Depressing Days and Business Trips

Today has been a challenging day emotionally. On December 3, I got engaged to the most wonderful and godly man I've met! He is also a United States Marine. We have gone from December until now physically seeing each other in person, not over Skype, on two trips. We knew it would be a challenge, but its something I still don't want to believe. Well, Labor Day is coming up soon and he will be coming home for a short trip that is dealing with business. He's honoring one of his friends at a wedding by being the best man and is also getting some final things taken care of so he can take his car with him back to his duty station. I'm so thankful he is coming home, but I will be at school. I go back to Florida State University next Wednesday. Coming home is not a question of it being doable; I know I could find a way home. But after discussing the plans that Rafael (that's his name, by the way (: ) has while home, we came to the realization that even if I made it home, there wouldn't be any time, aside from the wedding. Pretty disheartening to hear that, right? So, I made the decision that it would be better for the both of us if I didn't come home; so he wouldn't be stressed trying to fit everything in, and I wouldn't be overly frustrated and disappointed. We made this decision last night, and though I know it's the right one for the both of us, it sucks. It stinks knowing that we have only seen each other twice this year and how he is only a few states away, but far enough that I don't get to see him, like, ever it feels like. But today, I was also reminded that I'm not the only one feeling discouraged. Though his family has a different love for him than I do, because well we are getting married, they still feel the same way. I went over to my future in-laws this evening and we talked about it. They explained that they felt the same way, in the sense that they would only see him at the wedding. Frustrating, right? Sometimes I just want to say, "What about me? I'm your fiance!" But, I remember that he has responsibilities as an adult and as a Marine. And being reminded that I'm not the only one feeling down, reminded me to count my blessings. He could be deployed right now...he could be stationed across the country, or world. The car will allow more visits and I'm lucky to be in school and to have a family here that cares about me, Rafael, and our relationship, but most importantly a family that prays for us. So, tonight instead of being discouraged, I'm am going to sleep counting my blessings and remembering that he called me on his mom's phone just to tell me he loved me.

More Treadmills!

So, today, Runner'sWorld Magazine posted an interesting article about treadmills that I thought I'd share considering my post yesterday. So here's the link: http://news.runnersworld.com/2012/08/16/low-tech-alternative-to-alterg-on-market/#

Treadmills!!!!!

Okay, so I'm a big workout-aholic person. I absolutely love running! But, I'm also a skeptic when it comes to using different machines. I've always been against treadmills, for example, because it has been proven that you run for twice as long and get half the results. However, yesterday I had my first encounter with using one. And I must say it wasn't all that bad. There are definitely some pros and cons to using one. So if you are a skeptic like me, here are my thoughts on treadmills. Like I mentioned before, treadmills are not the same as running outside or on a track. You have to run longer to get the same results that you would for a regular run. However, treadmills are good in the sense of weather. Yesterday, I didn't go for my usual run outside because it was so gosh darn humid, it felt like I was swimming through the air. I guess that's what I get for living in Florida. In situations like that, it is dangerous to run outside because the risk of becoming dehydrated becomes greater. When running on a treadmill, there is a handy-dandy cup holder for water and also there is a control on the weather. It could be boiling outside, and yet, you can still safely run inside without risking getting dehydrated or overheated. Also, with treadmills, you can run at any part of the day. Living in Florida makes it difficult to run outside during the day in the summer because of scorching temperatures, or afternoon showers. By the time it cools down, though, it is often too dark to be safe to run outside alone. Yes, you could run with a partner, but, like me, my friends and I are all on different schedules. Treadmills allow you to run in the heat of the day while staying safe. The biggest pro for me, however, was the effect it had on my knees. I unfortunately found out last summer that I have runner's knee, also known as osteoarthritis. It's extremely painful and sometimes difficult to run because the pain is so great. For those of you who may not know what osteoarthritis is, I'll give you a quick run-down. I don't have any cartilage in my knees to pad my joints; so instead, when my knees move, my bones are grating together. Gross, right? So you can imagine that impact on my knees has a lot to do with the pain. Treadmills offer a softer surface than concrete or asphalt and therefore, make my knees happy. I have to say that despite my prior thoughts about treadmills, I think I'm more okay with them. So, if you are a skeptic like me, give it a try sometime. You may be surprised. Happy running!

The Next TV Show

Why, hello there, fellow readers. It has been quite awhile, hasn't it? Just when I started posting to keep me busy, I actually become busy. There's the irony of a chill summer for you. Well, to keep you up to date on what's been going on with me, earlier today I submitted an application to the FSView, the college newspaper at my school, FSU. I'm kind of nervous that they won't like my stuff because I have never written for a publisher before...really nothing out of what I write for school and now for this blog. I had to submit my resume with two samples of writing, so I decided to write a new piece and use another from one of the classes I took last semester. The piece I just currently wrote was about an experience I had the joy of sharing with my best friend this summer. I will copy and paste what I wrote to share: “”The Next” is the Next Big Thing” By: Shannon Mitchell August 8, 2012 "The term “swooners” came to mind at the filming of the new TV show “The Star Next Door” when hundreds of girls screamed and cried over artist Joe Jonas. On July 11, 2012, over 2,000 individuals crowded into the House of Blues in Orlando, Florida to be a part of television history. “The Next” is a reality-type contestant television show that will allow contestants to compete against one another through performances in order to land a record deal with Atlantic Records. The contestants are hand-selected from top four artists Gloria Estefan, Joe Jonas, Nelly, and John Rich. Where do these contestants come from? The four artist icons travel to major cities in search for those who are considered the “next big thing” by the locals. Orlando, Florida will be used as the first city for the premier of this TV show. Four contestants were selected in Orlando by the icons by keeping track of online followings of these local artists. These locals have each created a large following on sites such as YouTube, and Myspace, receiving over thousands of hits on their videos and samples. Taylor Bono, mentored by Joe Jonas, and Itzy Rodriguez, mentored by Nelly are popular through online followings, while Cori Yarckin, mentored by Gloria Estefan has toured and opened for rock group 30 Seconds to Mars. Michael Ray, mentored by John Rich who is known for his top hit “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy,” has held many local shows, including visiting The House of Blues’ stage before. Each contestant was surprised by a visit from their mentor, explaining that for the next 72 hours they would be training for a performance to land a recording deal. The twist; each icon would live with his or her contestant for those three days, teaching, training and even experiencing the everyday life of these contestants. It was clear from the chemistry seen onstage between the artists and contestants that each icon enjoyed his or her time, smiling, laughing, joking, and praising their mentees. During the filming, it was clear how much hard work is put into the show, as well as how important is every minor detail. For example, the audience was rearranged by colors of t-shirts to accommodate the correct lighting. After at least four practice rounds of cheering, the audience was finally ready to be filmed. Though many voices were lost by the end of the four hour filming due to numerous takes and retakes, the audience was alive from the fun and excitement that was involved in this show. Will the show be a major hit? If the amount of Jonas fans is any consolation, then yes. Not to mention the amount of woman who called out to Nelly how much they loved him. Audiences around the country will be able to tune into the premier of “The Star Next Door” on August 16, 7/8c. They will be able to see the final product of all the filming that resulted in sore feet and backs, but the byproduct will definitely be a flawless finish." As you can see, a pretty cool experience. My bffl is a die-hard Jonas fan. I thought I was going to die from all the other Jonas fans who were there trying to get a better view of him. Needless to say, I'm not really a Jonas fan, but I did enjoy seeing my friends cry, literally, over him. That's right, folks. Both my friends that I attended this event with high-fived Joe Jonas after the show and burst into tears. It's like the modern-day Elvis, except with the lack of talent, in my opinion (I'm sorry if that comment offends you...just don't do the Disney pop). It definitely was an experience to say the least. Anyway, please keep me in your prayers as I search for some jobs that offer me experience, a paycheck, and/or internship credit. Until next time (:

Personalized Picture Frame

Using an old puzzle, I took some of my favorite pieces and glued them to an old picture frame to create my own personal picture frame. All you need is a puzzle, Elmer's rubber cement, and an old picture frame. Be sure to take the glass out of the picture frame when gluing the pieces onto the frame so as to not ruin the glass. Put the pieces you are using together and flip onto their backs to glue the cardboard side that doesn't have the design on it. Brush over the pieces with the rubber cement and let dry. Then using the rubber cement paint where you want to flue your pieces onto the frame. Apply, and let dry. Whaaa-la!

Movie Nights

I have a younger nephew who lives close by, and the other night I decided to host a movie night for him and his family. Aside from the costs for dinner (in which I made homemade mac n' cheese with bacon bits), the goodies and decorations cost me around $15.00, if not less. We all dressed up in our finest clothes, as if we were at a movie premiere. I also had a "crafty craft" for the little man. I added food coloring to soapy water and had him blow bubbles through a straw onto a piece of paper to create bubble art. He loved it! I decorated with printable coloring pages from disney movies and left some uncolored so that he could color them. I also borrowed a concessions board that my mother-in-law created for her own movie night that was absolutely genius! She used foam letter stickers on a still-wrapped poster frame and wrote the prices for all the goodies, which were as follows: hugs, kisses, and love. Since the poster frame was stilled wrapped the whole family signed it with permanent markers to make it appear as though they were signatures from "famous people." We had a blast! I thought I'd share my ideas. Here are some pictures:

This is the concession sign I borrowed...

Mac n' Cheese!!

I printed pictures of everyone and glued them onto stars I cut out of construction paper. I wrote their names beneath their photo to make them appear as the stars of the event.

I used a movie bucket from our local theater that we had purchased in the past to fill with Fiddle Faddle (you could use Cracker Jacks) and Twizzlers.

Think, Speak, Relax.

Lately, I have been reminded of a very important, but awfully challenging verse in Scripture. James 1:19-20 tells us, "My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires." Its not that I have found this particularly challenging with strangers or even acquaintances, but rather with those closest to me. Why, you may ask? I've been wondering the same thing. I know God is working on me, that's a first because He is always working on me. I am an imperfect human, just like everyone else in the world. I think that sometimes we often think of those who are close to us as being "good." But as James tells us, when we get angry or frustrated and say those words that we wish we could suck back into our mouths, we are not showing the righteous life of a Christian. And, more importantly, we are not showing the love of Christ. Why would we need to show the love of Christ to Christians, though? I think that it is a great way of accountability. By showing our love and care we can demonstrate to even Christians how to act like Christ shows us in the Bible. That demonstration acts as encouragement to other Christians to also love others. By listening and thinking before we choose our words, we can be more Christ, and often avoid a sticky situation. I experienced that tonight and the moment I said what I did, this verse just popped into my mind. I knew it was a God thing, and thankfully I have a very loving forgiver; first, and foremost, God, and also the person I offended. God has really been showing me ways I need to improve my life, and I know this is one area that can definitely use some tuning up. And, who knows, maybe by changing and sharing, I can encourage others. I believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for everyone sins, and that only through Jesus will I be able to spend eternity in heaven because God is such a loving God. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." I know that making changes in my behavior does not guarantee me a spot in heaven, but only knowing Jesus as my personal Lord and Saviour does. But hopefully, by my speech and actions I can witness to those around me by showing them love, the same love that God has for me, as well as everyone He has created. ~Shannon