I am filled to the brim with love for my family and friends.

500th post

graduating like it's shark week

I'm EXCITED for new things.
I'm SCARED of losing old things.
I'm JITTERY watching all these people busy-ing around.
I'm FASCINATED with all the fun things that friends are doing.
I'm PARANOID that I won't get enough time with enough people.

I'm sentimental. But that doesn't have anything to do with sharks.

He wrote The Great Gatsby. I'm teaching The Great Gatsby.

Bunnies are a theme

When I leave East Lodge, I often see a rabbit nervously hopping away from me. Rabbits remind me of Mike now. They're small grey rabbits with cotton white tails. 

I am in love with my God and my college and my friends and my church. As I write this, I listen to my closest girl friends  praying for people who don't know God. I know that I have chosen the right relationships, and I am so thankful that I have been chosen back.

When Bethany Berens announced that she and Michael were leaving Exit Downtown for grad school in Seattle, "LIFE'S TRANSITIONS" hit me like a train. If I had been Bugs Bunny, I would've painted a black hole tunnel in the wall. Instead I sobbed like a little girl.

thank goodness I'm loved

I am ineffably thankful for my friendships. I have been loved in my crappy-est so that I am spurred on to be my best-est.

At this moment, I think of Kayla, Rachel, Kelly, Jordan, Kylee, and Michael. How privileged I am to have these people! And to know there are more as well!

"The rule for us all is perfectly simple. Do not waste time bothering whether you love your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him." CS Lewis "It is not so much our friends' help that helps us as the confident knowledge that they will help us." Epicurus "But friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life; and thanks to a benevolent arrangement of things, the greater part of life is sunshine." Thomas Jefferson

Man oh man

There are 18 students on first period's class roster. I taught 9 today. I wished them happy 4/20 in jest, crossing my fingers that everyone gone was home, innocently sick.

Eight hours at school, six hours at Jimmy Johns. I don't mess. Work was fun today. I like keeping busy! I like closing! I have a really efficient dishes system: my arms are red raw and my apron is sopping wet, but the dishes are squeaky clean.

Went to Michael's. *smiley face* Hung out with the guys. Watched the 2nd half of Finding Forrester. Gave the boys wheat bread for breakfast. Now I'm reading The Help. I'm exhausted. Eight hour shift tomorrow. Kick it.

Chaplain 2009-2010, E3W RA 2011-2012

I got to witness pass down today in North. Eastside is literally the best thing ever. I know the first North Hall RD had a legacy, but Noelle has built a legacy of her own with the help of the most beautiful girls -- figuratively and literally. Kayla got to give thoughts to the returners (Lindsay, Emily, Paige, and Marge), all of whom had been in her unit. I got to pass down the legacy of Chaplain to a sweetheart named Cassy, who is from E3W and will live there again. How bizarre, that I wasn't Chaplain this year or last year but the year before! That's three years ago, almost. It is AMAZING to think of all the doubts, struggles, and hope I had my sophomore year that I'm finally getting to see results from! How great to look back and say with assurance, "GOD IS FAITHFUL!"

Eastside is a community that will always be a part of me. I watch it grow and shift without me there and smile, knowing that it's just as good as it gets more and more different. Noelle has been the best facilitator of community and God has been the best coordinator of relationships. I'm so thankful for her passion and Emily's intense servanthood and Lindsay's goofy loyalty. Those three ladies (and definitely Kayla) have impacted me deeply. I hope I always know them. :)

Praise!

Praise God for the resurrection of the Son -- for giving us the climax of history in His story.
Praise God for the resurrection of relationships -- for promising love when we're learning selflessness.
Praise God for the resurrection of emotions -- for giving joy where joy once starved.

He is risen. He is risen, indeed.
We are risen. We are risen, indeed.

the dog days are over

I got pulled over going 32 in a 25. I got a warning. I sobbed like a small infant.

After an unfortunately painful presentation, I passed my e-folio oral defense.

I spent two or three hours in the Tech Services hub off campus with the IWU tech guys re-linking and uploading my e-folio. Sam Olmedo is my hero.

Kelly and Jordan Alvey are fam. They're fam. We're a big, happy fam. They take me to Moe's and talk to me about relationships and tell me about the gnome that lives in the coke machine.

My co-op teacher has had a crazy-go-nuts life. She's a fascinating character.

Six classes left to teach before I "graduate." After some grading, life will be beautiful.

I have the best prayer team group of friends in the world, probably. It goes 1) Those people who pray for Darfur 2) Those people who pray for me when I'm a sad face

10 minutes later.

I write about "trust." 10 minutes later,  I get a call from my delightful mother.

She is doing so, so well and I am absolutely fascinated with God's ability to re-create and re-new and bless her life. She is getting an opportunity to use her gifts and love on children. She just got a great new job and is capable of showing her love by helping provide for me in a little financial pocket that I need help with! This is amazing. First because I have an answer to my problem. Second because she has always wanted to be able to help in giving ways, but has had few-ish opportunities. Provision!

Looking at my money list

Looking at my money list, I'm feeling a little envious of financially stable people right now.

Trust is my motif.

TRUST.

The "You Know Hows" of Today

You know how you drink a zebra with both shots and you're like, "I should have done this earlier, I feel so much more alive!"

You know how when you pray, you're like "I should have done this earlier, I feel so much more alive! And at peace. And more reasonable. And less anxious. And less angry."

More than once

Slang I recently learned. Applied to Easter concepts I recently studied. You Only Live Once.

I want more than anything to go to sleep. I want more than anything to not teach tomorrow.

Death in His Grave

John Mark McMillan

Favorite class to teach

I could tell I was going to get along well with my Literary Movements class when I introduced myself, "Gooood morning, class. I am Miss Mueller. Pronounced 'Mew' - like the Pokemon - ler" and they cheered. I wasn't as excited that they were into Pokemon as I was stoked that I could be a dorky, quirky teacher and they wouldn't snort at me and whisper. :]

I "picked up" that class the week before last. I'll be finished with them on Friday. Sad day. The upside is another class period of prep and observation. My co-op will be teaching some fun stuff.

Concerning the Last Supper

Great thoughts from Mike Donehey

God's promise to a Submissive Me: I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

Psalm 32

outburst

Pasta-free lasagna! What's the fun in that?! Kyla Hyden

No foolin' today! It was a prankless (but not a thankless) day.

The guys outside East Lodge with the fishing pole and the volleyball trying to get the frisbee off the roof made the day silly. I hope they succeeded. Rachel, Anne, and Kayla kept me out of my too-much-work-to-interact-with-people shell.

Friends are friends, not food. Finding Nemo. Peace out.