5, 4, 3, 2, 1....BOOOOM!

It is amazing to me how much my life has drastically changed in the short span of the last five days. Over the course of this week I have learned so many lessons spiritually, in cheerleading, and teaching, and have met the people who will become like family to me as we travel together this summer. 

I am now a part of an organization called FCC which stands for the Fellowship of Christian Cheerleaders, which travels the country and teaches cheerleading camps for middle and high school squads across the country. This week all the staff members came together for what we call "work week" to learn how to run a camp effectively and also get to know each other.

Addi and I left for Georgia Monday morning and I grilled her on what the atmosphere was going to be like when we arrived. I have never been a big fan of new things and change, so I was nervous about what I would encounter upon our arrival. I was (and still am!) so thankful that I  had her to help talk me through each step of the process and lovingly answer any questions that I asked.

Work week officially began on Tuesday evening, and the directors wasted no time in getting us sweating. We started out with tumbling, and quickly moved to stunting, where I was placed as a base. I hadn't based anything more than a prep before in my life, so my stomach cringed with nerves as I began putting up different stunts. Some stunts I performed well for not having much experience, but others didn't come as easily. I was really beginning to feel discouraged when disaster struck.

I was basing a girl doing a full-down, and when she twisted around, her elbow drilled me in the cace. It hurt, but I was prepared to just walk it off before jumping right back in, that is, until I saw the way people were looking at me. I felt my upper lip and drew my fingers back, covered in blood. I ran to the bathroom and placed myself in front of the mirror to assess the damage. I had a X about a quarter of an inch long on my top lip, and, after noticing my top teeth covered in blood as well, a wound on the inside of my mouth too.  When I had made contact with the elbow, it had pushed my lip under my teeth, so I had essentially bitten right through my upper lip. 

Three hours later I was sitting on a bed in the emergency room, wincing as the physicians assistant slathered up my wound with super glue, discouraged, and desperately wanting to be somewhere else.

Over the following days I was not allowed to do much stunting for fear that I would bump my lip and cause it to split open again. On Day 2 of work week I assumed the nickname "Scarface," which, by the end of the week, I responded faster to than my own name. 

Work week was run like the camps that we will be putting on in the weeks to come, with opportunities for hands on experience as well as some note-taking sessions. The only spare moments to be had were at mealtimes, and getting more than 6 or 7 hours of sleep a night was a major accomplishment. FCC staff stunted, tumbled, laughed, and ached together constantly, and at the end of every evening, worshipped together at the hotel.

The week proved to be a very challenging experience at many times. I often battled feelings of inadequacy and insecurity, wondering why I had been chosen for staff when it seemed that I was one of the the least talented people present. I was also very overwhelmed and scared about all the responsibilities I would have once camps began, and fought tears often. I was so thankful for every encouraging word that was spoken to me during the long days, whether it was about my facials, or how tight my motions were, because each kind word lifted me up more than anyone could have known.

The very last night of work week, Cary Coleman, the president of FCC spoke to us and asked us to surrender any junk that we might have in our lives that would hold us back from reaching campers for Christ this summer. He listed off several areas of life that may need to be reconciled before God, and when the words "fear and insecurity" came out of his mouth, I felt my heart knocking around in my chest. I had been battling fear and insecurity for days. So, last night I surrendered my negative feelings, and prayed and talked with my dear friend Addi.

I really hope that over this summer, God will use me. I'm not the most talented cheerleader ever, but in the Bible, the ordinary people God used for extraordinary purposes were not always the best of the best in their arenas either. Gideon was called into battle despite his weaknesses, Moses was called to speak Pharaoh despite his speech problem, and David was called to kill Goliath despite his age. Therefore, I am choosing to trust that I will be equipped with everything I need to make a difference in the lives of cheerleaders where ever I end up, form lasting relationships, and have a lot of fun with my staff members along the way. 

My family for the summer. I'm on the right hand side in bunny ears, making a funny face because the glue on my lip made smiling with teeth impossible. Stay tuned for many pictures of me making stupid faces on Facebook, folks.

We Will Still Be Friends Forever

How is it possible that a full year has already passed since my last day of high school? Since  my anti-climatic homecoming from college, many nostalgic feelings have arisen concerning my days spent with the Dayton Christian class of 2010.

Especially these people. 

Those lovely ladies are Emily, Addi, Morgan, Lauren, and I. Five of the coolest people you could ever meet, and the five best friends that anybody could have. I love them so much and am extremely thankful that even though we've been apart from each other for the duration of our first year of college (well, besides Lauren, Addi, and I), we have been able to pick up right where we left off and continue operating as a unified front. 

I hope and pray that we truly do stay friends forever.  

Love you, Em, Add, Mo and Lo. 

A Day with My Beautiful Middle Sister (A Successful Weekend Part 2)

Last Saturday after driving back from Columbus, I had the opportunity to spend the day with Marissa while my parents took Bethany to her soccer tournament (which her team won, go CUSA!). I haven't a day with the feisty middle schooler all to myself in ages, and I was excited to do some fun things just the two of us. 

We watched movies, made salsa (from scratch!), cooked ourselves a dinner of quesidilla's, went to Yogurt Mountain, then finished the night by making bracelets from beads and hemp. It was a a blast to say the VERY least.

Making the salsa!

Look at that girl in the middle. She is growing up right before my eyes! As a sixth grader she's beginning to have insecurities about her looks which makes me sad. Look at her! She is stunningly beautiful. I'm going to be running lovesick boys off our property left and right in a few years. I love Marissa Abigail so much, and am in awe of the amazing person she is becoming.

The Grand Columbus Adventure. (A Successful Weekend Part 1)

After a week of laying in the sunshine and devouring several good books, I was beyond excited to take a mini road trip to hit the town with my beloved friend Liz! Liz and I, along with our buddy Hannah (who we miss very much!) pride ourselves on discovering hidden gems in the form of quirky shops that sell quirky things, consuming exceptional food, and finding an adventure to be had no matter where we go. 

(Read all about one of our previous excursions here!)

After a drive in which I encountered giant farm machinery, frustrating construction workers, and a dispute with my GPS, I finally arrived at Liz's front door, eager to begin a day packed with excitement!

The first item on our agenda was a stroll through downtown Columbus. We found a goldmine of cute little stores to peek into between enjoying the sunshine of the day.

Among these shops was a wedding dress boutique called Big Rock Little Rooster. The couture gowns took Liz and my's breath away! I'm not planning on getting hitched for a loooong time, but when I do find myself with a ring on my finger, Big Rock will be the first place I go in searching for "the" dress.

As we continued to walk, the heat and the scent of summer in the city began making both of us hungry. Stomachs growling, Liz and I headed for the North Market. I had no idea what to expect when we pulled up, but once we walked inside I was instantly in awe! The North Market in Columbus is basically a giant building filled with every kind of delicious food known to mankind. Literally! The market consists of dozens of vendors selling dishes from all over the world, along with produce and other groceries. 

Liz and I had a feast of a lunch. We couldn't decide on just one dish, for there were simply too many options to chose from! Therefore we decided to munch on a slice of pizza, pad thai, sushi for the midday meal, and topped it off with scoops of Jeni's ice-cream for dessert.

Delicious. 

After lunch, we headed to Easton. Unfortunately, I still fall into the category of "poor college student" since my summer job has not yet begun, so most of the afternoon I spent looking at beautiful things and wishing with all my might that money wasn't such a hard thing to come by.

By the time we headed out of Easton, Liz and I were both exhausted from shopping for hours  on end, so we drove back to her house to formulate our game-plan for the rest of the day and eat dinner with her family. 

After eating dinner, we headed to the other end of town to check out a cool organic grocery store (Liz and I obviously share a love for food) and play with cute animals at Petland! Unfortunately, the puppy we chose seemed to have some kind of anxiety issue and wouldn't play with us no matter how hard we tried. 

One last photo to top off the great day.

This is us excited about our future lives as next door neighbors in cute apartments in the city, shopping everyday and frequently eating sushi on our lunch breaks together before going back to our super high paying jobs. ;) 

My Back-Up Plan.

Graduation is exactly three years away. For the next six semesters, I plan to study how to be an un-stoppable PR person with wicked marketing smarts and cunning creativity. But, if for some reason the job market crashes and I'm left with an unused degree and an unlimited amount of time, I feel that I need a back-up plan of potential careers to support my addiction to anything silver or sparkly and frozen yogurt. 

Thus I have compiled a list of day-jobs that I would find enjoyable. 

(In no particular order)

1. Cat Walker 

Has anyone ever even stopped and wondered why dogs are the only pets that people walk? Maybe cats want in on the fun too. With my revolutionary training program, people will be able to stroll through the neighborhood with their beloved feline on a leash in 2 weeks or less.

Projected Salary:

Still working on it. 

2. Food Critic

Go to fancy restaurants and get paid to eat their food and write reviews on it? Yes please.

Projected Salary:

$65,873 is apparently the national average. I'll take it.

3. Professional Ballerina

I've been doing a workout program called Barre 3 that's supposedly derived from ballet. I'm pretty decent at it.

Projected salary:

$21,100

4. Personal Chef

I make a wicked PB&J and am unparalleled in the art of the scrambled egg. 

Projected salary:

$30,000-50,000


5. Award Winning Novelist


I'll publish my memoir and make millions.
Projected salary:
Millions.


6. Kid Chauffeur


Moms always complain about hauling their kids to soccer practice and gymnastics and back, so I'd just do it for them.
Projected salary: Still working on it.


7. Shark Forecaster 


Skittish beach-goers would pay me to scan the surrounding shoreline for sharks, using state of the art technology. Shark attack reports would disappear overnight, and I would get to live by the ocean!
Projected salary: Still working on it.


8. Tree Climber


Kids these days are always getting things stuck in trees: frisbees, balls, themselves. Using my agile climbing skills, I would heroically rescue these precious objects before the relief filled parents hand me a think wad of green ones.
Projected salary: Still working on it.


9. Party Planner


I would throw some pretty epic bashes while keeping bratty 16 year olds in check.
Projected salary:
$47,000


10. Firework Technician 


Cuidado con el fuego! 
Projected salary: 
$49,000. (Apparently it's a real job, I thought I had just made it up.)




I plan on mixing and matching potential careers to fit my monetary needs and lifestyle. Bring it on, adulthood.

#3. Me at one of my future performances. I'm not a fan of my partner though, he looks kind of creepy. 

My Current and Recent Obsessions.

Hakuna Matata.

1. Dreams. Dreams are like little movies you watch while you sleep. Except that they make no sense. 

2. Jaden Smith. 

Bethany and I watched the new Karate Kid the other night, and throughout the whole movie I was telling her how cute this kid is. If I could fix him up with one of my sisters I would. Plus, judging from this picture, he obviously has good taste in shades.

3. Listening to Disney music in the kitchen with my family.

4. The smell of laundry detergent mixed with sun-kissed grass. 

5. Having my ideal summer day. Tanning+a refreshing workout. 

6. Finding new bands. Thank you, "Listeners Also Bought..." on iTunes.

7.  Friends returning home from college! FINALLY!

8. Dark chocolate M&M's being referred to as "happy pills" in my house.

9. Good books. 

10. Spontaneous trips to Yogurt Mountain after picking up a sister from school.

We Live Our Lives Like We're Calling a Bluff and All These Miles are not Enough

When you're given a night in which you have the whole house and a spunky second grader all to yourself, what do you do?

I had a few ideas.


I decided to try and give Bethany a fun night to remember by giving her a mini makeover, complete with make-up, an up do, and a photoshoot in one of my old prom dresses. 

She ate up every second of it. 

As I was twirling piece after piece of black, shiny hair around the curling iron, I felt the familiar feeling of deja vu flood my senses. Even though I was only primping an 8 year old, the season and the time of day made me feel like I was getting ready to send Bethany off to prom. I remembered how every event in high school, be it homecoming or prom, I sat exactly where she was sitting in my parent's huge bathroom getting my own golden hair curled before slipping into a fancy dress and heading off to take pictures with my friends. 

As the memories invaded my consciousness in droves, I began to think to the future to when Bethany and Marissa will be getting primped and polished for their own big high school shebangs. I imagined my mom and me as a team in giving each of them a glamorous make-over and watching with a smile as they posed for pictures with their friends and dates. 

It was in this mental flashforward that I realized that once I graduate from college, there is no way that I can live far away from my family. I have said for years that I want to live in a huge city  after college, and have recently added warm temperature to my  requirements for a future home (Big city + Warmth = Tampa, FL or Atlanta, GA). But, being hundreds of miles away from home would mean missing out on many major milestones in my little sister's lives. Since they are still young, there are so many exciting things they have yet to experience that come with growing up. I am not planning on missing out on seeing each of them off to their first day of high school, first homecoming dance, first date (AFTER I make sure the dude is up to my standards), first time at the wheel, first soccer game as a varsity player, you name it. 

So, I told my parents today that, upon graduating from college, I'm either going to have to sacrifice my warm, big city dreams and move somewhere back in Ohio or they are going to have to sacrifice cold Ohio to move to the warm, big city in which I plan to reside. Sounds like a pretty easy decision to me. :)

I'm Begging You to be My Escape

Insecurities are a part of life. It seems like everyone has something about themselves that they don't like. I was watching a show on National Geographic the other day about a girl in some European country who wanted to be tall so badly that she had actually had her legs broken so they would heal longer, thus making her taller. Crazy! As I was watching, I had to stop and think for a moment about how over the course of last semester I was insecure about the very opposite feature of the European. Being on a college cheerleading squad, I absolutely hated my height. I was one of the tallest girls on my team, and I would have done anything to shrink about five inches.

When my insecurities threaten to steal my joy, I try to remember that God gave me the body I have for a reason, and I am a beautiful creation in His eyes. Complaining about the way I was made is almost like a slap in God's face. I'm choosing to love who I am and be confident in how I was created, because I love my Creator and know He made me exactly how He wanted.


"God saw all that he had made, and it was very good."
Genesis 1:31

A Peek Inside My Head

Some thoughts that have been mingling around my brain this week.

1. Of the past two weeks, only TWO DAYS have been warm and sunny enough to wear shorts. This is completely unacceptable in my book.

2. I love breakfast food.

3. I have the attention span of a five year old. Three times this week I have put on a movie or TV show and have gotten bored less than halfway through.

4. I wish Marissa and Bethany weren't in school. I could think of 472 fun things we could do together if they didn't just have to have an education. Kids these days...

5. I've re-discovered the fun in iPod touch games. 

6. I don't think my closet could contain one more article of clothing without busting. I don't know whether to be proud or ashamed.

7. I can't wait to be a cheerleading coach someday. I'm majoring in PR only because the cheerleading major does not exist. (Yet.)

8. I would really love a new pet. Or maybe just a cool cactus or something...I hear they are very low maintenance and easy to train.

9. My prince charming is out there somewhere. 

10. My nails are orange.

If the cactus thing doesn't work out, this little angel would be the perfect new pet.

My Current and Recent Obsessions.

Life is made up of little things that make us happy. Here are a few of mine.

1. Nancy Drew Books. I read them religiously as a kid and recently purchased two old copies from the Unorganized Bookstore a couple weeks ago. Rain has been falling all day, so I feel that there is no better time to pick up a Nancy Drew mystery. 

2. Boat shoes. If I could own every style of Sperry's that has ever been created I would be a happy human being.

3. Yogurt Mountain. Brand new at the Greene! My first experience tonight was slightly overwhelming, the sheer number of toppings offered had my head spinning. Everything from crushed Poptarts to sour gummy worms to strawberries to pretzels was available to garnish the fro yo, and from the first bite of my crazy concoction I was a fan. 

4. Cologne. Ok, so this one isn't really recent, but I was at the outlet mall today and happened to be smelling cologne in a store when was reminded of how dang good male perfume smells. Good smelling boy is among my top five favorite scents, so if you are a boy and have not invested in a good smell, hold out your hand so that I may smack it.

5. Scrambled eggs. I make a mean scrambled egg. It's all about the delicate egg to cheese ratio.

6. Ballet. If I was not a cheerleader, I would be a ballerina. Ballet looks so fun. And I bet ballerinas have amazing calves from being on their toes all the time. 

7. Long hair. No scissors will be touching my locks for awhile. 

This will be me in a few months.

Fidget

I should have known that I would end up blogging quite a bit about my little sister Bethany. My AP English teacher senior year said, "an author repeats what is important to an author," and boy does Bethany keep popping up in my posts and BOY is she important to me.


Yesterday, I spent the latter part of the afternoon traipsing through the neighborhood with her at my side. She rode her scooter beside me as we walked to the park, singing me the songs she has learned for her school's performance of  "Suessical." She is simply adorable. When we arrived at the park, she made me spin her around on the tire swing until she described her current state as "barfy" and shakily climbed off. 


Feeling woozy and barfy wasn't enough to dampen this girl's spirits though.


After going to the park we headed down a trail to the creek in our neighborhood. Bethany's eyes twinkled with delight when I suggested we take our shoes off and dip our toes in the rushing water of the creek (I love these moments when I get to be the cool big sister and let her do things Mom normally wouldn't.) We explored a little more before heading home and playing volleyball in the yard barefooted. The day was warm so taking our shoes off seemed like the most appropriate way to play.


After we ate dinner that night, I knew that I wouldn't be content just to sit around inside since it was such a gorgeous evening. So me and Bethany headed to the OTHER park near our house. We swung on the swings and kicked the soccer ball around for a little bit before she decided she wanted to play "princess." She climbed up the steps of the jungle gym and began walking down with her nose in the air, saying "peasants...minions....servants.....GET BACK TO WORK!" as she descended. This happened three or four times, and I think I was referred to as a peasant at least once in helping her cross the mini zipline that the playground has. 


The last time she came down her "royal staircase," she did so yelling at her imaginary subjects as well as doing a little booty shake move here and there as well as gracing the kingdom with a musical number in which she would stick her hand under her armpit and make farting noises. 


A country being ruled by Bethany probably would have never seen a stricter ruler than she, and they CERTAINLY wouldn't have had a funnier one.


On the way home, she started singing again before trying to hold my hand and ride her scooter at the same time. I don't know how she does it, but not a day goes by when she doesn't do SOMETHING to melt my heart and make me laugh. Bethany Caroline Jin is an extraordinary girl who will absolutely do amazing things in life. 


I adore her.