"If you are doing what you are supposed to be doing, if you are doing the right thing, give 100% in the things you are doing now. Consider it as your calling; treat it as your dream. If your heart is 25% in the past remorse and only 75% in the present endeavor or 25% in the future envy and only 75% in the present calling, you are learning to be divided and you are training yourself to be unfaithful. Biblically learn from the past and prayerfully plan the future, but wholeheartedly be faithful in the present. If not, when you get old, regrets rather than fulfillment, will take place of your dream." - Unknown
Here comes the "end of the year" post.
2013 was a crazy year - as most are.
Crazy good, though.
Starting the year off, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend Passion 2013 where I met a really awesome group of Seniors going through all sorts of the same difficulties that I was having to deal with as well. I had no idea who they were, but they definitely left a mark in my life and I still think of them today. Sometimes I think I'll run into them in public and see them as a familiar face one of these days, but not know who they are. I loved all of Passion. Jesus' presence, Jesus' glory and power that moved the dome. Jesus. It really was a great start to the year.
Finally, I made it as a Senior! High school was awful. Just sayin'. I tell myself this all the time and my brothers tell me this all the time, but I should have graduated a long time ago .... 'cause I'm such a baby, not because I failed or anything. It feels like such a long time since I've left high school, but I did it! I remember the really long winters that were so hard to get through, but it is done.
And at last, college. The college process was crazy. I didn't realize there were so many papers to fill out before I could actually "get in." I don't usually admit that things are stressful, but this was indeed, stressful. College has been so fun, though. The papers weren't fun. Walking around campus in the rain wasn't fun. Waking up early wasn't fun ... but all of that made it fun! haha! Just kidding. In all seriousness, college has been such a blessing in my life and I feel so privileged! It has really allowed me to see life in a different light. Just the other day, I realized that I'm literally on my own when I'm away from home. Not that I'm really independent, but then again ... I am. ha ha. Anyway, I love the friends that I'm making and the people that I've come across thus far. I've traveled with groups that I never thought I'd ever travel with and hung out with people that I never thought I'd even meet. God is at work in such a campus and even though days there can be so redundant, God is moving. I fail to realize that sometimes.
Also ... 1) I finally got my permit. Yes, my permit. 2) I got a new job in retail. Definitely quite the experience... 3) I was able to work with kids again this year! It's so different each time, but it's such a learning experience.
Jesus, once again, I thank You that You've never left me throughout the madness and chaos of the year; throughout the good times and especially through the hard times. Thank You for specifically choosing me as Your daughter and calling me to a purpose higher than I know. You have fearfully and wonderfully created me and for that, I am thankful. Amen.
P.S. Both my sister and I agree that 2013 was definitely my year ... but I feel like 2014 will be my year, too. haha. ;)
Here comes the "end of the year" post.
2013 was a crazy year - as most are.
Crazy good, though.
Starting the year off, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend Passion 2013 where I met a really awesome group of Seniors going through all sorts of the same difficulties that I was having to deal with as well. I had no idea who they were, but they definitely left a mark in my life and I still think of them today. Sometimes I think I'll run into them in public and see them as a familiar face one of these days, but not know who they are. I loved all of Passion. Jesus' presence, Jesus' glory and power that moved the dome. Jesus. It really was a great start to the year.
Finally, I made it as a Senior! High school was awful. Just sayin'. I tell myself this all the time and my brothers tell me this all the time, but I should have graduated a long time ago .... 'cause I'm such a baby, not because I failed or anything. It feels like such a long time since I've left high school, but I did it! I remember the really long winters that were so hard to get through, but it is done.
And at last, college. The college process was crazy. I didn't realize there were so many papers to fill out before I could actually "get in." I don't usually admit that things are stressful, but this was indeed, stressful. College has been so fun, though. The papers weren't fun. Walking around campus in the rain wasn't fun. Waking up early wasn't fun ... but all of that made it fun! haha! Just kidding. In all seriousness, college has been such a blessing in my life and I feel so privileged! It has really allowed me to see life in a different light. Just the other day, I realized that I'm literally on my own when I'm away from home. Not that I'm really independent, but then again ... I am. ha ha. Anyway, I love the friends that I'm making and the people that I've come across thus far. I've traveled with groups that I never thought I'd ever travel with and hung out with people that I never thought I'd even meet. God is at work in such a campus and even though days there can be so redundant, God is moving. I fail to realize that sometimes.
Also ... 1) I finally got my permit. Yes, my permit. 2) I got a new job in retail. Definitely quite the experience... 3) I was able to work with kids again this year! It's so different each time, but it's such a learning experience.
Jesus, once again, I thank You that You've never left me throughout the madness and chaos of the year; throughout the good times and especially through the hard times. Thank You for specifically choosing me as Your daughter and calling me to a purpose higher than I know. You have fearfully and wonderfully created me and for that, I am thankful. Amen.
P.S. Both my sister and I agree that 2013 was definitely my year ... but I feel like 2014 will be my year, too. haha. ;)
Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow Me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for My sake, you will save it. " - Matthew 16: 24-25 NLT
Planned blessings. Do you ever plan to be a blessing? I do .... or at least I try to. Earlier this week, my sister and I drove past a random guy standing in the middle of the road with a sign that read something along the lines of, "Selling cotton candy to pay for rent and to provide presents for a wife and three kids." I saw his face as he looked down. Maybe it was disappointment? It was especially cold that day. If this man stood out there in that kind of cold, clearly, he was in need.
We kept driving ... right past him. The next couple minutes in the car were silent because I was thinking of ways I could have helped him ... in any way. A couple minutes later, I asked, "What do we do? Why do we just keep driving?" And then come the excuses. So why do we keep driving? Why do we keep moving on with our own lives? Why do we go on as if other people aren't just as important as we make ourselves to be? When people go through hard times and we see it, too - how can we go on? When people have nothing to eat, how do we have the littlest ounce of courage to eat something ourselves?
See, as followers of Jesus, these are the kinds of situations we should act in. No, I don't mean that we should find every person on the street and give them money, but with the needy, supply; and with the helpless, help! We like to feel safe so we create this bubble and in that bubble, the only person in there is you, me, one, just one person. We like to be safe. We like to be secure. We don't ever want any thing less than comfortable. You know? Sometimes it's just hard, but I think we just make it harder. Granted, we're human ... but we like to make things complicated when the resolution is quite simple. You just be obedient to what Christ has commanded and have faith in His promises.
"God's not into appearances, He's into the heart. As long as the heart is pure and the heart is simply to glorify God and to sacrifice by giving our best to Him. And I pray that will be the revelation. And that giving our best to Him is not just after the confession of our lips but it's after our action.
...when it comes to reaching others, being prepared to be inconvenienced enough to kind of lay down our agendas and take up God's agenda." - Joel Houston
Planned blessings. Do you ever plan to be a blessing? I do .... or at least I try to. Earlier this week, my sister and I drove past a random guy standing in the middle of the road with a sign that read something along the lines of, "Selling cotton candy to pay for rent and to provide presents for a wife and three kids." I saw his face as he looked down. Maybe it was disappointment? It was especially cold that day. If this man stood out there in that kind of cold, clearly, he was in need.
We kept driving ... right past him. The next couple minutes in the car were silent because I was thinking of ways I could have helped him ... in any way. A couple minutes later, I asked, "What do we do? Why do we just keep driving?" And then come the excuses. So why do we keep driving? Why do we keep moving on with our own lives? Why do we go on as if other people aren't just as important as we make ourselves to be? When people go through hard times and we see it, too - how can we go on? When people have nothing to eat, how do we have the littlest ounce of courage to eat something ourselves?
See, as followers of Jesus, these are the kinds of situations we should act in. No, I don't mean that we should find every person on the street and give them money, but with the needy, supply; and with the helpless, help! We like to feel safe so we create this bubble and in that bubble, the only person in there is you, me, one, just one person. We like to be safe. We like to be secure. We don't ever want any thing less than comfortable. You know? Sometimes it's just hard, but I think we just make it harder. Granted, we're human ... but we like to make things complicated when the resolution is quite simple. You just be obedient to what Christ has commanded and have faith in His promises.
"God's not into appearances, He's into the heart. As long as the heart is pure and the heart is simply to glorify God and to sacrifice by giving our best to Him. And I pray that will be the revelation. And that giving our best to Him is not just after the confession of our lips but it's after our action.
...when it comes to reaching others, being prepared to be inconvenienced enough to kind of lay down our agendas and take up God's agenda." - Joel Houston
This world is full of brokenness; broken people; broken lives .... all God desires of us is to love these people; it's hard, but simple.
One king held the frankincense; one king held the myrrh; one king held the purest gold; one King held the hope of the world.
God rest ye merry gentlemen, let nothing you dismay. Remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas day to save us all from Satan's power when we were gone astray...
The Good News of Jesus Christ is so refreshing. How blessed we are to be loved by such a Savior.
God rest ye merry gentlemen, let nothing you dismay. Remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas day to save us all from Satan's power when we were gone astray...
The Good News of Jesus Christ is so refreshing. How blessed we are to be loved by such a Savior.
On the freshmen bucket list: Go to Mt. Currahee
... and now I can check that off.
Mt. Currahee was such a good idea. I know why I like the mornings - even though I'm not a morning person - it's 'cause the mornings are peaceful and fresh and renewing. As I looked down at the land and the houses that were filled with families, I couldn't help but thank God; thank Him for choosing to allow us to have another morning and for the breath that we were able to breathe. It was a great way to start the morning of my last day of finals.
And on that last day of finals, I had a really good conversation with a friend and on the topic of marriage, he told me, "Don't ever settle for less .... 'cause you're worth more than that." It's always the short conversations that have the best quality - not that long conversations don't have that. I'm thankful for little times like those that remind me who I am and whose I am ... remembering my worth in Jesus Christ.
And now that school is officially over for the Winter, I'm finally back at home and glad that I don't have to think about waking up for classes or struggling to finish a paper the day before it's due. Every time I come back home, I'm humbled because I see the way that my family lives and I see their hard work and it just humbles me. I'm excited for these next couple of weeks that I'll have at home!
.... and at the end of all this goodness, we can say that all of it comes from God alone.
I can't believe I'm here at the end of my first semester of college. I think that this semester has been one heck of a semester and one that has really challenged me both academically and socially. After a semester of trying to see what works and what doesn't, here's the ultimate truth that I came to realize: I over-complicate everything. I've learned a lot about myself this semester and about others too. There are things that I want to keep doing and things that I will definitely try to change.
I remember laying in bed one night just trying to figure out why I'm having such a difficult time trying to accept certain things and certain people that have been placed in my life ... and then it just made sense. I'm caring too about them - but caring in a way that's not loving, and caring in a way that made me feel like I was anything but loving. My prayer and goal for next semester is that when others look at me, they'll see Jesus in the center of who I am, what I do, the way I speak and all glory will be to Christ alone.
I remember laying in bed one night just trying to figure out why I'm having such a difficult time trying to accept certain things and certain people that have been placed in my life ... and then it just made sense. I'm caring too about them - but caring in a way that's not loving, and caring in a way that made me feel like I was anything but loving. My prayer and goal for next semester is that when others look at me, they'll see Jesus in the center of who I am, what I do, the way I speak and all glory will be to Christ alone.
A long time ago, someone had asked me, "Is too much of a good thing good?" and being the dumb girl I was, I answered, "Yes .... too much of a good thing is even greater!"
But as I was walking out of the last class that I would ever have with this specific professor, I realized that too much of a good thing is not good. Too much of a good thing is taken for granted and is not appreciated as all things should be.
Take pleasure in the short amount of time you do have because it's going to be good.
But as I was walking out of the last class that I would ever have with this specific professor, I realized that too much of a good thing is not good. Too much of a good thing is taken for granted and is not appreciated as all things should be.
Take pleasure in the short amount of time you do have because it's going to be good.
Good advice from my friend:
Don't live by the list you make for your potential husband, although the list is definitely good to have. Don't limit who God puts in your life strictly by the list.
What a wise guy.
Don't live by the list you make for your potential husband, although the list is definitely good to have. Don't limit who God puts in your life strictly by the list.
What a wise guy.
My mom walked into my room and handed me this photo. I was confused .... 'cause it wasn't even me, but she was confident that is was me - my dad just put the wrong name ... that's all. She started telling me about how "I was such a sick baby ..... but look at me now." Yes, we really had that kind of conversation.
Even though it's already December, I don't think it's ever too late to be thankful .... I'm thankful for my mom and her unending love that exemplifies Christ in so many ways, my dad and his caring heart, family ... for sure, my brothers that have become so "brotherly" ever since I've been away for college, my sister who is so supportive in me being here, actually being able to come to college and experience, meeting friends that will be a part of the rest of my life, funny conversations, rest in the midst of busyness, having a job to go back to, childhood friends, the same sun that rises every morning, I'm thankful for pretty colors and cute pictures, for the kids in my life that have shared so much of their time with me, for growth and maturity, thankful for a heart with emotions, thankful for community, for relationships, for laughter, for awkward moments, for change ...
... most of all, I am thankful for this life that I have, this breath that I'm breathing every minute of every day, and the God I serve in which all of this comes from.
{1 Thessalonians 5:18}
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