good bye july

www.abcdefgrace.tumblr.com

real summer begins

last night around 4AM, i finished my take home final and officially started my summer. no more need for this stress reduction technique!!! after i finished, i think there was still some frustration leftover (frustration with the final) that i wasn't completely happy or satisfied. i thought what could make me feel better... EGGS! i made myself some eggs and boy were they delicious. i felt a little better after that, but now that i've woken up and it's the next day, i still feel [not optimal]. now i'm starting to think it is no longer leftover frustration, but merely confusion. confusion about what i'm supposed to be doing with my time now. it's been a while since i haven't had the burden of school on me... i've always been having to do something or accomplish something (Ex. if school is in session, there's ALWAYS something to be studying for)... but now that... i don't... i feel weird... can i really just... play? am i really that... free? should i go out... and smell the roses? this is so new to me... but i'm sure i'll adjust quickly and juuust fine :)

1 Timothy 1:12-17

i'm at Peet's right now, trying to accomplish a million things that are so crazilyaojsd arranged on my plate right now. need to finish up my take-home final, write out my testimony, memorize a passage, and figure out... things. oh, and all these things have a deadline. HELP ME FAZAAAAAAA!!111

for the first time in my life, i'm going to attempt to memorize 6 verses in a row.
may Christ Jesus my Lord give me strength and super memorizing skills to accomplish this.

12I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. 13Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

15Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. 17Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

it's a beautiful day outside. i'll come out to enjoy you... tomorrow.

identity

crisis

procrastination

my final exam prompt shall remain minimized... til tomorrow.
what i can't see won't hurt me! haaahaha... but itsa going to hurta tomorrowaaaaa :(

being sick is expensive

dang i coulda had a nice steak dinner and maybe some cake with all that cash monies... oh well. health comes first. i guess. hahah.
speaking of health, look at all that oil yessssssssss.... but this is the best soup in a can (out of the 3 kinds i bought). the italian wedding... mix...? with meatballs, spinach, carrots, o...nnnnions? and apparently, oil. SCRUMPTIOUS!

my parents

a lot of things go on throughout the day. but at the end of it, i just want to see my parents. i want to spend time with them. one of my favorite times in college is when it's time to go back home. even though the ~6 hour drive up and down is painful in many ways, it's so worth it. just to see their familiar and smiling faces, and to be greeted with their welcoming and warm hugs. i regret the grief i have given them in the past, but now i want nothing but to serve them and show them how much i love them. i can look at just them, and be able to say God is good. biggest blessing in my life hands down

don't ever do this to me

live free die hard

after dinner i had some time to just relax and watch tv (these moments seem so few...) so i was flipping through the channels, and i stumbled on something that was obviously the beginning of a movie. i usually hate watching a movie not from the beginning, so this was just perfect :) i always wait to see what movie it is, and this one ended up being LIVE FREE DIE HARD. i heard it was a good movie, and i saw "Bruce Willis" in the beginning credits, so i thought this MUST be good! since i usually like the movies that he's in. he's even guest-starred in F.R.I.E.N.D.S -- 34028098 bonus points. i have to admit, i did get a little drowsy during the middle, but only because it was probably a mix of food coma + blanket + really comfortable couch. honestly. i even fell asleep in the beginning of Finding Nemo when i watched it in the theatres (the whole part when Nemo's fishmom died), BUT that was a mixture of sleepiness + tiredness + darkness of the theatre. but that doesn't make Finding Nemo any less of a movie. i absolutely loved it. and the same goes for THIS movie! once i fully awoke, i watched the rest of it wide awake with my heart pounding furiously until Gabriel was dead (i hope this doesn't ruin the movie for anybody, i'm pretty sure i'm the last person on earth to watch it...) Seriously though, Bruce Willis is amazing. He's my hero. He's about 54 years old? i wish his body stopped maturing so that he can continue to play these intense action roles. And i love his sarcasm. he can say his lines w/ the straightest face in the world. i don't know if he's like that in real life, but at least for the roles that he's given, it's just great. he's a good man. good movie. summer project = watch the rest of the die hards fosheezy

Thomas Gabriel: Officer McClane, you have no idea what I'm capable of!
John McClane: You sound like a very scary guy.

aaaaaaahahaha

This clip is from when he was in F.R.I.E.N.D.S haHAHAHAA

best 3rd birthday ever

Canadian boy floats unharmed down river on toy truck

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Reuters) – A Canadian boy celebrating his third birthday was unhurt and apparently unfazed after he floated 12 km (7.8 miles) down a river riding atop his toy truck, police said on Monday.

The boy's family was camping at a popular park near Fort St. John, in northeastern British Columbia, on Sunday when the boy wandered off unnoticed and somehow entered the nearby Peace River, Royal Canadian Mounted Police said.

After a nearly two-hour journey down the swift-moving river the boy had no injuries, and was apparently unaware of the danger he had been in.

"He was very excited to see the police," said RCMP Constable Jackelynn Passarell.

A local news report said the boy also made sure the boater who found him also retrieved the toy truck.

he sounds pretty freaking adorable.

flies

question: when you swat a fly with your hand (but they don't die), do they feel pain? is it like getting slapped in the face? or do their wings become demented because, well, shouldn't they because they're so thin and fragile? or do the flies just get discombobulated for a bit, then fly away on their merry way as if nothing in this world can phase them, even a gigantic backhandslap from a gigantic human hand?

i'm just curious...

simple pleasures in life #1

being able to go get an ice cream cone at 1AM in the morning. shout out to Rite-Aid for making this possible

play

when you get to college (it may even start in high school), your summers can go one of two ways. one way is the bad way: the summer school way. the other way is the good way: the painting the world red and have the time of your life way. (this is a complete generalization, i know, but hear me out!) this summer, i somehow ended up with the bad way, and here i am studying on a beautiful, warm friday night, while everyone is (at least it seems...) is out night swimming and having bbqs (i'm not just saying this. there is really one right outside downstairs. the smell of bbq wafting inside is killing me...) anyways, i can't help but to think that i really just want to play. i could say "hang out" or "kick it" or "chill" (my 2nd favorite) but i think "play" says it the best. because PLAY is one of the things i closely associate with childhood when summer can only go the good way...

when i was a kid, summer meant SUMMER. summer meant swimming lessons, drinking ice coffee, eating a gazillion peaches and watermelon, playing badminton with my grandma, going camping with my family, laying on the bamboo mat on the ground with a single fan blowing in the room bc it was just too hot to move, playing with my neighbors, day after day after day after day. it was a time when school was just a designated amount of the year. now i feel like it's almost year round... but i guess that just means i'm growing up! yay? haha...

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: ...a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance..."
ecclesiastes 3:4

now is the time to study. dancing will just have to wait.

and Lord,
give me strength to ignore the delightful smell of bbq...

eggs

3 reasons why eggs are not a study snack [from personal experience]:

1) hard-boiled eggs can get really stinky. you know how if somebody smells something bad, they might say "ew, that smells like rotten eggs." well, eggs don't have to be rotten to smell.
2) eggs can make you gassy. i thought it was just beans. but it's not.
3) some people say that eggs make you sleepy...



i'm studying and it seriously smells like butt in here.

Summer Nappin'

summer nappin' had me a blast
summer nappin' happened so fast
i met a couch crazy for me
met a pillow cute as can be
summer days nappin' away, to uh-oh

those summer naps

uh well-a well-a well-a huh

tell me more, tell me more

did you have a great dream?

tell me more, tell me more

like did you pee in your shorts?

uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh

laid on the couch, took off my socks
i cannot pout, this really rocks
sun in my face, cant really sleep
i turn over, now this is sweet

summer naps, something's begun, but uh-oh those summer naps

uh well-a well-a well-a huh

inspired from the nap i took this afternoon. may it be our anthem for this summer.

shuttle

i believe us shuttle-takers haven't been taking enough advantage of our busrides. i never knew the shuttle offered such service until today!
so i guess for anyone who's been afraid of taking a short nap on the ol' bumpy road in fear that they will miss their stop, fear no more! the bus driver will walk down the aisle and look for us sleepyheads and make sure we get off. and if you ever wanted to take a shot at slumbering underneath the seats (perhaps for some cool shade or for privacy), go ahead! they'll be sure to check for you there, too! happy sleeping, everyone! :)

midterms & miracles

summer school epic fail #1 and hopefully last one: thought midterm was wednesday when it was really monday. today. this morning.

on the syllabus that i downloaded, it said that the midterm was on Wednesday July 8, but i guess the professor made an updated syllabus that somehow i didn't know about which said that it was Monday, July 6. i walk to class eating a yogurt, casually walk in, find an outlet, set up my laptop, and get ready to become sleepy. then i overhear a girl in front of me asking somebody if they have an extra scantron, and i'm thinking "why is she asking for one? midterm's on wednesday, girl you got the time, go buy one yourself later." i look around and i see a good amount of people reviewing their notes, and i'm wondering why is everyone studying so hard right now? it still didn't click in my head.

LONG STORY SHORT:
professor shows no mercy. i take midterm unprepared. i hate life.

but this is a miracle story. actually, multiple miracles.
miracle 1) i woke up on time this morning, which gives me even enough time to take a shower
miracle 2) i was going to choose to be a little late to class in exchange for getting to eat breakfast, but for some odd reason, i decided not to
miracle 3) the shuttle bus was packed, but i was the 2nd to last person that the bus driver allowed on the bus, saving me from waiting 12 minutes for the next one
miracle 4) i got to class 15 minutes early (giving me enough time to observe, find out the truth, talk to professor, worry about what to do, go back and beg professor, fail, go out and buy scantron, ask to borrow a pencil, all before he begins passing out the tests)

why are these miracles?
reason 1) waking up is not easy, and i rarely do it (ex. last week i woke up 40 minutes into class)
reason 2) i was really hungry
reason 3) eh this isn't really a miracle, i usually get lucky with the whose-gonna-make-it-on-the-shuttle game, but still!
reason 4) i rarely come to class early, let alone 15MIN early (ex. the day i woke up 40 minutes into class, i got to class one and half hours late)

i can't help but to think that this was not all just coincidence. there's no way. i feel like God had a large something to do with it. He allowed me to make this mistake. He didn't just magically change the syllabus to show me the correct date to save my butt. But the thing is, i feel like He planned everything for me to get to class with just enough time to get everything figured out and be able to take the midterm and not just receive a fat zero. He allows me to make mistakes and screw up, but He also shows me grace and ultimately saves my butt. i know this is something pretty small compared to the "bigger picture", but i'm really thankful. Through small incidences like this, He shows me that He loves me and cares for me, and that He is behind everything in my life. The things He allows to happen and not happen shows me that everything He does is out of pure love. The funny little coincidences are Him telling me "Hey, grace, did you see that? that was me. love ya." i'm a firm believer of "Everything happens for a reason" and i stand assured. God happened. HE IS MY GRACIOUS LIFESAVER!!!!11111

loveyourneighbors.blogspot.com

i really think that the world would be a happier place if everybody loved everybody. i know i'm stating the obvious, but doesn't hurt to say it. if only it were as easy as it sounds. it's so easy to love people who are lovable (again. stating the obvious. i think i like to do that...) but we could do so much more. let's take on the challenge of LOVING THOSE WHO ARE JUST SO STINKING HARD TO LOVE. it's not going to easy, especially if you have a co-worker who you swear is from the devil, or if the person in front of you at the checkout line has 438232498 items, or if you're sitting in class and the stranger sitting next to you releases something toxic out of their glute (personal experience. i was the victim, not the criminal). give your co-worker a hug --- this will confuse them and hopefully stop their demonic behavior. use the hour you have of waiting for that person at the checkout line to finish purchasing their items to strike up a friendly conversation with them and ask about their life (you will probably have more than enough time to hear their lifestory. twice.) rip one yourself so the stranger next to you doesn't feel as embarassed, and might actually feel quite grateful. like i said, it's easier said than done, but at least just think about it. it's something that's been on my heart for a while now, and i'm failing miserably, but i'm not going to stop trying. You and I are called to love. let's do it?

oh, and by "love," i don't mean:
1) Michael Scott: Would i rather be feared or loved? Um... Easy, both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me.
2) Dwight Schrute: Women are like wolves. If you want a wolf, you have to trap it. You have to snare it. And then you have to tame it. Keep it happy. Care for it. Feed it. Lovingly, the way an animal deserves to be loved. And my animal deserves a lot of loving.
3) Shawn Hunter: Well, love is the most rare and precious thing in the world.
Topanga: Have you ever fallen in love?
Shawn Hunter: About five times a day.
4) Joey Tribbiani: It is a love based of giving and receiving as well as having and sharing. And the love that they give and have is shared and received. And through this having and giving and sharing and receiving, we too can share and love and have... and receive.
5) Ross: I think i love you.
Emily: Oh. Thank you.

but rather:

"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."

Luke 6:27-36

not gonna lie...

i'm gaseous.

bear in the library

i'm currently in the Science library right now studying for my upcoming midterms. wait, i thought it was summer? what is this madness!!! THIS IS SO WRONG!!!

what's even more wrong is that my stomach has been growling for the past 30 minutes. every time it growls, my friend looks up at me with these eyes --> O_O because it's so loud. i think we're going to leave soon. must feed bear living inside me.

safest city in the nation?

"On July 1, 2009 at approximately 2:50 P.M., the UCI Police Department received a report that an unknown male subject assaulted a female in a women's restroom on the first floor of Information and Computer Science 2. The suspect is described as a male Hispanic, 25-30 years, 5'6", wearing a black hat, black shirt, and blue jeans. The suspect hid in a bathroom stall and grabbed the victim as she was attempting to wash her hands. The victim fought the suspect off and he fled the scene in an unknown direction. The subject was not located after a thorough area check by police. If you have any information related to this incident or if you observe any suspicious activity, please call the UCI Police Department immediately at (949) 824-5223 or 9-1-1."

it's funny because every time i go into a public restroom and i'm the only one in there, this is exactly what i fear and imagine in my head until i'm out the door. hahahahaha.

:/

famous & free

Today i met Ryan Sheckler.

also today, Coffee Bean gave out free "Nutty Creme Caramel" ice blended drinks from 2-7pm. i especially love free stuff, so now i am sitting here at Coffee Bean with my free drank, laptop, and study materials. studying is really not my thing but this drank is making it a little more bearable.

Bend it like Aaron

yesterday was June 30, which is also my very dear friend's date of birth. sucks we couldn't chill because we are miles away, so i decided the next best thing was to write about him.

Aaron Athwal was born on June 30, 1989. i officially met him in during our junior year of high school, in photography class to be exact. somehow, we ended up sitting write in front of each other, and that was the start of a beautiful journey we were about to embark upon together. photo class consisted of developing and printing photos, but mainly of socializing and just having fun (seriously it was the best class offered at our high school). it allowed us to just talk a lot, with each other and our fellow classmates in the seats around us. the year after, we were in the same ap calc class and the one memory that we always talk about is how the teacher completely and unjustly favored him and just plain hated me. one day, he didn't bring his textbook to class so he told me to come sit next to him so we could share books. but i knew our teacher would get mad at me and tell me to go back to my seat, and i didn't really feel like getting in trouble that day, so i told him that i didn't want to. but with confidence, he told me not to trip and to just come over and sit next to him. he was confident, why? because he knew that since i was associating with him, no matter how undesirable my action, the teacher would let it slide. so i went over and sat next to him so we could share my book. soon after, our teacher walked over to us. THIS IS THE MOMENT OF TRUTH, we thought. she said some friendly words to him, exchanged a joke and a giggle with me (i HAD to giggle. i wouldn't dare to upset the beast.), and moved on. WHAT THE FREAK!?!!?!!? i knew for CERTAIN she would've bit my head off if i were out of my seat sitting next to anybody else. anyways, this is a story that we like to retell over and over, mainly because it makes him feel like a star and gives him hope that he will one day have a chance with her (once she breaks up with her VL bf that is). hahaha just kidding aaron. you really are something special. well this is getting very long so ill just say the abridged version. so our friendship blossomed throughout the rest of high school. during the last few months of our senior year, some of us would go over to his house for every night after school to ball up and play ping pong. we graduated, had the best summer (Poolside Cafe what up?), moved on to college, he realized that he left his heart in Milpitas, moved back, and always made time to chill whenever i came home for breaks. because of aaron, i know a little more about hip hop, the indian culture (weddings, food, England?), soccer, and the joy of huge trampolines. thanks for being you, Prodigy. was good.

new

my last blog <-- 7thgrade - now

it's time to move on.
i am now in the summer before my junior year in college.
let's go