So, if you didn't know, I adore old movies. Practically anything black and white is up my ally. You can't go wrong with a good Alfred Hitchcock movie, or anything with Cary Grant, William Holden, Grace Kelly, Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Rita Hayworth, Gene Kelly, Lucille Ball, Dike Van Dike, Peter O'Toole, Julie Andews, Humphrey Bogart, and lots more!
But my favorite of all time has to be Audrey Hepburn.
She's so stylish, beautiful, and naive. I love her accent, her soft voice, her energy, her quotes, her smile, her fashion. In every movie I've seen with her, she has the most adorable clothes!!! I wish we still wore stuff like that.
Sighhhhh.
The one thing that always stood out to me is her eyes. They're beautiful. And they sparkle. I want bright eyes like hers. I was watching How To Steal A Million with my mom last night, and I asked her, "How are Audrey's eyelashes so long and dark?" My mom laughed at me and said, "They're fake. She's wearing the kind you buy at the beauty shop and stick on." Well, that made me feel a little better. At least she has to work at something!
So, this post is my tribute to Audrey Hepburn, one of the most classy actresses of all time.
These photographs were all gotten on google images... just click on them to see the link.
So Friday's are my most favorite days ever!!! I love them. Thank you Jesus for Fridays. :) They're the only day I can sleep during the whole week, I don't have any classes (so it's like my day off), and they are almost like the first day in the weekend. They just make me happy. By Saturday, I have to start thinking about Monday, but not on Friday. Friday is relax, slow-down, and breathe-again day.
This Friday was especially good because instead of using it as my catch up homework day, I managed to finish all my Calculus homework on Thursday. So I slept in till 11, got a shower, put on some make-up, got out some cute springy clothes (yay for this awesome Indian summer weather!!!). I then went out to lunch with my mom and three sisters. We went to Old Bag of Nails, which I had never tried before, and when we finally got there, I realized that I had eaten nothing that whole morning and I was famished. Lunch never tasted better. Afterward, we shopped in some old antique shops and each got a chocolate cookie, and then went to Kohl's, where I got this adorable blouse. It's so cute!!! So yes, today was highly successful.
When I got home, my dad handed me a letter from Ohio State University. I've been waiting for this letter for a long time. I applied to OSU about a month ago to enter into their free college classes for highschool students program (called PSEO). I've already taken classes from Columbus State Community College for two years now, and I've gone there full-time this past year, but I wanted to step it up and take some from OSU since they offer more classes. So when I got the letter, I kind of held my breath and quickly scanned the first sentence as my parents watched my face. "Dear Cassandra, Congratulations! I am pleased to imform you of your admission to The Ohio State University Academy Program."
I'm all smiles. --> :D :D :D See? lol
I'm actually really relieved because it took me a good two weeks of scurrying and working on my application, trying to figure out the process while still signing up for Columbus State's classes in case I didn't get admitted into OSU. So I'm so happy all that stress and effort paid off. God has blessed me. I couldn't have done it with Him. Thank you Jesus!!
Another reason I'm happy today is because of this amazing weather!!! I adore this weather... just cool enough for jeans and a jacket, but not too warm. I feel like it should be April, and winter's almost gone. Unfortunately, I know it's all just a teaser, and the coldness will come back within a week and laugh at my hopes and spirits starting to rise again for the summer. But I've begun to realize how much the weather affects my mood. No wonder people who live in Seattle are depressed all the time! I don't blame them. :)
Last night, I went outside at about 10pm. It was dark and still, which was what I needed. Yesterday was a long day, and by the end, my head was gonging and my eyes were literally drooping. But I went outside for some peace. I laid down on my back on the concrete driveway underneath our basketball hoop and looked up at the sky. The wind was blowing softly and I could hear a plane flying somewhere far up. One side of the sky was a pale pink, and the other was a deep ocean blue. At times like these, I want to sing, but I can't because it would break the silence. So I just laid there thinking about things. Lot's of things. (If you couldn't tell, I felt very thoughtful. =])
After a while, I heard a noise and twisted my head. My mom's car was pulling in the drive after a church meeting she had gone too. I jumped up really fast because I was afraid she was going to run over me in the dark!! So I went and hid behind a tree until she pulled into the garage. And that was the end of my little peaceful time in the dark. :)
It's days like these that I realize how blessed I am. I complain all the time. Why don't I ever remember the good stuff? When things are great, I'm thankful, but when things aren't going exactly like I want them to, I forget. I forget how I am blessed. I forget that God has every tiny detail in control. I forget that He is holding me in the palm of His hands.
This song sums up how I feel today. Have you ever had that feeling that you can't really explain how you feel, but you hear a song, and it speaks for you? This is it.
So I feel like my blog is kind of boring... it's just me writing a bunch of words. I feel like it needs some color, some flare, some.... pictures! :)
I love photography, and although I'm not very good, I'll try to post more pictures in the future. I do have some pictures of myself that were taken a couple weeks ago with my sister outside in the snow.
So, here they are! =]
So today was blaaaaaaaaaaah. Yeah, uh huh, you know what I'm talking about. Don't we all have those days? I think so.
I got home from class today at about 11:30am, and within an hour, everyone had left to go somewhere. You know what this means...the house was MINE (haha such a powerful feeling). But instead of doing anything extremely dangerous, naughty, or daring, I sat at my computer and did homework. *Sigh.* (Well, that is....I mostly did homework... there were a few moments where I messed around on facebook, wrote emails, listened and loudly sang Les Miserables music, and played around with different hairdos...) But the rest of the time was homework -- well...except for the time a creepy guy knocked on my front door. The doorbell rang and I about freaked out. I ducked behind the door so he couldn't see me, and when he turned around, I ran and grabbed the nearest phone and crouched behind my brother's bedroom window to spy on him. I had called 911 a few years ago on a guy (who was innocently harmless) who had knocked on our door. So this time I wasn't about to call anybody unless he literally started to break into the house. Unfortunately, nothing extremely exciting happened. It ended up being a guy who was picking up his wife's food order, which gets delivered to our house once a month. So yeah, my hiding adventure didn't last too long.
So while sitting "doing homework" today, I had a strange and wandering thought drift through my mind. Valentine's Day just came and went, and everywhere I looked, there were cute signs of love and romance. And it made me happy.... not necessarily for me, but for life. I think it's silly how some people don't like Valentine's Day just because they don't have that "special someone" that they're still waiting for. It reminds them of something they don't have, like they're missing out. And trust me, I've felt that way before. I'm human... I'm a girl (believe it or not :P). But for me, I realized how satisfied I am right now. I don't desire that kind of relationship yet. Sure, I'll embrace it when it comes, but I know that right now is not the time.
I was talking to a friend about this last weekend... how God leads different people in different ways. How the convictions of one person don't mean that they should be your convictions right now as well. How so many people feel like if someone else is going through something... or if God is having that person experience something, then they should be having that experience too. And I think that's so true with relationships. People compare themselves to others, especially when it comes to Valentines Day. And I realized how that's so wrong. Our culture tells us that we need something because other's have it, but God tells us to be content with where He has us. And that was just an amazing thought. I realized even more how I should be content with where God has me. And I think I am. I know God has bigger plans than I could ever imagine or dream, which makes me so excited to be in the place where God has obviously put me.
This year, I am acting in the play Little Women. I happen to be the main character, Jo March, which is extremely ironic because I've never acted publicly in my life (although I do it at home all the time -- no comments please =]) and because when I was little, my friends, sister and I would act out the story of Little Women, where I would always be cast as Jo. If you know anything about the story, you'd know that Jo's character is a true tomboy at heart, with high ambitions, a tough outside, and deep inward feelings. And although I confess that I'm not a tomboy, I often feel like Jo in many areas.
This past Tuesday night during play practice, we went over the proposal scene (hehe which was a funny and slightly awkward experience) but I realized that if anything like that were to happen to me now... that is, if anyone asked me out or showed interest in me, I think I would react the same way Jo does. She doesn't want to go that deep yet. She wants to stay friends. She doesn't see her life going that direction any time soon. It may happen eventually, but she knows that now is not the time. And she's ok with that. There's no disappointment or sadness in being alone. And I realized that I'm really the same. Instead, I want to embrace the big plans I have and WAIT. Wait for the perfect timing... the perfect guy... and the ok from the One who has a bigger Plan.
I often wonder what God is going to do with me. I often ask Him to tell me what His plan is, but He hasn't quite told me the specifics yet. However, He has told me some things. He's told me to grow in Him. To find love in Jesus. To follow His commands. To listen to His voice. To heed His advice. To tell others the Good News. To be an example to the believers. To multiply in wisdom and faithfulness.
And He's told me to wait. He'll reveal his plans in time.
Gah. That whole word makes me cringe. When I list the Ten Commandments in my head, I know I fail by a long shot, but I tend to think that out of all the commandments, I do pretty well when it comes to being satisfied with my lot in life. Well, I have proven myself entirely wrong.
The Bible says, “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
Exodus 20:17
Sheesh, that's not too hard, we say. I don't even want a servant, ox, or donkey (or the wife for that matter lol).
But ever since September, I have come to realize how much I complain. Not about the big things. About the little things. Don't get me wrong, I am an extremely blessed person. God has given me more than I could ask for on so many levels. He has blessed me with a stable family, house, food, school, job, friends, and plenty of wonderful opportunities. And He has given me the greatest thing of all: the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.
A couple days ago, I was driving home late at night, and I was in one of those really happy (hahaa, almost slap happy moods), where everything seems so perfect, good, and right. And I thought, "Wow. My life is good. I am truly blessed." And then I thought, Why am I so grumpy sometimes? Why do I snap at people? Why do I come home after an awesome time with some friends, and start complaining about the stuff I don't want to do?
Have you ever thought about what you think about? Seriously. Think about it. What do you spend time thinking about? What takes up your thoughts on a regular basis? If you're like me, it's not exactly what I want to be thinking about most of the time. God should be first in my actions and thoughts, but I tend to bury Him deep somewhere until I finally get out my Bible or go to church.
Instead, I find that a lot my thoughts and energy are spent comparing myself to others. I see people and I want to be like them. "This person does this, so I need to do it too," or, "A lot of people have this, so I need it too." It's so easy to do. Especially since our culture is based on the idea that we need what everybody else has. "In order to keep up and be cool, you need to do this, buy this, and be this. Then you'll be happy." This form of envy comes to us in all different ways: peer-pressure, advertisements, social expectations and values. The world tells us that to be happy, you need a boyfriend, tons of money, and lots of stuff. But that's so wrong. Our identity in not in what we have or don't have. Our identity is in Christ. Yet when we're surrounded by others with the wrong mindset and priorities, it's not hard to start thinking that way too.
There is a solution to this problem. I'm realizing more than ever how much I need to rely on God for my needs and desires. I so easily lose sight of the Big Picture. This life on earth doesn't last!!! The things that I envy in others now won't even matter. And yet I spend so much time thinking about how I can get what I want. This all broils down to a selfishness and self-centeredness on my part. I realize how much I miss things around me when I'm so focused on what I don't have.
So, I'm asking for God to help me see others, not to envy them and compare myself to them, but to serve them. I want to be a servant. I want Bright Eyes for Jesus...to shine for Him.
It reminds me of the song by Brandon Heath "Give Me Your Eyes." Such a great message.
So speaking of eyes, here's a picture of my eyes photographed and edited by my sister Jenn. This picture is a good reason why I'm called Bright Eyes.
"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'"
Hebrews 13:5
"I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. "
Philippians 4:12-13
Right now, I would love to tell you that I am presently sitting at a beautifully carved oak desk, drinking a warm cup of tea and polishing my writing quill.A roaring large fire casts moving shadows on the ornate wallpaper of the room, and out the window, thick snowflakes fall lazily onto the frozen earth.A blue jay lands swiftly on an icy tree branch near the window, and as I sit in my large armchair, I gaze at the falling snow, dreaming and philosophizing about the future.
However, this unfortunately is not the case.Instead, I’m sitting at the computer desk in my living room, shivering because of the freezing temperature in my house (presently I’m wearing at least four layers of clothing), and staring at the blank white page on my computer screen.
Yet even though I’m not exactly where I want to be at the moment, I was still somehow able to get somewhere else.I created an image.I imagined. I dreamed. And I did it with words.
The meeting of minds.It’s a powerful thing.When people read the same words, their minds meet at a place of the author’s creation, a place you can only go if you’ve read those words. Did you see the desk, the fireplace, the blue jay?The cup of tea, the snowflakes, and the window?
Written words are not meant to be read quickly.They’re not to be skimmed over and forgotten.Words can say things which we will never be able to speak.They share things with people we will never meet.And they remind us of things that should never be forgotten.
Therefore, I’m writing this blog for mostly myself.So many times I’ve been struck with a conviction, thought, or idea that I’ve wanted to write down and share.So this blog is for that purpose.
I wanted to start this blog with a simple greeting of hello.Have you ever been around someone who knows who you are but won’t say anything, even a quick hello?They ignore you, or at least they don’t get around to saying a simple “Hi there.”It shouldn’t be that hard.It’s just an acknowledgement of your existence.
So I thought I’d start my blog the French way.In France, people almost always greet one another, even perfect strangers, with a kiss on the cheek and a “Bonjour.”It’s a common form of etiquette that is taken for granted.It’s politeness and opens up conversation.I know I even sometimes feel awkward about going up and talking or introducing myself to people.But I’ve decided that needs to change. So this is a reminder to me to say HELLO.Bonjour.(*ahem* …without the kiss =])
Bright Eyes is a nickname of mine that a special friend gave to me.I had the option of several different nicknames, but Bright Eyes seemed to be my best option.A few others included Dark eyes, Deer eyes, Horse eyes (ok, enough eyes people…), Tinkerbell, Sassy, Driftwood, Big ears, Ma’am.
My real name is Cassandra.It means “Helper of Mankind” or “Deceiver of Mankind,” as my family constantly reminds me.To know the whole history and meaning of my name, please read the account of Cassandra the Prophetess in the battle of Troy in the Iliad.(For anyone else who knows this story, no comments please. =])
But the name I most prefer, and what most people call me, is Cassie.And of course, Bright Eyes.
It is necessary to write, if the days are not to slip emptily by. How else, indeed, to clap the net over the butterfly of the moment? For the moment passes, it is forgotten; the mood is gone; life itself is gone. That is where the writer scores over his fellows: he catches the changes of his mind on the hop.
bonjour. my name is Cassie. j'adore le français, I can never stop traveling the world, and Jesus is the love of my life. I love people (a lot) and sometimes I act like a dork just to make people laugh. La vie en rose.
