Traveling Through

http://youtu.be/I_CbxZRW9Zw I much prefer the joyfully sad bluegrass version of David Rawlings (w/ Gillian Welch) as opposed to the bluesy downtrodden sound of Ryan Adams’ version of "To Be Young (is to be sad, is to be high)"; though, I love Ryan Adams. There is something about bluegrass that makes me want to dance through hard times. There are “Greats” in music. People who are able to weave together verse with melody and tell songs as stories. I believe we all cling to and are comforted by lyrics that speak our story or a story from our past. Thank you to my sister, Meredith, for introducing me to many of my music “Greats.” Those people who often sing my song. Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Ryan Adams, Old Crow Medicine Show, Neko Case… Also, I’m glad to have found my “Golden Greats” Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Neil Young, Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens), John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, (though he should stick to song writing) and many more… Now

Proverbs 3:5 NIV Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. It is funny how panicked a person can become when he/she feels out of control. Since I value truth and transparency, I want to admit that I often feel out of control. I’ve been thinking today about what I have “planned” for my life. I have come to know that my plan is not always God’s plan. I had the perfect, cookie-cutter idea as to what my life would look like at this point. Some of my ideas have come to pass but really the major things in my life really don’t match the picture I had for myself. I think God wants more for me than what I want for myself, though at times I can ask the Lord- “Why not me?” Slowly, I am being molded into who he desires me to be. It is not instant. It is not easy. It usually is not comfortable. When I do decide to trust in the Lord and not in myself, I feel the peace of the Lord and am encouraged to keep moving forward in His plan rather than my

Yesterday, I was on top of the world. Today, statistics managed to give me flash backs to my fourth grade classroom… long division. Though long division was some time ago, the symptoms of uneasiness are still the same: churning stomach, air pockets that thankfully make no sound; you know the drill or at least I hope you do. Why must numbers, especially numbers mixed with letters, drive me into panic? There is a bright side. I found out that I was not the only one letting the pressure of statistics worry them. I can feel a bit lonely when other students start spatting out theories and voicing ideas in class that make them sound competent. At those times, I wonder, what am I doing here? Am I going to be found out and sent packing? In my statistics course, I am currently practicing the “Keeping My Mouth Shut Method” to appear to be more intelligent than I really am. I highly recommend this practice. Proverbs 17:28 A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man