THE WASH

First of 2010, Bout to Be January's End.

2010-01-30T10:58:00.000-08:00

i've been contemplating stopping blogging on here, but then i was reminded about how much God has used this blog in my life, and maybe others. Sounds silly and simple, but it's true. i just moved from the bar stool to a more comfy place, my couch. This way i am able to view the beautiful snow from more than one angle. It's nice to prop my feet on the coffee table given to me by my now passed Grandmother.

i love the snow because it reminds me of You.
because of You, i am washed clean, made new.
The snow is quiet, yet brilliant and loud!

i love the snow because it reminds me of You.
a dream of a warrior coming in the snow
that night i was so close to You.

The snow hasn't stopped falling all day. Melissa and i traveled to the Republic, a local bar and eatery joint, and had some brunch. That was nomnomnom.

i'm not gonna write much more now, i just wanted to get one done in the month of January.

i can't wait for the summer, but i'm also really enjoying what God is doing now.

i want more of Him.

note: God is preparing me to do something i've never done before but with His strength and heart, there is Victory! :)

Hello Homework.

2009-10-18T16:40:00.000-07:00

i live in an apartment.
so is it called "apartment-work"?

bout to go work on some design stuff.
just felt like i should tell whoever comes across this:

you are not alone. you are soooo loved, it's explosive, BOOM! we are so small and feel so small sometimes, but we are LOVED SO BIG, by a God who made us, made us each special. we were knitted in our mother's womb. KNITTED, complicated, growing, learning. this Perfect Love casts out all fears. sometimes i don't even realize how much i am loved by the Lord, well most of the time, but when i get a glimpse, a taste, it's something i can't describe, only in my heart, but i do know that we can share This Love through His Love in us, pouring out on others.

i encourage you today sit and try to grasp a taste of how much you are loved.

<3

An Evening Before.

2009-10-01T19:49:00.000-07:00

Today is October 1, 2009.
Tomorrow is October 2, 2009.

There will only be one October 1, 2009 and the sun has already packed up for the night. Sometimes this frightens me. Well, when i say frighten i really mean, what did i do with my day? Did i glorify God? Did i glorify myself? Was i indifferent? Did i avoid talking to people because of random anxiety?

Today...today was an interesting day. A day that almost felt surreal as each step was taken and each trip over a brick stumbled me. i haven't written a blog in a long time. i don't really have a 'tude against blogging, i have just been going through this semester without really any blog time. i find myself tonight, stuffed with a car(r)amel apple and sitting cross-legged on our covered couch. The lights are off. The roomies in their rooms. i'm sitting here feeling slightly empty. i'm hungry for more. i want more of You in my life. More of You moving, less of me. i have to stop and ask myself, why do i want certain things in this life here? Sometimes the business just pushes those questions behind and days just become a habit, and habits become these things that just stay with us... anyways. Today i got to talk to each of my family on the phone at separate times. My family, i thank God for my family. We may gibber jabber and jab at each other every now and then but at the heart of us, we are the Sykes. We love and appreciate what we each bring to our goober, but lovable family. We like to stand up for each other. We love to help each other across the street of life, when that hand is needed (and lead to do so) otherwise we are there cheering each other on... even when it seems silent. i don't know if i tell them enough, but i appreciate y'all so much. i thank God for bringing us together. i thank God for how i was raised and what i've been through. i thank God for a constant testimony and just what He has planned for us. Good news is coming.

Healing.

In less than an hour i get to wish my sister Shannon a happy birthday! Because we live on the east coast and she lives on the west... it will be her birthday here before there and i'm stoked i get to wish her a happy birthday over here a little early! YAY! <3>

So as i say au revoir to October 1, 2009, forever, i want to give a huge hug to the Lord. For without God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit i, carra sykes, am nothing but a hater. My life has changed, and i want to be steadfast, loving, compassionate, patient, head over heals in love with my maker. i want to be a part of the generation that rises up to take their place.

Praise the Lord " ⁴ who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion" (Psalm 103)

Oh praise the one who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead!
Oh praise the one who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead!
Oh praise the one who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead!

Sing it OUT!

2009-08-06T12:35:00.000-07:00

Just giving Bryce Avary some mad props for singing it out!
(@ how it ends [invisible children] rally june 23, 2009)
invisible children

Hello, Again.

2009-07-10T07:11:00.000-07:00

It has been about a month since i've attempted to write another blog. Sometimes i sit down and think i'm going to but then my words just don't seem like they are ready to be put into a blog.

i was thinking "the other day" about how beautiful our God is and how He brings us random heart smiles. Our God let's us have great memories of friends that can be sparked by something as simple as eating a piece of cotton candy and looking at the sky. We may not understand why that would make us remember a fond memory with someone but the heart remembers and often smiles. Memories of friends in the past, friends in the present, and friends who have been lost can make us feel so many emotions. We are human. We have emotions. And sometimes we try to cut this part of us off. Sometimes our surroundings tell us to be strong, but oh! how the Lord enjoys us being weak for Him.

He already knows what we miss, so why hide it from Him. Let Him know how you are feeling. Sometimes there seems to be a missing piece when a memory is remembered. Why is it a memory and not something i can relive? But i feel like God wants to fill those holes up with so much more. He allows us to have these memories, which is sweet, but He doesn't want us to have these memories to be sad of what we had, or are having and may not have in the future. It's just a little bit of creativity in our lives. Something special we are given. The holes of memories we wish to relive, or to have a moment in again can be filled by this incredible sensitivity the Lord has for us. The UPMOST and the HIGHEST is the definition of strength. But the Lord is also gentile and sensitive. How beautiful of a picture is created by this? i love it.

enjoy your summer day.
remember. :)
and also remember YOU ARE LOVED.
and eat some cotton candy and look towards the sky... haha just kidding.

but love.

(1)

2009-06-19T11:27:00.000-07:00

i would walk out in the pouring rain just to hold Your hand.
just to breathe the same air as You and to become clean beside You.

Pouring Out.

2009-06-14T16:15:00.000-07:00

i just got the strong urge to write.

so i am.

i just want you to know that YOU MATTER. YOUR STORY MATTERS. YOU ARE LOVED.

There are times where we find ourselves crying on a floor, exhausted about life. Questions are pouring out and you wish there was a button that could calm the soul and clear the mind for just a second. Why does this happen? How many more things can i do wrong? Why am i THE failure in my family? Where are my friends? Do i have friends? Why don't they like me, or better yet why don't they love me?

It hurts my heart so much to think that right now there are people planning on ending their lives. "2/3 of those suffering from depression never seek treatment." "Untreated depression is the number one cause of suicide, and suicide is the third leading cause of death among teenagers. (NIMH)" There are loved ones right now that are struggling so much through something, but feel too ashamed to tell anyone, too ashamed to share because there is that fear that lingers after a story is told. It hurts me that we are ashamed to share. i have been in places where i don't feel like anyone would ever want to listen to me so i bottle it all up inside hoping that the emotional explosion day never comes. Or they will listen and i will be forever condemned to be alone because of who i was or who i am or who i am becoming. It's cool because God is teaching me to be vulnerable day by day, but also someone who guards their heart. For the Bible says in (Proverbs 4:23):

²³ Above all else, guard your heart,
for it is the wellspring of life.

i am thankful because i have an identity in my life. This identity is through Jesus. This identity is growing everyday and when it doesn't grow i pray that i hunger for growth and closeness. i want His heart. i want His eyes. i want to be a genuine lover. GENUINE.

genuine |ˈjenyoōin|
adjective
truly what something is said to be; authentic
• (of a person, emotion, or action) sincere

i have been blessed in my life to have met so many people. i love this blessing, it brings me to tears, sometimes the good ones and sometimes the hurtful tears. i believe i was made to be a lover of people, but not with my own flesh. i was made to be a lover of people through the love of Christ. Christ's GENUINE love for people.

i was named carra, which minus one r means "friend" in irish... it means "beloved" in italian. i think i was given this name for a reason and i want to live my life for Him. i want to be His beloved and friend. :)

REMEMBER. YOU ARE LOVED. YOUR STORY MATTERS. YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL. these are not just words to write. These are words to remember, these are words to remind yourself. i pray that next time your heart feels broken, your heart will be lifted up and that you will remember that you are loved... and i pray for joy to break the chains that bring you down. Bless you. Bless bless bless you.

In Jesus' name.
Amen.

Alone at 9:35 on a Saturday.

2009-06-06T18:35:00.001-07:00

My music heard by humans cannot be appreciated fully except by Your ears.

i love that.

singing loud. guitaring loud. but still i feel lonely tonight and can't figure out why...

Lord how can i feel lonely when You fill every room i am in, when You step every step with me, when You whisper beautiful words of how You delight in me.

but sometimes i do feel lonely... and i apologize for this... i apologize for ignoring Your presence. i apologize for longing for others to fill this void, that doesn't even exist!!! The enemy likes to preach to me and tell me that there is a void, a void in my life. Well that void in my life is only when i don't run to You for EVERYTHING. And when i mean everything, Father, i mean the GOOD, THE BAD, THE EXISTING MOMENTS.

i repent for longing for others.

God prepare me for what is to come. Arm me for the battle. Make me hunger for You... ONLY YOU!

In Jesus' name. amen.

Fill those who are feeling lonely tonight, Father, fill them with joy that can't be explained in words.

9:42

Sunsets.

2009-06-02T18:31:00.000-07:00

A gift from God.

Sunsets are gorgeous. It's like God wants to give us a pleasant memory to go to sleep by... kind of like a good night and a hug from Him. i love sunsets. i love spending time by myself under them, but even more so, being able to enjoy them with others. i didn't watch the sun set tonight but it was put on my heart... and i smiled as a result of it.

cheers.

hope your hearts are smiling tonight.

YOU ARE LOVED.
remember this.

The Air I Breathe.

2009-05-27T21:50:00.000-07:00

This air seems extremely thin when i try to sort it out.
This goes there, no wait, it goes there.
What am i trying to do?
What is it i am trying to accomplish?
i am leaning towards You to hear your heart beat
creating a song for me to live by...
i see clearer, hear sharper, and breathe.
as i breathe you in, i can breathe me out.

You are my inspiration.
Thank You for flooding my thoughts :).

Cheers for family.

Summer Cold?

2009-05-23T17:22:00.000-07:00

Ahhh breathe in the fresh summer air... well soon to be summer air... as of yesterday this breathing has been a tad difficult due to a summer cold, but tis all good b/c summer is here! Well the summer spirit is in the air.

Today Melwren and i hit up ikea kea kea kea and got to have an amazing conversation in the car ride. :)

While at ikea we both came to a conclusion, being in ikea feels like being in a computer. They have everything set up as if it was a screenshot and everything has labels. It's like you could roll the cursor over the the item and see all the information about it. An interesting feeling. Kind of strange.

[now scroll up back to the photographs... take some time to look at the pictures... it's kind of cool b/c everyone will have a different reaction. Check out the sweet grapefruit!!! Do you see the heart? :)]

to me they feel like summer days and summer nights :).
but anyways...

i can't wait to sit under the stars with the Lord. Have some peaceful times... relaxing... remember the scene from the Lion King when they look at the stars? i want to chill like that... those stars like glitter, given to us, we can look up and enjoy them... like little angel lights, makes me smile.

i love You.
phew, i'm exhausted.
cough.

latas beautiful people.

Bike to Richmond.

2009-05-21T14:17:00.001-07:00

i tink i meeeean back to RVA.

haha.

creation. beautiful. it's beautiful.

i love biking, laying in grass, looking at the sky.

yup.
enjoyable.

i enjoy cooking, going to melwren's room and picking on her, eating tacos, seeing loboynton, galaxy diner, random times, pushing daisies (the show).

yum.

ready to cook some din din!
perhaps i'll cook for you one day!

" ¹⁰ Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me."

[Psalm 51:10]

good stuff. yup. it's food for the soul!

Eyes.

2009-05-16T14:47:00.001-07:00

This past week has been quite an experience. It's insane how you can have some of the best bonding times in times of struggles. And it's so true. The Lord has taught me so much during this time of waiting and experiencing the death of a loved one. i never knew what it would be like to wait to hear when someone would die, or at least someone i grew up with. It's a weird feeling, because you know there may be pain, and so it becomes a weird subject. On Tuesday of last week i was hanging out with some of my RVA family. We were going through Target being goobers and my mom called me. i just thought she was responding to the text i had sent her, a simple "i love you." haha, my first thought is she was just calling me so she didn't have to text back, ;) she's still getting down texting! hehe love you! but she actually called on a more serious note. One that brought a little blurred vision due to tearing up kind of call. My mom told me that my grandma (sykes) had only a few days to live. At first i just thought i would stay in RVA until i was to go home for a funeral. Selfish. That's what i was being. And i'm going to tell you, the Lord quickly spoke to me through a couple of my random friends, as well as throug some of my friends i've known for a while. Go home carra, go home. And so on Wednesday i took the 3.5 hour drive down to my hometown Greensboro to be with family. Like i've written in the last blog, i only told my mom and my brother...

fast forward to Mother's day (sunday May 10, 2009). i would have to say that this was probably the best mother's day we have experienced in so many years. My family held this joy that grandma sykes would have talked about in her laughter talks (she used to go around to churches and talk about this). i got to hang out with my brother, i got to see a different side of his heart which i totally admire. i got to hang out with my dad, we didn't banter at all. i got to hug my mom like crazy and just love on my family.

Eyes. You really can tell a lot about someone by their eyes. My family has beautiful eyes. i really got to witness this this past week. The Lord really has shown me a bunch about my family, you'd think you would know by growing up for 21 years with them, but you really do learn new things day by day. On Tuesday, May 12 i got to hang out with my friend JP from lunch until late on Tuesday night. i got a sweet insight to some people he really loves. Around 10ish i kept getting messages from my mom and bro and something was up, my heart kind of dropped a little, in a sigh sort of way, wondering what was going on... JP drove me back to Greensboro. My rentals had gotten word that my grandma was not doing well, like the kind of not doing well, which meant she really didn't have long to live. My mom and dad sped over to the home where my grandma was and then Drew and i followed after i quickly got home. We were blessed by Amanda's, my friend and now Drew's gf, presence.

You can't really prepare yourself for what we witnessed. As we walked into the room, my grandmother was breathing fast and heavy. Her aged heart wasn't supposed to take/support this type of breathing. i love her so much. i really do. i just looked at her and just words of love and just from the heart were coming to me, prayers, prayers and prayers and love and just my heart. i looked into her eyes, those beautiful blue eyes, full of compassion, and now gazing straight ahead. i looked at her eyes and it made me wonder, i wondered if her eyes were stuck on the eyes of our Father. She was being called home and His gaze and her gaze were on each other. Over the time we were there my eyes shed tears. i'd say, pretty much every tear that fell was a different kind. There was saddness, there was joy of freedom, there was concern, there was compassion.

i looked at my dad and saw so much emotion. His eyes cared so much for his mother. It was a perspective that made me weep even more. And my mother, Jamie was like a mom to both my mom and dad. i've seen such an angel in her over these years taking care of grandma and visiting her. You know, keeping someone company even when they are leaving this world... means so much. Even when it's just sitting with them in silence, or encouraging them. It's amazing how the Lord blesses us through people. And Drew, i love my brother so much. We were there supporting each other. Tears came out, memories poured out, bonding, so much family bonding has happened in the past week. Thanks to the beautiful woman, Jamie Sykes. And i'm going to say it over and over again. Grandma, i love you. i love the life You have blessed us with. And it's really cool b/c today at the funeral the pastor said, "sister" and i realized, my grandma was my sister. And this made my heart smile.

At 12:07am Wednesday, May 13, 2009 Dad, Mom, Drew, Amanda, and I witnessed Jamie Sykes go home, where there is a freedom only she will know, until it is our time. It was something i never knew i would witness in life, it was hard, but it was beautiful at the same time. The peace in the room was overwhelming. i really felt His presence and comfort. As we left the room to let my dad have an alone time with his beautiful mother, i looked at the door. There hung a sign. A sign that had never had much meaning until now... the sign reads "Welcome, Jamie Sykes." This was a sign from the Lord letting me know, "your grandma got home safe and she's here with Me." My heart felt the comfort of the Lord. And i had a joyful moment knowing that grandma was dancing with the Lord. Beautiful.

There is only so much i can type out. The hearts here have seen a lot over the past week. There is much i have not written here, and that's okay, i just hope that this blog blesses your day. God i ask that this was not written in vain, i ask that it blesses those who read it... We have been put together as a family to support one another in love. Thank You Lord for sending me home. Thank You for this experience. And i raise my hat and heart to you grandma. God bless you. Thank you Lord.

Experienced.

2009-05-15T20:42:00.000-07:00

over the past week i have experienced a lot.
i've got stories to tell.
got stories to remember.
and tomorrow, it's a new day.
a day to celebrate the life of Jamie Sykes.
a day to celebrate the life the Lord has blessed us with.
a day to smile and laugh at memories, and perhaps cry.
a day to wipe away tears and remember the joy.
a day to remember a life is now free.
a day to say, "my grandma was wonderful, and i want you to know this."

i love my family. we sure have taken a journey this past week.
a journey i will remember.

God bless you :).

God bless the Ramsey family. Y'all are in my prayers and Ben keep being a strong son. Bless y'all so so much. My heart is with y'all.

as i end my stay in the boro, i want to go back to rva with what i've gained here these past few days. i love my family so much. i am blessed to have them, we have become a support team for each other. cheers Lord for my strong, unique, goober, and much muc more, family :)!

Sitting At Five Fourty One.

2009-05-08T14:41:00.000-07:00

i used to have this thing where i would put the time at the beginning and at the end of each journal writing i did... did this in Ireland all semester long. i would begin by writing the Irish time as well as the time back home so that i would know somewhat what my family would be up to... but yeah anyways haha.

As i sit on my couch and my feet placed nicely on the glass table in front of me my heart beats in a way i can feel it. i take a breath and here i am typing. Two days ago i drove back to Greensboro (the Boro) to be home with family. i had received a call from my mom that my grandma only had a few days to live, and even a "few" seemed like a generous number. The Lord spoke to me through a couple of people and so my journey began by leaving after a nice lunch with some of my RVA family. The drive home was it's usual pain-staking trying to stay awake drive, except this time i really felt the Lord's protection over my car, the drive was smooth, even if i felt super dooper tired. i had told my bro bro that i was coming home so someone knew i was on the road and then i told him he could tell the rents... my mom is awesome and didn't tell my dad so it would be a total surprise to him! (my grandmother is his mother)... i got home and she said the look on his face was great, i'd like to picture it as a subtitle as how his heart felt knowing i had come home for the family... but honestly i want to humble the situation. i want to give God all the GLORY! b/c really it was Him that got me out here...

Yesteray i experienced a new experience in life... one that i wouldn't want to put anyone through but one that taught me a lot through a really tough moment and moments. i told my mom that i really did need to see my grandma and she thought it was best. We left the house around 10:43 yesterday and headed to the place where my grandma lives. i was prepared, and talked to my heart before i entered... thinking, "oh, i wont cry..." and we all know that God has me in a crying season haha ;)... well here is how it all began:

The first word God gave me when i saw her little self was "beautiful." i couldn't stop thinking about how beautiful my grandmother was, at this moment... i give this all to the Lord because He gave me His eyes and heart for this time i was spending with my grandmother. "Beautiful." When most people would look and shutter at how weak and pitiful my grandma looked, God kept saying to me "look how beautiful she is." And of course what came next were tears that just kept falling... you try to turn off that faucet in order to bring yourself together but the tears just keep falling. Honestly it took me a while to get together enough to just speak to her without making her worried... my grandmother cannot speak, chew, or even really swallow now, but she can hear. And all i wanted to do was tell her how beautiful she is and how much the Lord has blessed me and my family with her life. Gah, she is so beautiful. i just sat there and looked into her eyes, telling her how much the Lord delights in her and i know she knew what i was saying... we kept our eyes on each other. She expressed a little through her eyebrows and there are some moments i'm going to keep to myself that i will forever cheerish. i am so blessed to have had come home to spend these hours with my grandma. i will never forget the moments we had, and i just pray, Lord, i pray for no pain. God for when there is pain in the night... JOY! comes in the morning!

Lord it's so exciting that she will be dancing with you and grandaddy soon! I LOVE YOU!

I LOVE YOU GRANDMA!
family is a blessing.
i'm really learning to cherrish the moments we are given.

if you have prayer requests for your family please send me an email. i want to pray for them/you :)

love.

five fifty nine

Imagine a Montage of a Year But...

2009-05-04T12:06:00.000-07:00

Not enough pictures to show it all... so basically i thought that this post would be dedicated to random photographs with beautiful people.

i went through my facebook pictures and was amazed at the memories of this past year flowing through my head to the point of excited exhaustion haha. i am amazed at how much we learn in a year... but even more so in an hour, a minute, a second. A DAY! ah it's crazy. and i'm thankful.
yup... oh yes, one more thing... these photographs you are about to view don't speak those 1000 words enough for the memories behind them as well as the memories that i'm not even posting or don't even have photographs to be the witness. praise the Lord for EVERYTHING.

Today is Wednesday. Sounds like a Wedding.

2009-04-29T11:04:00.001-07:00

I LOVE YOU.

One Thirty Eight. A Simple Smile.

2009-04-21T06:25:00.001-07:00

Yesterday the rain came down like there was no tomorrow. As if there had been a drought for like 10 years and then God let it rain, haha! Well, for once I actually decided to drive to school, but this was because 1. i had to go to kinkos, 2. it was pouring rain to the point of not being able to avoid getting soaked.

Before i get to the smile part of my blog i'd like to praise the Lord for putting my car in park!!! i had to reverse at some point in my trip and was at a stop light. The light turned green and i did what most people do at a green light, accelerated. But my engine reved and and i was confused... i looked down and i had been in park but just minutes before i had been in reverse! There was a car directly behind mine, so i would have been in a pretty bad wreck, caused by the one and only me. PRAISE THE LORD!!!

so... yesterday walking to class from the parking deck and there was a river puddle between stuffy's subs and the other building. i saw this guy walking towards me and i could tell we were both thinking about how to get around this... so i go left and find a smaller area of the river, and he follows but to his right. The conversation we had was just a smile and a simple laugh... but this really hit me in a poetic way... God gave us the ability to smile and laugh. Now bear with me for a second... imagine yourself going through your day and all of a sudden something just makes you smile BAM! there it is a smile bigger than your face! Now remember that feeling? The feeling of a true smile occuring all in one instance, and sometimes we don't even know why this smile occurs. i like to imagine these pure smiles as little presents from God. Something to mix up our day... something so simple, but with such a huge impact. i love smiling. i love that feeling... when i know it's a real smile :)! i have always described these as the ones you can feel your ears go up. It's a whole face kind of thing... your expression tells it all, without words.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SMILES.
gah, i love You!

(taking the shortest break in history to finish up the blog i started this morning... now back to the GO GO GO of end of the year final projects and printing my life away at kinkos sooooon)

oh yeah and just got the new meg and dia cd... it's so different...

The Love is Sealed Upon My Heart.

2009-04-14T15:21:00.000-07:00

i believe in love.
i believe in being broken in order to know love.
i believe in hope.
i believe in rescue.

i praise the Lord today for the light He gives me in my life.

i haven't been writing blogs lately because i have been super busy with many different things... EASTER! was celebrated this past weekend, as well as my 21st birthday, on the SAME DAY!!! Praise the Lord! What's cool is, Jesus is alive everyday... so Easter IS everyday! Haha, well kind of...

About a week and a half ago i got back from an amazing long weekend in Cocoa Beach, FLAH! i was blessed to meet amazing people. i was blessed to learn a lot about brokenness, which is a prayer of mine, because i want life to be real, prayers to be REAL, LOVE TO BE REAL... i learned a lot about who i am and who i am becoming. i was inspired. i was listened to, and listened to a lot all at the same time. i was encouraged by and hopefully encouraged those around me. My roomie was more than i could have asked for during MOVE09 the TWLOHA conference for training and learning. i really can't write down the whole experience because there was so much, which would overload the blogger system with so many words. If i could draw a picture of the weekend, i still think i would have a hard time expressing what the trip meant to me, and i'm sure my new friends feel the same. It was amazing, and we are all excited to continue on the inspiration from the weekend we experienced together. Jesus has given me a heart for the broken-hearted, the lonely, and really, a heart for people. i am blessed to have a mom and dad that supported me going on this experience adventure and i can't wait to do more for TWLOHA b/c TWLOHA has done so much for me. i am so stoked that the Lord brought To Write Love on Her Arms into my life. It's time to give back to the community, and i am willing and ready! i want to write a poem about my experience there, but that will have to come when it comes.

LOVE LOVE LOVED MOVE. Like i said, can't describe in words, but my roomie Lindsay did an amazing job in writing out the experience :)!

i appologize for not writing out everything like i had planned on doing. Time got the best of me and filled my days up with work for the end of the semester projects, as well as getting together everything the VCU chapter of TWLOHA needs to be approved. i hope we get approved for FALL 2009!!!

i am 21.
that's weird to write out, say, or even think about.
the fact that i made it to 21 is the most important thing.
not the being able to drink, or go to any shows that are 21+, or whatever comes with 21.
i am blessed to be here.
i am blessed to be a warrior.
i am blessed to be able to love on people.

it's a battle, life that is...

dad, if you are reading this, know i love you. know that no matter what we have to go through to learn how to love each other, i will still love you, and i am trying SO so so so hard. know you don't have to worry about me turning into someone who doesn't accept people, for i am not the judge, God is, and when it all gets down to things, past the human flesh of me, i am a lover of people, because that's what God does, and i want to love like Him, for we are His children. i am thankful, SO THANKFUL, for you and mom and drew... for without God putting you in my life, i wouldn't have gotten to where i am today, and where i am going. let us heal this relationship, because there is no point in leaving the broken pieces broken.

i love You, Lord.
i love you, family.
i love you, you reading this.

cheers.

Blog to Come...

2009-04-07T08:04:00.000-07:00

THE MOVE CONFERENCE WAS AWESOME and i will be following up with a bloggage as soon as i get some time to write it all out :)!!! LOVE LOVE

Ponder.

2009-03-31T18:39:00.001-07:00

(edit: i wrote this after making a stencil poster thing for my imaging class)

each cut i make in this stencil i pray goes to the good fight.
get the word out, get it out.
busy days bundle up, and taunt us.

potential present, potential pondering, potential.
all in, or all out.
i'd like to strive for all in kind of life.

i don't want to be offended!
You are my rescuer and know me dirty and clean.
when You come i want to be ready.

how does one get ready?
prepare me.
humble me, NOW. please.

[working on a poster project taking a short break to write some stuff down. blessed to be living with two of my sisters next year :), can't wait to jam on the guitar for the Lord like everyday and minute of free time! and keyboard, and uke, and harmonica!]

slay me Lord.

Meetings.

2009-03-29T08:52:00.000-07:00

The Lord blesses us with meeting people everyday.

Love pours out.
Let His love pour out.
Yes.

so stoked.

Place.

2009-03-25T06:25:00.000-07:00

FIRST I'D LIKE TO PRAISE THE LORD FOR HOUSING!!! HE ALWAYS PROVIDES! And it's not just a provision it's the BEST possible one! When we think we know, we have no idea haha ;). And when i say we i mean me hehe. Photographs will be posted eventually when everything settles down... moving around April 15th!!! :). Will miss the place and people i live with now but excited for the new adventure ahead...

"Though the strong could be My company, you're the one I choose" (bethany dillon lyric)

The Lord chooses the weak to lead the strong! So let us be weak for Him and we will be so strong with Him!!!

Child, you boast of how much you know.
let it go, let it go, let it go.

Breathe.

2009-03-18T19:31:00.000-07:00

i can breathe now.
and it's You that i breathed.

there is a dark spirit that tries to steal joy
but pure joy cannot be taken
for this joy is strong and made by a Lover.
and this Lover is perfect.
Lover of my soul drowns me in perfect love
and because Perfect Love casts out all fear.
fear dissolves like snow in water
we shall shout and declare Your name.
for today the enemy was defeated.
and i declare this in Your Name.

3.14

2009-03-14T18:38:00.001-07:00

i used to love math.

i still enjoy it on the occasion.

i in lowercase for this post. i want to feel small, because i am small.

Today is March 14th. Halfway through March you say! INDEED! It's insane! By the end of this month i have to have a completed poster for my imaging class, type work done, another archaeology exam (oh boy!), more illustrations, form/communication work (oh boy! again!), etc. i feel as if this month has passed by like a ship unnoticed. But that's okay. On April 2-5 i get the privilege to go to Cocoa, FLA for the MOVE 09 conference put on by TWLOHA. EXCITING.

March, march, the ants go marching? what? Nah, well maybe... but let's see... spring break 2009 was a blessing, as well as a superspeed revisiting and newly visiting things in life. Went to Greensboro and had an AMAZING TIME with the family. Gah, they are so wonderful!!! Miss 'em though. Then headed to HAVELOCK, NC to meet Melwren's fabulous grandma! She was so cute! And i got to go on a military base for the first time... i think... Then headed to RALEIGHwood and saw some old friends :), as well as got to meet Melwren's Aunt, Uncle and Cousin!!! They were fun and stuffed us full of yummy Italian! Got to see LO!!! and she was cute, per usual :)! And then headed back to RVA!!!

i enjoy it here. Today has been full of me working on homework and trying to focus myself for the rest of the semester. As i was doing work today i decided i would close the blinds as it got closer to six eventhough the light was still out... but then two mins later i hear yelling "GET DOWN NOW! NOW SIR! GET DOWN, LAY ON THE GROUND!!!" and i'm freaking out, because someone could shoot a gun... so as i frantically start praying i perk my ears up to hear what's going on... apparently two men were getting arrested outside of my window (thank the Lord i'm on the second story) but i was home alone at the time, which didn't make things any better... they waited outside for a really long time, i think they left around 7:50ish. Funny thing is, about 10 mins before the yelling occured i asked melissa if she wanted to get out of the house and hang out somewhere, we couldn't think of anything, although, i kind of wanted to go to short pump but didn't say anything, and then the chaos occured. i'm very thankful that there were no shots fired and that the police were out there for a long time!

phew.

what a day.

i also got to barely skype chat with my mum. hope that can be longer some other time!

cheers,
the wash.

Breathing and Sighing.

2009-03-12T12:30:00.000-07:00

I breathe in the air of Richmond today. I have been in two states today. Today. It feels nice to be back and sitting in the room I've known for almost a year. I still can't believe RVA has been called home for a while now. Right now it is kind of a cloudy day, both emotionally as well as physically outside. I'm trying to keep my head up and keep my eyes on the Lord, who provides ALL that I need.

Found out that TWLOHA got many many many applications and got an email saying that I would not be interning for them this summer b/c they had already chosen the people for summer 2009. I may be in denial but I still haven't heard the No-go from God. I still feel like there is a slight chance I will be working for TWLOHA this summer. Until I hear from the Lord, I am still going to be trying, I'm not one to give things up, unless the Lord tells me to... perhaps I will get an opportunity to work a little bit at Warped Tour and that's why the Lord has made it so I don't intern at Cocoa Beach. I'm praying that none of this is denial and that I am openning my hear to what God wants me to do this summer. I HAVE to do something this summer. Something productive. And I will... I just am waiting to see what that something is going to be.

NO MATTER WHAT, i WILL POUR OUT MY LOVE to those around me. If the Lord calls me to love people by working at a store this summer, i will lovingly and willingly pour out my love in these places. My living situation is up in the air as well. We are praying for a place to live and i am hoping to get one open by May First. Please Lord! i know You will provide!

I head to Cocoa, FLA in less than a month, in fact t-minus 21 days! I will be attending the MOVE09 conference with To Write Love on Her Arms. I am super stoked and I have a lot of designs to share with Jamie and/or other TWLOHA peeps. I am going to talk to them and right now i am preparing myself for this journey. Optimistic, i know my optimism can only come from one place, and this is from my Savior. Because I used to be way darker than i am today. I used to pour out pestimistic views or put on the mask of optimism. But now that i have seen the light and accepted it and yearn for it, i carry this optimism with me as much as i can!

I LOVE YOU LORD!

and i will continue to wait upon You and i want, with all my heart!!! to wait for You and to hear from You. And it is my prayer today that i will breathe You in and take what You want me to have for my summer, and the rest of my life!

Cheers!

(spring break blog later, this was just on my heart)

Always Perfect Timing.

2009-03-08T20:23:00.000-07:00

if you want to know why... ask me...

"When I Go Down"

I'll tell you flat out
It hurts so much to think of this
So from my thoughts I will exclude
The very thing that
I hate more than everything is
The way I'm powerless
To dictate my own moods

I've thrown away
So many things that could've been much more
And I just pray
My problems go away if they're ignored
But that's not the way it works
No that's not the way it works

When I go down
I go down hard
And I take everything I've learned
And teach myself some disregard
When I go down
It hurts to hit the bottom
And of the things that got me there
I think, if only I had fought them

If and when I can
Clear myself of this clouded mind
I'll watch myself settle down
Into a place where
Peace can search me out and find
That I'm so ready to be found

I've thrown away
The hope I had in friendships
I've thrown away
So many things that could have been much more
I've thrown away
The secret to find an end to this
And I just pray
My problems go away if they're ignored
But that's not the way it works
No that's not the way it works

Any control I thought I had just slips right through my hands
While my ever-present conscience shakes its head and reprimands me
Reprimands me
Then and there
I confess
I'll blame all this on my selfishness
Yet you love me
And that consumes me
And I'll stand up again
And do so willingly

You give me hope, and hope it gives me life
You touch my heavy heart, and when you do you make it light
As I exhale I hear your voice
And I answer you, though I hardly make a noise
And from my lips the words I choose to say
Seem pathetic, but it's fallen man's praise
Because I love you
Oh God, I love you
And life is now worth living
If only because of you
And when they say that I'm dead and gone
It won't be further from the truth

When I go down
I lift my eyes to you
I won't look very far
Cause you'll be there
With open arms
To lift me up again
To lift me up again

New Milk.

2009-03-03T15:22:00.000-08:00

(twloha website photograph)

Haha, so I am going to try to explain the title of this blog. Basically, this blog is long overdue which means the milk would be expired which means I need new milk. And THIS blog represents the NEW MILK.

Phew. Thanks to the Lord, I just finished my application for the TWLOHA Summer 2009 internship!!! AHHHHHHH EXCITEMENT AND HOPES AND PRAYERS! I still need to email them a portfolio so I am in the works of sewing one together from my work and such! I feel called to work with To Write Love on Her Arms this summer and I have to do it! I have had dreams at night about working with TWLOHA at warped tour but any kind of internship would be AMAZING!

TWLOHA

I haven't blogged in a while which is kind of sad. I have been out of the house for ages and pretty much stranded near campus because of the beautiful yet dangerous snowfallz! I have many friends who are getting sick/or just recovered so prayers for healing!!!

I think I'll write a spontanious poem because I don't really know how to sum up this week slash last week:

Your light is so powerful i can see it, even when i sleep.
Your light is so powerful i can hear it, even when the music is on max.
Your light is so powerful i can taste it, even when i am under water.
You drown me with Your love, and it's the most alive i ever feel.
Please don't stop, WAIT. i know you won't stop.
Cheers for all You do, You are the everlasting and the everpresent.

Romans Sounds Like Romance...

2009-02-22T10:12:00.000-08:00

Weekend oh how you sneak up on us and leave just as fast!

Friday I went to a Sheraton to sit on babies for about three point five hours... and oddly enough to memory lane, I had been here once or twice before... when I played soccer (pretty much my whole life) for a traveling team we would play many tournaments in VA, little did I know I would eventually live here in the state I would play soccer so many weekends... just a tangent last year we went to VA for like 5 weekends in a row to play against colleges here (when I played for Meredith College)... back to babysitting time...

little ones make me nervous b/c they are so delicate, I mean their tiny fingernails are too precious but I can't even begin to describe their beautiful faces and innocence... gah I LOVE THEM... but don't worry mom, I'm not planning on having my own just yet... Amelie is the little girl I ended up spending about two hours with... just telling her how beautiful she is and how God made her and just loving on her... it takes a lot to pour into a child, but it's so worth it, it's beautiful. Amelie didn't cry the WHOLE time I was with her and I thank God for this b/c I don't know what to do when they cry... the Lord really helped me through this babysitting time... He gave me Jessica to help with the babes... then we went to RIHOP and I was so tired, and then hit up some spending the night with mel and chelle.

reverse to the beginning of this weekend... plans were changed and buildups of the little things lead to a small breakdown on the phone with my mom... it felt good to cry, there were no particular reasons for crying... that I know of... I mean I at least know one thing, I am slightly homesick... but then on the other end of things...when I go home I get homesick for RVA... the best part of it all though is that my Lord, my God is EVERPRESENT! So this helps with the homesick times, and God, I appologize for the times I think more about my "homes" and get "homesick" when I don't turn to You, You are my home YOU ARE MY HOME! And You give me family! oh how you do. gah, man wow. love.

saturday consisted of me basically sleep-getting a lift from mel to hannah's house. I got there and became surprisingly awake for a bit of time. I cherish the times I get to spend with my sisters. Hannah and I don't really get to hang out much but when we do we get a chance to talk about good life things. We had a chance to talk about things I needed to ask and talk about as well as just giggle at how we are... we made a butt-load of pancakes, some with an occaisional chocolate chip but we had to be sparing b/c we were almost out of them... as well as a yummers egg. No butter needed! haha. We headed to Joni's house to cheer her up from being sick, what a cute kid. Reverse to Hannah's house... I actually fell asleep on the couch downstairs but thankfully Hannah forgot to take a picture of me! Haha. Got home and showered and cut some of my hair, kind of went at it... and then played a little bit, and then headed to short pump to get some jeans because all of my current ones were holy haha ;) no pun intended...

so I headed out there in a somewhat dreamlike time of driving, victoria guided me (gps)... one of my favorite things about shopping is talking to strangers and especially talking to the people that work at the stores... not where they ask how they can help us but just talking to them about anything other than work haha... so I went to urban outfitters where I had a card and just kind of looked around for a bit... there were so many kids around. I was in a sea of people and it felt kind of weird to be there alone, but I was looking at these kids and just wanting to pour out to them, which as I type now makes me want to more and more and more and MORE go to intern with To Write Love on Her Arms... the Lord calls me to reach out to the generations surrounding me as well as my generation... I was talking to my other friend Hannah on friday about self-injury and addictions and we talked about how we have so many people in our lives that have been into either and most of the time it is the least of obvious. People tend to hid things well, and what I love about the organization is that it's getting conversations buzzing about things that used to be taboo to talk about... this spirit that lingers over our world needs to BREAK! and it's only a matter of God's time :).

I was going to leave short pump to get some chinese food but then saw a sign for the food court there... I knew there had to be some sort of Asian food there so I took that risk... knowing that the Asian food could not top that of the local places in the fan...I sat by myself after talking to the people of Panda Express... I openned and wrote in my sketch book as I sat eating some lovely orange chicken. So many people walking past where I ate... I figured it would be a good time to read some Romans, and this is where the title comes into play... if you were wondering hahaha...

So I openned Romans and read some of the subtitles... I've been stuck on Romans 6 so much lately I thought I would check out another chapter of Romans... "Present Suffering and Future Glory" stuck out to me, I knew God wanted me to read this... so I read it... tried to read it slowly... the first little part was really really good (it all was but here):

" I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. ¹⁹ The creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. ²⁰ For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope ²¹ that] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God."

so that was really good haha...

³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

God searches our heart, He knows ALL that's there... and what's awesome AWESOME AWESOME... NOTHING CAN SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF GOD! as these days are coming and going I'm thankful that the Lord doesn't stop teaching me... we can never be bored with lessons from the Lord b/c there is always something new to learn.

much more on my mind at the moment but hard to put into words... thankful the Holy Spirit is here with me to intercede these moments of lack of knowing what to say and what to do... I think it's time I head out of my house and surround myself with my sisters... and contemplate more of what I was trying to get out perhaps... we shall see...

sorry for lack of pictures and extra words ;p

Friday The Not So Thirteenth.

2009-02-13T08:00:00.000-08:00

When I was younger I used to be afraid of Friday the Thirteenths... in fact the number thirteen even creeped me out. But this started to fade when I found out my mumsy was born on a Friday the Thirteenth blank years ago TODAY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMY! (haha, sometimes yah just gotta say it like that) And then the superstition completely faded when I gave my life to Christ. Why should a Friday that happens to fall on the thirteenth be scary? Now, movies like Freaky Friday and stuff those are nice and fun haha... but yeah cheers Jesus for wiping away the "Friday the Thirteenth" fear!

On this day I am rejoicing! My mom and her brother were born blank years ago haha ;) mah, yah ain't that old hehe!!! I LOVE YOU!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM and LAWSON!!!

Not only is today a great birthday but it is also TWLOHA DAY! So friends, today if you feel led, write the word "love" on your arms to support the love movement!!!

I'm just going to put this out here, God has really been putting people on my heart lately... the people who TWLOHA reaches out to... and the Lord has soften'd my heart and I just get emotional thinking and talking and praying about it all... I've always been the kid who crys rarely in front of people, and mostly while watching movies, but tears have been welling up lately when I'm thinking, praying, and just hoping for ALL THE CHAINS OF DEPRESSION AND DEATH TO BE BROKEN!

BREAK THE CHAINS. START THE FREEDOM. BRING THE LOVE. LOVE IS THE MOVEMENT.

Fort.

2009-02-11T18:16:00.000-08:00

So at the end of March and pretty much April I'm 99.9% sure I'm moving in with my sister Joni. She lives closer to campus which is pretty nice. I'm really stoked about moving in though... I can't wait to get to know her better and just experience a new experience. God is GREAT! He has provided me with shelter when the term shelter was up in the air for me... when I move in I am storing some stuff at a storage place just because this summer I don't think I'll have a place until later so I might as well store a lot of stuff now rather than waiting til the last min... so I will not have my bed at the house but, I think just for fun, for being a kid again I'm going to buy a 2 person tent to put up in my room and sleep in it, with Christmas lights and stuff... :) I really think this would be AWESOME!

yup.

A FORT UNDER THE STARS YOU LAY YOUR SMILE UPON ME, FOR I AM MADE IN YOUR IMAGE :)!

THE BATTLE IS ON... WE ARE WARRIORS WITH EVERLASTING ARMOR.

Ninja Turtle Bike

2009-02-10T13:21:00.000-08:00

VICTORY!

death couldn't bring you down! i'm very thankful for my housemates and them having the tools for me to fix Cleo (my bike)

cheers to the Lord b/c i wouldn't have had any idea how to fix the bike!!!

and there's new tape on her :)!!! not sure how i like the green but i'll have to live with it for now...

TWLOHA.COM

ARTBLOGGAGE

cheers :)!

Breathe the Air.

2009-02-08T12:43:00.001-08:00

There was so much of You in the room i couldn't even stand.
As i made my way to the floor i felt my body melt gracefully.
Breathe, breath, sigh.
i made it to my knees and words came out.
You let me yell into my hands and You called it a cry.
Vented, venting, sigh.
As i stood back up it took a second to get back together
Then i began to dance like a little kid.
Free, freedom, yes!

TODAY'S WEATHER IS BRILLERS!!! :)! I've been working on some of my imaging and have gotten on image done out of two due tomorrow. Hopefully I will finish before prayer tonight and then I'll be able to work on some of next week's work...

Let me just put this out there: I'M SO EXCITED FOR PRAYER TONIGHT! It's our first co-ed one since winter break!!! And I miss it so much!

like honey on my lips...

The Fort Under Stars.

2009-02-04T14:57:00.001-08:00

He built me a fort of more than sheets and old rickety chairs
and i played as joy filled my stomach.
things were different now but the good kind of change the kind
which makes you optimistic, always.
i sat as if i was floating safely up towards that place they call
the sky and i noticed something.
as if a gigantic bag of glitter was beautifully blown into the air
on this cold winter night.
He told me He counted each one carefully before they were
placed so aesthetically pleasing to our eyes.
but before the glittering sky, He painted me a portrait of a sky
glowing, as His sun lowered.
i became warm and content knowing that i was created by Him,
the one who provides it all.

One Twenty One

2009-02-02T07:34:00.000-08:00

121st bloggagge.

art blog: HERE

just a quick update on my hand!

I am very thankful that there was a little trip to the health center on wed. b/c they discovered that the hand was indeed infected and I needed antibiotics! Cheers to the Lord for giving me the thought to go to the nurse! So now I am on antibiotics and wrapping the "wound."

Soon I will update with a 'spoken' but typed word. I'm in the mood for poetry.

Starting to Heal.

2009-01-30T15:24:00.000-08:00

I can feel my hand getting a little better day by day, and my cold, I'm praying for that to leave swiftly.

Oh how the month of January has just seemed to fly by! Projects are starting to be due and every now and then there is a little bit of a warmer day. My car is fixed now! Praise the Lord!

Tomorrow my pops goes in for surgery on his knee. I will/am praying for you daddio. I've been there done that so I know it's a tough time. It'll be good though, perhaps we all learn something from it, things happen for a reason.

Right now I am listening to some Sufjan Stevens and really enjoying his music. I'm coughing every now and then but I have faith this will go away soon.

Biked to school today, which was nice, it had been a while due to freezing temperatures and all. Blessed to have a sister like Melwren who will take me everywhere. :)!

Tonight is RIHOP and I just pray pray pray for dancing and rejoicing of some sort! Even if I can't physically dance I pray that my heart will be dancing. :)

This is all around but it's all good.

Night loves,
Cheers,
peace in Him,
much much more,
Carra "The Wash"

right now I'm imagining some really great armor... and I like it.

War

2009-01-26T04:56:00.000-08:00

Some interesting stuff went on this weekend... but I've been slacking on my blog!!!

Short and some sweet about Sunday (yesterday):

Woke up with the Holy Spirit making me smile.
Went to a great service at Harvest Renewal Church.
Delivered Michelle's Christmas present (kinda late I know haha)
Got some work printed...
and then I think I started getting attacked a bit by the enemy b/c
Drove to the show (HOPE AT HAND) and my car window fell into the door and wont come out.
Some things happened to my sister Melissa.
Another thing happened at the show that I won't mention here

But then the fight was on at the show, b/c so many people were praying (fighting against the enemy) and Hope at Hand is a really exciting band! I got to pass out some TWLOHA fliers and smile at people... but then

I got home and went to get a snack, some whole wheat bagels, I put them in the small oven thing and then when I took one out my hand hit the top of the oven and burned part of my skin, sorry I'm not sparing the details...

and then I went to bed and had horrible dreams.

so PLEASE PLEASE pray against the enemy in Jesus' name.

LORD I AM YOURS.

FRIDAY FRIDAY

2009-01-23T14:00:00.000-08:00

Well today is Friday.

This means a couple of things. Well esp. today. Joni and I are going to Taekwondo at the Siegal Center tonight! And RIHOP tonight! Earlier today Joni and I hit up Walmart for some shopping of foods and that was sweet!!! I didn't know I would get anything but then I realized I did need to grocery shop!!!

It is a weird weekend as well... b/c a lot of lovely peeps are gone on a Leadership weekend retreat thingy... :( we'll miss 'em. But God has a ton in store for them while there! So it's all good!

Sunday is exciting!!! HOPE AT HAND a friend's band is playing and I'm really stoked to go b/c I haven't been to a show in a while, and I'm really praying for boldness to talk to kids there at the show... I'm taking some TWLOHA handouts to give people b/c they came in the mail yesterday!!! YAY...

I need to wake up b/c tonight is Taekwondo night and that means I need to be energized!!!

LOVE LOVE.
I can't write anything else right now.
Sorrys

5:07

2009-01-18T14:06:00.001-08:00

If you told me to put the guitar down would I do it?

I don't know... merbs. haha

contemplating some things that I'm not typing here... haha sorry!

Yes.

anddddd mango, melissa, music.

that's all I'm saying.
time to leave my house.

(it's currently 5:07 est.)

cheers!!!
:)!

TWLOHA.COM

(edit: i'm currently not playing guitar only talking about the moment i pick it up)

Hello Psalm 116.

2009-01-16T15:45:00.000-08:00

This is my 116th post so I'm posting Psalm 116.

1 I love the LORD, for he heard my voice;
he heard my cry for mercy.

2 Because he turned his ear to me,
I will call on him as long as I live.

3 The cords of death entangled me,
the anguish of the grave came over me;
I was overcome by distress and sorrow.

4 Then I called on the name of the LORD:
"LORD, save me!"

5 The LORD is gracious and righteous;
our God is full of compassion.

6 The LORD protects the unwary;
when I was brought low, he saved me.

7 Return to your rest, my soul,
for the LORD has been good to you.

8 For you, LORD, have delivered me from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling,

9 that I may walk before the LORD
in the land of the living.

10 I trusted in the LORD when I said,
"I am greatly afflicted";

11 in my alarm I said,
"Everyone is a liar."

12 What shall I return to the LORD
for all his goodness to me?

13 I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the LORD.

14 I will fulfill my vows to the LORD
in the presence of all his people.

15 Precious in the sight of the LORD
is the death of those faithful to him.

16 Truly I am your servant, LORD;
I am your servant, as was my mother before me;
you have loosed my bonds of affliction.

17 I will sacrifice a thank offering to you
and call on the name of the LORD.

18 I will fulfill my vows to the LORD
in the presence of all his people,

19 in the courts of the house of the LORD—
in your midst, Jerusalem.
Praise the LORD. (cheers to biblegateway.com)

(Psalm 116 TNIV)

Edit: I just re-read this and my 'tude for the day is just getting better and better... at first I had a somber attitude and I didn't know what was going on, something was keeping me down from being me, Carra, but then the number 116 put into the idea of checking out Psalm 116 which after reading this, the word of the Lord, makes me want to break the somber 'tude, break free!!!) I CAN'T WAIT TO HEAR/SING WORSHIP SONGS AT RIHOP TONIGHT!

ANOTHER EDIT! Today is 1/16/09... which means the number 116 is in the date... as is the number post this is as well as the psalm chosen! YAY

Yeah.

2009-01-15T19:32:00.000-08:00

I KINDA LOVE YOU A LOT.

cheers for the peace.
cheers for the energy.
cheers for making me want to sing loudly in my car.

will YOU be my valentine? tehehe.

it's cold.
ohs wells.

praying for nervousness to leave me b/c who needs to be nervous? nah

Today Today

2009-01-14T04:57:00.001-08:00

So I woke up this morning with the beautiful natural lighting of the sun and pulled myself out of bed but I am really excited for my imaging class this morning... the hard part is getting to school on a bike in this 28 degree weather... burrrrr.

I really like my Bible verse of the day today. That was a good start to my morning... and I think I'm going to have a tastey orange for break-a-fast. Yumsical!

This is short and sweet... hm like someone I know hahaha ;)

Peace in Him!!!

Oh yeah I forgot to mention, it's exciting that during my first ever GenEd class here Melwren is sitting next to me!!!

ARCHAEOLOGY! haha, waaaah?

First Step Into New Semester.

2009-01-10T14:08:00.000-08:00

I'm excited to take my first step into the new semester. I've got hopes of no papers for my Archeology class and I really want to work on my craftsmanship.

I'm super stoked to go to Harvest Renewal tomorrow and super stoked to love on VCU. Yay :)

SMILES ALL AROUND!

Got my books today. Hopefully no more will be needed!!!

Restful.

2009-01-09T14:24:00.000-08:00

(Photo by MelWren)

Hey. Hey, my name is Carra and I am excited to be back in RVA, the wonderful 804. (I breathe in here deeply and sigh)

It's weird I'll no longer be the New Kid on the Block, that Transfer girl, or the Girl wondering where the library is... haha. But what I'm excited about is deepening many different relationships I already have... mostly, I want to pursue the love of the Lord because loving the Lord makes loving EVERYONE a lot more natural and real. And I'm excited about this... what's not exciting about it, I mean seriously hehe!!! I can't wait to meet the new kids and see the people I already know!!!

Something I really enjoy watching on campus are the tours for the new students, and especially the transfer kid tours... because having a tour around campus is still so fresh in my mind for when I came here in June as a student who had been at Meredith College and now is a student at Virginia Commonwealth University. I do have to put this out there... I MISS my friends from Meredith Co...

Just putting that out there...

EXCITING THINGS THIS SEMESTER:

* Trying to start a TWLOHA chapter at VCU!
* Getting to see my brothers and sisters almost everyday!
* Prayer meetings!
* Harvest Church!
* New design classes!
* TWLOHA conference in the Spring
* Spontanious trips.
* Wawa
* GUITAR
* Worship songs!
* Looking at the stars
* Riding my bike in the cold!
* Chinese food/sleepovers
* Hopefully NO ALL-NIGHTERS!
* Praying and finding a house for next year!!!
* My birthday on EASTER!
* My friends birthdays!!!
* Painting
* Finishing Merry Violet.
* PHOTOGRAPHS!
* Film Photography

and it can keep going on and on and on...

TWLOHA.COM

Ambitious.

2009-01-08T19:46:00.000-08:00

YO.

Check out the new side salad blog HERE!

And while you're at it check out TWLOHA.COM

Back to the 804?

2009-01-05T15:57:00.000-08:00

Welp, winter break is coming to an end... although I still have about a week until the late night art runs and times begin...

Tomorrow I begin my journey back to that wonderful city called Richmond. I've missed you, you silly silly city! haha... well actually I've really missed the people AND the place... there are times of exploring in RVA that bring new roads of inspiration to my life and my art. Why I took to Richmond so quickly: Well, it took me in, and when I say it, I mean the amazing people that I've met so far and those I'm excited to meet... They accepted me a quick as I don't even know what... God's love was AND is so abundent there, through the people and the memories that have and are happening. I'm blessed to have moved there, and it was all kind of on a whim... but when I say on a whim, I really mean God wanted me there, He keeps me safe, looks after me, makes sure I'm full of joy and obediant at the same time.

And you know what? I love that. I love every second that I'm able to soak Him in and just get to know the little special things about RVA. Moving to Richmond has become a new path for me and has inspired me further to have the motivation to love others with the eyes of Christ. I've been pushed more and more to want to help out To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA). God is calling me to help. I'VE GOT TO, I JUST HAVE TO... it's something that I think about all the time, PEOPLE HAVE TO HEAR ABOUT HIS LOVE!

I had a friend last night ask me to tell them a little about my spiritual walk and stuff... I told her I'm so excited to talk to her about why I choose to be a certain way... we haven't talked yet, but she is hopefully coming up to RVA in the near future and I just pray that God gives me the words to say, because sometimes I have a hard time expressing through words... but maybe I don't... maybe I don't give God's confidence in me enough credit...

This break I've played guitar almost everyday. This passion for playing music has been stirred up and I'm excited to just continue it... I'm doing the drawing a day thing too... and hopefully soon I'll be finished with my uncle's book.

I can breath it in, I can feel it right now as I type these very letters, God's love is just bursting around me and stirring something up in my family. I may not know it now or even later, but I know something is going on... and I'm just going to leave this at, I've learned a lot about myself over this break. Well, everyday I learn more and more how to love people. Striving and striving to live and love like Jesus. It's a beautiful thing.

Be calm, Carra. Restful... "Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you." Psalm 116:7.

I will miss Greensboro. Mostly because my mom, dad, drew, and maia live here. Also, it's where I spent a ton of my life, and I get home-cooked meals. haha ;)... but really, I've truly had a blessed winter break, and could not have spent it any other way. Because I spent it this way, and that's how it was and how it's going to be! Thank you Jesus for teaching me what I've learned... and other things that I don't even realized I've learned.

I love my family.
I love my friends.
But most of all I love my Creator for bringing me where I am, and where I am going.

Cheers.

My Face Itches.

2009-01-02T21:57:00.001-08:00

Gotta love allergic reactions.

First Blog of 2009.

2009-01-01T14:41:00.001-08:00

Whenever the New Year rolls around I like to giggle at firsts of the year. Kind of like titling this blog "First Blog of 2009." See, it's fun to think of all the firsts of the new year.

First time I prayed in 2009, First dinner of 2009, first time I used the bathroom in 2009, first time I laughed in 2009, first time I danced in 2009, first singing of 2009... and the list just goes on... one on my list which would be said like this "first drawing of 2009," is part of a plan I have for 2009, in my art part of my life:

I've decided to create a second blog dedicated to drawing, sketching, etc at least once a day for all 365 days of 2009. I have decided to call this blog "Three Six Five Two Zero Zero Nine" and you can find it HERE!

A couple reasons I'm excited about this:

1. I've never really finished a sketch book, and I've been doing art since God created me!
2. I want to search more and more for artistic inspiration from the Lord.
3. Drawing is fun and should be done more often.
4. I'm tired of being lazy with my art and only doing school work.
5. 2009 is a new year and it's a new challenge.

I'm working on my uncle's children's book (illustrating) and I am putting down the line for me now... I must get it finished soon because I've been slacking. I'm excited at how it has turned out so far and am hoping to continue on working.

Throwing out an apology because I have used the word "I" a lot in this blog and it's kind of getting on my nerves. It's not about me, it's about Who created me.

Hey, love to everyone.

Cheers,
The Wash.

Sixteen.

2008-12-29T15:08:00.001-08:00

So maybe the title has nothing to do with this post. I just thought of the first thing that could be a title and it was the number sixteen. Go read Psalm 16, it's really good. Haha. No really though... it is!!! :) "Keep me safe my God, for in You i take refuge." That's the beginning. So maybe now the title has a little bit to do with this post.

I have finally arrived back to Greensboro for the first time in a couple of days... I went to Gastonia on Christmas morning and came back Saturday but as soon as I got home I turned around and headed to Southern Pines to visit some wonderful people. Ended up seeing some cuties (heather, morgan, kelly, and kristen). Heather ended up getting a ukulele for Christmas so I got to play it a little bit and we made a little song. It was just nice to soak in some time with friends and sturrrf.

Christmas was great. Although as my cousin Chandler (who is 15) wisely said "Christmas came and went so fast I don't know if I was spiritually ready for the holiday" and I totally agree with him. Christmas came and went so fast... and I had wanted to really just take the whole story in and just meditate on the Gift God gave the world. Jesus Christ. SAVIOR. Love. Lion AND Lamb. Beautiful... but I felt like I didn't thank God enough. And the ironic thing was it wasn't like I wanted presents or anything, in fact my mom literally had to squeeze present ideas out of me, it just came and went.

Christmas is a day chosen out of a year to celebrate Christ's life... but as I grow closer and closer to Jesus and learn more and more I almost feel like Christmas is everyday because I mean really the best gift we will ever ever ever ever get was born, and it's like a present everyday. And I just really pray that I look at my relationship with Him in that way, so beautiful, so so so beautiful.

This break I have learned some things... I realized I was being ugly to some people that are dear to my heart (my brother)... I wasn't reflecting Jesus at all in my attitude or actions... and when God pointed this out to me, I became ashamed at how I had been acting... but as this moment is healing I'm praying more and more that I will learn to look at things through Jesus' eyes... pure love for EVERYONE no matter what happens. This hit me hard because I have always wanted to love in the way Jesus does and I try so hard everday but I didn't even realize that I hadn't been loving, and this freaked me out. I thank the Lord for pointing this out because I don't ever want to be ugly like I had been acting. My Father and Creator is a forviging One and i have been forgiven and i'm so THANKFUL for this, and i can move on and learn from these mistakes... it has been a test for me but it's getting better and better day by day.

I'm sorry God for turning my back on You and not loving.
I'm Thankful that You forgive me for all that I do and have done wrong.
It's a beautiful thing.

Your Love is unfailing.
Cheers :)

Haha, Why?

2008-12-23T08:27:00.001-08:00

So last night after having an interesting day I went to sleep in part of my Bleeker (from Juno) costume. And then I woke up this morning and felt like putting on the headband that goes with it... so now I am sitting in my house contemplating watching Juno just because I feel like I'm in the mood haha to watch it...

I'm actually feeling quite artsy today so I'll probs work on some illustrations slash hopefully bundle up to go out and bike to get some exercise in... it's super dooper cold these days for Greensboro weather... or it seems that way...

And perhaps I'll make my way to Army/Navy because I kind of feel like going there... I don't even know why... haha

Cheers to the Lord :), well for... everything.

Smiles and Love,
Carra.this.is.not.a.letter.why.am.i.signing.it.

God Knew I Would Like These:

2008-12-21T07:36:00.000-08:00

Huskys a so cute!!! Cheers God for making them!!! :)

Finding Good in This Rush.

2008-12-20T11:44:00.000-08:00

So today I decided to venture out to do a little Christmas shopping... I'm going to state that this is not one of my favourite things to do, just because it's crazy busy and people are not in the best of moods...

Well at first, today, I was one of those grumpy grumpersons. I'm not sure what came over me, well I am but it shouldn't have happened. I drove to Friendly to perhaps get something for my mum, thinking it was a weekday... I get there and look for a space for about 15 mins... in my head I'm just wondering why I didn't just bike to Friendly or walk or something that doesn't require parking... I'm becoming impatient and kind of annoyed... and I listen to my thoughts, and I don't approve of these thoughts... but they just keep happening. So I call my mom and vent it out about how busy it is at Friendly and how I'm not going to ever return there today... haha a little over dramatic I do have to say... So I leave and decide to drive to Target...

I get there and I'm looking for a spot, somewhat I've calmed down, I think b/c I started listening to K-Love and some song I knew came on and I was able to relax...

I find a spot pretty far away, which doesn't bother me b/c I'm thankful for a spot in the parking lot... I get to target and I'm walking around... I just start to feel this urge to smile at people and be me, the hyper-friendly Carra who talks to everyone and anyone.

I ran into this cute old lady and turned and rubbed her arm and said "I'm sorry" and smiled at her... she returned me with the CUTEST smile ever and thanked me for appologizing... WOOSH... the negative part of my day was suddenly "wooshed" out of me... I couldn't stop smiling at people, probably creeping them out, but it's all good... I kept seeing beautiful babies and kids and just wanting to love on them so so so much. I ended up getting some presents for people as well as stuff for the Annual Kiser/Grimsley/Now We are in College Christmas party... we've been doing it for over 6 years... it's crazy.

So I left Target in good spirits and just started thinking about finding as much good out of the Christmas shopping season as I could as I was leaving. People were knodding and smiling at each other as well as letting people go by in their cars with a simple knod or smile so that we could take turns getting out of the parking lot... I'm going to work towards trying to find the good in situations. God blesses us with gifts every second, millisecond, minute, okay so He rules time so we can't really put a time to how often God gives us gifts but it's constant... His love is a gift to us... this love is one, the only one, that is EVERPRESENT, EVERLASTING, continues even when we are butts to Him, the world, and other times...

THE GIFT OF LOVE.

Jesus. Jesus was born. THANK YOU! man what what what a beautiful LIFE.

"Seek the Lord and his strength;
seek his presence continually!"
Psalm 105:4

Cucumber Water...

2008-12-19T16:44:00.000-08:00

This isn't my photograph... but I heard today that cucumbers in water make a great combination for anti-oxidents and just a refreshing taste!

So I'm drinking some right now... as well as just being in my house alone after a belly full of Harris Teeter sushi and the Christmas tree is on as well as "Scrubs."

I went to Goodwill today with my friend Lo. I chewed some gum. We laughed. Learned some stuff, and then I was super dooper tired.

"When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him."
Isaiah 59:19

Hey Love.

2008-12-18T22:50:00.000-08:00

Father, give me the strength. I can't do it on my own.

I want to love in Your image. A blameless, selfless, pure, genuine type of love. (a whole lot more is how You love, I just can't write it in words)

I love You.
I pray I give you my all.
EVERYTHING.

Cheers,
Carra

To Write (100TH Blogger POST!) on Her Arms.

2008-12-18T08:07:00.000-08:00

Haha, what a milestone.

So how are you supposed to open up your 100th blogger post? I have no idea! But I do know I haven't written in a while!!!

Today is Thursday and I'm in my dining room with my computer on a chair while a bend down to write this blog while wearing a very country outfit... I'm wearing a brown v-neck some jeans and brown cowgirl boots. And we can't forget the huge curly fro I'm sporting.

Tonight I get to go to Triad Stage, which is my favourite play venue. I get to see the play "Beautiful Star" which was written by locals and is getting national attention!!! It's exciting!!!

I bought a candle that smells like cinnamon apples and I light it whenever I play guitar in my room because it gives me a nice atmosphere. I'm excited b/c I'm starting to get down just playing whole songs, and this is just exciting!!! "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, Holy holy is He..." that's one of my favourite ones to play b/c it's such a beautiful sounding song!!!

Today I'm also going out to lunch with my friend Corinne!!! She is so cute! I'm going to bike and meet here at a local eating spot here in town. I haven't been able to ride Cleo in two whole days and this makes me sad, so I am determined to bike there today, haha. I talked to Mel last night and she said that she was going to bike around Gloucester today... wait? I didn't know her bike could fit in her car... weird.... I forgot to ask about that!!! haha

Perhaps I could have saved the 100th post for a 100 word post or 100 things I enjoy or 100 letters in random order... but since I haven't written in a while I just thought a normal blog would do... and I think it does b/c knowing me I probably will use another post do write 100 random things or something along those lines. A side note: I'm surprised I haven't run into more people at Harris Teeter, a few people in particular that I always see there when I come home for breaks... but those I'll keep anonymous.

It's good to be in North Carolina, although I am missing RVA a ton! It excites me that I have people that I miss there, little secret places that I miss, a room to miss... but then makes me miss them more by mentioning them so I'm going to stop hahaha.

This summer: I really REALL REALLY want to do an internship with To Write Love on Her Arms because I really feel like God has put it into my life for a reason. We'll all see where this goes!!!

I Like Cute.

2008-12-13T20:36:00.000-08:00

So here's the deal. I'm sitting here on my carpet in my home that I grew up in and my sister Melissa is cracking up about something I can't write about here on "tha bloggah." My sister Michelle is sitting on a "Cara" chair... that's what they are called, not even spelled like my name, I know it's crazy, right?! And she doesn't even know! Haha... wishing Jonsi could have made it, but it's all good in the hood. Really, I'm actually wearing a hoodie... that just so happens to have a hood!

I really enjoy the fact that we can all just sit in each others presence... which reminds me of another relationship that I have... hmm... God. Like just acknowledging that He is just chilling and knowing that He is there when you are in a room... just makes things comfortable... like for example we are just here and know that we are all in the room so we don't feel lonely right? So by knowing that God is in the room chilling with you when you feel lonely can totally take away that lonliness and I find that extra special... another special thing that God does, which He does way too much to even begin to breathe a blog about him even think a blog about Him... yes anyways I like what Lane had said about the small things being some of God's greatest gifts... it's soooooooooo true!!! I love when He points out things through my day that make me giggle or make my heart smile or just any thought that is clean and nice. yes... sigh. a good one, a good sigh...

Yesterday Laneyard came and so graciously fixed Cleo, my bike... she had a flat... it was rather sad!!! But it's all good b/c Lane has a way with bikes, he just knows them... or makes me think he knows them haha. Anyways bike shop in the future... :)

My brother... about Drew. I haven't really had the chance to see him even though I've been back since Thursday night. I'm waiting for some great Bro/Sis bonding time.

Today. Today was def. a God shining bright like the sun kind of day... well at least the first part!!! Mel took me and Michelle to the Grimsley parking lot to learn how do drive a stick shift, which apparently I'm pretty decent at, surpised by this, I totally am! We had such a great time just taking photographs, in fact, they were pretty cool!!! Some of the photographs were jumping ones, which are always super dooper cool... it was like we were being lifted up... we all need to be lifted up. Life brings us down sometimes but it's so comforting to know that no matter what God "pick(s) us up and turn us around and He PLACES OUR FEET ON SOLID GROUND," and solid ground sound like a great thing... a lot went on today. More than I can write. I'm learning more and more about playing guitar and learning to sing and stuff... I really feel an urge to just play play play and praise praise praise. I'm being encouraged, but I still hear the negative voices in the back of my head... I know these aren't mine so I try try try to take those away and think positively and just remind myself it's for the Lord, and yes.

As the day winds down, I got super tired and my mind couldn't focus on anything... it was really weird. I was asked what I was thinking about and I couldn't even figure that out! Oh well, I think this week is going to be brillers. I can't wait to take a day to ride my bike by myself and just take the time to soak some stuff in... This is really really really long... sorry. well I'm not b/c it's nice to write it out...

my mom is super cute b/c she got us gifts... this really reflected God b/c it's just like WHOA, there are presents on the couch... why are those there? That's a super surprise!!! He gives us stuff at the most unexpected times... it's like He always has a surprise party planned for us, but the surprise is never ruined!!! :)

that makes me smile. I like the winter time. I like the cold weather that just makes people nostalgic and want to warm each other up... it's cute. And I like cute things.

Oh, Hey Tiny Tree.

2008-12-09T18:01:00.000-08:00

This is the tree my friend Hannah made me today at campus prayer. :)

"HAPPY CHRISTMAS 'ARRY."
"HAPPY CHRISTMAS RON."

HAPPY CHRISTMAS SEASON!

(we were liking the little trees at Capital Ale House so we had to get our own) :)

He Grace(s) us with Children.

2008-12-08T12:30:00.000-08:00

(this is how i felt after this past week)

(i love moments like this)

(and moments like this)

(and this!!!)
(and this too!)

So yesterday was really really nice :). I got to go to church with Michelle and actually I've been able to see tha goober more and more these past few days, even if it doesn't seem like much time I think it's pretty cool... we drove to Harvest and parked and giggled on the way at a few things... as well as the night before there was a Tacky Christmas party at her house where more than a few times I got tickle attacked... which we all thought I was the one doing it the most but as these days approach I think people are poking my armpits more than I ever have! hahahah

Well then at church Mel came with the kids she was babysitting which let me tell you they are precious SO PRESH. I just want to pick them up and love them just keep loving them like crazy!

gahhhhh they are cute. I'm blessed b/c I got to spend some time with them which makes me so excited for when God blesses me with kids. But that time is not near hahah, I will be patient!!! I got to go see a cute movie, which I cried in b/c it was so cute!!!

This is a scattered blog but I'm just writing whateverrrrr...

Um I ate a burger, which it has been TWO YEARS since I've had one... my stomach seemed to handle it well!!! And it was pretty tastey! Yums.

Had breakfast for din dins, anddddd then went to prayer where we pulled up Melissa via skype chat... which was super cool b/c God blessed us with her guitar playing... perhaps one day I will be able to fill in when Mel can't make it to prayer... I pray that He blesses me with music playing so I can just keep praising Him in the music form... I feel a little bit of a calling for that but it's one of those things that I just have to keep praying for boldness because when we aren't naturally good at something it's easy to just stop and go for something we are naturally good at... all my friends here that play instruments inspire me... I loiyke (british accent) to watch michelle play the djembe (spelling?) and Melwren play guitar with passion and Joni is so great at teaching me chords and and and Johnny's voice, I really enjoy it... and Hannah G's voice during worship and and Alana, the way she sings for Him is encouraging and makes me just want to sing sing sing sing and Jennifer her voice is so cute, and anddddd Alicia I want to hear her play her violin anddd I want to hear more of Sara's voice, b/c God has placed her in the Music department now and Bible, I love when she plays the keyboard and man just everyone in fact I'm just going to go ahead and say EVERYONE here inspires me to want to play guitar more and more and practicing singing and worship!

PS: ahhhhh HOW COULD I FORGET PATRICK?! I love when he sings when Mel is playing guitar!!!! cheers mel for pointing that out!

man i love being blessed with living in RVA.

cheers God.
xoxo Carra

Become Clean Again.

2008-12-06T11:09:00.000-08:00

So... this week consisted of lack of sleep and a surplus of staying up to do work... but it also consisted of a lot of encouragement from the Holy Spirit.

And I'm leaving it at that with some photographs to just be this bloggage... and I want to thank the Lord for His EVERLASTING LOVE FOR US!

(Holy Spirit bring joy to N.K.) Cheers.

Busy Busy.

2008-12-02T11:47:00.000-08:00

I'm busy but I don't feel rushed. I've got two major projects due tomorrow and I'm only half-way done with both... but I feel like it's okay and I'll get them done. Thanks God for keeping me calm!!! :) Today I got to share my block city project with the class... there were only 6 out of 54 chosen to show what we had... I explained how I see things as patterns rather than exactly what they actually are and my prof actually really enjoyed my project... he said it had a sense of optimism, which I really want to be a part of the characteristics of my art. I love being optimistic because I know that God will provide all so why not be positive? Right on Jesus!

Last night I stayed up til 3 finishing up my city sketches that I needed to get done for Methods and Processes... thanks be to Him that I have a wonderful sister that came over and spent the night which helped me stay up and finish my work... people are so cute when they fall asleep. So peaceful and at rest, chillen with God in a field of grass, beautiful. Man, I'm super blessed to be surrounded by beautiful souls here... God has cleaned us and made us pure, and we have become beautiful because He makes us that way!!! So brillers :)

Right now I'm sitting in Temple waiting for my history class to start... it starts at 3:30... I'm hoping it will be enjoyable today. I lost my helmet for a good 15 mins in the library... I looked down when I was in student commons and realized that I was missing something, then I pushed my brain to remember where I left it... right by all the magazines in the brary! what a goober, that I am. I feel calm... although my eye is constantly twitching. I want to see twilight again... I'm making a trip to short pump soon to switch out my charger and perhaps get a winter coat... I'm still rocking my favourite hoodie, "Rescue," my To Write Love on Her Arms hoodie that is really thin and not warm at all! haha.

Thanks to my mom I have some Pumpkin Spice Coffee that I drank with Melwren last night after a beautiful night at Chi Alpha worship at the commonwealth chapel, it was pretty dank :) in a good way if you know what I mean, jellybean, teen, queen. ENOUGH! Love :)

Back to ARE VEE AYY Tomorrow.

2008-11-29T14:48:00.000-08:00

So, I'm stoked because tonight I get to hang out with my bro bro!!! I'm hoping I'll get a ton of work done now and after dinner before he gets back form work. And then tomorrow I get to drive three.five hours... hopefully just three hours back to RVA. and and and I GET TO SEE MELWREN! yay. And then Jonsi and Michelle at prayer, hopefully. Prayers for Joni and her family b/c of the loss of her Gramps.

THIS HEART IT BEATS, BEATS FOR ONLY YOU! MY HEART IS YOURSSS!

listening to Paramore live, "The Final Riot." My broski let me listen to it! I've got a ton of work in the days ahead of me, but that's okay b/c I've got Godspeed! haha ;)

Two Books, A City, A pop-up, History of VisCom exam, Two Vinyl Covers. PHEW... I'm going to be exhausted... but It'll get done!

Peace in Him.

Oh yeah we got our Christmas tree, lights up on our house, made pumpkin pie, had Thanksgiving dinner, going to have turkey again tonight for din din!!! Played guitar, read some magazines, took lots of goggle pictures and still working on that!!! LOVE LOVE.

Sitting in My Room.

2008-11-28T15:53:00.000-08:00

(think i'm going to see twilight tonight or something)

So it has been about four months since I could actually sit in my room in Greensboro. I haven't been back since school started in August. This is the house I grew up in, from age 1 to now... It's interesting because I sit here and memories just start floating back into my head... I think of all the times I've laughed, cried, and danced in my room. Man, I used to be so afraid of the dark. In the corner I used to have a night light that would stay on all night to protect me from the dark. Now, when darkness comes I'm so blessed because I have the Lord as a light on my path in life. I may still fear the actual dark... but I'm learning more and more not to be afraid because I have the greatest protector of all... I never want to lose the light. "Keep me where the light is..." (John Mayer song quote thingy)

I'm so thankful I have come so far from where I used to be... I'm going to leave it as that because you can ask me about my life face to face and I'll tell you.

I am romanced by my relationship with Jesus, and I never want to stop feeling this way about Him. I pray that I keep running after Him with his open arms. No matter what I do, and I know I often fail, Jesus still has his arms open wide for me to come back...

seriously. if you want to ask me about it I want to talk to you about it.

love.

Sleepy. This is not a Mac. haha

2008-11-27T14:37:00.000-08:00

(parent's photo stash: drawing from second semester freshman year MC)

So I keep trying to do command keys on my parent's Dell and it's so confusing hahaha. Anyways! I'm at my Grandma's house in Gastonia, INN SEA and I'm super stoked and blessed to have a fabulous dinner ahead of me!!! My cousins are heading over in a bit and my Uncle just arrived about 20 mins ago! I have missed my puppy Maia and I've been playing with her all day as well as crocheting a hat... but it seems to be a little too small... but I'm just going to keep on keeping on ahhaaha!!!

I've also been playing some gee-tar and this made me miss Mel and Jonsi.

And my pink hat that I'm making made me think of Michelle's gloves.

I miss my family from RVA... but I'll hopefully see some of them either Sunday or Monday!

I'M SO THANKFUL!!! THANKS BE TO THE LORD!

Welcome Cleo, and Welcome Doughnuts :)

2008-11-25T15:34:00.000-08:00

So as for the Lord shining through friends these days... HE HAS BEEN AMAZING! (always amazing but super dooper obvious lately)

This weekend I got to spend time with Lane. It was a great time to try to catch up, but it has really been a long time since we actually got to hang out face to face, so I can't wait to catch up even more over winter break... anyways... the ways the Lord shined and are shining though Lane... Lane built an amazing fixed gear bike for me, customized down to the colour! (PURPLE)! God has blessed Lane with the talent of bike-building and I am really excited to see where this talent goes from here! Thank you God for Lane's kindness, patience with teaching, and open-ness. I pray that this continues!! :)

Last night as I was drifting off to sleep due to lack of energy and sickness I got a phone call from Melissahh. I was happy she called but sad because I thought I wouldn't see her until after break... and the phone call was kind of sad b/c I was tired and not that energetic. (Ringtone was the rocket summer)... Then I went on the computer and got another phone call from Melwren. She was like "we are having a potluck in class tomorrow and I'm bringing doughnuts." Well this flew right over my head and didn't even phase me as strange... who brings doughnuts to a potluck? Hahha (side note... I slightly remember craving a doughnut the other day and telling melwren about it... but I'm not 100% sure...) I just thought it was for her art class so she asked "what kind would you bring?" and I was like "cruelers are pretty good, but I'm not sure what people would like." She said, "what kind do you like?" And I replied "well I really like those chocolate cruelers, they are tastey." And in my head I'm thinking it's totally normal for Mel to ask me about my fav kind of doughnut.

Then I got into Carra shut-down mode because I was tired and sick. I hear a knock on the door downstairs but I just figure it's a neighbor. Then I hear footsteps on the stairs and I'm thinking okay, Nicole is going to need me for something... a knock on my door! Ahhh, I'm already in my pj's and I'm always so awkward hahah, so I head to the door and Nicole says, "you have some friends here to see you." And I was puzzled... so I wrapped myself in a blanket and headed down the stairs awkwardly... as well as giggle gigglersonly... And I see two amazing sisters, MELISSA! AND MICHELLE! They came to visit me in my state of sickness!!! I was so confused, but like so so so thankful!!! No one really has ever done this for me, so I had no idea how to react! It was a visit Gift from God!!! My spirits were lifted and my heart smiled... it was such a quick change to my spirits, my body didn't have time to react in the way my heart was! They came up to my room with specially made doughnuts and a can of canada dry :)... man I'm blessed. Not only did they bring actual gifts but EVEN BETTER!!! they brough PRAYER and FELLOWSHIP!!! They prayed for healing of this sickness (which is def. the enemy attacking my energy), we prayed for our sisters, our Thanksgiving, and whatever was spoken to us through the Holy Spirit. It was such a beautiful night... I then felt so lifted up and had to give Him all the praise!!! HE IS SO GOOD!!! Our God is a HEALING GOD!

After the amazing lifting up I went and read some verses and just had some quiet listening time. That was followed by the long long long bloggage beneath this one haha, Carra why would you blog after a quiet time? B/c! There was so much spoken to me I had to blog it down! Or felt led to blog it... yes. so here are two lengthy bloggages. Sorry ready readersons!

"My Art Class is Having a Breakfast Potlock"

2008-11-24T20:30:00.000-08:00

"Start children off on the way they should go,
and even when they are old they will not turn from it.
The rich over the poor,
and the borrower is slave to the lender.
Those who sow injustice reap calamity,
and the rod they wield in fury will be broken.
The GENEROUS will themselves be BLESSED,
for they share their food with the poor.
DRIVE OUT THE MOCKER, and out goes
strife; quarrels and insults are ENDED!
One who loves a PURE HEART and who speaks with GRACE
will have the King for a friend.
The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge, but he frustrates
the words of the unfaithful.
The sluggard says, 'There's a lion outside! I'll be killed in the public square!.'"
Proverbs 22: 6-13

"Place me like a seal over your heart,
like a seal on your arm;
for love is as strong as death,
its jealousy unyielding as the grave.
It burns like blazing fire,
like a mighty flame.
Many waters cannot quench love;
rivers cannot sweep it away."
Song of Solomon 8:6-7

"You who dwell in the gardens
with friends in attendance,
let me hear your voice!"
Song of Solomon 8:13

"My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this:
Everyone should be quick to listen,
slow to speak and slow to become angry,
because our anger does not produce the righteousness
that God DESIRES.
James 1: 19-20

Father thank you for my sisters :) my brothers :)

"Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray.
Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of PRAISE. Is anyone among
you SICK? Le them call the elders of the church to pray over them
and anoint them with oil in the NAME OF THE LORD.
And the prayer offered in faith will make them well;
The Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be
forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray
for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a
righteous person is powerful and effective."
James 5: 13-16

It's Thanksgiving time and I am giving all of my Thanks to the Lord who has given me ALL.
Thank You God for my family. (blood and those in Christ)
Thank You God for my giving friends and for them praying for me.
Thank You God for surprises, you are never boring :) ;)
Thank You God for sending your love through people, for I know it's from You!!

"Move, move your feet
Dance before the Lord
On to the Promised Land
On to your reward, sing

Lead, Lord, with unfailing love
Those that You have ransomed
And we will sing out as we go on
Our God is faithful
Our God is faithful

Our enemies are at the bottom of the sea, our enemies
Our enemies are at the bottom of the sea, our enemies"
(bethany dillon)

encouraged.

Oh So Tired.

2008-11-24T11:42:00.000-08:00

I really want to write bout this weekend and awesome times. But I am oh so, oh so very tired. I do have to say I'm going to miss my sisters when I head to Greensboro for Thanksgiving break. MAN. I'm going to miss them like crazy!!!

k well time to go b/c i'm nodding of writing this. or typing or whatever.

more to come when i wake up

It's Snowing. But Not in Richmond.

2008-11-21T08:00:00.000-08:00

I MISS THIS. My house... I GET TO SEE IT IN LESS THAN A WEEK!!! YAY GREENSBORO!!!

My mom sent me this and and and... it snowed there today. I want to see some snow!

hug'd

Give it ALL.

2008-11-21T05:00:00.001-08:00

My heart is YOURS!!!

This heart it beats, beats for only YOU.

These are my prayers.

Cheers.

LLLLL AY!

2008-11-20T06:44:00.000-08:00

Is not where I'm headed but this photo is like a movie so I decided to title my bloggage in that form... Today is Thursday which means a couple of things... TOMORROW IS FRIDAY, TONIGHT IS IV, and I have a boat ton of work to do... DANG! But that's okay because it will get done and honestly I'm not too worried about it... I'm feeling at peace because I know God will provide. NEXT WEEK IS THANKSGIVING! And boy do I tell you, I'm super thankful for so so so so SOOOOO much.

Last night I spent the night at Melwrens after an amazing FAMILY dinner!!! :) It was tastey and there were good convos... the way it should be! And I can't wait til we do that again! I really hope I get to go to RIHOP tomorrow, but that's only if we don't have a party for my housemate... or if I leave at 945 to go to RIHOP. Saturday is going to be an adventure! GET HYPE!

peace.

FREEZING in the Art Building.

2008-11-19T09:44:00.000-08:00

My hands are asking me to stop typing but I kind of wanted to blog so mind over matter? Is that what they say? I don't even know!!! Today I presented my project to my imaging class and I think it went well... I didn't get as many giggles as I had hoped for but whatevs!

This weekend slash end of the week is filled with SO MANY EVENTS!

1. Tonight!!! Dinner with my loves. My sisters. My wing-women!!! slash a bunch of drawing homework slash a spend the night slash a leave kind of early in the morning? question mark!
2. Thursday!!! tons and tons of book design work slash pop-up creating work andddd IV. And then straight home to work work work!
3. Friday, SOMETHING FOR MY HOUSEMATE... I think! A celebration! Slash hopefully RIHOP squeezed in there!!!
4. SATURDAY!!! Lane is coming!!! And I think my family here is trying to do something fun saturday night!!!
5. SUNDAY! harvest!!! YAY!

man... so much so much so much!

xoxo
sykeskid.
yo.

Life in Technicolor.

2008-11-17T17:27:00.000-08:00

Just got "Viva la Vida."

a. Listening to Coldplay slash cutting stuff and making boxes for methods and processes.
b. Haven't signed up for classes b/c they are still looking at my transfer credits.
c. Stoked about the new ride.
d. THANKFUL FOR SO MUCH, which is good b/c T-giving is around the corner.
e. Had another successful ramen experimental din din.
f. Praise for a 96% healthy feeling throat!
g. YAY YAY YAY.

I don't know why I ended at g... probs b/c I can't really think of anything to write.

hi melwren. i'm a poser.
cheers family :) come together!

You are Romantic.

2008-11-16T21:00:00.000-08:00

And I said,
"Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone.
I'll be waiting; all there's left to do is run.
You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess
It's a love story - baby just say 'Yes.'

Romeo save me - they're tryin' to tell me how to feel;
This love is difficult, but it's real.
Don't be afraid; we'll make it out of this mess.
It's a life story - baby just say "Yes.'"

(taylor swift lyrics: don't judge me haha)

God, I want YOUR love story. Stir my affection. :)

Praise to You... and thank You for being present at all times. and thank You for my sisters, FOR REAL, Father, cheers. High five! Hug'd. Thank You for being my support, my rock my One and only.

you make me blush. and I'm blessed.

Falling Asleep at the Metro Metro.

2008-11-15T12:53:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I embarked on an adventure with my lovely sister Melissa! With open hearts, we headed to Washington, D.C. to hear Jamie, from To Write Love On Her Arms, talk and Joshua Moore sing. Here is the short story version of the day:

I went to my design technology class and worked on learning how to fold paper in a certain way. This was all taught to me through YouTube paper folding videos. Then when in class my friend William popped by to say hello because he happened to be in the Gdes section of Pollak art building. Then I left after class and drove over to Melissa's apartment.

Melissa and I went to this little shop that sells bikes from craigslist. We were hoping to get her bike there that she wanted from the list of craigs. And so we walked and laughed there together... the bike was sketch-a-letch so she decided it wasn't for her and stuff... so then we went back to her apartment laughed with Allison and peaced out!

We got on the highway and started randomly listening to songs. Our conversation went everywhere, from the seriousness to the laughter-filled lets geeeeggeeegeee make fun of each other... in the loving and I'm picking on you b/c I care way. :) We stopped at Burger King where we ate some foods and drank some Black Gold, which was delicious if I may say so myself!!! Then we drove on to the Metro Station that is just outside DC and the closest on to Richmond. From there we parked and got on the Metro.

HEHE. We looked at the map with confidence b/c it's a map and tells you where to go... but... we kind of road for an extra bit or two and then laughed b/c we had to turn around and go back! But that's okay b/c we got some cool photographs out of the wrong direction-ness. We got to D.C. and it was getting pretty dark so we recorded some video footage and then went to a gift shop to ask where Ebenezer's Coffee Shop was located... apparently there are streets that are named after letters!!! It's located at 201 F Street. HAHA! Melwren and I were like, WHAT IS THIS!? After walking and seeing some of the monuments in super speed style we called my bro and asked him for directions on how to get to the coffee shop...

Then we walked for a really long time. WALK walk walk walked walky walkerson... and met some mean people and met some nice people and then finally finally finally!!! We made it to the shop!!! I got an apple soda, as well as Melissa did too'd and it was tastey. We also got a peanutbutter cookie. YUM! And Jamie walked in and I was like "cool there's Jamie" and Mel said i was being a creeper... which i was hahah...

The show was grand, Josh's voice is beautiful. Jamie's talk was nice. And I got to talk to both of them which was super cool!!!

Now I just have to write Jamie a letter to ask if I can v-teer with them...

I can't write anymore.
LOVE LOVE LOVE.

Thank you Holy Spirit for keeping us safe on our travels and yay God and yeah!
xoxo
Sykeskid.

Find Peace Again.

2008-11-13T19:43:00.001-08:00

All of my hope.
All of my strength.
ALL OF MY DELIGHT.
is in You LORD.

thank you God for FAMILY. The family you give me. SISTERS. BROTHERS. You sent your ONLY SON to DIE... to set me. ME. FREE! MY SISTERS ARE FREE. IN YOU AND ONLY YOU...MY BROTHERS ARE FREE. IN YOU AND ONLY YOU. I AM FREE IN YOU!. yes. YES! YAY!

humility.
sight.
praise.
love.
pure hearts.

pure hearts souls bodies minds.
thank you for GIFTS. the gift of LIFE.
"You are all I want, You are all I need, EVERYTHING MY HEART COULD HOPE FOR."

Cheers. Peace in Him.

2 Blogs in 1 Day Deal?

2008-11-12T06:49:00.000-08:00

Part of my inspiration for my Aviator Goggle Project. I saw this about a year and a half ago and it was so cool b/c when I was in Berlin I actually got to see them posted up on walls!!!

FACE2FACE Project.

Come on and Rise Up Generation!

2008-11-12T05:14:00.000-08:00

(not my photo: usually though)

"I hear a voice calling out
I hear a voice in this wilderness
Where darkness has reigned for so long
Ground is being taken

The trumpet sounds
And Your glory touches the ground
And we all stand in awe
Who is this?
This glory far beyond us
I hear a voice

I hear a drum beating
heaven's drawing near
The sky will open
Your people are being healed
I hear a voice

[chorus:]
Heaven's battle cry
Rise
See the sun light what was hidden
Heaven's heart beat
See is moving
What was a whisper is now
A voice calling out

I see a generation rising up
No longer accepting lies
Running to the battlefield
And losing their lives

I see a generation rising up
No longer accepting lies
As a band of worshipers run to the battlefield
They're finding their lives
I hear a voice"

Bethany Dillon.

Bout to head to my Imaging class... and then back home'd.
biking biking YAY!

Come Like The Wind. Come Like Rain. Come Like a Lion.

2008-11-11T20:56:00.000-08:00

Today was a very interesting day... for me at least. It all started out with finishing up on some Jr. League design work and then contemplating cleaning my room... which has yet to be done but will be done between classes tomorrow haha... ANYWAYS... after I left my house this morning, I headed to campus to pick up some ladies in my class so we could head to the Canal Walk downtown... as we arrived downtown CRUSHCRUSHCRUSH by Paramore came on the radio and BAM an image of my sisters Melissa and Michelle came into my head... b/c they made a music video a while back... and so I started rocking out and so did my car full of Graphic Design kids!!! HAHA... yes.

So we walked the Canal Walk as part of a field trip for our METHODS AND PROCESSES class. I took tons of photographs and drew a little bit. The lighting wasn't ideal for beautiful photography but it was an ideal day... kind of :)... while walking we spotted three people, who looked important, wearing wetsuits and carrying metal detectors... they were searching in the canal for evidence... pretty intense I tell yah! That's Richmond for you! I then walked to the train station with my friend Brian and we took more photographs of buildings and whatever we could find to take a photo of and then we headed back and I got some pizza from this joint down there as well as "Orange Dream" some creamsicle flavoured soda!!!

After Shockoe Bottom I headed back to school and met some peeps in the brary... those peeps meaning Melissa and Jonsi. I snuck up on them while they were watching a video... but it seemed important so I decided it would be good to awkwardly stand behind them... then I had history... and then I drove to Carytown... basically for no reason. Then I got a text from my sister MelWren and it made my heart smile... COME TO SHAFER! I was stoked right?! YEAH!... b/c all I was going to do after Carytown was go home and do nothing but work or something like that so that was nice to be invited!!!

So I went and ate a substantial amount of foods and got to be with my loves. Then I went to Every Nation Campus Ministry (not sure if that's right) at HARVEST!!! :). Totally welcomed at first breath and smile as I walked in and just sang and praised God and the Holy Spirit. I smiled a lot. and and and it's cool b/c a lion was brought up again and and and for me this is a significant thing in my life so it was really neat to hear Courtney talk about a lion and God as a lion. MAN HE IS BEAUTIFUL. phew. haha!

yes. LOVE YOU.

I've Got a Room That Wont Clean Itself.

2008-11-10T15:41:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting here in a messy room.
I should go get a mop and broom.
But ney, I must not clean it now
I've got to design for a Jr. League Pow-wow.

I love my sisters.
I love my brothers.
Let's build a fort under the stars.
And sing and shout for He is pure.

Weak for You, STRONG THROUGH YOU!

2008-11-09T13:43:00.000-08:00

SUPER SWEET DAY!

God's love is just shooting down in the form of sunshine and beautiful friendships!!! :)

I'm stoked about many things :)!!!
I'm not really going to make a list of it b/c they are all in my heart and yay!

It's def. going to be a filled week but I'm excited!!! I have many design projects for both school and people I told I would do some work for... all I have to say is GODSPEED!!! :) I get to see my family soon!!! Well, kind of!!!

I haven't been to my house since August so this should be nice to smell it again! I miss the smell of my house... well actually it's interesting b/c you don't realize your house has a smell until you begin to miss it and you get the chance to go back and have that smell remembered again!

This past Friday was pretty ROCKING AT RIHOP! I made a spoken mistake after a great night of dancing with God...but that patch is getting healed and I'm blessed to have that healing. THIS FRIDAY IS EXCITING. THIS THURSDAY AND WED. ARE EXCITING!!!

work work work.
I'm off to a show downtown for THE RICHMOND SCENE DOT COM.
peace.
Thanks be to You.

Pondering Pop-Up Book Design.

2008-11-07T07:15:00.000-08:00

THANK YOU!

Yesterday I drew a lion. I'm refining it. I'm excited b/c I want to paint a hug painting soon. I LOVE SUNSETS. It's like God shining a spotlight on everyone in the world, saying "you are special to me." "You are in my spotlight!"

yay.
I'm in my class right now... I got to ride my bike to school today which I hadn't had the chance in about 3 days!a ;sldjkfsd;lk. It has been an uplifting day, in the sense that I got to get some endorphins running and pumping!

Heading to Maymont after school... I've never been but I feel like it's going to be a great place to take it all in. YAY FOR BIKE RIDING! yay for SISTERNESS... YAY FOR rihop! yay yay everything from my Father.

Go Away Headache!

2008-11-06T09:02:00.000-08:00

Praying that my headache will go away... then I shall take my exam today. And then IV CRASH!!!

and. yeah. some work this weekend. Can't wait to ride my bike to Maymont tomorrow...

and I HAVE AWESOME SISTERS.

Thank you God for my sisters!!!
yes.

haha!

and i really enjoyed this painting by Maxfield Parrish (which is part of studying for my exam):

IMAGING PROPOSAL!

2008-11-05T06:47:00.001-08:00

So we have this final project in Imaging, and it's really broad which is super exciting!!!

I'm either making a table top book orrrrr a SHORT FILM!!!

which one am I more excited about? Well... the short film but that would be a lot of piecing together things... which I'm willing to do but, I have got to invest in some equipment such as a better editing program...

Table top book: This would consist of taking many photos of people I know and don't know wearing Amelia Earhart goggles... I would make this book physical by printing it on lulu.com!!!

Short Film: this would be a silent film following a person wearing the goggles... one or more people... i haven't decided yet... maybe them walking to different places and we don't know the destination they are going to... but they all have the goggles in common... God goggles? Metaphorically speaking? perhaps... they see the world in a different light? but if I made it mean this I would want them giving goggles to other people and I'm not sure if that's possible... so it may just follow random people...

both ideas... I like them. and actually I'm super excited about this project!!!

Cheers

Can I Have This?

2008-11-03T19:55:00.001-08:00

Apple Pickng the Day Away!

2008-11-01T08:38:00.000-07:00

So today I'm going apple picking which is exciting!!! We are heading to Charlottesville but the mountainous part of C-Ville. I can't wait to see lots of apple trees!!! Last night was October 31st and we had a Neewollah party!!! (Halloween spelled backwards): I was Juno dressed as Bleeker from the popular cult movie "Juno" bahhaha.

Pocktober Tirty-Fwirst.

2008-10-31T05:09:00.000-07:00

STORYBOOK PROPOSAL:

After thinking and thinking about which type of book I should create, I have chosen to create a storybook. I think I am going to base my book on parts of my study abroad experience. I went to Ireland and there were so many experiences. I think I may make a mock-journal type of storybook. I will write up stories from my time there, probably the funny stories. The mock-journal storybook will include many different craft experiments as well as spaces to write memories that I will remember later on in life from my Ireland experience.

TONIGHT IS NEEWOLLAH!
I'm going as Juno dressed as Bleaker dressed as a Nerd with a guitar and yeah.

30 Rock.

2008-10-30T18:29:00.000-07:00

(part of my shirt project... environment of shirt considered)

So I'm sitting here on the couch and about to watch 30 rock :)... Tina Fey is hil-air-e-us. Actually it just started... I'm thinking about what I want to do for my design technology final... we have to create a book with our craft experiments... or stuff inspired by the craft experiments... i think... i hope... haha, b/c mine weren't that good/clean.

Last night was fun! My sister Melissa spent the night and thankfully b/c she kept me up enough to finish my shirt project! It actually turned out alright! I kind of like it now and esp. after I took the photo this morning! (Mel I'll show you the shirt sooooonage!) We laughed a lot. Which is AWESOME!

Hmmmm...

storybook
poetry book
instructional manual

I think... I'm going to do a story book or something like that... a storybook that can be interactive and become like a journal... perhaps... like you write the story as you go kind of thing?

Or like ahhh what kind of story can i do???

I have to write a proposal paragraph by tomorrow.

"make it work"

CAN'T CONCENTRATE!

2008-10-29T08:07:00.001-07:00

So... I'm in imaging and we are getting our grades and stuff... and we are doing NOTHING and la la la, I can't concentrate and I'm super hyper and a laughy laugherson....

and I keep posting stuff on my friend Melissa's facebook wall.

yes.

Usually One Post a Day (HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL)

2008-10-28T19:07:00.000-07:00

So this is my second post for the day but I just wanted to write out my nerdiness...

you probs think, "oh great, carra we know you are a nerd," but here we go:

I'm listening to the High School Musical soundtrack from the first movie and cracking up and yeah anddddd it makes me really want to go see HSM3 in Theaters... so the question is DUN DUN DUN:

WHO WANTS TO SEE HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL T(H)REE WITH ME THIS WEEKEND?
or should i just wait to rent it? PROBS.... wait to rent.

cheers,
Sykeskid.

Is There Time to Breath?

2008-10-28T15:49:00.000-07:00

Today is the 28th of October!!! AND I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! Time is flying by... not to mention it's crazy CRAZY that almost all of my professors have already assigned our final projects!!! They are all pounding us at once with these huge assignments!!! And Thanksgiving is right around the corner, the election, apple picking, book illustrating, logo creating, final exams, exams, sleeping? And man oh man as I was cleaning my room I was thinking about how I'm going to miss people over Winter Break... and how we should probably all hang out. YEAH.

DO IT.
Anyways... this week is super busy... I'm missing small group tonight b/c I've got to work hardcore on my typography project as well as my tshirt project and imaging!!! AND my History of VisCom exam is next week AHHH. So much information to go into my brain...

Today I saw Sheryl Crow, The Beastie Boys, and Jack Johnson in Monroe Park... they are all here to perform at ROCK THE VOTE that's going on tonight at a venue here in Richmond. It's crazy how many political figures and musicians have been coming to Richmond because VA is a Swing State this year... and I'm voting here which is crazy!!! They came to promote voting and just do a tiny promo show at the park outside of VCU's campus.

So PHEW.
I just can't wait for a time to relax and enjoy a quiet moment.

I love my family.
xoxo Sykeskid.is.working.hard.these.days.

Monday Night Around 10:10PM.

2008-10-27T19:09:00.000-07:00

So it's Monday and I'm about to do some work for tomorrow... That would be some History Note typing and Methods and Processes designing.

Today I rode my bike home in some wonderful Ireland weather... aka: freezing cold and raining... but I did giggle to myself as my eyes were pelted with lovely cold raindrops... because it reminded me of the time Kristen Haysche, OshkoshJoshy, Samantha, and I were coming back from the Burren College of Art one late night at the "Castle." We had been on the computers communicating with the world that was across the pond and then we all decided to walk back together... well let's just reinforce how it was slightly still winter in Ireland, a really wet and cold country haha!!! We decided flashlights weren't necessary and that the stars were much better that way... but haha we couldn't see the stars that night except for those created by the ice pellits hitting our faces haha! My face became so numb I started to talk but all that came out was "s;adflkjblah!" We started sprinting home and could not stop laughing the whole way back!!! And let me tell you that walk normally takes about 15 mins... this night it took me about 8 minutes to get home!!! HAHA. I def. wasn't in soccer shape anymore though! but yes... riding my bike home today allowed me to soak in some fond memories of EARLANDAY.

But it's cold. Super cold here. I kind of like it, and kind of don't... just depends I guess, on the second, the minute, the hour, the people I'm with...

TIME TO DO WORK! :) smile, sykeskid.

PS: so my next imaging project has us creating a book cover for this author dude... guy... i hope it turns out!!!

What Is This Title?

2008-10-25T13:00:00.000-07:00

(beach sleeps)

Today is Saturday, October 25th and it's my friend Jessee's birthday!!! She's turning 18 or 19... I think 18! That's pretty exciting!

So I stayed at the UNC v. Boston game until half time because my mom, gma, and uncle were leaving after halftime... and we went to a vintage store so I figured I would "tag" along... I got BUBBLE TEA!!! from this place on Franklin St. and of course I got Taro flavoured!!! It's my fav, but I should branch out and choose different flavours... they even had cotton candy... WHY DIDN'T I TRY COTTON CANDY. haha... anyways whatevssss.

It has been good to see family and friends, I'm getting a ton of food, which is nice b/c I never get enough in RVA.

I GET TO SEE LO TOMORROW!!!

and I miss my RVA family... but like I said before it's nice to have people to miss...

My poison ivy still itches, but I'm avoiding that... and I'm going to go listen to some music and take a nap or so...

PEACE PEACE PEACE
LOVE LOVE LOVE
xoxo,
sykeskid. (caldwell-kid.)

Poison Ivy Go Away!

2008-10-24T20:07:00.000-07:00

Hey this is Sykeskid coming to you from the good ol' North Cakalacki! Oh my dearest home state how I long to get some weekend rest... haha, what?! Anyways... I drove through where I was born today, that was pretty cool. Durham County Hospital yeah!!!

I have poison ivy or something on my wrist. It itches and I wish it would go away... I put that pink calamine lotion on and I hope it works out... Tomorrow I will go to a football game, my first and probably last of the year!!! hahaha, but this doesn't mean I don't enjoy watching the ol' pigskin get thrown around and crazy hail mary plays! Right now it's almost tomorrow so I'm probs going to actually try to get some z's, unlike my lack of z catching this week... man, I really haven't been sleeping enough lately... but I have been able to see people I love, and that makes up for the lack of sleep. God's pushing on my heart this weekend to reach out to people, and I really really pray that I am bold... sleep time...

i love all you rva-ers.
and all you gee-boro-ers.

CHAPEL THRILL.

2008-10-23T18:32:00.000-07:00

(just an old 35mm film photograph)

LOVE
JOY
PEACE
RIGHTEOUSNESS
in the HOLY SPIRIT!

yeah!

Pick me up and you turn me around and you place my feet on solid ground...

so right now I am illustrating as much as I can of my Uncle's children's book, it's looking pretty neat... at least I'm actually liking it which is a good sign!!!

Stoked about this weekend:

Chapel Hill!!! For family reunioning time YEAH CALDWELLS AND SUMNERS!
The one football game a year I get to go to!
YUMMY FOOD
SLEEP!! yes.
smiles, giggles, laughs, remembering times.
missing my friends in RVA (it's good to know I have people to miss in RVA)
GET TO SEE LO AND KELSI and ANNA B!

among other things.

back to drarrrrrring. :)

I'm in Imaging and Writing a Blog, That is Classy, Carra.

2008-10-22T06:20:00.000-07:00

So I'm in imaging and thinking of idears for my new project that was assigned on Monday. We have to take five frames that are sequential. I kind of want to take different perspectives of each frame I create... kind of giving like a matrix vibe to the sequential story... I'm thinking about getting someone to act as if they are getting an idea, taking that idea to creating something, and then throwing it away, and then making something else and then they get stoked about their idea... something like that... we'll see how this pans out... any v-teers? It is due Monday so... I may have to do it in Chapel Hill, or Perhaps when I get back on Sunday someone could help me out?

I think I would want natural lighting but if I can't get that I'll use some low lighting in my room or at a desk somewhere...

Four perspectives, Five Frames... time for me to tell a story...

edit: okay so i just found out it has to be an object... but can an object be an idea? and the idea can be what i work from?

Methods and Processes Coat of Arms.

2008-10-21T09:48:00.000-07:00

So right now I'm working on a project for methods and processes. Basically we had to go out and find 10 objects around campus, study them, and then create a shirt out of them...

This is what I found:

Heineken Beer Cap
Silver Beer Cap
Camel Cigarette
Black Cigarette
No Drinking Bracelet
Little Caesars Napkin
Pollak Flyer
Job Flyer
Grape Cigarello Cover
Cigar Paper

I'm thinking about developing a family crest out of elements inspired by these objects... when we are born we are born to a family name... we are able to break free from that or be conformed by that... I want to create a crest inspired by drinking, smoking, and an unhealthy lifestyle, but I want to photograph this shirt on a character who is straight-edge in order to express how we can break free from how are families are, if the life is a negative and unhealthy one... I don't know how much this makes sense but I'm still developing the story...

Five Minutes Left Before I Start My Homework List.

2008-10-19T10:56:00.001-07:00

THANK YOU GOD FOR AN AWESOME FALL BREAK OH EIGHT!!!

My heart was filled with excitement and comfort this Fall Break. I got to spend time with some amazing people who I am just beginning new journeys with and I'm getting super stoked about this!!!! I thought a lot about my friendship with my tight friend Lo (and how i miss you girl!!!) and how I can't wait to spend some time with you longer than we had when I came to Raleigh...

Before we headed to Gloucester... I think I spelled it wrong but it'll be okay because I'm horrible at spelling... we went to VA Beach with Joni and Michelle!!! It was awesome to see where Michelle grew up and I can't wait to see where Joni grew up!!! We went to this huge place called the Wave, it was slightly intimidating, size wise, but wow the colours were popping! I can't wait to go back to VA beach!!! Michelle's parents are very loving and they fed us to the nines!!! I'm telling you, you won't go hungry there!!! :)

I'm blessed to have a friend like Melissa, well dang man I'm just blessed to have the friends I have in my life!!!... she and her family took me in over Fall Break as their own... there were so many laughs, breaths of comfort, and just being true... it was nice, I am going to smile now, okay yes I am smiling now :) I got some good eats and songs at the Wren's place and it pretty much ROCKED! Yay. Man, I love being crazy and goofy with my friends.

YAY GOD!
Cheers,
xoxo Sykeskid.time.for.homework.

Headed To see Pocahontas's Chimney.

2008-10-15T11:01:00.000-07:00

Gloucester, VA here I come... well first stop VA Beach with some beautiful peeps and then headed to Gloucester, VA with my friend Melissa!!!

I'M STOKED!

FALL BREAK!

Pocahontas has a chimney in Gloucester!!!

I hope I can add a new video or photos after this trip! (Which I think I will be able to!)

xoxo Sykeskid.

(orange for FALL break)

Dear Melissa, You Inspire Me. KTHNX.

2008-10-14T09:54:00.000-07:00

This is a video I made between classes yesterday because I couldn't stop thinking about the idea during my imaging class... I'd like to refine it later on or maybe not but... I hope you think it's funny, hahaha, I don't think anyone will but I think it's pretty funny, probs b/c I made it... anyways... My sister Melissa inspired me to make random vids so this is a result of that... YAY! hehe... yes so I hope you enjoy. :)

I do miss my friends from NC and around the States and Europe, but I'm so happy to have met amazing people in RVA and man, do we have so many great times together!!!

I'm so happy to have the people in my life that are in my life... perhaps not physically always there but you know what I mean... the people I know!

love love love,
sykeskid.

It's Friday Morning and Tha Sun is A Rising.

2008-10-10T04:31:00.000-07:00

(little girl in the Dubs of the Eire dancing)

(I'll write more in the near) xoxo cheers kid. sykeskid. kid.

Lyrics to Random Thoughts of the Past, Present, and Future

2008-10-06T19:29:00.000-07:00

"I came back, you weren't there
what happened to those times we shared?
I don't know, I guess they're gone,
Somehow I knew that all along
You were fake, there's no mistake
in that it's better your away from me
but still I think it seems so hard for me to see..."
(The Rocket Summer)

"And you said I know that this will hurt
But if I don't break your heart
Then things will just get worse
If the burden seems too much to bear
Remember the end will justify
The pain it took to get us there"
(Reliant K)

"cause we are broken
what must we do to restore our innocence
and oh, the promise we adored
give us life again
cause we just want to be whole."
(Paramore)

"And I'll be there through the good times,
and the bad,
and we'll be there for each other,
cause you're the best friend I've ever had. "
(Michelle Branch)

I'm kind of just randomly searching for lyrics... so these aren't the most pushing lyrics... itunes is hurting my head so I'm just going to make this a shorter post than usual...

I am the kid, You are the Parent.
Cheers for my life.
xoxo sykeskid.