More Quotes of the Day

"Gosh, Clark, I didn't know super-whining was one of your powers." - Chloe in Smallville

"Toes are overrated." - Michael in Prison Break

"That's why the pawns go first." - Magneto in X-Men: The Last Stand

Christmas Eve Hymn

Behold, a Branch is growing
Of loveliest form and grace,
As prophets sung, foreknowing;
It springs from Jesse's race
And bears one little Flow'r
In midst of coldest winter,
At deepest midnight hour.

O Saviour, Child of Mary,
Who felt our human woe;
O Saviour, King of Glory,
Who dost our weakness know,
Bring us at length, we pray,
To the bright courts of heaven
And to the endless day.

Chuckles Quotes

Lester: How much do you think that toe's worth to Casey?

Jeff: Why?

Lester: Maybe there's a finder's fee.

Quote of the Day

Actually from yesterday... considering the time.

"Shut up, you freak!" - Planet of the Apes or Expelled

Facebook Fever

What is it about Facebook? Everyone has one... Everyone wants one... Everyone apparently needs one. In fact, I think it's kind of sad. However, I've learned that one can't stand in the way of the rising tide... When your great Aunt looks at you and says, "Would you please get Facebook? Then we can all share pictures." What can you say besides, "I'll ask my Dad"? Well, here I am now with Facebook... I'm not really sure I'm all that happy about it, but I can at least keep up with family and friends around the country. I feel like calling myself hypocrite and a sellout... Maybe I should add that to my description of myself on Facebook. :(

Happy Birthday, Kiri!

Twenty-one... You are getting old! :PHappy Birthday!

P.S. Did I make up for last year?! :P

Ahh! Car Trouble

Hi everyone!
I survived... but barely. Just kidding. For those of you who are feeling a little lost, my brother and I traveled to Fairmont this morning to help teach Contra dances. After practice was over, we went to the car... and the car wouldn't start. After some fancy diagnosis from Mr. Kincell, we called AAA.

Then after a lengthy conversation with a AAA woman (and my parents), Daniel and I waited at Trinity Assembly of God for the tow truck. Sitting in a cold car is not the most awesome way to spend a 1/2 hour of your life.

Then, I decided to try starting the car again... Lo and behold, it started. (About this time, I started calling the car a "moronic machine.") So, what to do now? The car needed gas, but I wasn't sure it would start again...

Thankfully, the Kincell's brought us lunch... So we didn't starve. We turned on the car's heat and waited for the tow truck... AAA then called, I explained to the woman about our freakish car, and she arranged for us to meet the tow truck driver at the gas station.

We got gas, and the car started. So presto! No tow truck needed. And Daniel and I made it safely home... After 2 hours of weirdness. Thanks be to God.

Our favorite quote of the day:

"I just put two bucks in this thing!"

Quote of the Day

"I am the villain of the story" - Lex Luthor in Onyx - Smallville

I do believe in... Finals?!

Two finals taken, two finals proctored, one to go. I do believe in Christmas break, I do! I do!

I celebrate the day...

And with this Christmas wish is missed
The point I could convey
If only I could find the words to say to let You know
how much You've touched my life
Because here is where You're finding me,
in the exact same place as New Year's eve
And from a lack of my persistency
We're less than half as close as I want to be

And the first time
That You opened Your eyes
did You realize that You would be my Savior
And the first breath that left Your lips
Did You know that it would change this world forever

And so this Christmas I'll compare the things I felt in prior years
To what this midnight made so clear
That You have come to meet me here
To look back and think that
This baby would one day save me
In the hope that what You did
That you were born so I might really live
To look back and think that
This baby would one day save me

And the first time
That You opened Your eyes
did You realize that You would be my Savior
And the first breath that left Your lips
Did You know that it would change this world forever

And I, I celebrate the day
That You were born to die
So I could one day [Thank you Lord you saved] my life
-RelientK

White Out

Congrats seniors!
Beating South Florida is a great victory. It truly is a great day to be a Mountaineer wherever you may be. 13- 7. (W)

O Tannenbaum

Jealousy rarely accomplishes anything... However, when I saw that the math lab down the hall had a Christmas tree... I knew that the CS lab needed one. :)

Why are you wasting your brain?

Do you ever get questions like: Why aren't you going to grad school? Or for those of you who didn't opt for college: Why aren't you attending a university?
Do you ever feel like screaming at these people?! Why is it that our culture assumes that you can't educate yourself? Or why does our culture assume that higher education is a must?

Obviously, as a Christian, I believe that God gave me a brain to use. Whatever I do, I MUST do to the glory of God. But, that doesn't mean that I have to go to grad school to glorify God... Not only that, but I didn't have to go the university to glorify God. I could have done it at home. Glorifying God is not specific to any occupation; you should glorify Him wherever He places you.

I know the world doesn't recognize God in their lives... but I do. I know that even if I don't go to grad school... even if I don't become a "important" career woman... even if I DO become a wife/homemaker/homeschooler... I will not be wasting my brain. I will be using it for the glory of God for whatever He has me to do.

Addition: Those who are encouraging us to go to college or pursue grad school are generally those who care about us and should be treated with respect. :P

Chuckles

Viva BuyMoreia!

We are the Nerd Herd

Halloween after Open Lab

(L to R) Bissi, Anna, Me, Lonnie, Avinash

Generally Whiggish

Random thoughts for today...

World War 1 - Could this have been prevented if men had pursued justice instead of aggression/revenge/blood lust?

World War 2 - Often considered the good war... Is war ever good? Obviously it is necessary given the state of man, but does that make it good? Or is that just semantics?

Speaking of semantics, linguistics is a fascinating field to study:
How do you pronounce these words?
Pin/Pen
Caught/Cot
Are they the same? I love language change. It really is too cool.

For those of you who are economic addicts:
http://gregmankiw.blogspot.com/

TTFN

P.S. I've been told I would make a good whig... hence the title.

What's this girl to do?

A glimpse into what I do....


No-bakes

Into the oven

Chocolate Chip

Cleaning

Study

Ready to bake

Mmmm... Ginger Snaps

Help decorate for MECHE

Fall Family Weekend

Each year, WVU hosts Fall Family Weekend. Families of students at WVU can come to classes, go to sporting events, tour the campus, and generally see what their kid/sibling get to do every day. This year my father and mother couldn't attend with me on Friday (Though Daddy did go to my Business management class with me on Thursday), so Daniel and I adopted David Terris and took him to classes with us.

Accounting was interesting.... Italian was hilarious! The boys tried to understand Fabio, but their greatest enjoyment was listening to the obnoxious students behind us. I think Economics was David's favorite... He could follow the calculus part just fine.

Sneaked into a Engineering Classroom--Awesome--

After all of that, we had lunch at the Mountainlair --possibly Daniel's and my favorite part :P-- Then I gave them a tour of the CS lab; we took a PRT ride to Engineering --trying to find Aerospace E. where David may attend next year--

then back on the PRT to the downtown campus

where I showed off the library.

All in all, it was a beautiful autumn day for Fall Family Weekend.

Servitude: "Living in the fish bowl"

Kids were screaming and running everywhere. Absolute delight filled their little voices. They ran from place to place often with no adult supervision. Yet no one was concerned…. The children never even realized the fence that enclosed the yard to keep them safe. The very same fence that kept them in was the fence that allowed them to run without Mommy or Daddy to hold their hands.
At last year’s carnival, Mom’s and Dad’s anxiously followed their child’s every move careful to make sure they didn’t run into a busy street. There was no safety net to protect the children. The children may have looked freer because there was no fence, but in reality there were more restrained.
– Mrs. Jackson’s explanation of the VBS Carnival at the Powell home... And the year before on the street oustide the church

Today in Sunday school, the adult class was talking about Liberation Theology. Having not heard the term before, I was intrigued at the meaning. Liberation Theology is the idea that the Bible’s message is to free us from all –isms. Such as racism, sexism, elitism, etc. After man is freed, he is now given autonomy. This notion of the gospel was propagated by men such as Martin Luther King. But this idea of scripture doesn’t understand the true nature of man. Man is a creature. God does not set man free from something and give him autonomy. There is no such thing.

Man is set free from the slavery of sin to become a slave of the King. God defeated Pharaoh and freed Israel from servitude in Egypt. But, he didn’t then release them to their own devices. Bringing them to Sinai, he there gave them the commands on how to serve Him. Just as when Christ saves us from our slavery to sin, he doesn’t just let us loose. Paul tells us that Christ has saved us, and now we are to live like it. We are now in his service…

My pastor often gives the illustration of the fish in the bowl. A man walked up to the fish bowl. “How sad!” The man thought. “This poor fish is so constrained by his environment. I will set him free.” The man then plucked the fish from his watery haven and put him on the living room floor. The fish then died.

This may seem like a silly example, but God place boundaries around us to keep us safe. The dead fish isn’t very free is he? Man wasn’t meant to run amuck by his own devices. We are creatures meant by God to be His servants. And now in a world affected by sin, man is either a slave of sin, or a bondslave of Christ.

Email Humor

*Please join me in remembering a great icon of the entertainment community. The Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection and trauma complications from repeated pokes in the belly. He was 71.

Doughboy was buried in a lightly greased coffin. Dozens of celebrities turned out to pay their respects, including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, the California Raisins, Betty Crocker, the Hostess Twinkies, and Captain Crunch. The grave site was piled high with flours.

Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy and lovingly described Doughboy as a man who never knew how much he was kneaded. Doughboy rose quickly in show business, but his later life was filled with turnovers. He was not considered a very smart cookie, wasting much of his dough on half-baked schemes. Despite being a little flaky at times, he still was a crusty old man and was considered a positive roll model for millions.

Doughboy is survived by his wife Play Dough, three children: John Dough, Jane Dough and Dosey Dough, plus they had one in the oven. He is also survived by his elderly father, Pop Tart.

The funeral was held at 3:50 for about 20 minutes.

If this made you smile for even a brief second, please rise to the occasion and take time to pass it on and share that smile with someone else who may be having a crumby day and kneads a lift.*

One of my favorite hymns

My 21st Birthday

Classes were awesome! I got to visit with Dee & Sean. Then after meeting with my English professor, I met Dee (again) for lunch! After BUSA 320, I rushed to meet Mama, Daniel, & Grandpa.... We then traveled to Outback where we met my Dad. Where, I got my last birthday speech from my Dad (until I get married)...My dad always seems to have great words of wisdom to impart to me. Even so, on my birthday, Dad seems to out-do himself. He told me about how on 21st birthdays the world tells young men and women my age that they are responsible enough to handle certain responsibilities, such as alcohol. Daddy continued to say that he and mom had considered me responsible enough for several years and were very proud of me. He told me about how God had grown me in his grace. But, he stressed with me the danger of complacency and the need for perseverance. "Laura, you may feel tempted to think that you have arrived, and in many ways you have." But, I cannot stay this way. I must keep striving for the goal of sanctification. I will never achieve perfection this side of glory, but that is not a license for sin.

After we enjoyed a tasty meal, we went home to play 500 rummy and open gifts!

Did anyone else watch the VP debate? Not the way I wanted to end my birthday, but the parties didn't consult me on the date. :P

Political Satire

Show me the Funny

Phrase of the Day

"...throw you under the bus."

Eye Wear

UPDATE: Project Blog

Hi guys! I'm still alive, but just barely hanging on. Yes, I haven't updated in more than a week, but I've been busy. House sitting with no Internet access except for the library on campus can be a drain on new posts. And carrying 20 hours isn't as easy as it looks. Trust me. My dad is still making fun of me for this one. But, on the upside, I am loving school and I will try to keep in touch with ya'll even if you don't here from me very often.

I'll try to post some pictures of my Idlewild trip soon.

Let's Go Mountaineers!

It's a great day to be a Mountaineer...

...wherever you may be.

The Mountaineers took on Villanova and came out 48-21. The team started off slow, but once they got into a rhythm amazing things happened. Clearly, Coach Stew did an amazing job this summer. Just for a side note-- Announcers still come up with the greatest phrases---Noel Devine is like a ping-pong ball in a bathtub.

But, the Mountaineers could rejoice for more than just their own victory.
Virginia Tech lost to East Carolina... 22-27. The Mountaineers will have their work cut out for them next week when they play at EC.

Pitt lost to Bowling Green. (Tee Hee Hee) 17-27. Nuff' said. :P

And perhaps the best news of all:
Michigan lost to Utah: 23-25. Does anyone really miss Rod?!

Which of these...

Which two of the following items go together: a panda, a banana, and a monkey?

Don't think too much... What is your gut reaction?
Post your comments, and I'll explain.

what's the difference?

Men and Women are different. Whoa! Big shock! Stop the presses! We have to get this news out and now!

Please. Most of us know that men and women are different. It's not a mystery. However, it is something that American culture tries to suppress and forget about. This suppression results in heartache and confusion for so many people.

Taking time away from school work this week, I began to read John Piper's what's the difference? for the women's book study. This book is amazing. I have only read 2 chapters, and I already feel encouraged and challenged. I must recommend this book to anyone who is confused about the roles for men and women, but also for those of us who need a little encouragement now and then.

Excerpts:
At the heart of mature masculinity is a sense of benevolent responsibility to lead, provide for and protect women in ways appropriate to a man's differing relationships.

At the heart of mature femininity is a freeing disposition to affirm, receive and nurture strength and leadership from worthy men in ways appropriate to women's differing relationships.

School Stuff

The tax form 1040 can be scary, but it can also be fun! So, do you take the standard deduction or the Schedule A deduction? Yes, I actually know what that I'm saying.

Io mi chiamo Laura Powell. Sono di Morgantown. Io sono studentessa di Italino. (Can you guess what that means?)

Economics gets more and more complicated, but who doesn't love a science that confirms your conservatism?!
Apparently liberal history books can get some things right: [Luther's] insight into the meaning of "justification by faith alone" was a gradual process that extended between 1513 and 1518. The righteousness that God demands, he concluded, did not result from many religious works and ceremonies but was given in full measure to those who believe and trust in Jesus Christ, who alone is the perfect righteousness satisfying to God. To believe in Christ mean to stand before God clothed in Christ's sure righteousness." (The Heritage of World Civilizations, Chapter 17, p.499)



Does CS101 every get old? I submit that it does not! Listening to Sean lecture, I was again reminded of things I had forgotten and I brushed up on other things. It's great to be working with the CS101 department on campus again. Not only do they help me maintain my knowledge of Microsoft Office, they are my friends. I can't imagine what school would be like without CS...

Lexicon, morphology, syntax, phonology, & semantics... these are all elements of my English 321 course. I think I might have been about to tell you something about 1 or 2 them before this week. Now, I am trying to master their definitions and use that knowledge to interpret data in the history of the English language. For example: Did you know that the insult hussy came from the Old English noun huss? Huss was a house wife... In present day English the meaning has changed quite a bit. This is part of semantics. Interesting, huh?



Management is critical to any business, but it is also important for people in general. We manage our finances, time, and lives every day. What are the core aspects of management? Planning, Organizing, Leading, and Controlling.

These are some of the many thing I have learned this week... I can't wait to Week 2. Let's go Mountaineers!

New Look

School is starting once again and with it I have changed the look of my blog.

I expect to update you all tomorrow and Tuesday about my new classes and life/school stuff in general, but if I can't -- I will definitely post something by the end of the week.

Curiosity Concerning Consonance

Why is it that many of the famous superheroes have first and last names that begin with the same letter? Consonance is an interesting literary device, and maybe DC and Marvel thought their readers would remember the names more easily. In any case, I was trying to remember all the superheroes that have this characteristic and here is my list:

Clark Kent
Peter Parker
Bruce Banner
Reed Richards
Sue Storm
Matt Murdock
Scott Summers

Or their girlfriends:
Lois Lane
Lana Lang
Betty Brant
Pepper Potts
Vicki Vale

Or Enemies:
Lex Luthor
Green Goblin
Victor Von Doom

Curious, isn't it?

Our culture denies such truths

Psalm 127:3
"Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward."

During the Sunday morning service, we read Psalm 127. I was again struck by this verse, and the joy of God's covenant favor. But, it also came to mind how many in our nation view children as a burden or even "tissue" that can be thrown away. Thanks be to God who gave us our "right to life." May God grant the leaders in our country this knowledge that they suppress.

Captain Awesome

Friday evening, Dee, Sammi, and I went to stay with Noah, Maggie, and Evangelia Berry. Mr. and Mrs. Berry had gone out of town for their anniversary. The kids, Dee, and I had a blast watching movies, swinging on the hammock, and playing house in general. But, one of the biggest highlights for all of us was the little kitten the Berry's were watching. Noah told us that they had been calling him "Grub," but Dee insisted that "Grub" was a "Captain Awesome." I couldn't help but agree. Even Noah was calling him "Awesome" by the time we left. Dee told me I needed to share pictures of the captain with the rest of you... So without further ado...

P.S. I realize this post sounds like it is related to superheroes... but that is not intentional. :P