Winter in North Carolina

It snowed here, in NC, before January! I swear the Poulin family can't keep the cold away. I am thoroughly content and absolutely love the snow. It makes me miss home so much more, but I am simply ecstatic to go visit NH starting the 20th! However, I have lots to do before then...

Midterms are NEXT WEEK! I assure you, I am horrified. These next 12 days will be the death of me. Here's on the agenda:

-Cafe Night/Talent Show Thursday: performing this song with Hay-Nay.

-Gingerbread House making party with some of my favorite people Friday.

-Hearing back from my Top College Choice at 9:00 PM EST next Tuesday (12/14). Needless to say I have given up all holds on getting in. If I get in, I am definitely going there as I applied early decision and for now, I just want to go exactly where God has planned for me. I know that if I don't get in it is not because I didn't work hard enough in high school, or my recommendations were less than up to par, but that it just was not the right place for me. Please pray for peace about the entire situation!

-Midterms 12/15-17/10

*I have started studying already and am trying to relieve as much stress as possible by using psychology's spacing effect. :)

Also, I know that this will just be good preparation for AP exams. It is crazy that I only have 112 school days left and then I will have GRADUATED!

-Lizabeth and Bekk will be home next wee and I cannot wait! <3>

-Little old me is leading worship for New Hope Student Ministries and I am nervous, but anxiously praying that God can use me and that it all goes smoothly.

-Monday I leave for NH and the ultimate goal is to get through all of the mentioned things with as little pain as possible. I am blessed and so thankful for everyone here in NC and there in NH that I know and am so happy to spend Christmas with some of my best friends and family.

Psalm 3:5&6 (The Message)

I stretch myself out. I sleep.
Then I'm up again—rested, tall and steady,
Fearless before the enemy mobs
Coming at me from all sides.

Psalm 3:5&6 (NIV)

I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.
I will not fear though tens of thousands
assail me on every side.

Final Thought: My youth pastor Scott uses the Message translation a lot and I find that I can relate to it a lot more easily. Both versions of this give me such a peace though, and I like to see different translations.

&Let me know what you think!

Sorry for the constant rambles,

Rach

Relax; take it easy.

This stuff makes me feel alive.



This is my baby-doll Stella. She's a chinese-crested powder puff. I promise I didn't make that up. She will do anything for a treat, I promise you. Today I slept in, watched glee, went shopping, drank starbucks, had a piano lesson, bought Jack Johnson's cd To the Sea (and love it) and finally bought Phoenix's cd. I have also embarked on Christmas gifts. This year I am going for a more creative side to things; I am excited. One of my favorite things to do is give things to people and surprise them with something really thoughtful. This year, my goal is to do this in a creative way unique to each person. Christmas gifts can get so stressful when you feel that you need to give everyone something. But this year, if I can't think of a really creative/thoughtful thing for someone, then I probably am not close enough to them to need to give them a gift anyways. :)

First Trimester is finished! More good news from my life:

>>My MRI came back negative!!! Only bad part is they still have no idea why I have been so dizzy and having such bad headaches. However, I am so grateful to my New Hope family for praying for me and checking in. I am so blessed.

>>I was accepted in to Messiah College, with more than a year paid in scholarships. It's decent and we'll see what happens after December 15th.

Tomorrow:

I am going to visit my favorite 18 year old sister and finally get to see her in college mode. Should be fun. It's been weird without her, but I am so glad I get to spend some time with her! Some of the things I have missed most about living with sisters:

Incessantly quoting movies,

laughing fits,

always a buddy to procrastinate with,

jamming/singing

fighting (yeah, I know.)

starbucks/panera dates

making cookies

someone else for mental stability when the rents start making horrible jokes.

More days should be like today. Hope your days were all equally as lovely,

Rach

Days Like These

My favorite place. Can't tell you where, but it's magical.

"You wanted rock and roll, complete control Well, I don’t know" My favorite song on the cd.

I love blogs where people have grand aspirations to save the world one bad outfit at a time, or give their snooty opinion about so and so's last book that was a bust, but still hold the author with the highest regard due to his attempts at depicting the antagonist of the story as a strong female lead. I realize these situations never occur. That's cool. Bad example I suppose. Either way. This is not that kind of blog. I have no main purpose with this little project here except maybe to drain the surfeit of useless information swimming around in my head. However, what you do get is my rambles, thoughts, and a quick glimpse into the life that I find worth living. I hope you can at least appreciate that.

Status on things in my life:

>>College applications: First main 4= complete!

>>Brain capacity to sponge up any more information regarding the cell, neuron, nephron, or brain: Limit Exceeded

>>Sleep: Not nearly enough of it

>>Stress: Moderate but nerves are definitely high.

>>Ready for: Tuesday to be over and then after that Wednesday as well.

>>Excited to: Embark on my next challenge. You'll see ;)

>>Praying for: Tuesday and that the outbreak of Cholera in Haiti is over soon.

>>Thankful for: My family, Fall back!, a plan , Claude Debussy for writing the most beautiful music, and some really wonderful people praying for me.

Fall is really the best time of the year. Pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks, an extra hour of sleep, and changing leaves. I love collapsing on the couch and turning on the fire (even if it's electric!) and reading. Hopefully soon I will be able to dig in on the new books I have just bought from B&N. I'm tired of all of this AP nonsense. Here's to enjoyment reading and naps. I will plan my time accordingly, and with that good night. North Carolina, you are officially on the normal cycle of how fall should feel.

Love, blessings, and thankful for this next breath,

Rach

I like this song

second place never was so sweet

Pictures from the second to last soccer game of the season for Woods Charter School. It's so difficult to know that the season is over and that I will not be able to participate in any more games with these amazing athletes. Although I have only played 1 year on the team, it has been so much fun and I'm so happy I did. Just some pictures (courtesy of Kim Chambers) and now realizing how much I am going to miss everyone come graduation.
Although we lost 2-1 in the championship game, the game last night against Franklin was so worth it, that it doesn't even matter. Winning in over time against a team who had illegally stacked their team was one of the highlights of senior year. I am so happy to be a part of the team and love you all. Mike, Jon, and Chris, you guys are the best and I am so excited to get to graduate with you all.

Don't knock it; You've been here before

My fingers hurt. My wrists hurt. I love life. I was able to play piano and guitar for two hours straight today. On a school night. I wish I could express the magnitude of this occurrence.

I never seem to get everything done that I want to. This is usual for everyone; I understand this. However, it drives me crazy because I have such a difficult time relaxing and taking a break unless I am done with all of my work. Good news is that I am getting better at being neglectful of my work. Not completely true, but if I am able to do something at another time I will take the opportunity. Also, I've found that if I make a quick list of things I did do, it helps me feel accomplished and realized that I haven't been wasting my day.

Today I was able to do some of my favorite things and as a result am feeling no stress despite a bio test tomorrow and college application deadlines closing in.

-Piano & guitar <3
-Went for a run
-Took some pictures
-cleaned my room
-blogged ;)
&& I am almost finished with my Elon, UNC Chapel Hill, Davidson, and Messiah applications!!!

I am blessed and need to remember this. Miss Lynette McRae sent me the nicest email. I am so lucky to know this woman and have her care enough to email me nearly every week with encouraging words.

1 Peter 1:18
Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God. It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. He paid with Christ's sacred blood, you know. He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb. And this was no afterthought. Even though it has only lately—at the end of the ages—become public knowledge, God always knew he was going to do this for you. It's because of this sacrificed Messiah, whom God then raised from the dead and glorified, that you trust God, that you know you have a future in God. <3

Love, blessings, and thoroughly content,
Rach

I actually DO give a...well you know... about an oxford comma

And I really like Indie pop/rock. Namely, Vampire Weekend who I got to see in Raleigh this past Sunday. Their show was a lot of fun and I didn't have the hairs on my head to equate to the number of plaid shirts, skinny jeans, and v-necks in the audience. Although I am not quite hipster, (understatement of this lifetime, I know), Vampire Weekend is top-notch in my mind.

Just a thought. Their song "Oxford Comma" hit on one of many of my grammar pet-peeves. An oxford comma, the comma used before an and or other conjunction in a sentence with a list of three things: Ex. I went to the store to buy an apple, banana, and melon.
(The last comma in the sentence.) Please use it, it will make me happier. Apparently Vampire Weekend, intelligent Columbia boys, (the university not the country) heard about a club that was trying to keep the use of the Oxford comma alive and they did not have this pet peeve as I do. Alright, nerdy Rachel is finished. Just some insight into my world. Use the Oxford comma as you now know what it is and it will take up that much more space in your essays.

I like

Senior retreat starting tomorrow. Should be fun. Pictures to follow.

Shoes, Rain, and Stress relief

Chucks, toms, and slip on sneakers

Today I went on the most amazing run in the pouring rain. This was the result. Soaking wet, covered in mud, and looking rough, and thinking it was 100% worth it. I was able to spend some quality time running without any others on the road, spent some time praying as running always makes me do, and got the relieve some stress. I am going crazy lately and it was a God send to be able to lose some of that today.

New Favorite Song

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34

Love, love, love,

Rachel

Keep the Car Running

Beowulf poem we all had to write for English and this was my result :)

Things are CRAZY. Deep breaths to get through this last week and yet another week like that has arrived.

On the plus side...

This past weekend was lots of fun. I found a balance between homework, friends, church and w

orship! It was great seeing some of my favorite ladies that I haven't seen in ages. Things are going great and I thrive on busy schedules. I am not going to let myself be completely devoted to school this year. It's my last in high school (which continues to make me go excited to freak out in .2 seconds.)

My favorite things at the moment:

1. French: movies (Amelie!), youtube clips, and crazy conversations avec mes parents.

2. Bilingual conversations with Liz speaking in Spanish and me in French. (and humorous side notes!)

3. My camera and taking pictures of everything

4. Rick Steves. Believe me, you'd

understand if you only knew.

5. Chopin and Debussy

[[I'm out for the night to hopefully catch some sleep! I am so grateful for my family, friends, church family, youth group, and everything else. Yesterday my New Hope family did what they always do and were so encouraging without even having to ask.]]

Love, blessings, and ready to slow down the pace,

Rach

Some days I need a camera with me at all times

Grendel attacks... and then ends up in Mrs. Berg's class room :)

Today, the one and only Mr. Richie Temple jammed out on the electric guitar and I needed my rebel with me to capture it. Too bad I didn't have it. Okay, well not really rock out but it was still a HIGHLIGHT of my day when he made one of his jokes. In other news, I love this song. It's super cheesy, but adorable.

I love senior year. My classes are wonderful (even if they are all AP's), as are my teachers. AP Biology is kicking my butt, yet it's super interesting. Definitely going to be my hardest class this year.

Things that I'm loving most about senior year:

-Seniors... 'nuff said. One year left.

-European history and RICK STEVES!

-Being Yearbook Business Editor. I am going to have an awesome team working with me and I'm pumped!

-Woods Soccer

-Woods Christian Fellowship

-English Class

I am not looking forward to college applications however, but I guess it comes with the territory and it will all work out in the end ? Wishful thinking!

It's late and I should sleep because I have an infinitely long day tomorrow.

Love, blessings, and lacking sleep,

Rach

In many ways, they'll miss the good old days someday, someday

A person's a person, no matter how small.

Taken at Davidson. The entire campus was just rather fantastic.

The hardest thing for me to comprehend lately is having such a vivid picture of what I want out of life and then coming to the realization that it might not happen. I want what I want, but it might be selfish to get what I want. I'm always missing the past and asking "why didn't this or why didn't that" as if I should have changed my actions a long time ago. Bummer really. If I did not do something at the time it simply wasn't important enough to me. Rosy retrospection also takes a huge role in my life when I believe that the past was the good old days but really it is only that way because I am told that it should be. What is so wrong with the present that we are encouraged-even brainwashed to look back to the past or have some false hope for the future? Why don't we ever love where we're at? Not that I think we should settle with what we have right now, because we can always improve in whatever aspect of life means the most to us, I just think that I would rather enjoy the journey than struggle until I reach the goal. Whatever that turns out to be. If I don't get my 16 year old desires then I still believe my life will turn out just fine. Things are great and having goals is always helpful. I just don't want to get hung up on silly obsessions for what college or major I decide upon (or more realistically decides upon me.) Here's to appreciating now and being hopeful for the future but not WAITING until happiness knocks us in the stomach. Happiness is difficult to find and even harder to attain so why in the world would you wait for it to come to you?

Summer

Lounging by the pool and reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan. He is such a powerful speaker/author. I am envious of his unconditional love for others.

All real musicians have music shaped silly bandz...

I really love my new camera. End of story. I've been trying to get the hang of it and I simply love it.

I saw inception last night and it really made you think. It amazed me how every little detail fit into its place and worked out by the movie's end. It made me feel hopeful and grateful for having the ability to control my own dreams (to an extent.) Also, it made me think that my subconscious would probably be rude and unbearable even without others trying to disrupt my "architecture." Heck, my conscious is usually bad enough. Also, the people who I saw it with reminded me that I am loved and that even though this year will be weird with half of them going to college, breaks will be that much better. (Sky, Mike, Jon, Bekk and Chris even though you couldn't be there!)

Things I am excited about:

-Senior Year! Although my work load seems a bit much, I am increasingly optimistic as the school year approaches. I simply cannot wait for some of my classes to start and to get back into the swing of things.

-Leadership summit which is next week. Just getting to listen to some of these speakers will be amazing and I am so excited to learn from their examples.

-College hunting and applications. It scares me to death ,but at the same time it reaffirms the fact that I will be able to study what I want to, embark on my future career path, and become as independent as any college kid ever really is.

"So hip we need a replacement"

Heading to the beach with the family for a few days tomorrow. It's Liz's last few days home so some family bonding is in order. Should be fun. (Photo from Bekkah).

Elevator music anyone?

Arcade Fire is wonderful. I am a fan.

In other news, I did P90x today. ha Let's see how long this lasts. The main guy on the video is hilarious. If there ever existed a tool, he would be it. But he is ridiculously strong so I really can't say a thing.

Also, I'm hopefully getting a new camera soon and will thus have many pictures to post.

Until then,

love, blessings, and lacking sleep,

Rachel

it's late and my thoughts are all in a muddle...

We love each other, I promise! Bad picture quality, but I do love my doggy. It's late. I know that. I can't seem to sleep. I fell asleep watching the Fourth Kind and now I've caught my 2nd wind. Something about crazy alien movies that just get my brain wired. Also, the Galucki's came to visit and I'm so grateful for this family and all of those in NH who continue to stay connected with us. It means the world to me!

But THAT is not the topic of my post. I'm not much

into other life on other planets and I never really enjoyed E.T. as a child.

Things I learned today that I should have known a while ago:

>> Bambi is apparently male. I don't know about you, but it does not exactly scream "leader of the pack" and would not be the name for my son. Just saying.

>>Avoiding going in the pool by remaining fully clothed and hanging out on the deck just doesn't seem to cut it like it used to. Thanks boys.

Alright so those are not exactly earth shattering realizations. But it's summer, at least I am learning something.

Something with a little more meat than my 3:00 A.M. ramblings

"When I worship, I would rather my heart be without words than my words be without
heart." -Lamar Boschman

I believe that those of us who claim to be Christians get so caught up in the "right" words to say in worship, at church, and especially praying, that we forget to put actual meaning into these words. I can't TELL you how many awkward silences I have heard following the words by many a youth leader, "So who would like to pray?" Myself included, I think we get hesitant when others are listening or watching. Especially if our own prayers tend to be of a vernacular of our own. We get so caught up in wanting to do the right thing and say the right words that we who have grown up in the church are so used to, that we lose out on the bigger picture. Instead of focusing on what we are praying for, we focus on the words. Prayer is NOT always poetry. I love that David in the Psalms made his prayers flow, but sometimes prayers are meant to be disjointed, discombobulated, and straight up messy. Let's not only pray with the intent to use the correct churched lexicon, if you will, but instead with the intent that when we go before the Almighty God that He will hear us and answer requests in ways that we don't even know how to pray for. Prayer is such a powerful way of growing in the faith as well as seeing changes that are only possible through Christ. It is honestly one of the things that I struggle with most, trying to maintain a sequential string of thoughts that seem "worthy" or "good" enough to bring before my Creator. Sometimes, it's just nice to have a little chat with God and THANK him for what He's doing and will do in my life. Ergo, the messy prayers that I simply try to work through WHAT I am being called to do and WHO in my life is in need of prayer. I need to not get so focused on what I say, but what I believe and what will come from my prayers. Because,

"Before a word is on my tongue

you know it completely, O LORD."

Psalm 139:4

And now I leave you with one final thought,

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Philippians 4:6

Love, blessings, and with a desire for a heart of worship,

Rach

Fireworks on the 4th of July, nobody cares if there's no girl by your side...

Today...

was lovely.

This morning I woke up bright and early and did some yoga by the pool. I love early mornings when you can simply be in nature and love every second of it. I proceeded to swim some laps and then headed to the gym with poppy.

I had a job interview today at Michael's Arts and Crafts. It went pretty well but I'm not going to hold my breath as I was up against people twice my age with experience in retail. I smiled a lot and the manager seemed to like me. I guess I can pray for the best and let everything work out for the best. Patrick Woodman and I joked about them not getting the position because they were simply overqualified; they were trying too hard.

I then had lunch with the lovely and wonderful Ashley Stevenson. She is fantastic. Times with her always make me smile and I am so thankful for the wonderful leadership at youth group. I love you all dearly.

After that, I had a piano lesson with my gracious and ever-patient teacher Mrs. Hasty. She is always a joy to talk to and play for along with being encouraging and so willing to answer any and all questions.

I'm glad I'm writing again. It helps me compartmentalize my life.

>> This made me laugh today.

love, blessings, and all that jazz,

Rach