Americans we believe that everyone has the option to go to college and get a great job - everyone can "pull themselves up by their bootstraps" but its not true. The fact of the matter is that in America there are huge inequities when it comes to many areas that we recognize every day - we just don't realize college is one of them. We hear the plight of the middle-class family (and I participated in this plight, mind you - we couldn't afford the college I wanted to go to, despite good grades and high test scores, we simply made "too much" money to earn any financial aid), however, we don't hear the day to day stories of the lower-income families, and the moderate-income families.

We don't know (because no one tells us) that the majority of students who take college preparation courses come from high socio-economic backgrounds. They can afford these courses. We don't think about the fact that many students from lower incomes must work even while in high school, sometimes to help create a living wage for their family. And even if we DO think of that... we think, "its OK, though, the government will help them afford college."

And we weren't told that: 1) they may have less chance of getting admitted because of their lowered opportunity to excel in school (due to many factors beyond their control), 2) once admitted, because their scores are lower they will receive less merit aid than their higher-income counterparts, and 3) 1/3 of their financial aid will come from work-study and loans, which means that they will have to pay up to 1/2 of their college bill out of pocket and then work to recoup a portion of that money through working on campus.

Finally, we weren't told that work-study often lowers the probability of degree completion (Fitzgerald, 2003). Listen to this statistic: Only 22 percent of college-qualified low-income high school graduates will earn a bachelor's degree, compared with 62 percent of similar high-income students (similar in grades/test scores/and other non-financial pre-college characteristics).

Now, here is part of who I am. I am the first in my immediate family to graduate from a four-year college. My parents both attended college, but my dad had to work to pay for his education at Cornell. He worked nights and couldn't keep up with his classes and had to drop out. He was one of 7 children in his family. A few of his siblings did complete degrees, but my dad started working after leaving New York, and never finished his degree. My mom started at a community college and transfered to a state school. She met my dad because she was roommates with one of his sisters. She was working as a telephone operator. I'm not sure why she didn't finish her degree... but she stayed with the phone company and was promoted and has been with them 35 years. Of the 15 cousins on both sides, 7-10 of us (I think) have completed some sort of college degree program, 1 is still too young for college.

My family never had a lot of money. I certainly didn't want for anything (except to attend Washington University in St. Louis) that I didn't ultimately get, but I started working one week to the day after I turned 16 (and could I have guaranteed getting my license on my 16th birthday, I would have started working that day, I'm sure). I worked to pay for the things my parents couldn't pay for, but that I wanted to do - cheerleading camp and uniform, trip to France after graduation. My parents and I split my college costs - they paid tuition at a state college and I paid room and board. I worked in food services for the first 3 years of my college career (in the middle of my second quarter of my freshman year, I applied for and obtained a job as a student manager, which meant my board was free - I now only had to pay dorm rent). I had less money than my friends in college, and I didn't have a car until I was a senior - and that car was borrowed for the year from my younger brother.

And now I'm in graduate school. I'll be the first person in my immediate family to get a graduate degree. My mom's parents did not have bachelor's degrees, my dad's parents did not compete graduate study that I know of. Their families before them immigrated to America.

Part of the benefit of a college education is to move your family up in socio-economic status... if you can get into a college, if you can afford it.

I have the amazing blessing to be able to study at Baylor right now. I will make $9,000 this year in income... the US Government says I should be able to contribute $3,600 toward my own education. I assume they are speaking of loans, since otherwise that would leave me approximately $5,000 to live on for 12 months and my expenses for the year are about $9,000. I already took out one loan for this year - unsubsidized because two years ago my income was $24,000 and apparently I should have to pay interest, because I was loaded then. I don't know if I'll qualify for a subsidized loan this year (and be able to pay back the other loan with it - just to save myself a year of interest), but I do know that what I'm facing is nothing compared with the normal undergraduate whose parents have a low income and a family to support.

My tuition is paid for by Baylor, because I work as a GA. But even better - they are going to pay me the $9,000 so that I can eat and keep my apartment. Its a great gig.

And so the question for me, for ME as I discern who I am is: what am I going to do with this blessing?

* Am I going to work in private higher education, advocating for access and helping to develop future leaders of the world from monied backgrounds and giving them a cause to support?
* Am I going to work in community college education, supporting those who may be the first in their family to ever step foot inside a college classroom, working in an institution designed to offer access to all?
* Am I going to work in a think tank, devising new ways to increase access to low-income families and for the government to do its job and help people get into college?

I don't know the answers, and now its late and I have to go to bed. I don't want to forget the outrage I feel about this situation. I don't want to disregard the discomfort of living in a country that acts like it has it all together, but really is leaving an entire generation behind. And I don't want to think that all of this doesn't affect me. I pray the Lord would continue to open my heart to see injustice and inequity and have vision of how to be a part of a solution instead of just a shouter of the problems. I pray that the statistics would prove wrong and that as a nation we would change our ways of pandering to high-income tax-payers and really help those in need. And I pray that I would know more and more "who I am."

Now.....Who are you?

Identity. Influence. Impact.

2007-02-20T09:28:00.000-06:00

Here is the text of the letter that many of you will receive by the end of this week regarding the trip to Kenya and how you can partner. Some of you may not receive it (generally because I don't have a current street address). I will also post this week my 2006-07 update postcard, which is also being mailed this week. :)

____

Identity. Influence. Impact.

The three words at the top of this letter capture the mission of University Ministries at Baylor University. Our hope is to help students begin to realize and develop their identity, recognize who and what influences them and who they influence, and learn how they can make an impact on the world, based on their identity and passions. The discipline-specific missions program at Baylor is innovative in its approach to this mission. It pairs professors with students in their disciplines (i.e. engineering) and projects in developing countries (i.e. creating a power supply) and then sends these teams to the communities to actually put their project in action. This program has led to some amazing experiences. Please check out our website (below) if you are interested in learning more about them.

As you may know by now, I am leading a group of students on a mission trip to Nairobi, Kenya this May. We are partnering with pastors in the city to work within their existing ministries; primarily working with children living in Kibera (Africa’s largest slum). The team I’m leading is a “General Ministry Team.” Most of the students on our team are undecided as to their area of study, and some are undecided as to their faith. The vision for the General Ministry team is to expose our students to the needs of the world and help them see how their God-given passions, gifts and skills, can help meet those needs.

I invite you to share the vision with us; to become a partner in changing the lives of college students and impacting the world. As a leader, I am not responsible for fundraising. My co-leader and I are responsible for training the team spiritually and emotionally, helping them grow in cultural sensitivity, and establishing a strong team unity. In doing this, we need your prayer support. As you can imagine, we need prayer to help us know what to teach and how, prayer that we would each be prepared for what we will encounter, and prayer that the team will be able to fundraise what they need.

Each student has been asked to raise $2,900 to cover the cost of the trip, which is done through a combination of fundraising events done here in Waco, and working with their home communities. To honor their efforts, I’m also sending out informational letters to my community. If you choose to go beyond prayer support and would like to offer financial support to the team, you may do so by mailing any donations to the address below. All monies donated will go into the team fund and will be used to help each student reach their fundraising goal. Please put “Kenya - General Ministries” in the memo line. We also have a trip blog (http://kenyahelpusgo.blogspot.com - link to the right) where we will post a "wish list" of supplies, beginning in April. If you would rather help us by providing needed supplies, that would be neat, too. We will also post fundraising updates, photos of the team and trip reports on that site.

My time here at Baylor has been instructional and blessed. The Lord has given me favor here with students, staff and faculty to begin to impact lives in the ways that I hope to continue doing – meeting with students individually and working with groups of students to help them develop a broader world view, a deeper affection for Christ and to evidence that love of God in how they relate to each other and the world. At the same time I have been learning a ton about higher education and students today, and am constantly encouraged by the passion and drive of these young men and women.

I hope you will consider partnering with me in this endeavor as the Lord leads you. I look forward to hearing from you and to keeping you updated on this project! If you’d like to receive updates as we prepare and after we return, please contact me by email, or writing a comment on this site (include your email address) and I will add you to the list. I will send out periodic specific prayer requests and then an update letter following the trip.

May God’s grace be upon you, may He richly bless you, and may He find your heart open to receive His blessings, that He might be glorified in you.

(here is a picture of me and Marquette, the other co-leader)

Love, Tiffani

Donations can be mailed to:
Baylor University - University Ministries, Africa 07
One Bear Place #97013, Waco, TX 76798

For more info: www.baylor.edu/um/missions and http://kenyahelpusgo.blogspot.com

KENYA!

2007-02-19T17:54:00.000-06:00

Check out the new website:

http://kenyahelpusgo.blogspot.com

It is the soon to be central location for all info for our upcoming trip to Kenya! We have our fundraising progress there, and soon will have a "wish list" for supplies. There is also information at that site regarding how to partner with us as we prepare to go to Kenya this May.

Check it out! :)

Love, Tiff

A real update! 2-15-07

2007-02-15T11:29:00.000-06:00

Sometimes I feel like my life is advancing at warp speed. When you travel that fast you forget
to notice what is going on around you, and thus don't have any stories to tell. But, inspired by my friend Alexis to persevere, I am writing a note with some bullets to update you on my life - since that is what this forum is for. :)

So if you can believe it... its already February! I can barely believe that January went so fast!
I had my first exam in Human Growth and Development, last week. I'm learning amazing things about the human body and mind. Its pretty fun actually. A week or so ago, I went to the Fergasons. Drexel is about 3 months old now and so I was watching all the ways he's changed and developed. Being in this class has added some fun to that relationship (though he was already so cute and smiley it was hard to not have fun anyway).

I've added a new member to the Kenya team - a coleader, named Marquette! She is a friend of mine, a Resident Chaplain living in Collins Hall and a Truett Seminary student. We met during training and she was the speaker on the youth ministry team I helped with last semester. This morning Marquette and I met to talk about training our team, and ended up spending 3 hours just sharing our lives. It was delightful and just as important to me as actually planning... though we will have to do that at some point. We got to pray together and that was a blessing for me. I need to be praying more with peers. Soon my letter will be posted on this site - if you're interested in supporting our team in prayer or financially, there will be information. :)

My parents sent me flowers last week (see photos) because I was having a sad day. I found out that the current Interim Chaplain, (who I work for) will not be hired for the permanent position. And at the same time, I had had a lot of meetings with various women and was just worn out with the weight of what was going on in their lives, and with not having enough alone time to process my own life. I am feeling refreshed now. The flowers were a nice reminder of my parent's care for me.

Speaking of parents, Sarah's came last weekend for 28 hours. It was nice to have them here, though it was also initiation weekend, so I didn't see them as much. But we did play Settlers with Joel and Jessica on Saturday night and had a fantastic, rollicking good time.
Also speaking of parents.... mine are coming in ONE WEEK!!!! I am SO excited. Be prepared for 800 pictures! My dad hasn't been here before, and my mom was only here with me for about 2 hours.... and we were in a heat-induced stupor. Unfortunately, its not very warm. I'm hoping the chill is off the air for their visit so we can do a lot of walking. I'm also working on getting ahead on my schoolwork so that we can really have a good time together with no studying!

Sing starts tonight (http://www.baylorsing.com/). Its the largest amateur variety show in the country. ADPi has an act and its fantastic!!! I'm so proud of all their hard work! You'll see pictures from it eventually, but up until now its all been a secret, so I could not post any pics! Their theme (which is OK to tell you today) is: "Meet the Greeks" and its a really fun show. I'm so excited to see the other acts, too - you know how I love musicals.

Oh, and for Valentine's day my friend Kathryn Wheatley (who is my new amazing race partner now that Tall Brian is married and soon, well, relatively soon, going to be a daddy) and I had a date. We decided that we were going to go try and see "Music and Lyrics" but we have class on Wednesdays till 7... every other week we have gotten out early... but last night it went until 7:05. The lines were long when we arrived at the theater at 7:20... and the movie was basically sold out. So we decided to rent a movie.... but there were none worth renting. So we got Whataburger (which was delicious!) and went back to Kathryn place and watched the Devil Wears Prada - it was a GREAT evening! :)

Thats probably it for me now. I'll be in touch soon! I promise this time!

(pictures below, with captions)

the flowers - they were beautiful!
what fun - thanks mom and dad!
this is a sweater that Sarah picked up at the Christian Women's Job Corp, where she is interning. Its amazing - it is patchwork, with patches of fur.. and it smells like perfume. We keep it on the stairwell to share with our friends - its kind of like our pet. Anyway, she thought I would like it. Above is a picture of me being bossy, with the sweater....
Marcos, our apt. repair man came and fixed the leaky faucet in our tub. when we got home, he had left the old faucet on the top of the toilet. This is what it looked like, seriously. It was so ridiculous I actually left it there for a few days as part of the decor!

Texas? Really?!

2007-02-15T11:28:00.001-06:00

Its February, people. The 14th. And its 32 degrees outside my office. I walked here from my apt and I do love to walk... but I didn't know it was going to be like this in Texas. Granted, I know that you friends in Illinois aren't feeling much pity for me, and I don't want you to. But I do want your empathy... or sympathy... whichever means you say, "I feel ya, sister." All the snow and cold from up north is traveling south it seems... into my neighborhood.And all I have are medium and warm-weather clothes. Not really a lot of winter clothes. People tell me that this is abnormal for Texas. They say things like, "normally we'll have two weeks of cold and then its warm again".... I no longer believe you, Texans. It has been almost as cold here as it is in my former home and for almost as long.OK, that is it for today. 32 degrees. Seriously?!

Patience, dear friends

2007-02-10T06:33:00.000-06:00

Good morning my friends! As you can tell by the time date on this post (somewhere around 6:30 in the AM on a Saturday), life has not slowed down one iota for me. Actually, that's untrue. I had an hour or so last evening at my house, all alone, where I watched an hour of TV and ate a lovely dinner. It as fantastic. But turns out that had I known I should have been at the ADPi chapter suite helping them sew costumes for their Sing act. I ended up there later in the evening, until about 11:30.

This morning we have initiation for the chapter's new members. I will be there as one of the advisors, and I'm looking forward to it... its just really early.

I tried to write a post last week, but I got distracted with work while I was at home, and then didn't write anything of substance, so I hope to begin writing again this week AND establish a date for my weekly updates (of which I was fairly consistent last semester, I think).

I hope in the meantime you will have patience with me as I have patience with myself. The year has gotten of to a great start - but the start has been somewhat like being fired out of a cannon - I'm moving fast and am not sure how long I'll stay airborne. :)

Thank you for your patience. Check back next week and there will be news. Mostly, I may be talking about my parent's upcoming visit! (woo hoo!)

And blessings to you!

Disappointment and Divine Appointments

2007-01-24T21:04:00.000-06:00

I had a great time in Chapel today. Dr. Walker Moore came and spoke about global missions. His message included "willing wanderers", and "divine appointments." And I was blessed to be reminded of all the times in my life when I had been disappointed in the short term, but that it turned out to be a divine appointment, instead. From my college choice (I was accepted to Wash. U. and wanted to go there, but couldn't afford it - but ended up at WWU where I met lifelong friends and NAU where I met my sisters), to God's amazing plans for me with singleness and marriage opportunities.

Friends, there is just a lot going on in my life right now - I'm really busy and I don't know exactly why - perhaps because I'm not doing a great job at keeping myself firm to my time boundaries....

Anyway, updates.

The Kenya team is almost formed. Just a couple more interviews (which I could schedule for tomorrow, except I can't get my baylor email to work!) and then the team is complete! Most of you who read this blog are likely to get a letter in the mail soon telling about the trip and what we are planning, as well as providing you an opportunity to partner with us.

Bible reading and prayer has been going well. The one nice thing about not having early classes is that I can make lots of time for reading in the AM!

Additionally, I'm committing myself to actually reading novels (mostly classics) this semester, on the weekends. I started "Rebecca" by Daphne Du Maurier (click title to read about it) over Christmas break, but it was a huge hardback book and I didn't want to bring it back with me (it was from my parents classic collection). I've read it before and its thrilling and great. So I just bought it. I also purchased "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens to read after I finish Rebecca.

Some other of my favorite classic novels are: Pride and Predjudice (by Jane Austen), The Woman in White (by Wilkie Collins), Gone with the Wind (by Margaret Mitchell) and The Brothers Karamazov (by Fyodor Dostoyevsky). Oh, and the Narnia series, by C.S. Lewis (I don't know if that's considered "classic" or "modern"...)

Some of my favorite modern novels are: Break In (by Dick Francis), Bolt (by Dick Francis - I just read this one last weekend), almost anything by Agatha Christie, and two series by Nora Roberts: The "Dream" series: Daring to Dream, Holding the Dream, Finding the Dream and the "Born in" series: Born in Fire, Born in Ice, Born in Shame. My mom also likes the "Chesapeake Bay" series. I just really like the strong female characters in the two series I mentioned, I have to skip over the occasional sex scene, but its worth it to become a part of the lives of some amazing women as they learn about themselves - and as I gain hope for who I am as a woman.

Check out some of those classics... and if you really like mysteries, check out Break In and Bolt - I bet you can get them for cheap online or at a thrift store.

The pictures above are of my newest favorite game: Settlers of Catan - and its variations: Seafarers, and Cities and Knights. I was introduced to it last semester and then over the break I introduced my parents to it.... they now play a game almost every night. I would play every day, too, if I didn't have to study... and do other things. :) As it is, we play a LOT - in most cases we play at least once per week here in Waco. :)

Blessings, friends. That's it for tonight. God be with you till we meet again.

I should be in bed...

2007-01-18T22:46:00.000-06:00

I should be in bed right now. If I were in bed, I'd be almost asleep and then I wouldn't be sleepy when I woke up in the morning. And yet... I'm here, writing on my blog (and reading my friend's blogs). My room is kind of crazy - its messy, but with clean clothes that I just haven't had time to put away since our day off on Wednesday, and my desk is cluttered with books, a sketch pad, pens and lipstick, and these really cute mirrors that the Fergason kids painted for me (I am trying to figure out how to hang them).

So yes, I should be in bed right now.

Sometimes I feel like I'm 20 again. I look around me at people who are 30 and 40 and I feel like they are these wise and adult people and I realize that inside I feel like I'm 20 and without experience, wisdom or authority. What's ri-dic (as Sarah would say) is that I KNOW its not true - and in fact, I believe truth about myself when push comes to shove. For example, I had a conversation last weekend with a parent who tried to bully me for something that I did not do wrong, and I stood up to this parent, graciously (at least Sarah confirmed that I was not rude), and felt confident about my position even as I tried to find a way to make the parent feel better about the situation - misguided and miscommunicated situation. Incidentally, praying friends... you can pray about that situation. :)

And when I'm in the position to encourage or disciple I feel confident, wise. I know I know God's word (and yet, I know I can learn more). I know the Lord has given me favor, in general, at Baylor. And yet, sometimes I feel intimidated or afraid. Like I'm a 5-yr old who skipped a grade and now has to try to keep up with the big kids.

So the one situation where this is most relevant in my life is: Kenya. Frankly, friends... I have no idea what I'm doing. I feel OK about leading the team, I'm excited about it. But I don't even know where to start. Slowly, I'm amassing a team of 6-7 men and women to come with me (and the 4 other teams) to Nairobi......... but I don't know how to connect with people there to make a plan of action for our 2 weeks there, I don't know how to help these students fundraise when there will be 100+ other students fundraising at the same time, I don't know which ideas are cheesy at Baylor and which are good. ARGH! OK, I can tell by reading my thoughts that I'm having a small crisis of confidence.

Truth moment? I am meeting with Becky, the director of missions, to discuss those questions tomorrow and get on the road to answers. So I'm sure I'll feel better.

For now, and as I prepare to actually go to bed, I'll just remember my reading from this morning and Psalm 18:

verse 2: The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

v.19: He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me. (emphasis mine)

vv.28-29: You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.
With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.

vv 32-36: It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great. You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn.

Thanks be to God who always comes to us in our distress!

Quick Note

2007-01-18T17:52:00.000-06:00

Hi Friends!

Its Thursday. We just survived our first TX ice storm. They don't have salt trucks here, which seems weird - it also seems "right" because they wouldn't need them, but in my brain I think, "really?" - even though in Seattle we didn't have that many! So yesterday we got a day off of work and school. I don't know that in my 5 year collegiate history (8 if you count my years at Greenville) that I've ever had a day off school.

It was great.

I'm off to the ADPi chapter, but quickly, this morning as I was walking to work, and campus was thawing out - trees were dripping - in some places it seemed like rain! and animals were back out foraging for food, I was thinking of how God is present in every season and in places where we don't see winter or hibernation, we miss a small part of His nature.

This is how Nichole Nordemon describes God in the seasons. Enjoy for now and I love you!

Every evening sky, an invitation
To trace the patterned stars
And early in July, a celebration
For freedom that is ours

And I notice You In children’s games
In those who watch them from the shade
Every drop of sun is full of fun and wonder
You are summer

And even when the trees have just surrendered
To the harvest time
Forfeiting their leaves in late September
And sending us inside
Still I notice You when change begins
And I am braced for colder winds
I will offer thanks for what has been
and what's to come
You are autumn

And everything in time and under heaven
Finally falls asleep
Wrapped in blankets white, all creation
Shivers underneath
And still I notice you
When branches crack
And in my breath on frosted glass
Even now in death,
You open doors for life to enter
You are winter

And everything that’s new has bravely surfaced
Teaching us to breathe
What was frozen through is newly purposed
Turning all things green

So it is with You
And how You make me new
With every season’s change
And so it will be
As You are re-creating me
Summer, autumn, winter, spring

Christmas at the Rigger's House

2007-01-11T08:08:00.000-06:00

Here is our favorite decoration! A banner one of my dad's sisters made for each family a number of years ago. It goes above the fireplace every year. Also, you can see the new paint and tile fancy work behind the mantle. Harder to see are the new stocking holders - and I didn't get a picture of the mantle (I don't think) once we put up the pine bows and finished decorating it, but try to imagine... it was really pretty!
For the second year in a row we couldn't locate the family's stocking - well, we had mine - because I bring it with me, and we had my mom's (because it has been lost for a number of years when all we could find were the others.... ironically) and so we made new stockings for the family this year. Here are Ben's and mine. We got these inexpensive felt stockings at Michael's and used fabric paint to make them special. It was my mom's genius idea to thread ribbon through the stitching at the top to make them just that much better!
my mom's and dad's. I had the idea for bells, so I got to do them and I think they turned out pretty fun.
my grandma's and grandpa's - harder to see, but theirs are christmas trees.
the decorated tree - i did most of the decorating after mom finished with the lights. I thought all the decorations looked really pretty this year because of the new tile flooring and the painted walls.

New Semester, New Updates, New Year - Spring 2007

2007-01-11T07:44:00.000-06:00

Hello faithful friends!

It has been a long time (weeks?) since my last Wednesday update. I don't know yet what day of the week, this semester, I will be updating my blog, but I do still plan to do it weekly. I have one morning class (mondays) and two evening classes so I have a lot of morning/daytime time, but I also have to work, advise ADPi and have fun - or even simply eat meals!

Last week, upon returning from Phoenix, was a crazy one! I got back into town, celebrated the New Year's Eve holiday with friends and immediately went into recruitment world back at Baylor. The life of recruitment (which for me was pretty much show up about 6:30am and leave around 2:30am or so) was exhausting and reminded me of football camp. I remember my first football season and how by the end of the first week I just wanted to lay on my floor and cry on Sunday.... which I did frequently that first footbal season. I didn't lay on my floor and cry during recruitment, but that may have been because I got home so late that I simply lay in my bed and slept for however many 2-3-4 hours I was home, got back up and went back - yikes! There were some emotional times at the chapter room, some hard times as an advisor and as an ADPi sister. I was mostly proud of the women I encountered, proud to call them sisters and know that we share something special and that they represent what an Alpha Delta Pi is. Sometimes I was not proud. But overall, it was a great week. I feel like I made a couple lifelong friends, and I would never have met these women if it weren't for my membership in Alpha Delta Pi sorority so that's neat. And I'm so thrilled with the women who are now a part of our Alpha class here at Zeta Chi chapter (baylor). I'm very blessed to be a part of the advisory team of this chapter!!!!

In other news, I think my classes are going to be fun. I'm really excited to "get into them" and begin to learn again. I started reading last night for my human development class and there is a LOT of text in that book, so hopefully I'll find a method to make it manageable. I still haven't received any of my books for one class yet and the only bright spot in that is that we don't have that class next week because its Monday... and we have the MLK, jr holiday off school.
I promised some pictures from my parents remodeled house, and so I'll try to do that here. We didn't get any pictures of the Christmas lights outside, though I think it was the prettiest year by far - griswold-ian, but pretty. :) And I didn't get enough pictures of the inside, probably, but we were having such a good time playing Settlers of Cattan and Super Scrabble and Deal or No Deal! (Both on TV and board game) and Identity (TV) that I kept forgetting. I got to spend a good amount of time with my brother, and my parents. And my favorite night may have been the night when my mom and dad and I got dressed up and went out for a drink at a local hotel and then went to a nice dinner. I've posted a few pics of that night for you.

I hope your new year is starting out right and that you are enjoying what 2007 is bringing you.
Thanks for your friendship and support! Love, Tiffani

my mom and dad at the Kierland Westin, dressed up for our night on the town.
me and my dad. :)
the three of us. unfortunately we didn't get one like this of just me and my mom. :(
my dad with his frou-frou pina colada - which was delicious when I had a sip!

my mom and I.

Happy New Year!!!

2006-12-31T16:24:00.000-06:00

Its my hope to do a few things early in the new year of 2007 (which begins tomorrow). They include:
1) updating my blog with pics from my vacation
2) updating about the holiday season (which was great)
3) get my finances in order (almost finished with this one and its still 2006!)
4) get a workable schedule for myself which includes time for checkbook stuff and working out

In the meantime, I'll leave you with one pic (above) of me and my parents as we dressed up the night before my departure from Phoenix and went to a nearby swanky hotel to have drinks and then out for a nice dinner. What a fun time, and what a great way to end my visit with them.

I hope that your New Year's celebration is one of joy and peace and entertainment... and I hope you make good choices tonight and on into the new year. I hope I do, too. May your new year be one of anticipation and change - but good change and I hope that I am better able to stay connected with all of you faithful blog readers in the new year.

In the meantime - may God be with us all.

Love, Tiffani

Pics to go with vacation update post

2006-12-19T15:29:00.000-06:00

Here is a pic of all the kids in the nativity play (omitted are the three older kids - two who helped with music, one who narrated). My friends kids were Mary, Joseph and an Angel of the Lord. It was pretty cute.

The entry/foyer as you come in the door. My parents had that beautiful "medallion" put in the center.
Looking from the foyer into the great room - the floor is gorgeous and the paint color is called "Creamy Custard" in that room. In the other rooms they used "Butterscotch Sundae."
Here are two of the sylights in the great room. They make is so much brighter that for most of the day we don't use any lights at all in the two rooms! Before you always had to have a light on, even at the brightest part of the day, because of the location of the windows.
Past the entry as you move into the office, there is a small console table to the left (shown here). Above it is a picture that I took a couple years ago and framed for my dad for Christmas. How fun to have it displayed!!

On Vacation!

2006-12-19T14:50:00.000-06:00

Hi friends!

Sorry for the delay in my updates! Last week I had a final exam on Monday (and a final paper due the same day) - and so I should have been able to update on Wed... except that I was at my friends' house in San Antonio...... and they have... (wait for it).... dial-up. So now I'm at my parent's house in Phx and they have really fast cable-internet.

Over the last couple weeks, I attended a number of Christmas parties. I sang Karaoke, at a LOT of dessert and chips with dip, discovered Raspberry Ginger Ale (good!) and finished making Christmas presents for my family. I will post pictures of the presents soon... but my mom is sitting here with me and so she might see them if I wasn't careful.

Yesterday was a particular treat... but first, let me tell you something amazing!

I heard that D-Rob (from Greenville) was going to be in Phx visiting Lee Thompson and Erin O'Hara. I was also going to try and get to visit Lee and Erin while I was in town, but it turned out that the day I was arriving (the 19th) was the same day Derek was leaving. We joked about me changing my flight... but it was going to cost $86 to buy a new flight (and then I'd just have one leg of a flight used later to be credited to me). It was too expensive for me to do it. But when I joked about it with my parents they said, "we'll buy it." - so I decided to look into moving my flight up 3 days. When I went to the Southwest Airlines website, I decided to see what it would cost to change my current itinerary - just in case it ended up being less than $87....

What I found was really neat. I only wanted to change one leg of the trip, so I picked the new day, found the flight I was interested in (still listed at $86) and pressed "next" to see the new price..... and they said they owed ME $23.

Yep. Apparently with Southwest you can change your itinerary and they (first of all) don't charge you a fee and (second of all) if the new flight is cheaper than the flight you originally purchased... they give you the extra $$ (from your original flight) as a credit toward a future flight. Now, friends, I changed this flight less than 2 weeks prior to the date I wanted to fly... and STILL they didn't charge me a fee!!!

Fly Southwest Airlines. I called the company on the phone to make sure that I was really understanding it correctly. The woman was the nicest (and that is typical of my experience with her) and wished me a merry Christmas and hoped I enjoyed the extra time with my family. Seriously... fly Southwest! Lets reward them for how great they are!

OK, So... back to the story. Yesterday I got to have lunch with Lee, Derek and Erin! Lee took a long lunch and we met out by his office. It was great to hang out with those three who I enjoyed so much as undergrads (though Erin still is). We went to Applebee's and had a fun time getting caught up and laughing with each other.

Other news: WOW. My parents did some (secret) remodeling! It was a surprise for me (and will be also, for my grandparents this weekend) when I got in on Saturday night. They got the popcorn off the ceiling, added 5 skylights (three in the great room, two in the office), put hardwood floor in the three bedrooms, painted their bedroom and all the main rooms, and put beautiful tile throughout the rest of the house. Its amazing! I'm putting up pictures so you can see them. :) The only problem is that I didn't bring any slippers and the floors are kind of cold. But its beautiful - the colors are so warm and southwestern. Its really neat.

Since arriving home it hasn't been all photos and lunches... I helped my folks put up all the outside lights (and there are a lot) and tonight we hope to decorate the tree and put up stockings. I also attended a really fantastic concert with my parents; the Phoenix Bach Choir put on a holiday concert (conveniently located at my parent's church on night) and it was excellent! And Wed night my dad and I are attending a concert of Baroque music, which he performed last winter, but instead this year he performed the Messiah. My grandparents arrive on Saturday and leave next Tuesday morning - its nice because they haven't been able to stay that long in a number of years. I'm looking forward to a couple mornings of the whole family sitting around and doing crossword puzzles. The house remodel is doubly good because it means that there is a bed for me to sleep in once my grandparents come and I get evicted from the guest suite - usually I end up on the couch, so this is better. :)

While I was at the Fergason's I helped the homeschool co-op put on a nativity play. It was really cute and I may try to upload part of it to the blog so you can see how cute they are!

I had a great time there, watching Christmas movies, playing with kids, enjoying the new baby and talking and praying with Karen.

More updates to come in the upcoming days. Keep your eyes poste to this site!

Love and Merry Christmas!
Tiffani

Christmas Decorating

2006-12-06T22:33:00.000-06:00

Here is a couple pics of the nativity collage I put together for Christmas this year. You'll have to check my facebook site for pics of us decorating the house. We have our tree up and its beautiful! Also, we have up a variety of nativity scenes and Sarah made an advent wreath when she was at church on Sunday, so we are VERY pleased to have that s part of our holiday decor. Also, I have included some pics from the Christmas party mentioned below.

Ashley, Dana, Kristen and Mel
Carol Singing (see the video posted earlier today)
Katie and I - she is my "test buddy" - I like to sit by her when we have tests or quizzes... thankfully, she seems to like sitting by me, too - I think because I don't complain when the barrage of little pencil leads fly my way.

Merry Christmas, friends!

And Joy and Peace.

Wednesday Update: Summer travels, holiday travels and more!

2006-12-06T20:30:00.000-06:00

I have so much to share with you, dear friends!

Tonight, I'm watching Miracle on 34th Street as I type this update(I just finished "You've Got Mail"), and work on my final paper for the semester. Its the original version, but with technicolor, so its really the best it could be.

First of all, its Advent and I'm so glad. Just under a year ago a dear friend of mine gave me a book that she had read during advent for a number of years. It's called, "Jesus, Be in My Christmas" (by Sarah Hornsby) and has morning and evening readings for each day of Advent. Last year, I wrote about the book a number of times (you can check it out at: http://tiffslifeingreenville.blogspot.com). I've been looking forward to reading it since before Thanksgiving... I kept reviewing the calendar to make sure I didn't miss the beginning of Advent, because I wanted to start right at the beginning. Its been blessing me ever since the first Sunday of Advent last week. One notable quote from Monday was, "If I listen, God speaks daily to me, making the most ordinary circumstances profoundly holy."

I'm getting more and more excited about traveling home for Christmas. When I initially planned to attend graduate school, my parents and I discussed that I would probably not be able to afford to travel home for the holidays. I was OK with that thought and planned to work here in Waco as late as possible and then head to the Fergason's for Christmas week. Well, a few different circumstances came up and so I decided to go home for the holiday, but I also get to spend about a week in San Antonio. I'm thrilled to spend some study-free time with the kids and Karen and John, as well as Karen's parents. I'm looking forward to playing with the kids and baby Drex, and I'm really looking forward to praying with Karen and spending some quality time with her.

One weird quirky thing is that the closer I get to visiting my parents, the more often I talk to my mom. We just really like each other, and so we often talk for a few minutes a couple times a day. As my visit gets closer, I end up calling her more and more often, until the last few days I'm speaking with her every day. It makes no sense, really, but I just get SO EXCITED! This year my grandparents will be in town for 3 days, it seems, which is the longest I've been able to spend with them in a number of years, and my dad and I are going to attend a Baroque concert together (last year I heard my dad sing in the same concert, which I attended with my mom). I'm excited not only for those things, but also to sleep in, go to movies or on long walks, and to read books of my choosing - HURRAY for winter break. OH.. and a little special treat for me... like a wrapped present... I get to see Erin O'Hara while we're both home over break - hurrah!

I'll be back in Waco before the New Year begins. Sorority recruitment begins on January 1st or 2nd (spirit days) and it was cheaper to get back before the 31st than try to fly back on the 1st and drive up from San Antonio.

Sarah leaves this Saturday (I'm driving her to Dallas in the AM) and she returns on the 30th as well. I think she is even more excited than I am to see her family!

I don't know if I've mentioned it yet or not, but not only do I get to travel home for Christmas, but I also get to travel to AFRICA this summer. I'll be leading a general interest ministry team May 13-28th. We are going to be working a few different churches in Nairobi, Kenya - working in Kibera slum, which is the largest slum in Africa, and spending a lot of time with children. I'm praying for the Lord's provision as I begin this week to interview team members and prepare mentally for this experience. I'm so thankful for the Lord providing this opportunity!!

More randomness.... Well, I'm almost finished with my first semester as a graduate student. I have loved it so far. I am enjoying the academics, the social aspect and am loving working with Alpha Delta Pi (as an advisor) and the chaplains of Greek organizations. I can't believe it's 20% down already. It's gone so fast.

In the meantime, I'm very thankful for the Lord's provision of favor to me in this community. I'm blessed that I've been well-recieved and have had great opportunity to influence students, even though I haven't been here long.

I'm hoping the Lord will help me to be more diligent in spiritual matters as I move into the spring semester, that I will be refreshed and encouraged, and in being so, will be able to encourage and refresh others.

Blessings to you,friend, this first week of Advent.