There's been a blood drive going on here on campus this week.

Four big red coach buses remade into mini blood-donation clinics pull up and park each morning.

Students are given a fun t-shirt in gratitude for their donation.

At the beginning of the year, a "donate blood" t-shirt design contest was held.

One girl's simple "Save Three Lives" design won--it has three little people with heart cut-outs in red and white on a black tee. (it's adorable to be sure)

So anyway...! It's amazing how many differing opinions around campus on donating blood. You'll hear 22-year-old guys complaining about a needle-prick. And you'll hear 100-lb wisps of girls heckling people to give blood, complaining because they can't.

Personally, I HATE HATE HATE giving blood. I hate the sight of blood. I hate the sight of needles!!

I don't like being jabbed and having my arm squeezed and stuck with a blunt needle.

I don't like watching the tube carrying an entire pint of blood away from my body.

Luckily one of my friends encourged me (haha more like demanded) I go give blood, reminding me it does save 3 lives--and that dying hurts far worse than giving blood does. ;-)

What do you think about giving blood?? Is it worth the personal sacrifice??

What's on your mind? (PLEASE keep this clean, folks...)

List 3 quick thoughts...

MINE:
1. I wish someone would IM me
2. Money should grow on trees
3. Life is so short

I was born in Vermont and raised on a 17-acre patch of land, and then my family moved to the Chicago area. Now we're back in the country, where the deer and the antelope graze (in your driveway) (wait, what's this thing called "blacktop", again?)

Do you love the bright city life or the peace and quiet of the country?

Spiders are so nasty.
The other day I took a sweater out of my closet (it had been hanging in there for only a few days)...I walked over to the mirror because there was some strange white patch on the arm of the sweater. I almost went to brush it off--and then I realized it was a fat gross spider's egg nest full of baby spiders!!!! EW.

Any nasty spider stories? Poisonous? Huge? Icky??

I can't wait till it gets cold and all the spiders DIE! ;-)

Here is an argument going around campus these days:

If a guy likes a girl (and she happens to like him back), should she make the first move--or should he?

Guys--argue from your perspective please. We girls need to know how you think about this stuff!

Girls--let us know what you think, too. Would it be awkward or totally acceptable in your eyes to ask a guy out?


...What we want here are honest opinions. I know everyone is different...

I'm working on an article these days for my college's annual about a radio program the college runs.

Does anyone listen to the radio still? I don't...

I don't enjoy the advertisements in between pieces of music.
I don't enjoy some of the music either--no radio station's ever going to have The Perfect Playlist running. (however, with a laptop or a cd, you pick what you listen to)

Pros and cons, anyone?

Here are mine:
Radio pros--convenience (on road trips, etc), lets you hear the news and the weather and some local events (depending on the radio station); power off buttons, variety, and it's free

Radio cons--annoying commercials, random songs, occasionally goes out of range while you're driving

Two Horses


…There is a field, with two horses in it.

From a distance, each horse looks like any other horse. But if you stop your car, or are walking by, you will notice something quite amazing. Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him.

This alone is amazing.
If you stand nearby and listen, you will hear the sound of a bell.
Looking around for the source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field.
Attached to the horse's halter is a small bell. It lets the blind friend know where the other horse is, so he can follow.

As you stand and watch these two horses, you'll see that the horse with the bell is always checking on the blind horse, and that the blind horse will listen for the bell and then slowly walk to where the other horse is, trusting that he will not be led astray.
When the horse with the bell returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, it stops occasionally and looks back, making sure that the blind friend isn't too far behind to hear the bell.


Like the owners of these two horses, God does not throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges.
He watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us when we are in need.
Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by the little ringing bell of those who God places in our lives.
Other times we are the guide horse, helping others to find their way....
Good friends are like that... you may not always see them, but you know they are always there.
Please listen for my bell and I'll listen for yours.
And remember...be kinder than necessary- everyone you meet is fighting
some kind of battle.