"Somebody's Somebody"

ISTJs are systematic, painstaking, thorough, and hardworking. They get the job done and complete it on schedule. They are serious and sincere in whatever they do. They work well within a structure, follow the hierarchy, and are particularly strong and careful in keeping track of facts and details. They are cautious, generally seeking to maintain the status quo. They are at their best getting things to the right place at the right time. They honor their commitments.

Living
ISTJ children are serious, dutiful and reserved. They like a great deal of order and structure. In new situations or with new people, they are quite cautious and perhaps uncomfortable. They prefer familiar friends to new ones and select friends carefully. When they know what is expected, they act more at ease with others. They tend to enjoy traditional childhood activities. When they feel comfortable, they also enjoy group activities such as scouting, with doing their duty and serving their country fitting their world view of what is right. They like to be read to and appreciate hearing stories as well as the pictures that accompany them. They particularly like stories in which good triumphs over the forces of evil.
ISTJ children, perhaps more than others, enjoy having a schedule to follow and, even as kids, show a propensity for getting work-related responsibilities out of the way before they play.
ISTJ teenagers are down-to-earth types who seek to do the appropriate thing at the appropriate time. If they date, they tend to single out one person and date steadily. ISTJs may be chosen to lead school activities. They generally believe that one should earn one's keep. Even as children, they may request chores that help the family. As teenagers, they tend to have part-time jobs. They money they earn tends to be used for the important practical things in their lives. They do not like to ask their parents for money.
As young adults, ISTJs begin their career training early and find it hard to understand people who start and education but do not complete it. They believe that dropping out is irresponsible. They complete what they start. They may choose large and stable organizations in which they hope to find security and an opportunity to prove their worth. They are particularly realistic about their skills and needs, and prefer to learn the basics before risking something beyond their capabilities. Slow and steady on an unambiguous course is the way ISTJs prefer to navigate through life. As a result, they may select undergraduate programs in college that lead directly to employment.
ISTJs have a need to 'do right' with what they've been given, safeguarding traditions of the family and of the community. They often will take on extra personal responsibilities in order to maintain what they believe is important.
ISTJs may stay with a job or company they do not particularly like because they tend to regard financial well-being as very important and are willing to do without things, including emotional gratification, so that they can provide for their retirement. They worry particularly about being dependent on others for their needs and work hard to avoid that state.

Learning
ISTJs learn best and apply themselves most carefully in subject areas that are practical and useful. They are diligent and persevering in their studies. As learners, ISTJs tend to need materials, directions, and teachers to be precise and accurate if they are to trust the information that is presented. They prefer concrete and useful applications and will tolerate theory only if it leads to these ends.
ISTJs like learning activities that allow them time to reflect and to think. If the material is too easy or appears to be too enjoyable, the ISTJ may be skeptical of its merit. Because of their practical bent, they believe that work is work and play is play. Therefore, their preferred learning environment is task oriented, starts and stops on time, and has clear and precise assignment.

Working
At work, ISTJs get things done on a timely basis. They honor deadlines, and they believe in thoroughness. A half-finished joy is not a joy well done. They established procedures and schedules, and are uncomfortable with those who do not do the same. ISTJs put duty before pleasure. As long as they can fulfil their responsibilities, they feel useful and thereby satisfied. Their work does not have to be fun, but it has to count toward something productive. ISTJs believe that vacations are something that one takes only when work has been accomplished; thus, at times they do not take vacations even when they could and should.
ISTJs prefer work settings that contain hard-working people who are focused on facts, details and results. They want structure, order, and some privacy for concentration without interruptions. They like tangible products and concrete accomplishments. They want to be secure and to be rewarded for their solid accomplishments at a steady pace.
They pride themselves on their organization, yet often think it is still not quite good enough. They usually have a great deal of factual information to deal with, and they take pains to properly label and file it. They put emphasis on cross-referencing and easy retrievals. A hands-on approach is important to ISTJs, because they make use of the actual or the visual memory of the concrete data in their hands.
ISTJs prefer occupations that require thoroughness, accuracy, perseverance, and follow-through. They would rather work in situations in which they can see concrete, tangible results. Accountant, auditor, dentist, electrician, first-line supervisor, math teacher, mechanical engineer, police supervisor, steelworker, technician, and other occupations are particularly attractive to ISTJs.

Leading
While not directly seeking leadership positions, ISTJs are often placed in such roles. They build a reputation for reliable, stable, and consistent performance that causes others to select them to lead. ISTJs use their past experience and their factual knowledge in their decision making. They respect traditional, hierarchical approaches and seek to reward those who get the job done by following the rules and standard operating procedures. In their view, rewards should go to outstanding contributors who do not violate the rules while completing their work. ISTJs are more task oriented than relationship oriented in their style.

Leisure
Leisure for ISTJs must be earned. Leisure-time activities usually take place after work is accomplished. If they engage in leisure before their work is done, it is usually because of the circumstances in which they find themselves. For example, an ISTJ with a fun-loving spouse might engage in more playful activities.
For ISTJs, leisure needs to have a purpose and a result, and a beginning and an end. And they like to schedule their leisure time. They enjoy spending time alone and need to be aware of their potential to become isolated from others. For example, they may become absorbed in watching television because it allows them time to reflect and yet appear to be doing something. This time may also be an opportunity for them to be physically present with their family, though in some cases somewhere else mentally.

Loving
For the ISTJ, love means commitment, steadiness, and consistency. ISTJs expect themselves and their mates to be responsible, practical, and dependable. When in a relationship, they behave appropriately for what the situation or their role demands. For example, if the relationship is in the courting stage, the ISTJ will exhibit courting behaviors, such as giving boxes of candy, red roses and presents. These are worthwhile and important traditions to uphold and observe because they give direct evidence of commitment.
When ISTJs give their word and are ready to settle down, they follow through. Because they are dutiful, they expect their partners to behave in a similar fashion. They offer their partners stability and security. They do sensible things for the relationship, such as paying the bill and making household repairs.
ISTJs may stay in poor relationships out of their sense of duty, even when it is to their benefit to leave. They prefer the certainty of the current relationship to any future unknowns. When feeling scorned, ISTJs may not let their partners or others know it. Because they focus internally and because the facts all support the conclusion that the relationship is over, ISTJs may feel it redundant to express to their partners or others what is going on. When it seems clear to the partners that the relationship really is over, ending it is the practical thing to do. However, when a decision to part is not so clear to ISTJs, they may continue to rehash the past rather than look to the future and other relationships.

Career
ISTJ's interest in thoroughness, details, justice, practical procedures, and smooth flow of personnel and materiel leads this type to occupations where these preferences are useful. For example, ISTJs make excellent bank examiners, auditors, accountants, or tax examiners. Investments in securities are likely to interest this type, particularly investments in blue-chip securities. ISTJs are not likely to take chances either with their own or others' money.
ISTJs can handle difficult, detailed figures and make sense of them. They communicate a message of reliability and stability, which often makes them excellent supervisors of, for example, a ward in a hospital, a library, or a business operation. They would be capable of handling the duties of a mortician, a legal secretary, or a law researcher. High-school teachers of business, home economics, physical education, and the physical sciences are ISTJs, as are top-ranking officers of the Women's Army Corps. Often this type seem to have ice in their veins, for people fail to see an ISTJ's vulnerability to criticism.
ISTJs are patient with their work and with procedures within an institution, although not always patient with the individual goals of people in that institution. ISTJs will see to it that resources are delivered when and where they are supposed to be; materiel will be in the right place at the right time. And ISTJs would prefer that this be the case with people too.

Home
As a husband or wife, the ISTJ is a pillar of strength. Just as this type honors business contracts, so do they honor the marriage contract. Loyal and faithful mates, they take responsibilities to children and mate seriously, giving lifelong commitment to these. Duty is a word the ISTJ understands. The male ISTJ sees himself as the breadwinner of the family, although he can accept a working wife-as long as responsibilities to children are not shirked. The male ISTJ's concept of masculinity is patriarchal, and both female and male ISTJs make steady, dependable partners. The female ISTJ may abandon the frivolous for the sensible and may not always deepen her sensuality.
As parents, ISTJs are consistent in handling children, and the rules of the family are made clear. A rebellious, nonconforming child may have a difficult time, however, with an ISTJ parent-and vice versa. As a child, the ISTJ is apt to be obedient and a source of pleasure to parents and teachers.
Although ISTJs are outstandingly practical and sensible, they can marry people who are thoroughly irresponsible, with the marriage developing into a relationship more parent to child that adult to adult. The ISTJ fluctuates from being rescuer to reformer of the wayward mate. The marriage then becomes a lifelong game: On one side, there is Irresponsibility, Promise of Reform, Brief Period of Reform, and Irresponsibility again; on the ISTJ's part, the cycle is Disapproval, Rescue, Scolding, Forgiveness, Acceptance of Promise To Do Better, and on and on. This pattern often is seen when an ISTJ marries an alcoholic and enters a life of caretaking punctuated by periods of anger and rejection. Somehow, although ISTJs can accept periodic fickleness and selfishness in significant others, they do not see this kind of behavior as acceptable in themselves.
ISTJs have a distaste for and distrust of fanciness in speech, dress, or home. The ostentacious is abhorred, and a neat, orderly, and functional home and work environment is preferred. Durability of furnishings are of primary concern, aesthetics given slim consideration. The clothes of an ISTJ tend to be practical and durable rather than in the latest style or luxurious. "No nonsense" in both food and clothes seems characteristic of this type who tend not to be attracted by exotic food and beverages, or places.
The male ISTJ may enjoy stag, men only parties and use a different sort of language when only men are present. The yearly hunting or fishing trip as a male ritual is often a part of recreation for an ISTJ. More than the female, the ISTJ male is apt to be involved in community service organizations that transmit traditional values to the young, such as Boy Scouting. They understand and appreciate the contributions these groups make in preserving the national heritage. Along with the SJ's, the ISTJ takes particular delight in festive occasions held in the context of rituals, for example, weddings, holiday feasts, and birthdays. At work, the ISTJ is apt to see the holiday office party as a necessary nuisance and would be likely to participate and enjoy these events.

Midlife
At midlife ISTJs might develop an interest in collecting art objects and indulge themselves in using time to craft objects which have utilitarian purpose. ISTJs might enjoy relaxing physically and psychologically from a decision-making role, perhaps even schooling themselves to allow others to wait on them. They might want to increase their capacity to engage in frivolity and, for a change, let someone else worry about the future. Continuing to put off vacations, wanted luxuries, rest periods, and other long-overdue activities could well be abandoned in favor of some self-indulgence.

Mates
Here is the paragon of insurance, preparation, and consolidation-a person with a strong desire to be trusted. Small wonder that he looks upon accounting, banking, and securities with a benevolent eye. Try to imagine him married to one of his own kind: Two Rocks of Gibraltar, each steadfastly tempering the other's steadfast tempering! We can safely guess that this sort of relationship wouldn'ts work very well.
The attraction, rather, is for the "entertainer," for the vivacity and sparkle of ESFP, the opposite of ISTJ. ISTJ is the ultimate saver who is fascinated by, and frequently marries, the ultimate spender! Here is complementarily to the nth degree! Just as often, ISTJ finds his or her opposite on the intuitive side: the ENFP. Perhaps he senses in the ENFP's desire to spread the word something similar to the ESFP's desire to put on a show. Certainly the vivacity and sparkle is apparent in both, an attribute which must be quite enchanting to the sober and careful ISTJ.

"Lessons Learned"

"Lessons Learned"....I don't even know where to begin. This song has touched me this past week in so many ways. It has made me cry and regret so many things. And it has made me not regret those things and made me rejoice in them.

I have felt so much shame this past week--that I'm not good enough, that I'm not living up to what God wants from me. So many tears. Lol, as Lyssa said on Friday, "I never thought Christine could cry so much in one week." And I have wondered where is God in all this? Why does He keep removing people that I love so much from my life? I know the answer to these questions. He's building me up. Making me stronger for what He has ahead of me. I know these things, but right now I don't believe it. It's so hard to look around and see what others have--basics--a family. And to this day, I still don't understand why I don't have the one like others do.

I know one day all the tear will go away. And I can't wait for that day to come. In chapel this week we sang a song called "I Will Change Your Name" It brought me to tears in no time. I related so much to the lyrics:

"I will change your nameYou shall no longer be called Wounded, outcast, lonely or afraid I will change your name Your new name shall be Confidence, joyfulness, overcoming one Faithfulness, friend of God One who seeks My face"

Hearing and knowing that all the pain, and lonelyness, and fear that I have right now will be gone. And I will be called confident, and joyful. Wow. Right now I'm having a dark time seeing the light at the end of this dark tunnel that I am in right now. I have a hard time figuring out how I am to pick up the pieces and keep living. I know I have to. I just don't know how. I have had such a great support around me this past week from teachers to friends. Willing to hear whatever I had to say, giving me advice and comfort. Wipping away tears that fell. Thank you all so much. That's what I will miss the most when I graduate--people being there for me. Even when I don't think I need them. When I think I can do it all on my own. They know me better. They know I can put up a tough front, but behind it I breaking down inside. I don't know how anyone could know me better than the people I know right now.

I still don't know where I will end up next year. I have no idea where God wants me to be. If my place is in Pittsburgh or if it is somewhere else. I have dessions that I have to start making. And I'm not in my right mind to be making them. Part of me wants to stay right here in Pittsburgh. The place that is my home. That I have known my whole life. Yet, part of me wants to run away. Go as far as I can from here and forget the past and start a whole new life. How can I keep my emotions out of making such big dessions? Where am I suppose to be? What college is right for me? How do I know if it is right? What should my major be? What do I even want to do with my whole life? Do I even wanna get married? What about kids? I realize those last two are ages off, yet they're questions that are on my mind. Things I thought I had figured out...they mean nothing now. I'm trying to trust God and remember that He knows what is best for me.

"Lessons Learned" by Carrie Underwood

"There's some things that I regret,

Some words I wish had gone unsaid,

Some starts,That had some better endings,

Been some bad times I've been through,

Damage I cannot undo.

Some things,I wish I could do all all over again,

But it don't really matter,

When life gets that much harder,

It makes you that much stronger,

Oh, some pages turned,Some bridges burned,

But there were,Lessons learned.

And every tear that had to fall from my eyes,

And everyday I wondered how I'd get through the night,

Every change, life has thrown me,

I'm thankful, for every break in my heart,

I'm grateful, for every scar,

Some pages turned,

Some bridges burned,

But there were lessons learned.

There's mistakes that I have made,Some chances I just threw away,

Some roads,I never should have taken,

Been some signs I didn't see,

Hearts that I hurt needlessly, Some wounds,

That I wish I could have one more chance to mend,

But it don't make no difference,

The past can't be rewritten,

You get the life you're given,

Oh, some pages turned,

Some bridges burned,But there were,Lessons learned.

And every tear that had to fall from my eyes,

And everyday I wondered how I'd get through the night,

Every change, life has thrown me,

I'm thankful, for every break in my heart,

I'm grateful, for every scar,

Some pages turned,

Some bridges burned,

But there were lessons learned.

And all the things that break you,

Are the things that make you strong!

You can't change the past,

Cause it's gone.

And you just gotta move on,

Because it's all Lessons learned.

And every tear that had to fall from my eyes,

From everyday I wondered how I'd get through the night,

From every change, life has thrown me.

I'm thankful, for every break in my heart,

I'm grateful, for every scar,

Some pages turned, Some bridges burned,

But there were lessons learned,

Oh, some pages turned,

Some bridges burned,

But there were lessons learned,Lessons learned.Lessons learned."

"I Need You"

This song has been a great confort to me reciently. I thought I'd share it with you. I'm sure many of you already know it. But when you are going through something, that's when things really stick out and mean the most to you.


"I Need You" by The Swift

"My heart is restless in me

My wings are all worn out

I'm walking in the wilderness

And I cannot get out

I need You, Oh, I need You

Blessed Savior comeI need You,

Oh, I need You

Fill the every longing in my soul

CHORUS

Oh, how I need You, Lord

I need Your perfect Word

With tearful eyes to see The sin that I afford

I need to weep and pray

For all the thousand ways

That I have failed You just today

My bed is soaked with sadness

My sadness has no end

A downward spiral of despair

That I keep falling in

I need You, Oh, I need You

To You my soul shall flyI need You, Oh, I need You

Yaweh, how I love You more than life

CHORUS

Your silence is like death to me

So won't You hear my desperate plea

Today my soul is soaring

Way over mountains high

Though I can see the valleys

They're all just passing by

It's not that I am stronger

Look at my feeble wings

But I've been lifted higher

Yaweh's lifted me in His own strength

Oh, how I love You, Lord

I love Your perfect Word

With tearful eyes to see The God who always will endure

Now I will celebrate

For all the thousand ways

That You have shown me grace

And made my heart in grace to stay

You've made my heart in grace to stay

Lord, make my heart in grace to stay

I need You, Oh, I need You"

"Party People"

So, I've been accepted to 2 more colleges today!!!! Two in one day!!!! Woot!!! lol.
I've been accepted to Geneva, Edinboro, and Waynesburg!!!

I have NO idea where I am going to go!!! Ahhhhh!!! This is going to be a hard choice....

"I Don't Want to Miss a Thing"

So my title for this post/blog is normally-in context with the song/lyrics a love song. Aerosmith sings about his lover who he wants to spend the moment that they are in forever, and he tells her he wants to be with her forever and never miss one thing she does. Well, your probably wondering how this works with my life at the moment. Well....Today was my last, first day of high school. Am I honestly going to miss RTCS when I graduate in 282 days? Yea, of course. I've been there since 5th grade; I've made my closest friends there, who have just about become family to me. I don't want to miss one minute of this year. I don't want to miss one thing, one event that even a small part of me wants to be at, because after this year I can never do it again. I'm going to take advantage of the time I have left and enjoy it. Even if things don't go the way I think they're going to go, I'm going to still enjoy it, because it's God's plan and that's how He wanted everything to work out. Yea, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna get to a point where I'm going to get sick of school and hate it and just want to graduate; but I need to remember that this really is it; I can never have it back. And I think knowing and remembering that, it will put me back in the state of mind that I want to be in.

Now I'm not going to lie, this year I think is going to be really hard on me. Anyone who truly knows me, knows that I get stressed VERY easily. This past weekend I had a stress attack because I was stressing myself out and worrying about things I shouldn't have been. Please pray for me, when it comes to this. I really need God's strength to control it and not worry so much. Anyways, so my classes...I'm taking AP Western Civics, AP European Literature, Chemistry (from a college book-so it might as well be an AP class), Choir, Advanced Music theory/Select Ensemble, Yearbook editor, Senior Projects, College Prep, and Gym. I think that's it. If you didn't know, my senior project it doing the schools yearbook. Haha, how is this going to work out you may ask when this is a class...? I don't know. I will figure that one out when I speak with our new yearbook advisor tomorrow. But I have already started doing so much on it and have 32 hours out of 24 hours that is required. I'm excited about my senior project and my mentors! I just hope everything goes the way I want it to....ok they probably won't, but I can hope. I don't even want to think about doing my AP Lit paper and a paper for senior project and everything for AP History, and still keep up with Chem. I may just die.

So needless to say, I, along with the rest of the seniors need lots of prayer. I'm sure we are struggling to deal with everything that is ahead of us. And almost wonder how we are going to live through this year without going crazy or killing someone. hehe... jk. No I know we will. I just don't know how with all the school work we're gonna have to do. And at the same time have time for relationships, friends, family, jobs, and to take everything in. We will though...I know we will.

"Start of Something New"

I spent the last 4 days in Erie with Ethan, and it was amazing! I really love it up there! I never thought I would...but who would've guessed..?! lol I'm going to simply note that Ethan truely is amazing. I could not ask for a better bf.

I got a very exciting phone call this morning. It was Geneva College! I was accepted!!!!!! The first college I applied to and was accepted to! Woot! I'm on a good start! lol As of right now my major there is Sociology. I don't know if I will change it or not. Or even if thats where I really want to go. I have a lot to think about and pray about. But I was-and am- so excited about being accepted into my first college! It really is an amazing feeling. Lol, when they told me I was jumping around. Poor Elliot, was just staring at me like I was crazy. But it was an amazing feeling.

I'm truely ready for this school year to start. I'm so excited to see what is going to become of it. And to graduate?! OMG! I can't believe it!!! It is really happening... The years of my life that I never thought would come are here! Senior year...College...all of it...right before my eyes! I can't believe it.

"Take A Bow"

Would You Rather:

~Eat a bar of soap or drink a bottle of dishwashing liquid?
~Lose your legs or lose your arms?
~Be blind or deaf?
~Have 3 eyes or webbed feet?
~Always have to say everything on your mind or never speak again?
~Be stranded on an island alone or with someone you hate?
~Kiss a jellyfish or step on a crab?
~Forget who you were or who everyone else was?
~Have a pie-eating contest or a wheelbarrow race?
~Be rich with an unhappy job or make less money with a job you like?
~Be a tree or live in a tree?
~Would you rather drink 1 gallon of ketchup or 1 gallon of mustard
~Would you rather have half of your blood sucked out, or have 3 of your fingers burnt?