Flashback: Summer 2009

In case you didn't know this already, this last summer I worked at a camp for kids with chronic illnesses and disabilities. It was one of the most incredible experiences in my entire 20 years of living. I kept a blog throughout the entire summer, and if you ever get the chance to start from square one and read about each of my experiences, DO IT... it will rock your world.

http://www.lauren-nicolle.blogspot.com/ is the link, holla!

But anyways, this is the point i'm attempting to get to. Forgive me for being so wordy. Haha. I was reading the blog, randomly because I started thinking about all the kids I worked with last summer. I see their little faces plastered on the walls of my bedroom everyday, and I'm reminded of how blessed I am to have met them. Anyways, I came across a blog entry that I thought would be worth posting a second time, for my new readers.

I hope y'all enjoy it. Questions are welcome, and will be followed with answers. :)

_____________________________________________________________

Camp Teen Challenge- June 9, 2009

Today was the second day of Camp Teen Challenge, working with teens with different visual impairments. Yesterday, I was able to feel everything out, and know where I stand as far as; what questions can I ask the kids, what can I say around them, etc… And today, I feel like, was more-so a day for me to get more personal with them. So I started with a simple and easy question, “So what exactly CAN you see?”And it was absolutely incredible the various responses I got from the kids.

Dominique was born premature and has always been blind. Although he cracks jokes about Jackie resembling a chimpmunk, he never actually has seen a chipmunk. So I asked him, “So if you have never been able to see a chipmunk, how do you know what it looks like?” And he simply told me, well- “When people describe it to me, or if I can feel it, I’m able to paint my own picture in my mind of what a chipmunk might look like.” Incredible, right?
Noah and Titus on the other hand, brothers, are slowly going blind, I think they are 8 and 13 or something. And it was absolutely heart wrenching to hear their answer when I asked them the same question. “The doctors say that I will eventually go blind.” Wow. Two very polar opposites, going from- never having seen in your life, to-being able to see the things God created, but having that ability taken away. Oh my goodness.

I also worked at different stations today with the kids, I was really pumped up when I signed myself to help at the woodworking station. Cause we all know me, right? Hah. Well yeah, I met Pete and his wife, a very sweet and wise older couple teaching the woodworking stuff. Anyways, he got to talking to the kids, and then all of a sudden he starts telling his testimony. And he starts it off by saying, “Hey guys, I’m Pete, and I’m blind just like you.” What the heck? This guy was just carrying a conversation with me 5 minutes ago, and he was also using power tools, and I had NO idea he was blind. He goes on to tell the kids, “Look guys, there’s one path you can take in life, but at one point that path will fork, and you will have to make a decision, either you can sit around and do nothing with your life, or get up and try your hardest and succeed in everything you do. And I am not ashamed to talk about my faith; it’s because of my heavenly father that I am able to do the things I love in my life, even with a disability.” Welp, there’s when I lost it. I just started crying. I'm such a basketcase 24/7.

This is Pete working with one of the kids.

Seriously, I wish that I would just be able to stand up in the middle of a room, open wounded, and just talk about my God. But no, I’m terrified. Terrified of people judging me, calling me the goody two shoes church girl, treating me differently, or worrying that I might offend someone. I just really need to grow a set of balls, and lay my faith right on my sleeve. But man, it’s easier said than done…
All this to say: I had a friggin rough day. Haha. Emotionally I am a wreck, mentally I am not all there, and Physically- don’t even get me started. I work 14 hour days. Kitchen duty for me in the morning. It’s now 12 am, and I must be up at 6am. No need for sympathy, it’s not necessary. Because I LOVE my job. I love it. As hard as it is. I wouldn’t want to do anything else with my summer.

I thank my God for eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to receive all the beautiful things this life has to offer me.

Peace.

________________________________________________________

Ahhh... it's so crazy to reflect on these life experiences. But I'm so proud of myself for making sure that I jotted them down. Seriously journal PEOPLE. Journal, Blog, write on little napkin squares, take pictures, and then scrapbook them, anything to help you remember these beautiful pieces to the puzzle called life.

Cause if you don't, you forget the most important things- for instance this smile, that has forever left a mark in my heart.

Love You Guys.

Dirty Little Cigarette.

Most of you have seen my drawing of the early Gary Cooper. I did it for my level 1 drawing class final project last semester. If not- here it is.

Ever since drawing the hansome Gary Cooper, I've had this huge fascination with cigarettes. Don't get me wrong. I hate the dern things.

Hate the way they smell.

Hate the way I smelled them on my Grandpa and Great Grandpa before they passed.

And HATE how they control a person's life.

Most importantly, I hate how they control the lives of those closest to me, my family.

But if there's one thing I love about the things, it's how intriguing they are. They really are. When you were a kid, didn't you always gaze at the smoke clouds that drifted out of some ones mouth after taking a long pull from a cigarette? Not only that, but in pictures. I'm not going to lie, they look pretty bad ass. I'm kind of scaring myself with my fascination with these tiny little rolled, tobacco filled, lung cancer carriers. But no need to worry, my hate's outweigh my fantasies.



I guess what got me started on all this was the fact that I'm working on a second drawing, and the girl just so happens to be smoking a cigarette. Coincidence? Not really I don't think. Until I really did THINK about it... Cigarettes make for some really neat art. Let me show you.






Here's my girl, she is an unknown girl... so I named her Jenny. Namely because we're not quite sure if that's a cig or a joint. But in Forrest Gump, Jenny was quite the experimenter. So it suited her. Photographer- Christian Bazant




Interesting eh?. Here are some others that I have casually come across, thanks to http://www.flickr.com/

Sure they, look intriguing and such. But man let's go a little deeper here. With some stats. :)

• Every eight seconds, a human life is lost to tobacco use somewhere in the world. That translates to approximately 5 million deaths annually.


• Ambergris, otherwise known as whale vomit is one of the hundreds of possible additives used in manufactured cigarettes. (Yum, I wanna inhale whale vomit)


• Hydrogen cyanide, one of the toxic byproducts present in cigarette smoke, was used as a genocidal chemical agent during World War II. (hmmm funny how smokers are voluntarily putting the exact same chemicals into their bodies that were to blame for the deaths of many WWII Vets.)


• Secondhand smoke contains more than 50 cancer-causing chemical compounds, 11 of which are known to be Group 1 carcinogens.

Wanna know more? Check out this link. http://quitsmoking.about.com/od/tobaccostatistics/a/tobaccofacts.htm

Well that's all for me.

I'm gunna go get high on some life.

Rusty Blogger, Here..

So it's been awhile. I really need to stop using that as my introductory line, it's pretty lame. But always feel as if I need to preface my blog entries by telling you guys, well... I'm out of blogging shape. So bear with me, I've had a lot on my heart lately and it might all come out like, uh, blog vomit. 

It's spring break here in the lovely life of Lauren, and I've been in Houston with the lovely Adam family. I have had a stinking blast, relaxing pool-side in the sun everyday, attending the Houston rodeo, Houston Rockets game, Houston malls, and an insane concert by the handsome mister Keith Urban. (pictures to come soon, I swear.) Not to mention bareeelyy hanging in there with week number 2 of not talking to Brandon. One more week to go, ladies and gents.

During this spring break I've really gotten to catch up on some long needed reading time. And man oh man has it been great. I just finished "Blue Like Jazz" by Donald Miller. And I'm inspired as any one can be in one dosage. I recommend this read to EVERY ONE. It's incredible, and you might catch me occasionally pulling some interesting excerpts from the book. You know, just to share. 

Anyways, here are some other books that I picked up from Lifeway this week. The lovely Brittany Williams (Brandon's sister)  recommended two of them to me, and I'm really really pumped about diving into them. I feel like a total bookworm right now but whatever. 

Dr. Seuss once said, "The more that you read the more you will know, the more that you learn, the more places you'll go."

Way to go Dr. Seuss. Check out my reads:

• "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years" by Donald Miller
  
• "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers. 
  
•  "A Love Worth Giving" by Max Lucado 
  

"A Love Worth Giving" was given to me out of love by my little friend Lindsay Adam. :) As I come across some beautiful things out of these bad boys, I promise you I will share them with you. 

   

I've promised myself this week that I'm going to be better about blogging. Not neccessarily for my readers, if I even have any, haha... but for myself. It really is a good thing to share what's on my heart because sometimes if you don't share these life experiences it's so very easy to just forget about them, and no one wants to live their life in a constant state of forgetfulness. Trust me, forgetting is what I'm known for best. So here I go, turning over a new leaf. I'd love for you to accompany me on this lovely journey. Thanks for reading. 

 

Dudes.

I am the WORST at blogging. I always say that, but only because it's true.

Anyways, just started the Spring semester of my Sophomore year, HOLLA!

And let me tell you, it is going great!

I am now taking ONLY classes in my major, which so happens to finally be decided. :)

Drum roll please.....

Bachelor of Fine Arts with Visual Communications Emphasis.

Say that 3 times fast.

I'm so happy, you can just go ahead and call me a clam. Wow. Lame joke.

No but seriously, and I keep telling my family this, it's the most incredible feeling, waking up in the mornings and actually being excited to go to class. What a weird-o, right?

I'm taking mainly computer classes this semester, Digital Art I: Adobe Illustrator, Digital Art II: Adobe Photoshop, Fundamentals of Comp Science, Art History, and Painting I. Loving it.

But anywho, that's the update from me for now...

Love y'all.