Still alive

Summer semester has begun, and I'm loving it so far. I have more time for reading, writing, and other things I've been wanting to do, so stay tuned for more yummy blogging goodness soon. =)

I love you dear.

Christen Nicole Mitchell, 27, passed away unexpectedly Tuesday, April 8, 2008 at the Sturgis Hospital Emergency Room.

She was born on May 5, 1980 in Sturgis, MI to James W. II and Elaine (Stevens) Mitchell.

Christen had been a Sturgis resident all of her life. She graduated from Sturgis High School in 1998 and received an associates degree from Glen Oaks Community College.

She worked at Sturgis Bank & Trust for 6 years before suffering a stroke in 2006. She was currently employed by Sunrise Printing in Sturgis while pursuing a degree in early childhood education at Glen Oaks Community College.

Christen attended the Colon United Methodist Church in Colon, Michigan, where she had met many new friends and was active in the Women’s Circle. She enjoyed scrapbooking and photography and loved animals, especially her bunny, dog, and 2 cats.

P.S. I'll always remember our recesses in first grade, our many memories at band camp and other trips, and our lunch dates. I'm also really glad that you had a chance to see how awesome God is and what a life with him had to offer. *hug*

New linkage

If you're reading this post via Google Reader or another RSS feed program and haven't been to my actual page in a while, I'd like to tell you about some of the links I recently added to the site. Be sure to hit them up!

• Rifftrax: Michael J. Nelson, former host of Mystery Science Theater 3000, along with a few friends, offers brilliant and hilarious audio commentaries meant to be played along with many well-known movies & TV shows, from 300 to Grey's Anatomy. Check out the "free sample" clips!
  
• iSerenity: Offers a variety of "sound environments" that help drown out environmental noise in public places. Just turn one on, plug in your headphones, and get to work without distraction. (I'm a huge fan of the thunderstorm one.)
  
• Walk the Razor: Yet another great project from Noel, featuring a podcast and blog entries related to the Christian walk along the razor's edge between legalism & ungodliness.
  
• The Film Geeks: A couple of cool guys hosting a weekly interactive podcast where you can call in to rant and rave about movies that rock and others that really don't. Patrick frequently adds his personal movie reviews to the site as well.
  
• Left-Handed Toons: A project from my brother's college roomie, who asked himself "Can I write webcomics with my non-dominant hand?" Well, he can, and here they are.

These are the newest links, but that doesn't mean the ones that have been there are no longer hittable. In fact, they still very much rock, and I'll write about them later. Have a happy Thursday!

Just so we're clear...

If any of my blog posts is tagged with the label "Mood Stuff" I encourage you to read it with an open mind...and take a grain of salt along with you.

When I'm on either extreme end of the mood spectrum, the way I think about and perceive myself, other people, events, situations, and life in general is incredibly skewed. I'm writing in the moment, but that's where those thoughts stay. They're not really me, and despite how I may be feeling at any point in time, I haven't completely lost sight of who I really am and the way things really are.

You may be asking why I bother keeping those posts up there anyway. I haven't quite figured it out, but think it's so that people can have a better understanding of what life can often be like when experienced by somebody who has mood fluctuations, whether caused by bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety disorder, dysthymia, cyclothymia, or other related conditions.

Anybody can read about any of those things in textbooks, but how often does one hear subjective perspectives from people who are living it? In my life, as a result of being fairly open about myself, I have come across people who have been recently diagnosed with an affective condition or would like to know how to support a loved one. I'm able to tell them about it, and they're able to read about it.

So right now, while I'm having a fairly stable day, let me tell you that I don't hate my life, that I do believe that there is meaning and purpose in it, and that I intend to continue pursuing God's will for it. Writing about my darker days may be a part of that:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

-2 Corinthians 1:3-5

As a counselor in training and an experienced Marie, I am in love with that verse. There are people out there who believe that Christians should never have to feel sad, anxious, depressed or fearful, because they have Christ in them. If they do happen to feel that way, then perhaps they're not really Christian, or they've sinned horribly, or they're just not prayerful or faithful enough.

I am of the belief that this is complete and utter crap. How can we encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ if nobody needs to be encouraged? How can we "be anxious for nothing" if there is nothing about which to be anxious? How can we "cast our cares on Him" if there are none to cast? How can God show us his comfort and provision if we never need it? Why do two of the Gospels have entire chapters about worry and anxiety if it should never be a part of our lives as Christ followers? To go on would be redundant and a waste of typing.

But anyway, I'm running out of battery power, and I'm off to a Bible study. Thanks for reading. =)

Sing, sing, sing

Have I mentioned that I'm the newest member of Acappazoo, the first and only community-based a cappella group in Kalamazoo?

I can prove it. Click here.

We're always looking for new singers (we're especially in need of sopranos and altos), so if you're interested let me know. =)

Take these broken links and learn to upload again

MSU cut me off a few days ago. My email and web accounts are no longer active. If you're wondering why pictures aren't showing up and download links aren't leading anywhere, that's why.

I need to go through all of my blog entries, find the holes, upload the necessary files to my new WMU web space, and redirect the links.

Thank you for your patience. =)

Help me shop!

I have a $25 gift card for Borders that can be used to buy books, music and movies from their stores.

The thing is...I have no idea what to get!

I'm leaning towards a book or DVD, but it has to be something I would read or watch over and over again.

For an idea of what I'm interested in, check out my profiles on Blogger, Facebook or MySpace.

Please, please, pretty please leave me a comment if you'd like to recommend a good read or worthy flick, along with why you think I would like it. I look forward to your responses!

Spring...err, fall...cleaning

I'm in the process of adding additional links to the site, including all of my friends who have blogs. If you don't see yourself listed but would like to, let me know. I decided to replace last names with first initials of last names in the interest of privacy, which some people tend to value.

Plenty of things have happened in the past couple of weeks that I could have blogged about, but in the interest of time, here's a partial list, in stream of conciousness order.

• I'm on yet another job hunt. I was working too many hours at LCC, and I need to find a job that's a better match for what I can handle and what I have to offer. Plus, they let me go. They basically said the exact same thing. My boss called me into her office literally a minute before I was about to go there myself. Needless to say, I wasn't heartbroken.
  
• I got sick, physically this time. It was a nice change from the usual bouts of depression, which, unlike the flu, cannot be alleviated in a matter of days with rest, fluids, medication, movies and video games.
  
• I saw Jeremy Camp with Lisa & Judith next week, I'm seeing Guster tomorrow with a yet-to-be determined party, and I'm seeing Lifehouse next week with Lisa & Juleen. Live music rocks.
  
• I introduced Elizabeth to the wonders of MST3K.
• I'm only a matter of weeks away from turning 28. My birthday is on a Tuesday, which means I'll get to celebrate by going to class from 7 to 10 pm.
  
• Midterms are only a few weeks away, which means I'll be reading and studying more than usual. Basically, I should probably not allow myself to have much of a life.
• Mom & Dad came to visit and meet some of my friends and kids at Riv. I'll get to see them next week when I head down to Sturgis for a few days.
• The C3 group went really well.
• I just ran out of White-Out film & Post-it tabs. Bummer.
• I signed up to sponsor a child through Compassion International, and I'll blog about her as soon as I finish this list.
  

An open invitation

Being open about living with bipolar disorder can be a bit risky in a society where myths and stigma about mental illness abound, but more good than bad has come out of it for me. An example of this is the large number of people I have encountered in life who have come to me to share similar stories.

We've met for coffee, cried together, prayed together, and encouraged each other. It's great to know that you're not alone in your struggles, and that there are people you can talk to without the fear of being judged, because they've been there and they understand.

With that in mind, I am inviting anyone who has ever struggled with anxiety, depression, or any other similar circumstance to meet up at Espresso Royale this Thursday evening at around 6:30ish. It will be a casual, informal chance to get to know people and to share stories and fun times.

Depending on how things go, this may be a regulary occuring thing. It's not quite a support group, prayer group, bible or book study, but we may incorporate elements of each.

I'm filing this under the code name of C3: Crisis, Coffee & Christ. I feel like it needed a name, and I love alliteration. A lot.

So yes, please come and enjoy some good coffee, some great company, and some amazing stories, invite people to come along, and email me with any questions.

Sounds like a deal to me.

I just found this on one the tech blogs I read...

"Microsoft will be selling their Microsoft Office Ultimate 2007 software to college students in the U.S., Canada, and U.K. for just $60 starting September 12th.

The package contains:

• Word 2007
• Excel 2007
• PowerPoint 2007
• Outlook 2007
• Publisher 2007
• Accounting Express 2007
• Access 2007
• Groove 2007
• OneNote 2007
• InfoPath 2007

Microsoft is referring to the deal as their Ultimate Steal, and will make it available for purchase online to those who can prove their active student status, preferably with a verified university e-mail address. If Microsoft’s Ultimate Steal tempts you, you have until April 30th, 2008 to make the purchase.

If you decide the Ultimate Steal is up your alley, head over to theultimatesteal.com (via CyberNet Technology News)."

An emancipation proclamation

What I wrote in my last entry about the transportation situation is seriously not the depression talking. I've decided that if I can't get someplace on my own, then I'm not going to go. There are plenty of things I would love to be a part of (e.g. a community band, a class or two at Riv, etc.) but with every thing I want to commit to, it's another person I have to take advantage of. The emancipation refers not to my freedom, but to everyone else's.

One day after I pay off the 7 years of undergrad loan debt, along with whatever I accrue from grad school, and save up enough money, I can purchase a vehicle of some sort, but until then, I refuse to bother anyone any more. No more rides to church, even if it means having to give up helping out with the groups that I work with, or giving up going there completely. There are a couple of places here within walking distance of my place. This has to happen. Don't try to feel sorry for me or convince me otherwise. It will hurt for a little bit, but I'll be alright.

No, it's not a convention for Tibetan Buddhist gurus.

If you're in the MSU area this weekend looking for something unique to do, I highly recommend checking out Llamafest 2007, which starts on Friday evening at the MSU Livestock Pavilion.

Why do I think you should go?

• There will be over 200 llamas and alpacas in the building.
• It's free.
• There are oodles of activities like a scavenger hunt, a costume contest (for the llamas; don't come dressed as a llama; but if you did I'm sure you would be well-received), and booths where you can purchase llama-related products you never knew you needed.
• It'll be an interesting conversation starter for years to come. "What did I do last weekend? I went to Llamafest!"
• Because I can't. Have some random fun on my behalf!
  

By the way, it cracks me up that the website is spelled with only one L, hence the silly headline.

"Camping out" in September!

Last night I discovered that Jeremy Camp, one of my favorite musicians, will be doing an acoustic show on September 21 at Trinity Church in Lansing.

It's not too often that something this awesome happens this close to me.

You all need to go. If it's anything like the acoustic show I caught in Elkhart last year, it will be nothing short of amazing.

http://www.itickets.com/events/185849.html

Bahamas vacation pics!

Check out my Picasa page to view the long-awaited "Bahamian Rhapsody" albums!

http://picasaweb.google.com/mariedysangco

(They're incomplete because I don't have Ron's pics yet, but I'll let you know when they get updated.)

Leave a message after the blog...

Dear world,

I'll be out of the country for a week and won't be online again until June 5th. See you then!

Love,

Marie

Time for a roll call!

I recently began using Google Analytics to collect stats on my blog. The reports thus far haven't been very exciting. After all, only my close friends really read it...or so I thought.

Here's a list of the countries that some of my readers come from, as of today:

• The United States
• Colombia
• The United Kingdom
• Germany
• Portugal
• The Netherlands
• India
• Spain
• Canada
• The Philippines
• Malaysia
• New Zealand
• Sweden

What surprises me is that I don't know a lot of people abroad, having only left the country once in my life.

So if you are reading this, please do me a favor and leave me a comment with the following information:

• Who you are
• Where you are from
• How you found my site
• A link to your blog or website, if you have one
• One cool fact you would like me to know about you

The curiosity is killing me, and if I get killed, I won't be able to write more blog entries. =)

Awesome idea of the day

I decided to make a map pinpointing places around here that offer free internet access. Hopefully it will be useful to all of you, and maybe you'll want to link to this post or forward it to other people. I need help adding locations though, so if you know of one that isn't listed, email me at mariedysangco@gmail.com and I'll add it when I get a chance. Hope this helps!

Free wireless networks in the E.L. area

Files are back! (Well, some of them anyway)

For those of you who were disappointed to find the links to my recital mp3s leading nowhere, I have reuploaded the files.

Here is the original blog post:
Clickety-click

Let me know if you run into any problems. Happy listening!

Want to be famous?

If you would like your website or blog added to my links list, let me know! I'm not sure how many people subscribe to the site, but who knows? Maybe they'll click on you and fall in love with your music, witty blog posts, pictures, poetry, or whatever you choose to post.

Email me at mariedysangco@gmail.com if you'd like to be added to my page. Take care!

So yeah, this month pretty much rocks.

Here is what I have to look forward to this month:

• Spiderman 3: The IMAX Experience!
• Laura & Brandon's CD release party at Magdalena's Tea House!
  
• Graduation!
• Spending time with family and friends!
  
• Moving into my new house!
  
• David Crowder Band show in Kalamazoo!
  
• Janice & Johnny's wedding!
  
• The East Lansing Art Festival!
  
• Family vacation in the Bahamas!

The Summer of Fun '07 has officially begun.

(Alright...I'm off to continue my job hunt. Wish me luck!)

(Darn it...I'm going home this weekend and missing Merge AGAIN. *sigh*)