TOO new TO handle?

For my Foundations of Christian Thought class we were given the assignment of writing a paper about a worldview and analyzing a song, movie or poem to show how it represents that worldview. Although that does not sound like a whole lot to do, I have never used the style turabian before. It is a little too new to handle. I know I can figure it out, but at the moment I am feeling just about every word used in the picture above. I am anxious about how my paper will turn out and the grade I will receive. Yet, in Matthew 6:25 it says, "“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life..." I need to apply this to everything. If I give it up to God and ask for his guidance I can do anything. And so can you! :) God can help you when you are feeling anxious, lost, confused, etc. He will always stick by your side! <3 comment-3--="" nbsp="">

xoxo Britt

Shaun T Ain't Got Nothin' On Me

WORKING OUT

Although there is a gym at Biola, I find that it is easiest for me to workout by myself or with friends. And normally that involves dancing. I remember being told by a friend at camp that I just had to do Hip Hop Abs. I was at first hesitant, but after trying it and loving it--I want to do it all the time. Warning: You WILL feel very sore after. But it is a good sore! Anyway, in college it may seem hard to find a way to exercise especially if you are always doing homework or doing things with friends. Finding the time to exercise is really important however. And I very much so recommend Hip Hop Abs. Shaun T is so funny and makes the time fly by. If you do it with friends that helps too! A+ review in my book! :)

xoxo Britt

God's Chosen Gifts For Me

Aristotle states that, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence therefore is not an act, but a habit.” In excellence, you can find your fundamental strengths, which are a part of who you are and make up some of the defining elements to your personality and abilities. These habits are gifts from God designed to glorify Him. After completing the Clifton Strengths Finder assessment, I ended up with the following gifts, or strengths: Includer, Positivity, Discipline, Communication and Woo. Although there were many other strengths that I see myself possessing, my top five are true in my life, they are necessary for me to thrive at Biola, and they will be very helpful to me as a Liberal Studies/Elementary Education major.

Being an Includer, regardless of the time or place, seeing someone unintentionally alone and seeking for a friend has always caught my attention. I tend to seek out those people and make sure they don’t feel left out or lost in the crowd. For example, several months into eighth grade I noticed a new girl at my morning bus stop waiting alone several feet away from the rest of us. I walked over to her, introduced myself and offered to give her a tour of our school before her classes. She agreed and by the end of the year we became close friends. All it took was putting myself out there and inviting her in. Up to this point in my life I have seen this strength come in to play repeatedly. I love making others feel welcomed and accepted for who they are. I have always been this way—in clubs, classes, in sports and with friends. Some ways I can utilize this strength of inclusion during my time at Biola is when it comes to friendships. I can be a set of open arms for anyone that needs it, and be helpful in the growth of my community. According to the Gallup scientists in Teach with Your Strengths (2005), having awareness of those outside of your normal circles, allows you to be a key factor in the growth of a particular group. As a teacher in Elementary Education it is important to make sure that each student is involved, valued and not excluded from any activities or friend groups. Having this strength of inclusiveness will help me in life and the work field greatly. Similarly, my positivity can be a “much-needed remedy” (147) to help students, faculty and myself through the day.

Normally, I am not without a smile on my face, bounce in my step and giggle in the pit of my stomach about to come out in a roar of laughter. I always see my cup as half full, or better yet: overflowing. Almost as if I cannot help it sometimes, I am a very positive person. This is one of the strengths God has so graciously given to me, and I am so blessed with this. In my life, having others see my positively has helped me in so many ways. At camp, my nickname was Sunchip. The theme was snacks and because I always was smiling, laughing or lifting someone or something up, they thought the name was a perfect fit. I thought so too. It brings me so much joy to see others affected by my enthusiasm and optimism. Or tell me, “wow, I love how you always seem happy!” Or “you always smile, it makes me smile too.” At Biola, if I could use this strength of positivity to brighten someone’s day and encourage him or her, I would feel like I have utilized this gift well. In a classroom, as a teacher, positivity is extremely important. Creating an environment that is uplifting, exciting and fun will allow the students and myself to make the most out of each day. The opportunity to make such an impact on so many lives is incredible, positivity helps makes that happen. Nonetheless having discipline is also a key factor for success in daily life and in Elementary Education.

You could call it a love for making lists, being organized, and detail-oriented. Or you could simply say that I am disciplined. I like getting things done on time, effectively and efficiently. And keeping clean, while also having structure. Each of my top 5 strengths are valuable to me, yet being disciplined is so helpful from day-to-day life. Thus far, I enjoy making sure that my planner and all calendars are up to date. Making a to do list for absolutely everything and checking it twice, and also organizing my room and backpack each night. Although some may think that writing out everything that needs to be done that day may be stressful, for me it is a much needed routine that helps me get through my day with less stress. Being a college student, organization and the least amount of stress possible is very significant to do well. Discipline will not only serve as a great starting point to not procrastinating, but hopefully it will also instill in me the need to get all my work done in a timely manner. The strength of Discipline relates to Liberal Studies because being prepared is a necessity to “create a classroom environment with structure and order” (110), and to have a “well-designed system to measure and monitor student performances” (112). Being a disciplined teacher, it is imperative that you are able to communicate with the students, parents and other teachers your intentions and ways of completing things so that everyone is on the same page.

Talking with people is one of my many joys in life. You could say that I am a conversationalist. Capturing the attentions of others and expressing myself has always been a major way of how I interact with people. Therefore, it is through communication that I am able to connect well with others. In high school I was in the Drama program, and that has helped me tremendously with in depth discussions and how I tell stories. I was also the Editor-in-Chief for my schools yearbook staff, and being able to put my thoughts into captions has always come naturally. From a college student perspective, being able to communicate well is essential to writing well thought out papers, but it is also crucial in having meaningful conversations with your peers and professors. In terms of further developing my strength in communication, I hope to talk with a wider array of people during my time at Biola. And not confine myself to the normal social group I otherwise would have stuck to. In the classroom, “words are the critical currency used in teaching every day” (88). Having one-on-one conversations with the students is important to get a “base-line measurement” in how they are doing. Because of my strong ability to communicate well with others and tell stories, it will be easy to incorporate them into the daily curriculum. “The eyes may be windows to the soul, but stories are the highways to understanding” (90). If it is not by my stories that capture the student’s hearts and minds, then maybe it will be by my Woo that will allow them to like me as their teacher.

As far as I can remember, meeting new people, talking with strangers, and having people like me has always been both fun and impactful. What can I say? I do Woo. Which stands for Winning Others Over. I have always been that one person who loves going to different events and if the only thing I get out of it is a new friend, than it was a success. Seeking others out, striking up a conversation, and making a connection energizes me. Although I see the importance in having a select group of friends to become extremely close with, God has given me a passion for people and I can see how all of my strengths can be woven together in the best way possible to be effective in my life. At Biola, you start as a freshman knowing almost no one. This gave me the opportunity to meet a lot of people and being a Woo, it is fairly easy for me to remember names. That in itself is a gift and proved to be rewarding after meeting so many people so quickly. I now have created so many bonds with more people than I originally would have thought, and that is incredible. In Teach With Your Strengths it says that, “talking brings young people out of their shells” (169), and if that is true then it will be a goal of mine to interact with each student daily and make sure they know they can talk to me. Also, Woo is the desire to be liked. If my students like me that presents them with a bigger incentive to: come to class, and to learn. Although teaching is not a “popularity contest,” I hope that my personality helps create a fun classroom environment and connection to each of the students.

In conclusion, God has handpicked the gifts of inclusion, positivity, discipline, communication and woo for me in order to glorify Him. These strengths I practice habitually will help guide me toward excellence in my life, time at Biola, and as a Liberal Studies/Elementary Education major.

xoxo Britt

Summer 2010

This year...summer 2010 has gone by sssooo fast!! I honestly cannot believe it, there are only 9 days left and then its back to school. Hmm lets see, what have I done. Well hold on I have a list....Okay, so I have done chores, practiced volleyball, gone shopping, spent quality time with my family, I had a great birthday, I went to the boardwalk, I have played glow-in-the-dark volleyball, I have gone swimming, read books, had a picnic, I babysat, I have met up with friends, and had some sleepovers. I have drawn pictures, went out to the movies, I have gone out to lunch, I have made s'mores in my backyard, I have attempted to learn spanish, I baked my family some cookies, I have went to the beach...including Point Lobos. I have hung out at the park by my house, I have used my camera, and I have played ALOT of card/board games. I rode my cruiser, gone to a SJ Giants game with my friend Ashley, tried out for school volleyball, and most importantly had FUN!!! This summer has definitely been a good one, even though there are still some unchecked things on my list, I shall hopefully be doing them soon!! :)

xoxo Britt

Fathers Day

Happy Fathers Day!!! I hope you all are having a great fathers day today, I know I am. Gave my dad a card that I spent all yesterday making, went to a 9:00 church service, had brunch with family at my Grandma's assisted living place, went for a walk, stopped by the apple store. And am now home resting, soon will be eating dinner, and for dessert we will be roasting marsh-mellows!!! :D Which I haven't done in a while. Todays been a really good day. I am so thankful that I have such a wonderful dad and family to spend it with...Hope your day was as good as mine.


xoxo Britt

My Meez

xoxo Britt

My FooPet Nixie

Virtual Pet by FooPets.com   
xoxo Britt