MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR

So, technically christmas was 4 days ago, and the new year is in 3 days, so i figiured if i post in the middle, that will work well.
1st semester ended pretty well- i got an A+ on my physics final, so im really pretty excited. everything else went ok. Melissa graduated early, so I'm really going to miss her this semester. My classes sould be pretty good. except expos 2- i really dont want to take it, but i really dont have a choice. oh well.

So, I'm not graduating early- i'm a little sad, but I prayed that if this wasnt God's will, that he would put something in the way to stop me, and he did. I dont have specific english class i need to graduate, and its too late to change classes now. so, im sticking around til may.

This week is going reallllllllyyyyyyyy slowwwwwwwww!!!!! It's only the end of Wed. but it feels like friday.
so, yesterday I took a physics test. we got them back today, and i amost cried. I gota 65%- i think that is the worst grade I've gotten since like, the 5th grade. I expected the class to be hard- it's AP classwork, but i didnt expect it to ever be this hard. and i THOUGHT i understood. well- its only the 2nd week of school- i can bring my grade back up.
I was talking to a friend the other day who's graduating early, and ive been thinking about it lately- i really would like to do that, if possible, but im not sure if its a wise idea- for college stuff, so im going to go talk to my guidence counciler and see what she thinks. and i'll definitely be praying about it. if you think of it (anyone reading this) pray for me please, that i do God's will.

oh, and i learned a new english word the other day- ghetto blaster. I have never heard of this before in my life, but i found it while flipping through my french/english dictionary, and it means boom box. haha- it made me laugh

I hate being sick. I always feel like an unpreductive blob when I'm sick. Like today- since i stayed home from schoo, i figured I'd just email all my teachers for what i missed, but i never got out of bed because every time i stand up, the room spins. and now- i must say goodby because i feel faint... im going to go lay down now

So today was the first day of school. It was better then I anticipated- I have one teacher i really dont like, but its only for one semester. All my other teacher seem pretty great. I might die under the course load- i have one regular class, 1 art class, and 4 honors classes- but I will try really hard to do well. My head hurts a bit now, so Im going to go take a nap.
Au revoir

School starts tomorrow. I'm still not excited, but I'm trying to change my attitude. Things could be so much worse- I could live somewhere that has no schools, or I could have parents that dont care about me, or I could have 2nd degree burns, or the company I built from ground up could be going bankrupt, or I could live in poverty, or I could have no house, or... I've come to realize that my not being happy about school starting is not the end of the world. God could have given me something so much worse to work through, so have can I be here complaining about "they ripped out the trees" "the school is ugly" or "larry butted in where he shouldnt have". my life could be so much worse, so I need to be happy about the things I'm blessed with, not ticked off about the things i dont have or dont like.

I need to be greatful, not whiny.

Thanks Lord for all the things you have blessed me with.

life sucks

School starts on wednesday. Im not excited at all. My classes are going to be hard, and I just want to be done already. I know that's the wrong attitude to have, but I cant change the way I feel. I used to love school- It was my favorite place to go- besides chruch- but now, they ripped up part of the school- its ugly and now has no outside hallway, my favorite teacher retired, and one of my best friends is graduating early- i will never see her after december (she says we'll keep in touch, but i dont know if that will happen) Plus, katie's in ky, I have to change sunday school teachers in 2 weeks (i love stephanie, but i dont want to move out of riba's class), and i feel so far from God right now. I know that last one is all my own doing, but i cant- dont know how- to change it. and here in a few weeks im supposed to start teaching LIW- how am i going to do that if im not really conversing with God- im not mad at him or shunning him or anything, but i just am not where i should be - but i dont have anyone to talk to about it- im not a particularly open person- i dont share my deep feelings with many people, and one of the 2 that i do is gone and the other is leaving in december. I dont know what to do- it seemed like the right thing to do- take over liw- but im so confussed about it right now- i dont know if its what God really wants me to do, but i cant leave Jenna to do it all herself- it would die- plus im mad still at larry for even asking her- and i know i shouldnt be- but i am- he had no right-

urg- life sucks

We went on a prayer walk today. It was really cool. We went to all the jr. high and high schools in the area and prayed around the flagpoles for the students, teachers, administration, and staff of the school, for the Lord to move in a big way through each christian, and for more to come to know him this year. It was awesome to see about 6 or 7 jr. highers to pray at their respective schools. One of them was only saved a few weeks ago.
It's hard though... I really dont want this year to come- because when it comes, it will mean I only have 180 days of high school left, and while that sounds exciting, its also scary. When high school is over, then comes college, and while Im excited about college, Ive been thinking alot lately about what I want to major in, and as of right this minute, i have absolutely no idea. I've been planning on being a teacher since about 3rd grade, but I'm really not sure anymore if that is what God is calling me to do. Lately Ive been considering architecture, but i hate math, specifically geometry, so i really cant see myself spending the rest of my life in a career based on geometry. I really dont want to go against God's will for my life, but if i cant figure out what that will is, it'll be hard. plus, if i do go with architecture, all my french will go down the drain- i love the french language, and culture, and i cant bear to go through life never using it again. i dont know what to do--ok--I DO know what to do- its called PRAY... but Im not as close to God right now as I should be, so i really dont know if he'll hear/answer me. John 15:7 says "If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given to you" I wish, Lord, to know your will for my life.

End of Summer...

It is the end of summer... and I'm not sure if I'm happy about school starting. Usually, I'm really excited, but this year things are a bit blah..... I'm going to be a senior and they are ripping the school apart, and one of my best friends went off college today.... I miss you katiqua!!!!! I guess I'm just a bit depressed- change is a good thing, but that doesnt always make it a happy thing

VACATION!!!!!!! So, this week was more fun then I thought it was going to be. the condo we stayed in was smaller then I am used to, but I'm appreciative that we could be able to go at all. Some of my friends arent leaving home at all this summer. We were closer to the boardwalk then normal, so it was really nice to be so close. Somehow, we managed to get a hole in the air mattress I was using, so every morning, I would wake up almost completly on the floor- but not all the way, so it wasnt too uncomfortable. OK- I'm just rambling now,plus, I doubt anyone reads this- or anyone who actually knows me- so I'll end my message- Ive gotta go eat dinner now.

Summer.... It's supposed to be a relazing time to unwind and chill-out. Not for me. At least, not yet. a week and a half after school finished, I spent a week at Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South Dakota for a mission trip with my youth group. Then, After being home for 5 days, i went to Chicago with my youth choir. and then after being home for 3 days, im headed tomorrow for New Jersey to spend a week at the shore with my family. I really love to travel, but this is all really close together. I cant wait to get to the beach and just relax, and then when we get back, Im not doing anthing else for the whole summer- Im really excited about that. I love summer, but usually by the middle/end of July, I start to really miss school- Im weird- i know. I drove past the school the other day, and it looks so weird- they are ripping off the overhang porch part so they can add another hall of classes. It will be annoying, though, because we wont be able to walk outside- and that was a nice, quick, uncrowded way to get from hall to hall. oh well....

Well, gotta skiddatal- got more packing to do
-)shelley(-

SCHOOL'S ALMOST OVER!!!!!! We have 14 days left!!! I'm so excited! I dont know why, but this year, this last semester especially, has gone soooooooo slow, and its not even my senior year.... oh well- 194 school days until I'm free of high school :) I hate the last few days of school, though, because teachers start to pile work on- anything they forgot about, or realized they need to have finished- and its thier own fault for rushing- why did they waste so much time at the beginning of the year.
I also cant wait for the ACT results to come back- the ACT was pretty easy, and the PSAE was an insult to our intelligence- but whatever. Im impatient for it to come back though..... i want to know how i did.

Joie de Vivre

WOW, It has been a really long time since I last posted. France was amazing. I have such a wonderful time. I hope to get to go back someday. We started in Paris, traveled south, and left from Nice. It was so beautiful and the people were wonderful. Americans are always freaking out that the french dont like us, and are rude to us, but that's really not true- or at least not in my experience. Sure, there were rude french people, but no more then there are rude american people. In general, it seemed that the french are nice, polite, and helpful to any tourist as long as you are nice and polite to them. Try to speak their language, and they will be even more helpful. Smile, and they will smile back. say "Bonjour" and they will say it back... it's just a matter of courtesy. T'were a french person to come to the USA, and not try to speak english, not smile, not be polite, not be courteous, we would not be gracious- its the same way in france. Anyway, France was awesome- There was such a joie de vivre - such a joy of living- that it made the whole experience amazing. I just hope the Lord will allow me to someday re-visit this magical country- maybe, even, live there for a while... i can only wait and see.