free scantrons.

Tuesday was election day for ASB candidates. I ended up being the campaign manager for Taylor McGraw, who has been one of my friends since freshmen year. As you can imagine, the past two weeks have been packed with work to do, and Monday and Tuesday were especially chaotic. Lucky for us, all of the hard work paid off! Taylor won with 50.46% of the vote. How crazy is that?! Every vote counts.

I am always so humbled and impressed to see how much of a team effort things like this are. All of the organization I did hinged on whether or not people would actually step up and help out. I was so surprised by how much some Kappa Sigs rose to the occasion! Everyone who helped with the campaign did an awesome job. I am lucky to have made some amazing new friends and to have strengthened the friendships that I already had.

Picture on the front page of the Daily Mississippian on Wednesday morning.

Our campaign team, minus Tyler and Lennie.

One of my favorite things is the overwhelming sense of accomplishment you feel after all is said and done, and you see the people you experienced this with again. Example: the morning after bid day when I saw Emily at breakfast. You can never quite look at people the same way again after something like this, knowing that you did it, and you did it together. That's how Tuesday night was when we all met up again, and it's been the same yesterday and today anytime I run into any of them. All of the candidates ran great races, and most were extremely close. But for now, we can't help but be excited that Taylor came out on top!

snow day! for real this time

"REBALERT: UM Oxford & regional campuses are closed Thurs, Feb 10. Check web for details. See athletics website for status of women's BB game." [text message received Wednesday at 10:46 PM]

Brief rundown:
My friends and I walked through the snow from the DG house to Bottletree for breakfast, then all the way to Blockbuster, then back to the DG house. I worked on some homework, went to a campaign meeting for my friend who is running for ASB President, went to hang out with some kids from the Orchard, and then heard Marian Jordan speak as a part of her Radiant tour.

Some high points of the day:

1. Good job boys for being able to help this car stuck in the ice.


2. Friend at Bottletree: "What are you doing the rest of the day?"
Anna: "We're going to look for Narnia!"
Quote of the day, by far. There may have been some slight miscommunication.

3. I'm excited about the Orchard's college small group getting started. This place has been my Oxford church home since day 1 of freshmen year, and some especially powerful things are going on there lately. Some of us are going to start intentionally meeting together for a time of community and honesty and depth, and it's going to be good.

I wish everyone from all areas of my life could meet the friends I have right now. I wish you all could see how GOD IS WORKING in Oxford, Mississippi. I have friends looking to go to Southeast Asia, Romania, Peru, Guatemala, and China this summer to spread the Gospel. I know people sharing Christ in fraternity and sorority houses all across campus. I have friends witnessing to international students of other religions and to United States students set on finding fulfillment in everything from alcohol to the American dream. None of this is us; all of this is Jesus. Stay tuned; Ole Miss students are going to change the world, because God is amazing.

Oh the joys of a day without classes. So glad we got the snow day this time around. :)

snow day! or not

I am trying very hard not to be bitter, but I legitimately convinced myself that school was going to be cancelled today. Winter weather advisories + freezing rain + Mississippi = panic mode for most of the state. The University of Mississippi, however, does not seem very concerned...

In spite of the fact that we're still having class, I am thankful for this potentially inclement weather. It has succeeded in forcing me to slow down. I didn't realize how fast I've been moving all week until last night when, for the first time, I actually stopped to sit, eat, breathe...normal human functions that I always seem to neglect. It takes me a couple of weeks at the start of each semester to figure out how to balance everything - how to spend my free time, what day to work on which class's assignments, which meetings and commitments I need to stick with throughout the semester and which ones I need to drop.

My time in the Word this week has been both refreshing and convicting, and my friends have been encouraging and wise without even knowing it. Take these two things, throw in some weather in which I am unskilled to drive, and I've got the message. Stop. Think. Be intentional. Last week I used my time wisely; this week not so much. It's time to rest for the weekend and see what we can do to get next week back on track, to really start the routine for the rest of the semester.

Third time's a charm.