Eat Pray Love

One of my all time favorite books is Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. I love pretty much everything about it. I love that it is a memoir, I love her humor, her thoughts, lessons learned, the places she visits, everything. My heart and thoughts go back to that book a lot. She goes on a journey for a year and lives in Italy, India, and Indonesia. To put it plain and simple: She Eats in Italy, Prays in India, and Loves in Indonesia.

This summer, I think it was when I was eating alone at Italian Delight and indulging on amazing cheese pizza (Italian food. See the parallel?) that I had started to feel this Eat Pray Love journey of mine. I am single like she had been on the journey. I got out of a deep relationship kind of like Elizabeth Gilbert getting a divorce. I was burned by a few boys soon after the break up kind of like Elizabeth getting burned by a boyfriend she had had after the divorce and right before her journey.

The fact that I acquired a job at an Italian restaurant was probably my second hint. That was my Italy. I was surrounded by Italian food almost everyday so I had it often just like Elizabeth Gilbert.

It wasn't hard for me to see that my church was my ashram in India. I had made it a goal at the beginning of summer to dig deeper into the spiritual part of me. I started to attend a bible study every Thursday morning at 9am. It is a group comprised of about 6 adults and then our two pastors attend as well. It is very small and intimate. I fell in love with that group and the time I got to spend with them. They were my Richard from Texas. I attended church every week except for one due to being out of town. I also attended a women's retreat there yesterday which was an amazing experience. I got to be away from my phone and life for most of the day as I got to get to know women at my church even more as well as about life and the story of Ruth. I will probably have future posts that will relate back to that day. I started doing yoga more and I hope to make it more of a habit. I want to meditate and become better at it just like Elizabeth Gilbert. I think the incident with the 3 pennies and a night under the stars would be my big moment with God. You know, like the big moment Elizabeth Gilbert had with Him.

So I had come up with an Italy and an India. I had been eating and praying, but what about love? Elizabeth had met a man in Bali. Now everyone has a different journey. Ours is not exactly the same and I think this is where mine is most different. I do not really have one boy that would be my boy in Bali like Elizabeth Gilbert had. Not just yet. I am still mingling and getting to know people. So maybe eventually I will get that Bali boy, but in the mean time, I have began to fall in love with myself. And I have been loving and feeling the love of my family and friends which has been amazing. That is my love in this journey. In the first chunk of summer I was in the gym almost every day working out pretty hard. I could feel that difference in my body and stamina when I exercised. I had reached a confidence with myself on the outside. A feeling I hadn't really felt before in this time of my life. Since being single and experiencing things on my own, I have come to know me as myself more. I have been really enjoying it. I used to hate my own company and couldn't stand being left alone with myself, but now I don't mind it. It's fine by me. I have had the opportunity to see and hang out with so many people that I hadn't seen in years or haven't hung out with. I have gotten to see my best friend at least 1-3 times a week every week. I have had a lot of quality time with my family and grown closer to them. So many bonds have been strengthened and I couldn't be more thankful for it. I have definitely been filled with love.

I recently watched an interview with Elizabeth Gilbert on Oprah. She definitely intrigues me and I feel that we are alike. She said that anyone can have a journey like hers and they don't necessarily have to go to the places like she did to experience it. I feel like that is just what I did. Now then again, I wouldn't mind actually going to the places sometime in my future!
This summer has been extraordinary and I will remember it always. I feel full and content just like Elizabeth Gilbert.

Sparkle & Shine,
Rachel

The Shonrocks: ESU's President & First Lady

In the Spring semester of my Freshman year of college, the President of Emporia State University sent out a special email to everyone announcing that he was resigning. It came out of nowhere and students wondered who would replace him and how soon. During the Fall semester of my Sophomore year, 4 candidates visited and interviewed for the spot and it was officially announced that December that President Michael Shonrock would be our new President at Emporia State University. I was able to catch a peek at the very end of his first speech when they announced it after my class. I was anxious to see what this President would be like and how well he would do there. It didn’t take me long to figure it out.

I had seen him around campus every once in awhile and we formally introduced ourselves at a meet and mingle with him that I was invited to for recognized student organization presidents or board members. I had patiently waited over an hour as others got to meet him until he came over to my group. It was then when I got the courage to tell him about BUILD Beauty and gave him an index card that had my information on it asking him if he could pass it along to his wife and see if she could come to the next BUILD Beauty meeting. He put it in his pocket on the inside of his suit jacket and the day before the next meeting I received an email from his wife telling me she would be at the meeting. He actually gave her my measly index card and told her about me! I couldn’t believe it as she attended the meeting and I was introduced to her. By the end of the meeting, she was offering their house as a place to host our first birthday party for BUILD and they would cover costs for food. She told me to just email her with ideas. It was a great opportunity to have our first BUILD Beauty birthday party at the President’s house! It went really well too J

By the end of the semester, it was pretty much normal for me to see him at some point on campus every day. We would exchange hellos and maybe a small conversation here and there. I had seen this guy more in a couple weeks span than I had ever seen our previous President. I actually never had a conversation with our previous one.

I have even encountered the Shonrocks over the summer while I am not at school! I worked an Ambassador event at the T-Bones game for an Alumni event. There were other Division II schools there as well such as Washburn, Pitt State, Fort Hays, etc. President Shonrock showed up and mingled and at one point was working the event himself! He was taking tickets and directing people at the food tables. It didn’t take long for a buzz to stir as representatives from other schools got their phones out and texted the Presidents of their schools giving them flack for not voluntarily working the food tables let alone even being present at the event.

I also worked a fundraiser for our football team that was in Kansas City this past week and the Shonrocks were in attendance. I had just gotten back with a fellow ambassador from getting a couple packs of water bottles.  I was walking in carrying a pack of water bottles when he had seen me and was excited to see I was there and asked how my summer was going. I eventually went and talked with his wife, Karen. We exchanged how our summers have been and talked about other topics such as football season and how it is a requirement for Ambassadors to be 21 in order to work the President’s box because we would be handling alcohol. She didn’t like the sound of that. She said we wouldn’t handle alcohol anymore because she didn’t want to be giving us ideas. Also, she wanted any of the Ambassadors to be able to work the President’s box and have fun. She said she would talk to Michael about it and by the end of the night I saw her again and she said it will be changed and she would talk to our advisor about it! I was also able to talk to her about some other ideas the Ambassadors have had concerning alumni and she wants to help out with that. She asked how BUILD Beauty was coming along and the plans for the semester. We even got to chatting about nail polish and my blog. J

President Shonrock visited us a few times during the night talking to us about ESU. He talked about the renovations and changes going on on campus and how excited he is for our first football game. He wants EVERYONE to be there. No excuses! He plans to visit sororities and fraternities that week and encourage them to go and will most likely visit the dorms to get Freshman to go as well!

While I met with our Ambassador advisor, Nikki, over this summer to brainstorm, she had mentioned that President Shonrock has refused to have an official inauguration and wants the money that would be used for it to go to the school for something useful. The last inauguration for our past President had cost around $200,000! I was amazed by this information and decided to ask Shonrock himself about this topic when we were talking with him. He said it was true that he did not want a formal inauguration because it costs time and money. People that work at ESU would have to take time to plan it and put it together which takes time from their job which then costs money. It also takes money to put it on such as the dinner and the whole nine yards. So he was able to use that money and start a scholarship in which full time employees of ESU can have their spouses or children attend ESU for free! He told us a story in which he talked about it with a custodian at the university. The custodian had teared up because her son would now be able to go to college when he probably wouldn’t have had that opportunity to do so before that.

That night after the football fundraiser, I was filled with joy and excitement that Emporia State has been blessed with such a great President that is full of ideas, changes, and positive energy. There have been so many changes since he has been in office this last January and students, faculty, and alumni can definitely feel it. Big things are happening and Emporia State is definitely getting on the map. I am excited I still have a significant time there to see the changes and be a part of it. It amazes me that I am on a first name basis with the President and First Lady of my university and I am able to talk to them and voice my ideas and suggestions for the university. They listen to me and are willing to help out. I am so thankful to have these opportunities and that students can be really involved in our school.

That night at the fundraiser the MC asked who was willing to donate $1,000. President Shonrock didn’t hesitate to raise his number.  If you ask him about it, he would probably eventually say, “that’s just how I roll.”

Sparkle & Shine,

Rachel 

Karen Shonrock & I during the BUILD Beauty Birthday Party

President Shonrock, Kirsten, & I at the T-Bones Alumni Event

The 50th Post: A Thank You

I love Dove chocolates that are filled with caramel. I also love when they have inspiring and witty sayings on the inside of the wrappers. I remember one that I had a long time ago that said two phrases that aren’t used enough are “I love you” and “Thank you.” I thought that was interesting and I could probably agree to it.

As I thought about what I wanted to do for my 50^th blog post, I had some ideas, but it finally came to me that I needed to say, “Thank you.” Ever since I read that wrapper, I have been more aware of saying thank you to people. I have realized the impact that it can have whether I am saying it to someone or if I am receiving it. When I graduated high school, I wrote thank you cards to some of my favorite teachers that really impacted my life. I will probably do the same when I graduate college. I have a stash of thank you cards and will probably always have a stash of them throughout my life to thank people. I even mailed one today!

So I want to take the time to thank you for reading my blog whether this is your first time reading, you visit occasionally, or you have read all other 49 posts! I even want to personally thank some people. First, would be my parents, whom I am pretty sure has read every post! My mom supported and encouraged me when I first came up with the idea for this blog and my dad has been sharing my 3 Pennies post at work! To my brother and sister that read them even though my brother thought it was ridiculous I blogged about my picture frame and wine bottle! (LOL) My sister comforted me when I had some negative feedback to it.  I want to do a personal shout out to my Aunt Amy who I think has read every post as well! She has even shared some of my posts and shared her story in response to my “Speak Up” post. 

Now I wanted to list names of people that have contacted me through Facebook, texted me, to even talked to me at the gym about my blog. These are people that have either talked to me about posts, helped me with some, reached out to tell me how it has impacted their life, or encouraged me to keep it up. I really do take it to heart and appreciate all the discussions, comments, emails, messages, and everything in between!

Thank you,

Sammie Stinson – Jessica Eisman – Emily Cavlovic – Jessica Kile – Kendra Folsom – Michael Crosier – Chase Cook – Chris Huey – Dominic Sosinski – Kirsten Zamarripa – Fallon Thompson – Dylan Clark – Daniel Goodman – Brandon Fields – Tommy McMahon – Nick Balliett – Nick Welker – Trey Brokaw – Heather Ludlum – Savannah Casteel – Emily Lai – Tammy Trotter-Smith – Colin Curtis – Nicole Woods - Adam Pack – Eden Tullis – Kelsie Weiser - Kim Mikulan - Nadia Williamson - Greg Ferris - Katherine Boyice - Jessica Vigil

Thank you for reading!

Also a thank you to all the beautiful people in my life that make my life interesting and beautiful like you which gives me things to write about! Thank you for the support through the rough times and all the laughs through the great times. And even a thank you to the people that might have hurt my feelings which just gave me things to write about too for this blog! You gotta have the good and bad, right? It's what makes life even more interesting! 

Speaking of thank you, Thank You by Alanis Morissette is a great song. If you don’t know it already, you should check it out!

I hope you become aware of what a simple thank you can do and start saying it more. It is much appreciated and it feels good to say it!

I do apologize if I may have forgotten someone! 

Sparkle & Shine,

Rachel

Couldn't resist! Chuckled when I saw this :)

3 Pennies

Last night, I went into work at 4:45pm and was scheduled to work until midnight. This was going to be my first night closing. I was also going to be working the dining room by myself. It was pretty hectic as we were busy pretty much the whole night. There was a guy that wasn't the best worker there that was working. He randomly asked me if I was Christian. I said, "yeah." Even though I am pretty sure I am still technically Catholic. Later on, he walked out. Quit. So we were short handed for the rest of the night. I didn't get a break the whole night. We worked straight through and were finally out around 11:30pm.

I had noticed as the night went on that I had not received any tips at all. I did find 3 pennies that were on a ledge by a table that a customer had abandoned so I stuffed them in my pocket. I am a firm believer that every penny counts. They really can add up if you save them! As the night kept progressing, I became even more aware that I was not getting any tips, which was a little unusual. It crossed my mind and I had a feeling that maybe there was a reason for it. Maybe something better was going to come my way. Maybe I was going to get a really generous tip from someone or someone would say something or do something that would touch my heart.

After finally getting off work, grabbing some McDonald's on the way home, and a refreshing shower, I got tucked in bed and did my nightly reading for my daily devotional book, The Confident Woman by Joyce Meyer. I opened it up to the date, July 7. The title of the day's devotional was "Stand With God." I read the opening passage at the top and then got to the devotional. The first paragraph read,

"When Mother Teresa (1910-1997) left for India to begin her mission work there, she was told she could not do it because she had no money and no one to help her. I was told she said she had three pennies and God, and that was all she needed."

I finished the passage, made sure my fish was fed, and turned off the light. I laid down and tried to get to sleep when I realized something. I had 3 pennies. That night at work, I had found 3 pennies and took them. I thought back to what Mother Teresa had said. She had three pennies and God, and that was all she needed. This couldn't be just a coincidence. Three pennies show up at work and then the devotional that night mentions three pennies and God. Those three pennies I found had to have been from God. 

I have been on a spiritual journey for over a year now and have been taking steps in furthering it. This summer I have been focusing on prayer and believing. I even attend a bible study/prayer group at my church on Thursday mornings. I am trying to strengthen my relationship with God. For me, it is sometimes hard to believe everything in the bible or what people say. When people say God talks to them or when I read parts in Eat, Pray, Love I couldn't help but wonder if it really happened. You hear stories, but I sometimes have trouble believing. And while on my spiritual journey, I have had trouble believing everything. Believing that He is really here and exists. But these three pennies are physical things that help me believe. He had to show me somehow and He did. I believe.

My thoughts and feelings were true, when I had a hunch that something great was going to happen. I am so excited about this and can't wait to share it in my bible study group on Thursday. I hope that this inspired you to believe as well. I am definitely keeping these three pennies as a reminder. A reminder that He exists and is there for me and that also just like Mother Teresa maybe all I really need is three pennies and God. These three pennies is the best tip I can ever get and it was from God.

Sparkle & Shine,

Rachel

The Three Pennies

Those Hazel Eyes

Since I have started this new chapter in my life, I have started to feel more like Taylor Swift and I feel like I can relate to her when it comes to different things and one of those things is the subject of boys. Instead of songs, I write poems. When a boy impacts me whether it is by making me happy, anxious, sad, angry, lead on, or hurt; I write poems to express it. It helps me get feelings out. There was a quote in Taylor Swift’s 2011 calendar that stuck with me and has been on my mind when it comes to me writing poetry about boys.

“I’m the kind of person who needs to feel like everything happens for a reason. When you date a guy and it goes badly, that’s horrible. But if you can write a song about it then it was worth it.”

That last line stuck with me the most for months when I first read it. I feel like now I know if I can write a poem about a certain boy, it means I actually like them or did like them a lot. Now that I revisited this quote for this blog, I reflected over the first part more and also feel like I relate to that. I am a person that likes to believe that things happen for a reason as well. There have been a few boys that I have liked and things didn’t work out and I like to believe that they either taught me something, opened my eyes, or gave me an experience that I needed to have in order to learn and grow stronger. Like Taylor Swift said, it is horrible when it goes bad or doesn’t work out in my case, but it was worth it because I learned and I grew from it. I also got poems out of it too! Like this one called, “Those Hazel Eyes” about a boy I had a really big crush on, but unfortunately things did not work out.

Those Hazel Eyes

You said I made you smile

And I thought you’d stay for awhile

The way you looked at me

With those hazel eyes

Felt like we’re meant to be

In each other’s lives

It was that late night in May

I thought you’d be mine someday

I had a crush

My heart beat fast

Never thought you would rush

And I’d come in last

To another girl

I’d give you the world

But now I have to let go

And just be okay

I’ll go with the flow

And let the feelings slip away

Thank you for reading!

Sparkle & Shine,

Rachel