New Horizons

The sun still shines on and on, yet the sun seems different for me more and more lately.

If you would have told me 6 months ago what was going to happen in the month of March, I would have simply laughed at you and called you crazy. However, I have begun to realize that God likes to readjust my life almost 180 degrees at the very last minute. Allow me to explain what has traversed:

Thanks to the (what I am calling) the "Clinical Recession", more people than usual have applied for Grad School. Where Graduate school two years ago would have been mostly for freshly graduated Undergrads, the schools are seeing more and more older people apply. The reason for this is the many layoffs around the country.

So where do I fit in here?

Well, one of the most common schools for people to apply to is the English Department. This is due to many teachers that are getting laid off, and realizing that if they receive a Masters Degree, they'll get more money when they return. Graduate schools have seen a 49% increase in applications because of older applicants. So where there should have been me and 600 other people applying there are now 900. On top of that, the schools get more governmental money from older married people. Plus, they are experiencing budget cuts. These budget cuts mean instead of the traditional 45 new students, they can only afford 20.

Based on all of this information, my chances at Grad School decreased even though I'll be graduating with at least a 3.6!

I have been respectfully declined by every school I applied to, except for South Carolina. (I haven't heard from them as of yet).

However, I am determined for this not to bother me. As of this moment, I am networking myself to the maximum! Liz and I have talked, and it seems that we are moving to College Park Maryland, because she got into UMD! This school is number 7 in the country for her degree and only about 4 hours away from home. It seems only logical to go there.

God's perfect orchestration of this story is not over yet though. I'm beginning to realize certain small things, that are just now starting to manifest.

The DC/Metro Area (attached to the College Park metrorail) has over 6 law schools. Law school has always intrigued me, seeing as I like to hear myself talk and have always wanted more trustworthy people in our law system. I never thought that Law School would be a reality. But, as it seems now at least, I'm being more and more lured in that direction. No, it's not because of the money.

For kicks, I took a practice LSAT questionnaire. (the LSAT is the GRE for Law School). I only missed one out of 20! I know I can do this, and I love the argument part of it all. I'm beginning to feel that this is where I'll be pushed toward.

It's too late to apply for this Fall semester...so the plan for us is as follows (that is, unless I get an awesome job somewhere in-between): I'll transfer as a Shift Supervisor for Starbucks somewhere up north whilst taking the LSAT, possibly twice depending on my original score. Then I can apply and start schooling it up in a year and a half from now!

I feel like this is what I'm supposed to do. Oddly enough, it has always been something where someone I love has said some small encouraging thing in my life that lifts me subconsciously. When I was younger, Melinda was sick and I fixed her her coffee. She said I do a great job fixing up a cup of coffee. Now look at me! I'm a Barista at Starbucks and have been for an extremely long time (4 years). My mother once told me, when I said that Law school could be an option for an English major, that she has always thought of me as one, saying that I "could argue the sky is purple, and people would end up believing me!". I don't know if I could do that, but it seems that these small blessings have affected me to a degree.

Here's a pic from my recent trip to Toronto, Philly, and NYC (sorry i know it's random, but I had to leave a picture...there hasn't been one lately):
The little thing in the middle is the Statue of Liberty.













This one is from FAO Schwartz!

Whatever God has in store for me, I have realized that it is better than where I wanted to be!

A Powerful Pastor

What is the most annoying thing to you? Mine right now is this cut on my lower lip that is split because they're chapped. Ergh! Why do these odd things always seem to happen to me?

The past couple of days have bee slowly mushing along without much change. I saw on the weather channel that Richmond has the possibility of snow! If this happens, my week would be awesome and somewhat complete. Gosh, I sure hope it snows.

My favorite highlight of the past week has been hanging out with Liz as much as I have been able. Last year was a conglomeration of many odd work shifts and boredom. Now though we ave been able to maintain a somewhat groove of things that really fits our personality. We look forward to our backgammon games and Starbucks study sessions. In fact, if we don't do one in a week, it begins to feel odd without it.

I've been listening to Kris Vallotton a lot. He is a pastor from Bethel Church in Redding, California. Every single time he preaches, it seems as if God is talking about my exact situation I'm going through via his sermon. Whenever I hear him speak I can't help think of Crush the turtle preaching (you know, the sea turtle from Finding Nemo? he has a surfer accent in my mind). Anyways, I love what Bethel Church is doing and the scriptual/spiritual message they are spreading. My faith has quadrupled since listening to this church. You can find their weekly message on ITunes, and I suggest you do.

Kris, if you ever end up reading this, my fiance and I are actually planning on flying from Virginia to Redding for our honeymoon just to see Bethel and to see if you won't pray specifically with us. If this is possible, please get a hold of me through this or my facebook. You're awesome, dude!

Anyways, May God keep you in His ever-abiding love my friends. And may your day be fruitful in love and life!

The Current State of Ryan Matthews Esq.

I was supposed to have travelled to Rockville, Maryland today to visit F. Scott Fitzgerald's grave... Unfortunately, the writings of Hemingway that I have to read for class have hindered me from this voyage. I think Hemingway would have liked to hear this though, seeing as they both had a bumpy friendship. However, it is my goal to visit the grave before I move out of Virginia.

There are tons of cool events on the horizon! This coming Saturday I get to be the soccer fanatic that I am! I get to see the US National team play Cuba for a World Cup qualifier. Then, as if one game was enough, I get to see Arsenal a week later in LONDON! God has blessed me more and more as I walk with Him.

It has been a running joke at my store that if somebody wants to find me I'm in either of three places: My Apartment, My Bathroom (and essentially therefore my Apartment still), or my Starbucks. I really do love it here though. The combination of fresh coffee, a multicultural base of customers and partners (we call our co-workers partners), and comfy chairs. This store is one of the first things that to my mind when I think of Richmond. It'll probably be the one thing I miss most though when Liz and I leave for Grad school.

I just recently made a new friend named Josh. Have you ever met a person and thought that you must have been twins and switched somehow during childhood? Well, that is what it feels like between the both of us. No homo... Here's a list of odd similarities:

-both are obsessed with Star Wars, Chris Thile, and Jesus

-we both lied to our significant others when we first met them (I apologized to Liz afterwards though, for my family readers out there)

-and other odds and ends that seem to go on forever. He is a great friend, and I think we will stay that way for a long time! It's good to find a Christian bro to lean on and hang with.