Sweet Tea #4

Hey again!

I know, I posted not too long ago (like yesterday), but this is to make up for all the weeks or months or however long I didn't post this semester. Let's have another round of Sweet Tea, shall we? :)

My Life

So far, hectic. These past couple of weeks I've been hard at work studying and writing all kinds of papers (short stories, poems, responses, bibliographies, news stories, feature stories, etc.). It's been really challenging to write in such different ways, but I'm glad that I'm growing in my writing and just in my study habits in general. 

Tonight, my hall did a little scavenger hunt event with a guys hall from a different dorm building on campus. It was really fun to get to know some guys I'd never met before, and they were really great to hang out with. And there was a dessert reception afterwards. Yuuumm...

But yeah, life is going. There's been a balance of good times and rough patches this semester already, but God has been faithful in just teaching me so many things and allowing me to grow in faith. I've actually been attending counseling sessions for the past few weeks, just so I can get my thoughts and feelings out in the open and hear feedback from a professional. 

And so far, it's been so amazing. Every time I leave, I feel like I've learned something new about myself and I've also learned how to change things in my life that need changing. It's been so refreshing to get a different perspective on my life and to see the way I think and  react to things change.

I'm currently trying to learn that, yes, I can care for those I love when I have the opportunity and resources to do that, but I have to take care of myself too. My counselor told me this analogy: the heart pumps blood through the entire body, but in order for it to do that, it has to pump blood into itself first. So basically, in order for me to invest in other people,  I need to invest in myself first. Not to a point where I become prideful, but I just need some me time: drinking coffee or tea, watching some Netflix, writing, reading, napping.

I'm really excited to start paying attention to just treating myself every once in a while for at least 30 minutes!

Tunes

WHEW! I have been listening to A LOT of things lately! I feel like every week I find a new artist that I'm just absolutely in love with! So, I'll just pick a few of my recent favorite artists to rave about!

1. You Me At Six - umm, how have I never listened to this band before? I remember last semester Bria had mentioned them to me and I'd listened to them a little bit, but I was so absorbed with Pierce the Veil, Sleeping with Sirens, and Mayday Parade that I kind of just fell of the train. This British pop-punk band is too good! They recently released a new album called Cavalier Youth and I am just IN LOVE with it! My favorite songs from this album are "Too Young to Feel This Old", "Forgive and Forget", "Fresh Start Fever", "Win Some, Lose Some", "Cold Night", "Be Who You Are", "Carpe Diem", and "Champagne Wishes"! Such great music and lyrics! Definitely check them out when you get the chance! And their acoustic song "Starry Eyed"...*sigh* so great!

2. Royal Pirates - I actually discovered this Korean-American rock band through f(x)'s Amber's Instagram account. She had made a video of her watching Royal Pirates' Drawing the Line MV and then she went to a whiteboard and drew a line. I thought the video was hilarious, but I was really interested in the music on the video. So I looked them up and realized that they'd released a small E.P. called Shout Out in 2013 and that they had recently released their first official mini album Drawing the Line and, like with You Me At Six, I fell in love with their style of music. It was like KPOP, only with a rock twist to it. Favorite songs by them so far: "You", "Drawing the Line" (both the Korean and English versions), "Shout Out", and "On My Mind". "Fly to You" is growing on me right now too, actually. Seriously, go check them out too!

3. This Century - So, Bria is slightly peeved, I think, that I'm just now listening to this band because apparently she tried to get me to listen to them last semester. Like I said, I was so stuck on Pierce the Veil and company that I didn't feel like I needed new music introduced to me. But this punk band is really good. Their latest album Biography of Heartbreak released in 2013, and it is simply delightful! My favorite song of all time on that album is "Slow Dance Night." Other songs I really like from that album are "Love Killer", "Biography of Hearbreak", "Bleach Blonde", "Fool's Game", "Skeletons", and "Sideways". 

4. We Are The In Crowd - If you like Paramore, I think you'll like this pop-punk band. I was actually shocked to hear a girl's voice when I started listening to them, but oh my word, the lead vocalists Taylor Jardine (also the keyboardist) and Jordan Eckes (also the guitarist) sing the best duets ever. They also just released an album called Weird Kids, and it is just ROCKIN'! Favorite songs: "The Best Thing (That Never Happened)", "Manners", "Attention", "Remember (To Forget You)", "Don't You Worry", and "Reflections". 

5. "Favorite Girl" by The Icarus Account - okay, I didn't flat out say that The Icarus Account was my favorite band because honestly, I've only been listening to this one song for the past few weeks. It was featured on the Snapchat Valentine's Day video, and after hearing the small snippet, I decided to check it out. Still don't regret that decision. This song is super sappy sweet, which I haven't usually been into, but this song is so happy-go-lucky, shoot, how can I not listen to it on the weekends? :D

The Word

So, I've been getting up an hour earlier than I need to in order to do my devotions at breakfast. But this past week has been awful when it comes to my Bible study time. I could explain a million things going on in my life and tell you the excuses I have for not really getting deep into the Word, but I won't. I'll just say that I've been struggling lately.

But, when I do read my Bible, I'm reading the Proverb of the day and I'm going through the book of 2 Corinthians again. I just LOVE that book, and I'm wanting to use the inductive Bible study method my pastor taught us a couple of weeks ago. I've slightly done it, but I want to be able to bring my journal in at breakfast and fully focus on what I'm reading and studying.

Challenge for next week: truly start the inductive method Bible study! :)

Threads

Jackets, hoodies, and coats galore! It's been SO COLD on the mountain (I mean, we had three or four snow days, for crying out loud!) Last week, the weather started warming up a little, so I started wearing a t-shirt hear and there. I even wore my new mint green vest with the golden spikes on the shoulder blades one day...

But then this week, winter decided to come back again. :( I'm really hoping that spring weather comes to stay soon!

Create!

Well, in regards to arts and crafts, I'm creating nothing. But I have been writing A TON because of my creative writing and journalism classes. The assignment I turned in for today was a fairy tale re-written in modern times. I chose Aladdin and actually got into it. I want to continue it!!! :) Maybe I'll work on that...

What I'm Watching

Oh man, guys. 

Well, during the snow days, Netflix was me and my friends drug. We watched so much TV it was ridiculous. Yes, we still got homework done, but shoot, when we had a free hour or so, we watched shows.

We started Bates Motel and finished the whole first season. Thankfully, the second season is starting up in March! :D

Then, Taylor, Hannah (a hallmate of mine), and me started watching Twisted, but Taylor and Hannah lost interest in it after the first episode. I decided to give it another chance and watched the second episode. And the third. And then last weekend I finished the entire first season. And the second season is playing on ABC Family every Tuesday at 8 or 9pm. AND I'M MISSING IT! :/

Oh well, hopefully Netflix won't take too long to put season 2 up! It is so freakin' good! I'm not going to even try to explain both of those shows. They are just way too deep to be explained. I encourage you to watch them for yourself and see what you think!

I will warn you, Bates Motel is not a happy show. There is so much depravity within it and it truly does depict how Norman Bates of Alfred Hithcock's famous Psycho film became the way he was. There are some disturbing and somewhat graphic images. Just warning ya.

Here&Now

Here and now I am...trying to finish this post before midnight! So it still counts for February! So you won't mind if I just finish this post, like, right now without officially signing off, right? Sweet!

#luvya

~ Mishy. (^^) <3