National Conference

I thought I would post a few pictures from my trip to Mortar Board's National Conference. (These are pre-haircut pictures.) :-) Mortar Board is a national collegiate honor society dedicated to scholarship, leadership, and service. I believe all of these pictures were taken the night of the candlelight banquet. I was with my section, section 6. Section 6 is comprised of Mortar Board chapters in Alabama and Georgia. I met some really great people and had a blast.

During the dinner, the napkin underneath our rolls caught on fire. (There were candles on the tables.) Just as one of the other girls was about to throw her water on them, a waiter casually came and took them. He just said, "I'll take those." From then on, Section 6's motto was "we're so hot, we're on fire!" Cheesy, I know, but funny.

After the dinner, speakers, new officer installations, and awards, we lit our candles as our name was called out. Then, a poem which symbolizes the spirit of Mortar Board was read. I thought I would share it with you.

The Torch

The God of Great Endeavor gave me a torch to bear.
I lifted it high above me in the dark and murky air,
And straightway, with loud hosannas, the crowd proclaimed its light
And followed me as I carried my torch through the starless night.
Till drunk with the people's praises, and mad with vanity,
I forgot 'twas the torch that they followed,
And fancied they followed me.

Then slowly my arm grew weary upholding the shining load,
And my tired feet went stumbling over the dusty road,
And I fell - with the torch beneath me. In a moment the light was out,
When lo from the throng a stripling sprang forth with a mighty shout,
Caught up the torch as it smoldered, and lifted it high again,
Till, fanned by the winds of heaven, it fired the souls of men.

As I lay in the darkness, the feet of the trampling crowd
Passed over and far beyond me, its paeans proclaiming aloud,
And I learned in the deepening twilight, the glorious verity,
'Tis the torch that the people follow,
Whoever the bearer may be.

-Anonymous

Short stuff

I had my hair cut on Friday. Not just a trim...I had some major cutting going on. Years ago I would have had to be very strong not to cry at the sight of all that hair falling. But, I was ready for a change.

It is very short...and hard to describe, but I shall make an attempt, and those of you who have seen it can tell me whether my description is accurate. The back bottom layer falls at the base of my neck and curls up. The front and sides and back top layer are in, well, layers. They curl under for the most part. I can barely put it behind my ears. I like it best with sunglasses on the top of my head.

I've had a few people do a double-take, not quite recognizing me the first glance. I'm still getting used to it myself.

Ordination Service

I was blessed this weekend to be able to attend the ordination service of Elder Obey Ndalima (sounds like "dilema") from Tanzania, Africa. The service was held at Vestavia Primitive Baptist Church in Birmingham, AL. Elder Obey was blessed to preach from Romans 10:1-3 Saturday morning before the service. He related Paul's desire for his Israelite brethren to his own desire for his Tanzanian brethren. He desires that they be saved from their ignorance. After 5 years in America, and seven years away from his family, he will be returning next week to preach the gospel to his people. Many homes there do not have electricity, running water, or food. He has tremendous zeal, though, and he is so excited to be returning to preach the gospel.

I will never forget the times I have spent with Elder Obey. He changes your way of thinking. I heard him sing three different hymns in his native tongue, Swahili. He encouraged us to think of all the different tongues that will be present in heaven. I just got chills listening to him, and especially when he sang in Swahili and we sang in English. He reminded us of the differences in America and Tanzania, and encouraged us to always be thankful and remember how blessed we are in America. I don't think I've eaten a meal here lately that I haven't thought about what he said...about how wasteful America is. I have been trying to eat every bite of my food.

Please pray for Elder Obey as he returns to Tanzania.

Long time, no see

Hello once again. I have been away from my computer for almost a month now. I will try to catch you up to speed...

On July 22nd-24th I attended Mortar Board's national conference in Columbus, Ohio. It was my first time to fly by myself...without any family members, namely mom or dad. I had a wonderful trip, although the conference was very fast paced. We were in meetings all day. I met people my age from all over the U.S. We shared ideas, and had fun getting to know one another in the short time period that we had. I also saw The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy that weekend. I laughed the entire time.

On Monday, July 25th, my grandfather Kitchens took a turn for the worse, and on Tuesday, July 26th, he passed away. He had been suffering for a long time (he had been in the hospital since early June, and before then he was in the hospital for long periods at a time), and in his last days he just wanted to go home...home to Jesus. It was sad to lose him, for he brought much laughter to everyone he met, but we also rejoiced in knowing that he was completely healed and praising Jesus. I could never thank everyone enough for all their prayers and visits...I love each of you.

The next week my family went on vacation, taking my grandmother Kitchens with us. We just loaded up, and hoped for a vacancy in Destin, Florida. We were blessed to have no trouble getting a room, and we even received a bottom level room. After all the hurricanes, the railings on the bottom floors don't exist any more, and the dunes have disappeared, so our condo opened right out to the beach. Since we saw very little sun the whole week, it was nice to be able to sit on the porch and be within inches of the beach. Our vacation was comprised of sleeping, sitting and resting, reading, and eating. We did very little more than that. It was wonderfully relaxing. I got a great start on The Lord of the Rings, and I bought The Screwtape Letters and The Complete Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy, six stories in one. I'm expecting it to be very funny. When I return home for the weekend, I'll try to remember to quote the bit about "towels" for you. :-)

I have now returned to Tuscaloosa, and school starts next week. Whew. How did I cram so much into one summer?

Psalm 122:1

"I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord."

This past weekend I was blessed to be able to attend Five Mile PB's annual meeting in Akron, AL. The people and place there hold a special spot in my heart. Elder D. Pyles from Jackson, MS, was the invited minister.

My mouth dropped as Elder Pyles began his sermon Friday night. His sermon was going to be "What happened to the nation Israel?" He said that first, though, he must define Israel as the Apostle Paul defined it in Romans 9. I was very excited for this reason: Elder Pyles preached at my church's annual meeting in April, and on Saturday night, he, Elder L. Mozingo Jr., my dad, and others, were discussing this point. I came in half-way through the conversation, and I never quite grasped what Elder Pyles was saying. Elder Pyles was richly blessed to elaborate on Romans 9 and 10 over the course of the weekend, and I greatly rejoiced.

We spent Friday night with some wonderful cousins of mine. When I and my siblings were around the ages of 4, 6, and 8, these same cousins used to stay with us, who at that time were the same age as us now. Now, we are staying with them and their children, who are 2, 4 or 5, and 6 or 7. (I can't remember their exact ages.) Table of Stone, Elyow'eynay, my brother, Eugene, and Eugene's brother discussed how old we would be when my younger cousins turn 16. We will be in our thirties, and Lord-willing, with children and husbands of our own. We giggled in the fact that one day they might be staying with us. "Let the circle be unbroken..." :-)

Sunday I was able to visit another dear church in Tremont, MS. There you will find some of the sweetest people on the earth. I have some very fond memories of visiting there one Sunday a month when I was younger. I particularly remember being told by my mother, "Do not get off this blanket, or you'll get a whipping!" Before there were pews, there were theater seats, and since my dearest mother was afraid we would fall into the seats and get stuck or pinch ourselves, she put us on blankets in the aisle. I also remember how cold the toilet seats were in the outhouse during winter, before the bathrooms were built onto the church. :-)

So, basically, I just wanted to share what a blessed weekend it was. I am so thankful for times such as these when we can "leave the world", and enter a place of worship, fellowship, and encouragement.

Bird's Eye View

Bird on Telescope



I just wanted to try to post a picture. And...now I have. This picture was presented to me by my graduate teaching assistant in Astronomy during my freshman year. That was a really great class. I didn't necessarily agree with everything that was taught...but, I did gain an even greater appreciation for God's creation. I could only laugh when we were taught about "dark matter." Scientists have discovered that 95% (I may have to check that number...may be 99%) of the universe is made up of somthing that they cannot see. It holds everything together. They call it "dark matter." I call it the Word of God.

Each day our class was presented with a really neat picture of space - a distant galaxy, a nebula, etc. This picture, however, is of a bird's bottom. It happened to sit on a telescope one morning, and the scientists, finding it amusing, took a picture. I found it amusing myself. :-)

The Pilgrim's Progress

Ever since moving to Tuscaloosa for school, I have been an avid supporter of the Friends of the Library Bookstore. It sits on the edge of Tuscaloosa's Public Library, and it opens three or four days a week. The books, as well as magazines, tapes, etc, are all donated. The books are then sold for 25 cents or 50 cents, and some of the older or hardback or first edition books are $2.00. (All the money raised supports the library and its events.) I love to spend my free afternoons wandering through my favorite sections of the store, looking for a good find.

Last week, I found one of my favorite finds thus far - The Pilgrim's Progress on audio cassette! Unfortunately, it is the abridged version, but in this case, I decided to not be picky. I am on the second cassette now, and I feel that I will spend quite a few trips back and forth to Jasper or Birmingham or wherever enjoying this great story.

We can relate to Christian in so many ways. The people he meets. The trials he faces. Yet, Christian tells each person he meets of his journey, where he came from, and where he is going. He constantly refers to his "good book." He knows what it says, he believes it, and it comforts him.

I pray that I would "take the name of Jesus" with me wherever I may go, and I pray that I would be more dilligent to read His holy word, from which I can draw strength, encouragement, comfort, and instruction.