So I have come to a point in my life where I really want to know the difference between discernment and judgement. If anyone has any thoughts or ideas about that, please share...

On a completely different note, I am so glad because I was able to change my English class out. I was signed up for Early American Literature, and I was never really feeling it... it just seemed boring... and all wrong too... I hated the time especially. But now I am registered for a new section of Intro to Literary Studies that they didn't originally have listed in the spring, so I'm glad I discovered it! It probably won't be too exciting of a class but it's the only required class I have for my English minor (everything else is just electives) so that's good. And from what I understand, I think my teacher's supposed to be pretty cool, so I'm glad about that!

Garrett and I are going to the Building 429 concert tomorrow. If anyone's interested in going let me know.

*EDIT* Let me rephrase the above statement. If anyone wants to meet Garrett and me at the concert tomorrow let me know. Since he has a truck he can only take the two of us, but we'd definitely like to meet up with anyone else who ends up going.

Windows Movie Maker is definitely evil. Graham and Jolene and helped me come to the conclusion that the whole program pretty much just disappeared by itself. I tried to reinstall it (thanks Shannon, if you read this, for the link) but it didn't work. I think I'm going to try system restore this afternoon. I'll update y'all on how that works. One thing is for sure, don't do video editing with Movie Maker. Just buy some software or even get something else free off the internet.

Aside from computer problems, I had a great night last night. Spider-man 2 is hillarious when you interject other movie quotes. For example:
Harry: Peter, you killed my father.
Graham (as Peter): I am your father!
Fun times, fun times. I love summer so much, and I wish it wouldn't end. Except I would like for my out-of-town MTSU friends to come back. And I also want to have my degree in EMC so I don't have to work at the business office for the rest of my life!

Oh yeah, and I'm sure most everyone has seen POTC 2 by now, but in case you haven't, don't get your hopes up. It's good, but a little disappointing at times. If you have low expectations you should really enjoy yourself. I'm sure I'll like it more the second time I see it.

Italy won! Go Italia!
That French guy who did the headbutt... yeah... he's a jerk...
And whoever did the production for the U2 "One" video with all the World Cup series footage, with the very end of the video containing footage from the game that just happened moments before, is my hero. That is hardcore TV production...
Now we should all go eat Italian food to celebrate...

THE GOOD NEWS: I am free from summer school! I am ready to have a life again! I only work 20 hours a week at a flexible job, so we should make plans! (I really want to go to the zoo, for starters...)

THE BAD NEWS: I would really love to make a movie, but I can't, seeing as PCs really are awful for video and my Windows Movie Maker is not working. And did I mention that my video contest entry that I still need to work on and is due in one month is only saved to Windows Movie Maker? AUGH! That's why I need a Mac, and other than simply laying down the money for it, my only hope is to win one, which goes back to the whole my contest video is stuck in a rut thanks to dumb Windows... yay for message boards though. I've signed on to some message boards to post my problem so people who know more about computers than I do can help me...

And I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free.

And I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.

And I'd gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today.

'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land God bless the U.S.A.

Today, whether you're Democrat, Republican, Independent, something else, or even apathetic, just stop for a few moments and imagine where this country would be if brave soldiers had never fought to protect it. What if the colonists decided it was too high a cost to revolt? What would have been the consequence of that decision? What if we did not join other countries to battle against evil during WWI and WWII? What if we sat by and decided that we didn't care? What if we allowed anyone to come in and invade the freedom we take for granted? The freedom that we take for granted because the wars fought for it seemed so long ago. That freedom is still being fought for today. Not just in war, but even in our own country, as we see the hostility among neighbors and friends and family merely because their political views are different.

Today, be proud of where your country has been, and if you don't like where it's going, pray that God would lead us all. Happy Independence Day.

Yesterday, I went with Garrett and his family to Dover, TN, for the fifth annual Crazy Cousin Cookout. This has been the third time that I've gone and Chuck and I finally did better than Garrett and Rob on the water balloon toss (I'm sure some of you remember me talking about their infamous reigning dynasty in the event last year). We got into the finals and walked away with fourth, which wasn't as great as my first year when we got second, but better than last year. And we got a ribbon! Here we are:

A little wet, though I was mostly wet thanks to Garrett, not the game. He got my hair more than my shirt, whereas I got his shirt pretty good. Anyhow, I have a few more pics from the event in my photobox, including a few artsy pics I took around the place.

So I'm noticing that there are many "Christians" out there who do not seem to read the Bible. You have to do more than say that God is an interest of yours and that the Bible is your favorite book to convince me that you are really following God. Just my two cents for the day. 

I love you.

Don't knock Star Trek till you've tried it.

There's nothing exciting going on in my life right now.

And that is all.

I have now watched every episode of the original Star Trek series minus the original pilot episode, which is coming up next for me. And then there will be the movies...

I just wanted to say...

how it's funny that Satan can drag you down, God can lift you up, Satan drag you down again, and God lift you up again in such a short period of time. This being a Christian thing is definitely not a walk in the park.

I think what really got to me about Charles' message tonight at AO was when he said, "You were called to be different." I have to constantly rememeber that the reason that I feel out of place in this world is because I am out of place. I am different. God called me out to do His work in the world and that means I'm not always going to be popular. And I am coming to terms with that.

Well I had a pretty interesting weekend. Saturday night I got to see these guys

for the wonderful cost of absolutely free!

I have to say that Switchfoot may very well be my favorite band these days. They're amazing. We also thought they were going to follow their video guy into TGI Friday's while we were eating, but alas, they did not! Saddness!
And then last night I paid $8 and got "x"ed for the first time in my life to see these guys

and a couple of their friends at this place.

Ironic how that worked out, huh? Anyhow, it was a very smokey environment indeed, but it was a lot of fun. Or watching Damasus Road was fun. Watching this guy
and his band was not. I unaffectionately refer to this man as "The Sleazy Guy". Here in this picture he is serenading to Garrett's mom... no lie...

Garrett, Rachael Vance, and Justin Holt were all very successful in explaining my feelings for this band in phrases such as: "They were good, but I did not like them", "Pervert, go home!" and "They weren't classy". Anyhow, Damascus Road definitely had the crowd support but not judges' support. But I suppose the judges liked what those other guys had to offer.

Unfortunatley I have no pictures from the show since my camera decided to be dumb again (after the zoom had started to work again). I suppose I should just fork over the money and get a new one.

Quote of the weekend, Saturday night, while on Garrett's phone:
Justin: What's up brother?!
Me: This is Amy!
Justin: It doesn't matter! You can still be a brother!

P.S. Ever had a moment in your life when God was so silent you wondered if maybe you messed up and there's nothing happening in your life because you aren't listening to Him, but then suddenly, feel a small leading in your heart that maybe there is something, something He has given you the desire for, right around the corner?

I just thought everyone should know that the Gap is having an awesome sale today. I text messaged several of y'all already but I thought I would inform anyone else who might be interested. They're temporarily closing for the next week because they're moving to a bigger location! They're going to be where the Sound Shop was at. Don't worry Garrett, the Sound Shop is still around between Dillard's and Spencer's. So yay for the changes in the mall! 

For those of you who have heard me complain about the price of housing here, you can now understand why!

According to USA Today, houses in the Houston area are 15% undervalued. This same report also credits homes in the Nashville area to be valued correctly. So when you live in an area where houses are "undervalued" for eight years, it really does seem ridiculous when you move to an area where you have to pay $120,000 for a house that looks like a trailer park home stuck to the ground. Obviously, I still don't think that homes in this town are valued correctly, but like I said, the area I lived in previously was different. I also don't know how USA Today set the standard for what the value of a home should be.

By the way, in case you missed it the first time:
SWITCHFOOT
SATURDAY NIGHT @ 7
COOL SPRINGS
FREE!!!!!!!!

Speaking of the Astros and the Braves...
~The Astros beat the Braves in 3 out 4 of their last games together
~The Astros stomped the Braves yesterday 14 to 4
~Roger Clemens was on While You Were Out, a show on TLC

Speaking of TLC...
I've decided that I would enjoy producing shows like the ones they have on TLC like While You Were Out and What Not to Wear because you would get to include whatever you wanted pretty much instead of whatever is in the script...

Then there's these concerts... who wants to go?
~Switchfoot at Cool Springs Galleria this Saturday night at 7
~Building 429 at The People's Church in Franklin on July 12 at noon
Both are free!

And lastly Republicans rock because...
~"The significant difference between Republicans and Democrats is that Democrats think that the government knows what to do with their money, and Republicans think that they know what to do with their own money." -Garrett's dad
~"I believe the money I make belongs to me and my family, not some mid
level governmental functionary be it Democratic or Republican!" -Unknown, but from Cari's Phusebox entry
(These quotes have been posted because I began to think about politics today after listening to two protest songs in my Intro to Music class.) 

"I prefer my snuggle buddies dry." - Patrick Pope referring to Matt Fisher

I have decided that I love Atlanta. But I still don't like the Braves.

So Audio Adrenaline's last ever Nashville show is happening at Lipscomb on September 29 (two days after my birthday, I might add). They will be there with MercyMe.

Who wants to go?

...She's been staring down the demons

Who've been screaming

She's just another so and so,

Another so and so

...You are golden, Child
Don't let go...


...You're a lonely soul in a land of broken hearts

You're far from home, it's a perfect place to start...

-Switchfoot, "Golden"

"If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world." -C.S. Lewis

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from the beginning of time. -Ecclesiastes 3:11

*THE HIDING PLACE: tonight at 6:00 at Belle Aire*

So for those of you who were wondering...
~ A "heavy" camera is over a pound. I was specifically referring to a camera that I am very interested in that is 19 ounces. That weighs a tad more than my video camera, but my video camera feels fairly light to me.
~ I don't care if the camera is a point and shoot or an DSLR. I just want something that has better than 3x zoom, because that was what my last camera had and I got frustrated with that sometimes, image stabilization, at least 5 megapixels, and it would be nifty if it had neat features. And something that is going to last me more than a year for crying out loud.

Pretty much all Panasonic cameras have image stablization, regardless of whether they are point and shoot or DSLR. Canon, on the other hand, has only a handful of camera with image stablization (why is beyond me) but most of them have some awesome special features and color stuff you can play with. There's a nice Canon point and shoot that has everything I want but costs around $100 more than the "heavy" Canon DSLR that has pretty much the same features (the ones that matter to me anyways). So for those who know about cameras, advice would be nice...

Be sure to come to the Damascus Road concert tonight if it's still happening... there has been an issue with the sound stuff being fried by lightning... I'll edit this entry later if I find out it's cancelled.

*****UPDATE: The show is going to be at Boenhoffer's (sp?) instead of Salt and Pepper*****

So I've been on Phusebox for a whole year now, so I guess that today is my Phusebox anniversary... ha ha... I went back to my first entry a couple of days ago only to realize that I made my first entry on June 1. If I remember correctly, I made my Phusebox account the night Nathan told me about it.

Poll: Which would you rather deal with? A heavy camera with awesome features, or a lightweight camera with not as many features? I'm trying to find something lightweight with awesome features... but just in case I can't... let me know what you think. Consider the fact that I love to take pictures and I view a camera as a necessity.