I’m not really sure what to say. Thank you.

In the back-to-school rush, I haven’t kept the site very well updated, but I hope to be adding more art soon. If you’re interested in a painting, also remember that you’re more than welcome to request something different than what’s pictured now. I’m always up to requests!

Meanwhile, life goes on here in Abilene. I fully intend on being a better blogger during this coming semester, so more than likely you’ll be hearing from me again soon. (I know you can’t wait.)

Update: We made it. Praise God! Tickets are being booked!

January 16: Flying back to Texas. Our flight arrives at 4pm. Factor in a one-hour drive home, some time to pack the car, and a three-hour trip to Abilene, and it’ll be a rather long day.

January 17: The spring semester starts bright and early at 8am with my basic drawing class.

May 25: After a week or so back home from school, this day marks my departure from the States.

May 26: Full day layover in London. No big deal.

May 27: Early arrival at the Entebbe airport in Uganda, after which I’ll be headed to the Kasana Children’s Centre.

August 2: Back in Texas once again.

And that’s that.

In other news, you’ll see that the numbers in the sidebar to your right have changed a bit. Firstly, we reached $505 on December 31st, just in time to ring in the New Year! Secondly, with plane tickets on hold and prices a bit more predictable, my total estimated costs have dropped from $3,000 to $2,500. Pretty exciting, if you ask me.

I hope you all have been having a fabulous 2012 thus far! Personally, I love the feeling of a fresh calendar and a fresh schedule full of fresh opportunities. Let’s make 2012 a year of life lived to the fullest.

Thinking about everything 2012 holds fills me with ridiculous amounts of excitement. The spring semester at school is shaping up to be full of fantastic classes and good times, and even before that, there’s a trip to New York city with two of my sisters and some friends to look forward to. Last time I was in NYC, my 11-year-old self was a little over-stimulated and a bit scared. This time, I can’t wait to see a show on Broadway and take a stroll through Central Park in the winter.

After the semester ends, things will move rather quickly. I’m working with an agent to book plane tickets for the end of May, and then I’ll be off for the summer. It’s amazing how everything is progressing. Finances aren’t looking quite as bleak, and fundraising is making a significant dent in my estimated costs. That’s thanks to all of you, of course. I’ve been on the receiving end of some amazing generosity.

As the Christmas season reaches its climax, I hope all of you are enjoying the blessings of home, family, and friends. Continue to pray for me and my upcoming trip to Uganda, and please feel free to help push total donations up to $500. Maybe we can reach that mark by the end of the year?

Merry Christmas, everyone!

]]> http://bethmaisano.com/2011/12/looking-ahead/feed/ 4 http://bethmaisano.com/2011/12/10-things-i-learned-at-college/ http://bethmaisano.com/2011/12/10-things-i-learned-at-college/#comments Wed, 21 Dec 2011 22:00:08 +0000 Beth http://bethmaisano.com/?p=1288 Well, I’ve officially survived my first semester at college. And what do I have to show for it? Allow me to make a list.

10. When professors show you the rubrik by which they will grade your work, they will indeed grade your work by this rubrik.

Sounds easy, right? It took two lousy grades to drive this point home for me.

9. If the cafeteria closes at 11:00 and it’s 10:52, you still have time to get dinner.

Note: power-walking skills may be required.

8. When you read “required textbook” on your syllabus, “required” doesn’t always mean what you think it means.

This was an expensive lesson to learn.

7. Finals week can be very relaxing.

Just five tests instead of 15 hours sitting in class? Yes please.

6. Going to bed early makes all the difference at 7am the next morning.

I discovered this during the last week of school. Definitely should have figured it out sooner.

5. On campus, it is socially acceptable to go around in public dressed in sweats, uggs, and a hoodie.

Never thought I’d stoop so low.

4. If you have confidential things to say, don’t say them in a dorm room.

I estimate the walls between rooms are approximately a quarter of an inch thick.

3. When your professor says you won’t be able to make an A if you write it the night before, he may very well be wrong.

What? Did I do this? Of course not…

2. Being a full-time student with a job and a social life is similar to running a never-ending marathon, but worse.

Not that I’ve ever run a marathon.

1. You are paying thousands of dollars to go to school here. For goodness’ sake, buy some coffee and enjoy yourself.

I recommend a raspberry white chocolate latte.

Basically, tonight is perfect.

I’ve been more than a little stressed lately, so I’m loving this. After tomorrow, there’s only one more week of school before finals. I can count my assignments due on one hand. That’s encouraging. My two weeks are in at work, which should leave me free during finals week to focus on studying. The is the home stretch.

Still, there’s so much happening, and it leaves me exhausted in every sense of the word. (Coming down with a cold really doesn’t help things.) Honestly, my biggest fears at this point are a little more long-term than impending final exams. I worry about next summer. I worry about raising the money for plane tickets before the end of the year, and paying for tuition next semester. I worry about balancing work and school and volunteer hours and time with friends. Okay, I worry a little about finals, too.

All that said, I’m not entirely certain what I’m trying to say here. It could be something really deep, but…probably not. (Possibly an indication that I should have thought a little harder about this blog post.)

I think I’ll keep listening to acoustic guitar now.

1. Painting experiments to warm up the brain. I played with bright colors and stencils, with a great degree of failure but much enjoyment nonetheless.

2. A live performance of the play “Private Eyes” on campus. All those plot twists are bound to wake up your thinking faculties.

3. The ever-loyal Macbook Pro. ‘Nuff said.

4. French vanilla hot chocolate.

Basically, tonight’s homework doesn’t even stand a chance.

If you head over to the art page, you’ll find  a couple new additions. Christmas is right around the corner, and a painting can make a great gift while the proceeds go to a great cause. Check out the availability, or shoot me an email with your favorite colors and quotes, and we can get something worked out.

Can we make the push to $300?

My 1:00 class ended on Friday, and I headed across campus for orchestra practice. As I was walking through the parking lot, I saw one of my professors loading luggage into a big white bus—apparently he was going on a weekend trip. I didn’t think anything of it, and kept walking.

Just a few hours later, that same white bus would run off the highway, rolling over and ejecting most of its passengers. One student on board would never be coming back to campus. Others would be rushed to the hospital and placed in intensive care.

That night, I turned on the radio on my way back from work. The lyrics to a song by Skillet hit me a little closer to home:

Today, I’m gonna try a little harder
Gonna make every minute last longer
Gonna learn to forgive and forget
Because we don’t have long; gonna make the most of it.

Today, I’m gonna love my enemies
Reach out to somebody who needs me
Make a change, make the world a better place
Because tomorrow could be one day too late.

The ACU community is a strong one, and the tragedy has brought everyone a little closer and God a little nearer. Pray for the students, faculty, family members, and friends affected by the accident. Up-to-date information on the accident and those in the hospital can be found here.

I do.

On days like these, I stumble to class half-asleep and scribble illegible notes. I run across campus and back, from science to orchestra to everything in between. I skip chapel because I have a meeting with my English professor, and finally head back to my room to get ready for work. I call my mom in the car on the way, a little homesick and more than happy just to hear her voice. I’m physically tired from long days, early mornings, and late nights at work; spiritually starving because my Bible sits on the shelf while I run around trying to satisfy the demands of Real Life.

Some people would probably say the two are unrelated–physical exhaustion and spiritual emptiness. I don’t think so. One tends to exacerbate the other, and both together make for an unhappy combination.

It’s ironic, really. The Word is meant to be our inexhaustible source of strength in the face of everything life throws at us, and yet right when life starts winding up for the pitch, we feel overburdened and let that all-important relationship begin to slide.

On nights like these, I make myself a cup of hot tea and heat up my leftovers from last night. I cuddle under my soft green blanket and pull on my striped fuzzy socks. I put away the essay due on Friday, and open up the Word.

The well will not run dry.

You guys have been great. If you check out the progress meter in the sidebar to the right, you can see we’re getting pretty close to $200 raised. That’s fabulous! Share the link, tell your friends, and keep coming back.

Unfortunately, $200 isn’t exactly going to get me to Africa and back. And if you feel led to give more than a dollar, I’ve got a new opportunity for you:

art for africa

I like to pretend I’m an artist, and sometimes I even like the results. Not too long ago, it hit me that maybe my doodling habit could be a chance to raise money for next summer.

These are 8×10 acrylic paintings on canvas, featuring fun colors, flowers, swirls, and quotes. I don’t pretend they’re anything spectacular, but they might make a nice addition to your decor or a fun idea for a gift.

Paintings are available for a suggested donation of $10.

Click here to check out the selection!