A New Year

Looking through my archive, it is painfully obvious how overworked I have been the last four months or so. Forgive the lack of blogposts. It has been a crazy semester that was stretched into my short Christmas break. In fact, only a few hours ago did I put the finishing touches on my last project. Now to enjoy my one week of break before next semester rolls in.

The last quarter of 2013 was truly a milestone in so many ways. Not only did I learn more, challenge myself harder, had some great experiences, been more mindful of God's wonderful provision and love, lost some weight (yes, after I had reached my coveted 100 pounds), gotten injured more aka cut my forehead open and thought I had a concussion, been more places, got my driver's license and my very own car, grown in so many different ways... the list could go on.

Whatever happened in 2013, good or bad, I'm glad its a new year.

2014 is going to be a year of learning, growing, experiencing more, learning to love deeper, making milestones, traveling, treasuring moments, exploring possibilities, reaching 100 pounds (again), having adventures even if that means you strain your knee or bust your head open, overcoming fears even if that means getting in an elevator alone, making and strengthening relationships, watching the World Cup, being adventurous, discovering more about God, growing closer to Him. Its gonna be all that plus more. I don't know about you, but I'm excited about this year!

Month of Thankfulness

We all know November is the month of thanksgiving. Instead of posting every single day something I'm thankful for, I've decided to write a quick line each day that describes my day, what I've learned, and mostly, what I'm thankful for... and post it all on the last day of November. Take a sneak peek at the diary!

NOVEMBER 1
What a way to start off a month. Thankful for conviction, for friends that hold you accountability, for forgiveness in Christ, for James 5:16.

NOVEMBER 2
Thankful for productive, learning days. Thankful for books to learn from, for godly insight, for the reminder that a women was created to help.

NOVEMBER 3
Thankful for humility and learning to ask for help. Thankful for people willing to help - Fran giving me a ride to church; Cathy letting me practice my driving. Plus, making a great interception in football pretty much makes one's day. ;)

NOVEMBER 4
Thankful for meeting random strangers like Joe who owns Cheap Joe's and reminded of his sweet generosity when using the gift card he gave me.

NOVEMBER 5
Thankful for a sketchbook.

NOVEMBER 6
For meetings and things to keep you occupied else what would one do?

NOVEMBER 7
For my sweet little children at childcare.

NOVEMBER 8
Thankful for practice that makes perfect... even if it seems really far off.

NOVEMBER 9
For movies - cowboys, Josh Lucas, and Tony Stark all in one day.

NOVEMBER 10
Thankful for submission. For the space and freedom we're given so we can choose to submit. Thankful for the authority in my life and the continuous act of submission and respect towards them.

NOVEMBER 11
Grateful for the beautiful fellowship of godly women in all different stages of life and for the wisdom imparted!

NOVEMBER 12
For a warm coat, long hair that keep my ears warm, for the wind, the sun, even the anticipated snow, for God's creation even when it's cold.

NOVEMBER 13
Thankful for the reminder of how blessed I am.

NOVEMBER 14
Thankful for the 19 years God has been faithful. Thankful for his divine designs, those little so-called random details in life, that he has so purposefully planned. What a perfect example of a true designer.

NOVEMBER 15
For professors that are helpful and truly want you to succeed. I cannot be more grateful for the education and the amount of things I'm learning in college.

NOVEMBER 16
So thankful for seeing the fruit of practice pay off!

NOVEMBER 17
For little girls who push you into the center of attention for the birthday song, for gentlemen who tell off little boys who are being a little less than gentlemanly towards girls, for girls to have tea parties, trips downtown, Thai food, and Sweet Frog runs with... for friends. :)

NOVEMBER 18
Thankful for fun friends and good catchup sessions.

NOVEMBER 19
For being able to take off work sometimes and watch my favorite USMNT.

NOVEMBER 20
For delicious taco bells and families that are concerned about your extremely tired face.

NOVEMBER 21
Thankful that I am healthy even when I work at a childcare where everyone is falling sick this time of the year.

NOVEMBER 22
For my daddy, for his advice and guidance, and his help with selecting my fantasy premier league team this week!

NOVEMBER 23
You gotta be grateful for southern men and their southern directions.

NOVEMBER 24
For the Patriots and their epic comeback.

NOVEMBER 25
Thankful for trusty mechanics and being able to learn more about cars!

NOVEMBER 26
For rain, even as horrible as it is, for rainboots, even if they break on me, and for movie theaters!

NOVEMBER 27
Love the white stuff falling from the sky and especially grateful for the safety I experienced on the roads today.

NOVEMBER 28
Happy Thanksgiving! My heart is overwhelmed with thankfulness for Ms. Elaine, the Reynolds, and the other friends who joined us for a delicious Turkey meal.

NOVEMBER 29
For tears and people who care for you even when you get busted up on the football field again.

NOVEMBER 30
Grateful for the beginning of the Christmas season, for the fun in decorating the Christmas tree, and for the reminder of what this next season is all about.

Goodbye November! You've been a month to remember!

First Love

The past month has been great. Truly. More than a month into my junior year at Appalachian State University and this semester has started off really well. I can't complain. Really. It's good to be back into a routine, staying busy with schoolwork and activities, hanging out with friends and my beloved church family, just living the life. I've been thoroughly involved with iPals (a soon-to-be club on campus that aims to help internationals experience the true America by a pairing system), met some great internationals through that, coordinated transportation for forty plus students to a family's house for a cookout, met plenty of friends, hung out with old friends, played both types of football, gotten injured, fallen (I mean, typical me!), taken a few more big steps towards my own driver's license, gotten to know a great girl who is now my accountability partner, went without a laptop for two weeks and witnessed how God miraculously fix it....

I mean, it has got to be the best semester yet. Just last week, I didn't have a meal where I didn't have a plan for. I'm meeting up with people left and right, hopping around from class to work to meetings. I love hanging out with all these different people I've met this semester. I go to Bible study and share some great theological insight. I go to lunch and talk about Jesus with different people. I read my Bible and devotion every single day. I talk to God daily. I have a great bunch of edifying friends. I get all excited about some great opportunities to share the gospel and to be a light. I help a brother or sister; I do good acts. Oh my word, I have mastered the thing called religion.

"Religion quickly turns Christianity into acceptance, a group of people, an act of good works, a knowledge of literacy... but you MISS Jesus."

My pastor said that today and it was like a quiver hits bull's eye in my life. Where did I go wrong? Where, in all that good stuff, did I lose sight of the real goal? It went wrong when I forgot my first love. It went wrong when it became no longer about Jesus but more about what would Jesus do? Don't get me wrong, doing what Jesus would do is great, but the second your focus shifts from Jesus to an act that makes you feel justified because you're doing something God would "approve" of, is the second you have forgotten what it truly is all about.

Like the Church of Ephesus, I have forgotten my first love. I have forgotten what it was like when my alarm would go off at 6am and I was jumping out of bed so excited to spend some time with my Savior. I have forgotten the joy of worshipping God and the joy of being completely surrendered to Him. I have forgotten about that secure, intimate relationship I once had with Him.

So here I am, publicly confessing that I have forgotten my first love, and repenting and declaring today that I will return to my first love, that Jesus of Nazareth who died on the cross for me.