Wow, what a weekend. I can’t believe that it is already over!

I went to Illinois/Indiana this weekend, for Michael’s graduation from Olivet Nazarene University, and it was a fabulous weekend.

Friday: Plane, Portillo’s Hotdogs (A Chicago classic), Honor Society induction banquet, baccalaureate, chilling in the apartment.

Saturday: VERY early wake-up, graduation, moving out of the apartment, drive to Indiana, dinner and “party” with Michael’s family.

Sunday: Mother’s Day, church, musical at the high school, severe storms (and storm chasing…Michael and I decided to be adventurous! We drove through an area where a tornado had been not long before we got there! Scary!), great time with his family.

Monday: CHICAGO 🙂 Picnic by Lake Michigan, Shedd Aquarium, Michigan Avenue (tulips everywhere), dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, beautiful evening.

Tuesday: Mt. Baldy, downtown Valparaiso, drive to Midway (traffic was horrendous!), flew home…arrived at LAX after being on a plane for 6 hours because of a layover in Phoenix. I was the only one staying on that flight to LAX, so I had the plane to myself for about 30 minutes! Kinda cool!

I got home around 11:30pm and had to move in and get settled in my new apartment. I love it so much! I have a huge room, my own bathroom, and the entire apartment is mine for a month because my roommates are traveling until the end of May/beginning of June. I love it!

Anyway, just wanted to give a little update. My weekend was amazing…many special and memorable moments, great company, good times…although the tornados were a little much for this California girl!

I have officially completed my third year at Azusa Pacific University, and am now a second-semester senior! Wow…what a year! I am SO glad that I am done! I checked out of my apartment today, and am staying with Sara, Leslie and Jessica (since Leslie is taking me to the airport at 4:30am!!)…I am free…

I moved today, all day…I have a few things in my new apartment, and I LOVE it!! I will be by myself most of May, because the other two girls will be traveling…how awesome is that?! I’ll have cable, DSL, and a two bedroom, two bathroom apartment to myself! 🙂 I need this time, though…it will be wonderful to just relax. God is SO good!

I have to get up so early tomorrow–thankfully I have a four-hour flight tomorrow to sleep on!

OH–good news! Remember my post about Medieval Europe? Well…I passed the hardest final in my college career…with a B+ in the class now!!! PRAISE THE LORD! I worked SO hard in that class…so I am not disappointed with a B like I normally would be!

Anyway, time to try to rest…I get to see Michael tomorrow!! 🙂

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a change of pace in life…a drastic change…

You go a dream vacation, a tour of Italy, and while strolling the street in a small town you notice a sign in a window. The sign is not dramatic, nor is it large…but it catches your attention. It is in Italian of course, and since you have yet to learn the language, all you can discern is that a villa is for sale. The photo is captivating; You have nothing to lose, you have the money, so you decide to buy it; it needs a great deal of renovation, but you are up to the task. And your new life begins…a villa in Tuscany, overlooking flowering fields and rolling hills…and it’s all yours…

Sigh…

I wish I could take the credit for this story idea, but alas, it is not my own. I just watched “Under the Tuscan Sun” after packing all day today…and it was very inspiring. I have always wanted to go to Italy…my dream is to go to Florence (on my honeymoon–though I won’t be disappointed going somewhere else!!)…i want to learn Italian (more than just the Italian I sing) so that I can fully embrace the Italian culture and environment…I long to see the art, the history…Italy just seems so wonderful…and granted, I know that no place is perfect, but it is the place of my dreams.

Sigh…

Anyway, now I am dreaming of Italy…I’ll go there someday…

One final left! I’ll be done at 11am or so! Then it is off to “Sweet Home Chicago” for me! 🙂 Less than 2 days…

I want a villa in Tuscany…

Just wanted to say that I finished the Medieval Europe final in an hour…wow…I am done with that class! I think I did reasonably well, too, surprisingly. 🙂 My arm survived, but just barely. My poor nerves are in pain right now, but that’s life for Lesa Close! 🙂 ANyway, 1 down, 2 to go (plus a paper)!

In one hour, my hardest final EVER begins…am I ready? I actually feel about 75% ready! Michael helped me study last night by drilling me on the dates, names, etc. that I have to know for this Medieval Europe class. The test is ALL essay…which concerns me as far as my arm behaving today and actually being able to write…God will take care of me!

Last night I had a wonderful time with my friend (and former roommate of 1.5 years) Allison. She came out for this week to see everyone, as she studied abroad for a year and then took a semester off. It was so awesome to catch up with her, see what God has been doing in her life, etc. What a friend she has been! We reminisced about all our crazy times as roommates freshman year…oh, the things we did! 🙂 Anyway, we stayed out on the lawn until 2am…good times…

Alright, pray for me if you read this! I’ll be done around 2:15pm, at the latest…may God help me remember all of this!!

Ah yes, the time has come for our “favorite” week of the year…

At least APU has some great traditions for us to enjoy, to take a much needed study break.

Tonight was the semi-annual “Midnight Breakfast”–which ends at midnight, doesn’t start at midnight…weird, I know. Anyway, it is a free breakfast (with homemade stuff as well as donuts from our beloved “Donut Man”), where the faculty and staff serve the students, and many professors come for the entire time to help students, answer questions, etc. It is so great! Everyone is in PJs, and it really is a community builder…even our campus pastor comes in full nighttime attire–even a hat! Anyway, good food, good fellowship…

A tradition with my friends is to go out the Sunday before finals, and in the past we have dressed up in formals and gone out to dinner at various places (Duke’s at Huntington Beach, etc…). Today we decided, since we are all busy and poor, to go see a movie and then cook dinner. We went to see “13 going on 30” and then had spaghetti and salad. That movie is REALLY cute…despite what some have said. It is good, and it really did have some valuable lessons in it! Since I work with this age group (12-15), I saw many lessons that I can apply in my work with them…it was great…makes me want to find my childhood sweetheart! 🙂 LOL–just kidding. Casey wouldn’t go for that! 🙂

It was just a good day…church was great, and God used a few people to make me feel better about not being offered a chapel worship team position. They really appreciate me,and they make it known, which means so much to me…I don’t sing up there for recognition at all; so when someone comes up and tells me that my God given gift has touched them, it means the world to me to know that God is using me!

I got my Medieval Europe paper done at 2:30pm, so that was a great relief. I am going to turn it in tomorrow so that it is out of my hands! After that final I can really breathe…though I have three more after it.

I can’t express how much I am looking forward to this summer…it looks like I will be in the apartment by myself for a couple of weeks, which will be wonderful because I could use the time for reflection and relaxation. I am going to be reading about 15 books this summer, for Fall classes, and I can’t wait…Plato, Aristotle, and plenty of Post-Modern material. I love dialoguing with people regarding intellectual things, and this will give me more topics to discuss, and I can’t wait. I just want to be able to read and learn at my own pace…no tests, no papers, just me and my books and my thoughts…

Not much longer…:)

Sorry–this deserves its own post.

As I read the program this morning at CBU’s graduation, I noticed the qualifications for Latin Honors in the program. I assumed that the standards for these were universal; however, at least at CBU, this is not the case.

At APU, these are the standards:

3.7–Cum Laude

3.8–Magna Cum Laude

3.9–Summa Cum Laude

At CBU, these are the standards:

3.5–Cum Laude

3.7–Magna Cum Laude

3.9–Summa Cum Laude

Now, this poses some concerns in my mind.

First of all, why are they different?

I just keep thinking that it seems “unfair” for someone to have to work harder for their honors than another. I mean, for example: a potential employer looks at your diploma from APU, and sees no latin honors…but a competing applicant from CBU has graduated Cum Laude, and even though the standards are lower, they will be seen as being a hard-worker, more intelligent, etc., even though they had the same GPA as someone at APU.

I don’t know if that makes sense, because I am having a hard time verbalizing my thoughts. It just kinda doesn’t set well with me, knowing that I have to work harder for my Latin Honors (if I even get them!) than someone else at another school…

I don’t know…it just bothers me. What are the standards at other schools? I’d be interested to know.

Sorry for the rant–just wanted to get some other views!

I learned a very valuable lesson today–if you are going to apply sunscreen, apply it EVENLY! LOL!! I was in the sun for about 4 hours today, for a friends graduation from California Baptist University…so I put sunscreen on my arms, face and neck…well, I got home, looked in the mirror and noticed that parts of my shoulders are totally burnt, as well as one oval-shaped spot on my neck/chest…yeah, this is really attractive! HAHA. Anyway, the lesson being to apply it evenly, because you can end up with a really ridiculous looking sunburn.

I am on page five of my Medieval Europe paper, which is good. It is a 6-8 page minimum paper, and I want it done today! All I need to do is add in sources, and smooth it out a little because it is really rough.

It is 6pm, with no phone call from Chapel Programs…so I have decided that I will not be offered a position on a worship team. And that, honestly, is totally fine. My confidence is in no way affected (for those of you who know me well, you know that singing is one of the only things about which I am extremely confident!), for I know that God must have other plans for me. I am content to be on worship team at church, weekly, because I am with such a great group of talented musicians who seek to honor God first and foremost…what more could I ask for? This school is filled with talented musicians, and I am happy for those who were selected for this position. 🙂

Anyway, back to feudalism…I finally figured out the answer to the question the prof posed for this paper:

“The History of Medieval Europe in the period between 500-1000 AD may be described as the negotiation of ‘tensions’ between three systems—the Germanic Warrior Code, Christian values, and Roman principles of governance. In what ways was the tension between these value systems resolved, if at all?”

The answer is: Yes, by the Crusades. That is all I will say, for I know that no one really cares about medieval history!

Six days until Chicago, and cooler weather…:)

I will find out Saturday (at some point) whether or not I have been selected for a position on a chapel worship team next year…and I’m getting a little anxious! I’m not worried, for I know that God’s Will will be done, and if He wants me to do it, it will happen…but, at the same time, I really want to do it, so I’m nervous.

The worst part is that they are going to call only those who made it; those who didn’t make it won’t know until midnight really–if they didn’t receive a call by then. I wish they’d call everyone, but oh well. C’est la vie. 🙂

Thanks for the prayers! I really have appreciated them!