From now on, I will be updating at http://www.xanga.com/rachdm I like change and this is change. So please continue to read my blog there. Thanks so much. :o)

I will not obsess. I will not be a dork. It's ok, it's just "research." [insert sarcasm] I just need to keep on repeating that to myself. And if I repeat it enough, I won't obsess, I won't be a dork, and I will realize that "research" does no good. (If you don't understand this, it's ok, nothing huge. For those of you who do understand these ramblings, make it stop!)

In other matters, I just want to say "MSE kids rock!" Seriously, this semester has been so much better because of them. I don't know how I would have survived 242 without them. Tonight was our last night working on homework in the UGLi, and we all exchanged IM screen names. It's kinda weird, it’s not like I'll never see them again. I have at least 2 classes with all of them next fall. Well, now we can keep in touch over the summer, and have a way to keep in contact when we're not doing all of our homework together next term. All for homework parties in the UGLi!! Many thanks to Alexis, Dave (Alberts), Dave (Pinkney), Karen, Lindsey, Tatsu, and Zack for all the help, all the laughs, and all the answers! :o) (ps Kaylan and Mike are cool, they just don't come to the UGLi all that much)

Classes are ending on Wednesday! When did that happen? It's only a few weeks after spring break. I'm not ready for exams. Argh...prayers and support of other means are appreciated and willingly accepted as well as reciprocated (rdmathew@umich.edu if you need some). But after finals it's Chapter FOCUS Week with IV in the UP (which happens to be the best week ever, seriously, it is). Yet, I have to survive finals before I can go to Chapter Camp. *sigh...Chapter Camp and Cedar Campus. Oh how I miss thee. ;o)

"As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, 'Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.' This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: 'Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.'' The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, 'Hosanna to the Son of David!' 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!' 'Hosanna in the highest!' When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, 'Who is this?' The crowds answered, 'This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.'" ~Matthew 21:1-11

Continuing on in Luke's gospel:
And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, "Teacher, rebuke Your disciples. "But He answered and said to them, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out." ~Luke 19:39-40

What an entry that Jesus makes in this passage. This is Matthew's account of the triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem, which is known as Palm Sunday. This is the beginning of the last week in Christ's life, ultimately ending with Good Friday and the crucifixion. What I like about these accounts are that Matthew includes the prophecy that says that Christ will enter Jerusalem on a donkey and within Luke's is the statement that the rocks will cry out in praise of God if we humans stop.

I don't know what the point of this blog, but I just wanted to share a bit of my thoughts on this passage. I encourage all of you to read the accounts of Jesus' last week on earth, and reflect on what is happening in His last week of ministry. Mark's gospel has a good account (chapters 11-15).

Last night (would be Fri 4/11) has to be the best night on record for my time at U of M. Ok, it might not be THE best night, but definitely top 10, maybe even top 5. I seriously had the best time. (If you couldn't tell) Right now, you might be shaking your head and saying "now Rachel, what did you do last night that was so much fun?" Well, here is the answer. :o)

Yesterday I arrived home from North Campus exhausted from a long day on top of a long week. I had homework sets due yesterday in both of my engin classes as well as a history paper (as an engin kid, I don't particularly enjoy writing papers). So, I was tired. Anyway, I was walking into Martha Cook and saw 3 boys in tuxes standing on the front steps. Slightly dismayed to why there were boys in tuxes, I entered the building. The best thing about Fridays, besides being the start of the weekend, is tea at Martha. So I was at tea and walking through the main hall and saw my good friends Sarah and Ann at table talking with 2 guys. The guys turned out to be Scott and Mike, Ann's brother and Ann's brother's friend, respectively. (Does that make sense?) We sat and chatted for awhile about nothing important, and then went into the Gold Room to hear the Men's Glee Club sing (so that's why there were boys in tuxes!). We then proceeded to play Frisbee in the garden because it was such a beautiful day. What we learned from Frisbee in the garden? I can't throw a Frisbee and Ann and her brother Scott have a family victory dance. ;o)

After Frisbee I headed off with Sarah and Ann to a meeting of University Christian Outreach (UCO, I think that's right) for a talk series about traditional dating/courtship rituals. It was the last meeting and was very interesting. Also, everyone was really welcoming and very friendly. After the meeting, we squeezed into a car and headed off to Leonardo's on north campus for 2nd Friday swing dance night, where I actually learned how to swing dance! Amazing, I know, but with a partner who can lead well, anyone can swing. ;o)

Swing dancing is the best. It's the guy's job to make the girl look good, and you get to do lots of spins. Many thanks to Scott, James, Matt and Li for making me look good! Yea spins! :o) And the crazy thing, I knew almost half the people at the swing dancing. Whether it was from classes or friends of friends, there was definitely less than 6 degrees of separation in that room. I saw Sara Bara and Kerri-bear there, and was so excited! I didn't know that they knew about swing dance night. I'd like to see all of our Couzens group go one week next year! With all the people that I knew there, I'd like to think of myself as the glue that held the room together. ;o)

One might think that the night was over when the dancing ended at Leonardo's, but no, not for us. Apparently there is a tradition with the group I was hanging out with to go over to Jody and Barbara's (friends of Sarah's, MCB Sarah) apartment to hang out, talk, and make pancakes. I don't question tradition; I only go along with it! Before heading over to the apartment, James and I headed to his room to pick up a Play Station 2 and his DDR cd. On the way over to his room, we realized that I knew both James' roommates from IV. Crazy how connections are made. Many of you might be asking what DDR is; DDR stands for Dance Dance Revolution, which is a video game of sorts. With DDR, one has a pad to dance on, with the prescribed dance moves on the screen to fit the music. DDR is perfect for people with an innate rhythm, but horrible for me. Yeah, I know I was in marching band for 4 years, but I seem to have lost all rhythm gained in my time in the FMB (Falcon Marching Band). I ended up just jumping around on the pad hoping to hit the right squares at the right time. People seemed to think that was amusing, or maybe it was the lack of sleep talking. We ended up leaving the apartment at about 2:45 am, and getting home at about 3. Long night, but one of the best ever! I can't wait for swing night Fridays next fall!