Now Is Not the Time

To all of you who may have broken hearts and feel like you are all alone or can’t get through something you are struggling with, please remember that you are not alone and no matter how awful things may have been or still are for you, God is still good. God is good–ALL the time. And, ALL the time–God is good. God is allowing you to go through this to MAKE you, not break you and disfigure you. He doesn’t want to see if you will fail, but that you will pass with flying colors.

-Paraphrased from Kay Arthur with a few comments from me

I just thought that I would try to give you an encouraging word today. I know that we live in a hurting world full of pain and rejection, hurt and sadness, grief and dispair. But I want you to know that there is hope. Even when it seems that God is nowhere nearby, He is there, right beside you. He cares about every detail of your life. There is nothing too small or too big for God to care about in your life.

Bad things happen every day. Many of you may know that a Gallaudet student and friend, Lisa McLean, died in a terrible fire in her apartment last Sunday. My friend’s mom just had a miscarriage. My sister’s friend’s parents are getting a divorce. I have a friend who has Cystic Fibrosis and may not live more than ten to fifteen more years. My grandmother died. My brother ran away from home. My friend’s grandfather passed away recently. Awful things happen in our lives. I know all of these people (family, friends, aquaintances, strangers, myself) and every other person on this earth for that matter is hurting from something. We want to give in to depression, defeat, and dispair. That’s normal.

Don’t give up though. Don’t throw in the towel. Now is not the time. People are depending on you. God has faith in you. He believes that you WILL PASS with flying colors. There is hope, and God will see you through this time of pain in your life. It will not be easy. My goodness, trusting God is not easy, and He is always faithful and always there. He will never leave us or forsake us, and yet, it is STILL hard to trust Him with our cares. Why? I do not know. All I know is that it is imperative that we keep on keeping on. Now is not the time to give up.

I want to leave you with some lyrics to a song that I found most comforting in one of the worst times of my life. When my brother ran away and other things started coming undone and my life seemed as though it was falling apart, I heard this song on the radio. Ironic, when the song began to play, I felt like God wanted me to sing this song to Him. Two things–one: I was crying too hard to sing in the first place, and two: I did not feel much like praising God for being so good to me when He had just allowed me to lose my brother, grandfather, aunt, and several friends all within one week. But you know what I realized when I started choking out the words to this song between my sobs and in their off-beat and off-key manner? I realized that God was in control, God knew everything that was going on in my life, God cared about my pain, and God was and is still good despite all the bad that had happened.

So, here it is “Praise You in This Storm” by Casting Crowns:

Verse 1: I was sure by now, that You would have reached down, and wiped our tears away–stepped in and saved the day. But once again, I say amen, and it’s still raining. As the thunder rolls, I barely hear You whisper through the rain, “I’m with you.” And as Your mercy falls, I raise my hands and praise the God who gives and takes away.

Chorus: I’ll praise You in this storm. And I will lift my hands, for You are who You are, no matter where I am. Every tear I’ve cried, You hold in Your hand. You never left my side and though my heart is torn, I will praise You in this storm.

Verse 2: I remember when, I stumbled in the wind. You heard my cry and You raised me up again. My strength is almost gone. How can I carry on if I can’t find You?

Chorus: I’ll praise You in this storm. And I will lift my hands, for You are who You are, no matter where I am. Every tear I’ve cried, You hold in Your hand. You never left my side and though my heart is torn, I will praise You in this storm.

Bridge: I lift my eyes unto the hills. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord. The Maker of heaven and earth.

For Aslan!

I watched the new Chronicles of Narnia movie recently, “Prince Caspian,” and I loved it! Granted, I have not read the book and many of my friends who have read it thought the added romance between Caspian and Susan ruined the film. Oh well. I think it added some wonderful and much needed humor to the story. In fact, I think I liked “Prince Caspian” better than its predecessor, “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.” 

I loved some of the themes in “Prince Caspian;” I suppose mainly because I feel that I can relate to them. For example, when Lucy sees Aslan, tells her siblings that she saw him, and then does not follow him because she does not want to go alone, I am reminded of the many times I do the same thing. I know that God has called me to do something, no matter how significant or insignificant it may seem, and then I do not do it because no one else is doing it or will do it with me. I do not understand why I refuse to follow God for these reasons because I see myself as an independent person who does not need to have others with me all the time.

Another example: throughout the majority of the movie, the four-some and Caspian did not know who to fight for or why they should fight. Before going into battle, it is important to know why you are fighting and who you are fighting for–otherwise, your army gets wiped out, much like the scene where the castle gate closes, trapping many of the Narnian fighters inside and leaving them to get killed. Peter, Edmund, Susan, Lucy, and Caspian tried every entity they could think of, besides Aslan, to fight for and, in turn, they lost every time. Caspian went so far as to almost bring the White Witch back, he was so desperate to find someone whose power they could fight under. However, at the end of the movie, they give up, having reached the end of their rope and having no other choice, and they turn and put their trust in Aslan, who saved them the last time they were in trouble and defeated their foes with his unmatched power.

Again, this reminds me of the many times some major crisis confronts me or some difficult problem arises, and I try to work it out myself. However, since I am human and I have no power in and of myself to overcome these difficulties, I continue to ignore the one answer that never fails to solve any problem I encounter, and I search for other means to fix it. After losing every battle and realizing that I have no other options, I finally turn to Jesus Christ who has been the only answer to overcoming my life’s obstacles. Would you believe that He never fails? In the same way that Aslan defeated General Miraz’s army and won the victory for the Narnians, God has defeated and won the battles I have tried repeatedly to fight and win on my own.

Aslan never gave up on the Narnians or the Pevensie siblings, he simply waited until they were completely ready to trust and believe in him and then he took action. I think that sometimes God does the same thing. The Bible says that He never leaves us or forsakes us, so God is always with us, but I think He sometimes waits to work in our lives when we have hit rock bottom and we have nowhere else to turn but to Him.

So, I pray that the next time I am faced with a daunting problem that I cannot overcome, I will turn to Jesus first and let Him take care of it. Only then, when I give my burdens to Him, will I know my battle cry. Peter’s battle cry was “For Aslan!” For me, my battle cry will be “Jesus!” and I know He will be my help in time of trouble. I will “call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I [will be] saved” (Psalm 18:3, NIV) for ”no one whose hope is in you [Lord] will ever be put to shame” (Psalm 25:3).

The “Hearing Experience,” Part II

I have been thinking some more about my “Hearing Experience” at Gallaudet, and I thought I would share another story with you.  We have a small movie theater in the SAC (Student Academic Center), and every Friday and Saturday night, the Student Body Government provides a movie to watch.  I remember that it used to feel strange, watching every movie with closed captions, but not any more. Actually, I prefer to have them on since I seem to miss so much that is said without them.  At any rate, I loved going to the weekly movies (if they were showing a good one anyway) and invited a hearing friend to watch movies with me occasionally. 

 

The first time my friend and I went, everything went fine.  We saw “Freedom Writers” and, even though we were both unused to closed captions at the time, we still greatly enjoyed the movie.  The second time that my friend agreed to watch a movie with me (it was “Enchanted”), the speakers did not work at all.  The movie could play along with its closed captions, but there was absolutely no sound.  After trying to fix it for 45 minutes or so, the students gave up and we sat for a few minutes watching the musical without music.  My friend looked uncomfortable, and I asked him if he wanted to watch the “silent movie” or do something else, and he said he was fine watching the movie.  A few minutes later though, he finally gave in and said that he could not focus on the movie and read the captions at the same time, and it was driving him crazy. 

 

I understood since I had once felt the same way, and we left and watched “The Office” re-runs instead.  Funny, the next weekend I went to watch “Enchanted” with another friend and the theater still had no sound.  Every time a song played, I either tried to remember how the tune went (I had seen the movie in theaters a few months beforehand) or made up my own tune for the lyrics.  Thankfully, there was sound for “August Rush” though.  I cannot imagine watching it without hearing the orchestra music.  However, of course, my Deaf friend who went with me could not hear the music although she could feel it. 

 

 

It is a strange sensation trying to put myself in her shoes and see what she and the other Deaf people were getting from the movie simply by watching the closed captions, feeling the vibrations, and watching the scenes.  Because of this, I catch myself evaluating the quality of closed captions in movies.  Did they include the background noise?  Did they say what song was playing and show the lyrics to the song while it played?  Did they include every spoken word or were some things left out?  I am surprised that so many closed-captioned movies leave some things out that hearing people take for granted but that are so important to the movie.  You know what?  It makes me want to become an advocate for closed captioning.  Who knows?  Maybe one day I will.

The “Hearing” Experience

This is my rendition of Harlan Lane’s “The Deaf Experience.”

It feels overwhelming trying to attempt to explain my experience living nine months out of the year in the Deaf-World. But so many people ask me, you see, about what it is like going to a school for the Deaf, being in an environment where people sign all the time for everything, if it is quiet since everyone is Deaf, and similar questions. It almost feels like a second nature–a second home–so I do not even know where to begin describing my experience.

Well, I will start with this. I remember before I went to Gallaudet, I went out to lunch with my Deaf friend, Jex, who went to TSD. Knowing that he had already experienced a Deaf school, I asked him question after question during our lunch. I wanted to know what the classes were like, how the teachers taught, and how the students took notes in class. I remember feeling overwhelmed with the idea that I would have to simultaneously look UP and watch my teacher signing their lecture, look OVER at my classmates signing, look DOWN to write my notes, and look FORWARD to the board or overhead. From my personal experiences, I knew it was impossible to look fully in four directions at the same time; but I thought that perhaps, unlike hearing people, Deaf people could do the impossible. Jex calmed these fears and I found out after my first day at Gallaudet that he was right.

Most professors do not ask you to write notes and watch them at the same time. I say “most” because my English teacher (hearing) once asked us to take notes for a captioned movie in class. Thankfully, he had the volume on low still and I could take notes without watching the screen. In the end though, I did not need these notes because I chose other essays to write for class. Instead of requiring students to do this, most professors give handouts, post their notes on the Internet, or allow their students time to copy the notes from the blackboard or whatever before moving on to the next part of the lecture.

For obvious reasons, most of the classrooms are visually conducive. The desks/chairs form a semi-circle (making it easier to see other classmates signing). I think every classroom has either a smartboard or overhead and blackboards/whiteboards. Only one of my teachers never utilized their smartboard/overhead, all of the other professors used power point presentations for almost every class, making class more interesting and fun.

I have found that my previous college academic experience with TJC and my experience with Gallaudet have been different to say the least. At TJC, I recall one English class where I wrote one, and I mean ONE, long paper. That was it. We did other things in the class such as reading literature and studying poetry and theatre, but we only wrote one research paper. Now please understand that this research paper had to be perfect…well, not PERFECT, but as close as possible to perfection. On the other hand, at Gallaudet last semester in my Introduction to Literature class, I wrote nearly 50 papers. Fifty! I can tell you right now that in the three years I was at TJC, I never wrote anywhere NEAR 50 papers! But, in the course of ONE SEMESTER at Gallaudet, I wrote 50 papers for ONE CLASS. That does not include all the other papers I wrote for my other courses. However, most of these papers were not my best work, and I still got “A’s” in my classes. I will say this, before going to Gallaudet, I needed approximately 5-7 days to write a paper, and now I have learned to write one in 45 minutes.

Not all of my college experiences have centered around academia, but I have also experienced the Deaf-World through dorm life and other campus activities. The cafeteria is probably one of the most important places on campus for socializing–at least it is for me! This is where everyone sees everyone, and the temptation to stay and chat for hours on end can become too much even for the strong-willed. The first semester I was at Gally, I did not spend much time in the cafeteria. In fact, I practically starved myself all semester (not really, I am exaggerating a little). I only ate 1-2 meals a day in the cafeteria and never stayed long. However, I think during the spring semester, I spent more time in the cafeteria than in class.

Everything (almost) centers around the visual or tactile senses. My first experiences with the we-are-closing-the-library/cafeteria/building “warning” signals freaked me out. I was sitting in the cafeteria, minding my own business, enjoying good conversation with friends, when the Blue Light Special at Kmart went off. This blue, emergency-looking light blinked blaringly at us for 15 minutes. It scared me at first. I did not know if it meant that there was a fire, an emergency, or what. Everyone stayed put, so I stayed glued to my seat, staring at the blinking light until it finally clicked. It was 8:00pm and the cafeteria was closing.

A similar experience happened in the library. It was late and I was looking through the endless shelves of Deaf Stacks (Deaf culture, ASL, Deaf education, Interpreting, etc. books). Suddenly, some of the lights started blinking. It freaked me out (yet again) but then I realized that someone was going around, flashing the lights in every section of the library, telling us it was closing time.

I also remember the first time I was sitting in my dorm room and the lights started flickering. Well, they were not “flickering” and the electricity was not going out either as I thought it was. No, someone was “knocking” on my door to give my roommate and I some information about living in the dorms or something. Oh for the love of Deaf culture! I eventually got used to the flashing-light “doorbell.” Nope, no more jumping three feet in the air for me!

No Bumming Allowed

Recently, my sister pointed something out to me. Like I said before, I had planned to teach a class this summer, but, when that fell through, I began spending my time selling my mom’s book collection on Ebay and driving my sisters to their summer activities. Despite doing these things along with helping with the chores around the house, my sister asked me if I was going to bum all summer. Bum? I did not realize I was bumming, nor did I feel like I was bumming, but she thought I was.

Well, this got me to thinking. How am I going to spend the rest of my summer? Am I going to “bum” or apply for a summer job? I started looking through the job listings and ads in the paper and online, but there seems to be nothing available except for full-time, long-term faculty, office, and construction positions. I need a half-summer job since it is already June. Who would want to hire me for two months? Apparently, every store in town has hired all the help they need. That leaves me with a problem.

My mom went out to lunch today with a few of her friends and one mentioned that a camp was looking for camp counselors for the last half of the semester. Perfect. That solves my dilemma. However, the camp runs until four days before I have to be at Gally for soccer training camp. So, I think I will see if I can work for the last half of the summer minus the last week of camp to give me enough time to recoup and pack. If they still have the position open, I could avoid “bumming,” earn some extra dinero, and, most importantly, have a great time hanging out with kids. Someone say “Yay!” to no bumming!

Wisdom And Foolishness

“A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth.  It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart….The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.  Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the laps of fools.  Do not say, ‘Why were the old days better than these?’  For it is not wise to ask such questions.  Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing and benefits those who see the sun.  Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: that wisdom preserves the life of its possessor.  Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what was made crooked?  When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other.”

-Ecclesiastes 7:1-2, 8-14, NIV

This was the passage of Scripture we studied today at church. Did you notice some of the things it said? It almost seems backwards to think we should prefer weeping to partying. It seems strange to say that we should not wish for the good ol’ days. Even stranger, it says that we should eagerly accept bad times in the same way we do good times. None of this made sense to me at first, but after studying it, I think I am beginning to understand where Solomon was going with this madness, which is not madness at all.

Think about it. “The day of death [is] better than the day of birth.” For us, we celebrate the day a baby comes into this world and mourn the day a loved one leaves this world. However, Solomon, the wisest man known to walk the face of the earth besides Jesus Christ, said that this should be the other way around. Think of it this way: when we enter the world as a baby, we automatically begin accumulating “stuff” (temporal objects and wealth). These things are meaningless. Yes, they give us some measure of pleasure in this life and make our lives easier, but when we die, we cannot take our wealth with us. Therefore, in the long run, what is important in life is to pursue long-term, eternal “wealth.” For example, a relationship with Jesus and living a life pleasing to Him would be considered eternal wealth. “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21, NIV).

The passage says, “The end of a matter is better than its beginning.” This makes sense too when life experiences are applied to it. Which is better? The extravagant wedding or the mark of a couple’s 50th wedding anniversary? The first conversation between friends or the friendship developed after 10 or 20 years? The preliminary promises made by a politician, spouse, or employee or the dedication of that same person to actually follow through with their promises?

I thought the part where it said, “Do not say, ‘why were the old days better than these?’ For it is not wise to ask such questions.” was interesting. I say this all the time. I hear people say this all the time. I think back to the simpler times of my childhood, growing up in the 80’s and 90’s and think that those were the good ol’ days. It is unwise for me to think that? Why? I do not remember “those good ol’ days” correctly. The 80’s and 90’s were not perfect. We experienced the Gulf War and the Red Scare. My great grandmother, who I was very close to, passed away. My grandmother almost died. My half brother was taken away from my family to live with his mom. My dad lost his job, my grandparents disowned us, and we were forced to move in with friends since we were “homeless.” So, as you can see, this time of my life does not add up to “the good ol’ days” nostalgia. This brings me to another point in the sermon.

“When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other.” In Job 2:9-10, after Job became afflicted with painful sores, “His wife said to him, ‘Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!’ He replied, ‘You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?’” Regarding trials and suffering, Paul writes that Jesus says, “‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight is weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10, NIV).

According to these verses, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised” (Job 1:21, NIV). I have found, personally, that God does abide by His promise that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him” (Romans 8:28, NIV). In all those events I mentioned above and in every situation since then, God has always taken a bad event and used it for good. Did that make experiencing those trials any easier? No, not really. I did not despair. I had hope, but I still experienced heart-wrenching grief and sadness. I had faith, but I still cried. My belief in God did not prevent me from experiencing heartache, nor did it make it easier to cope with my grief and pain. It did, however, give me an opportunity to grow closer to God and to my family. It has given me the ability to sympathize with others who have experienced the same trials. It did keep me from growing bitter to the many injustices of this world.

When you have the time, try to go back and read those verses again; I was not able to cover them all and there are still so many incredible things to learn! Consider all that God has done. Well, my fingers are out of breath from all this typing and they are ready to get some shut eye. I think I am, too, so I bid you all adieu and good night. Until next time!

Decisions, Decisions…

I have an important decision to make. You see, I usually explore my options first, then I make a decision, and then, I stick with whatever decision I made. However, this time, things are different. I started out on the right foot–I contemplated every avenue available to me and considered every option until all my brain cells died (well, maybe not ALL of them). Then, I made a decision–a BIG decision. I even followed through with it. Now, I am back at square one: exploring my options.

Perhaps you are wondering what I am talking about–let me explain. Several years ago, when I was a freshman in junior college, I began searching for (or experimenting with) my major. At first, I did not have any idea what I wanted to do and then by the time I enrolled in ASL III, I decided to pursue a degree in interpreting. I liked it, don’t get me wrong, but it just was not the career for me. However, I stuck it out and finished the ITP at TJC and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Sign Language Interpreting degree with High Honors.

During the time between ASL III and my second time to “take” ASL IV (I audited the class again since I enjoyed it so much the first time), I decided that I would go to Gallaudet and pursue a degree in ASL. Having completed steps 1 and 2 of my 3-step decision-making process, I believed that I would graduate from Gallaudet with a degree in ASL. Now, I am having second thoughts–or finally giving Reality some room to set in–I do not know which.

Here is my delimna: with the ASL degree, I have to pass the ASLPI with a 4+ level before I can continue being processed into the ASL major. The first time I took the exam, I got a level 3, which was not bad and reflected where I felt my skills were. BUT, the second time I took the test, just a few months ago, I got a level 2. Do not ask me why because I do not know. My skills are not the best (I probably should have gotten another level 3), but they are not on a “survivor” level either. I almost disputed my grade, but decided that I would just take the ASLPI again in the fall to see if my skills improved by then.

At any rate, if I cannot get a 4+ on the ASLPI, then I am toast…a goner…a college drop out…however you want to put it. OR…I can change my major. Here is my idea: if I cannot pass the test, I will change my major to a self-directed one. I should be able to still take ASL classes, just like I want, AND I can take classes in my new-found love, linguistics. In this way, I can still get the same education I want and graduate on time without *crossing my fingers* having to take the ASLPI. If you are reading this right now and you are a praying person, I could sure use some prayers about this!

So, this is the decision I must make. Oh, decisions, decisions…

God, Zeus, and Me

“Until the Lord moves you, you bloom right where you’re planted.” -the movie, Facing the Giants

My mom and I were talking the other day. You know the kind of conversation that involves plans for the future? My mom was sharing her story about how she chose her major in college and how God used her passion for teaching, people, psychology, etc. to do what He had called her to do, and I was sharing about how I had chosen my major and what I planned to do with it when I graduated.

Always, at least in my family, when the topic of future plans comes up, so does the topic of God’s will and plan for our lives. It is difficult for my finite mind to grasp an infinite God, but I try to anyways and this was one of those times. My mom and I were talking about how God uses our passions, what we enjoy, activities we like, and so on to do His will.

Oftentimes, I think some people (including myself) believe that an all-powerful God is sitting in heaven with a lightning rod in his hand like Zeus, waiting for us to make one little mistake, messing up His plan for our lives before He sends lightning from heaven to strike us down and put us in our place. For example, we spend countless hours trying to decide on a major that is going to fit into God’s tidy little plan for our lives when we, being the not-so-infinite beings that we are, do not know what God’s plan is for our lives in the first place. He could not possibly believe that we should already know what His plan is since He chooses to keep it to Himself and only reveal a little of it at a time. So, why are we so worried that we are going to choose the wrong major, or job, or husband, or whatever?

All the more reason to pray, I suppose. God can open and close doors to various opportunities if He so chooses, and He can allow us to pursue goals that match our personalities and passions. He is God and He can do as He pleases. Yes, He does have a plan for our lives, but we should not feel so inadequate at making decisions when we do not know what His wonderful plan is to begin with.

It is like we are driving along the highway of God’s will. We can make choices as to which exits and roads we take, but God is ultimately in control. He can block or open exits and roads and help us along the way to our unknown destination if we ask Him. No matter what happens though, God will never leave us nor forsake us, and He will work everything “for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28, NIV).

I hope you find this encouraging. I know I did. Sometimes, I can feel like I keep hitting a brick wall and cannot do anything right, but that is okay. I will keep trying and pursuing the things that God has given me a passion for and, I keep praying, that God will use my life to glorify Him and accomplish His will in the process. Like the movie, “Facing the Giants” reccommends, I will bloom right where I am planted until God tells me to move.

Help! Help! Can You Get Me Outta Here!!!

I remember going to Cracker Barrel with my dad for dinner 9 or 10 years ago. We were looking around the store, minding our own business, when I heard something shake on one of the shelves and a loud recording shout, “HELP! HELP! CAN YOU GET ME OUTTA HERE!” I had no idea where the little guy yelling was located, and he sounded desperate, so I followed the strained cries for help until I came to a shelf in the toy section where several small plastic boxes (about the size of a Rubics Cube) were lined up. The boxes looked just like the wooden box that the Tasmanian Devil in the cartoons was shipped in with a small hole for his eye to peek through and traveling stickers all over the box.

The four or so other identical boxes remained perfectly quiet and still in their respective places on the shelf.  However, this one particular toy could not stop screaming for help. I thought it was quite funny at first. I mean, I felt sorry for the guy, but it was the WAY he yelled that made it funny. I even called my dad over to look at it. We both laughed. Shortly thereafter, we sat down for our dinner, and after dinner, we walked back into the store on our way out. He was STILL yelling for help to get out of that tiny box. This time though, I found it annoying. It was the 107th time I had heard the phrase “Help! Help! Can you get me outta here!” in less than two hours and I had enough. So had my dad. As soon as my dad paid for dinner, we left faster than you could say, “Help! Help! Can you get me outta here!”

All of this to say that now, I think I understand how he felt. Recently, my car (may it rest in peace) was driven to the junk yard to be scrapped. We have a bus system, but it is inefficient. We do not have a metro. My mom and sister use our two cars for work, and I am left at home with no way to get anywhere. I have no form of transportation other than my own two feet. Now, I feel like screaming, “Help! Help! Can you get me outta here!” and I do not think anyone is listening.

My Last Day

For my last day in DC before heading home for the summer, I decided to spend the entire day sightseeing one last time. It was amazing. I wanted to do some new and old things around the city, so my first stop was a new place for me–the National Aquarium. It cost $5 to get in and was smaller than I expected, but not any less fascinating. I had never seen live sea horses, so that was one of my favorite things at the aquarium. There were also a bunch of other kinds of fish, snakes, frogs, sharks, aligators, and turtles. Isn’t God’s creation beautiful?

 

I then walked from the National Aquarium down the National Mall to the Library of Congress. It was not my first time to go to the Library, but this time I did not feel rushed and could take my time, marveling at the architectural beauty of the place. If you have ever been there before, you know that the walls and ceilings are covered with famous peoples’ names, famous quotes, and such. I found some interesting ones, including Gallaudet’s name and several quotes including: “Science is organized knowledge,” “Beauty is truth. Truth beauty,” “There is but one temple in the universe and that is the body of man,” “nature is the art of God,” “The Light shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not,” “One God. One law. One element. And one far-off divine event to which the whole creation moves,” and “knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers.” Some people say that our founding fathers did not establish our country on Biblical principals, but I must disagree. Anyways, I also saw Thomas Jefferson’s library, which was his library with all of his books categorized exactly as he had them. It was neat!

 

After the Library of Congress, I decided to visit the monuments and my favorite haunting ground, the WWI memorial, one last time before I headed back to campus. It was a gorgeous day, and I am thankful for the opportunity to have gone out into the city one final time, but boy, did I feel it the next morning! I was exhausted and sore and had to wake up at 5:30 am to head home. It was worth it though!

El fin!