relaxation is in sight...

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel finally. Spring break begins at the end of this week and I am thinking God for the much needed break. One test stands in my way and it is my Old Testament test so I believe I will do rather well on it if you don't mind me bragging a little. This is the first break in a long time where I have nothing at all planned. No trips anywhere far away and no work, just pure relaxation with family and friends. To tell you the truth I am really really excited. Even though I do have a little homework to do to prepare for the week after spring break, its going to be so less stressful than doing it in a school environment. Oh my word Friday is not going to get here fast enough. In the meantime though I shall continue to study and do work and cherish the moments of college life God has blessed me with. I have to remind myself every now and then that even though college is busy at times, I am lucky to have the chance to go on and receive a higher education. Thank you mom and dad and of course the Lord.

Oh and I must tell you exciting news regarding my Bible reading plan. I finished Leviticus today!!! I was joyful to say the least. It was a pretty good book. Full of laws and ways to conduct yourself. I kept thinking of it as etiquette class for the Israelites :) To catch you up on Friday I read Leviticus 15-18 and Proverbs 16:1-16, Saturday I read Leviticus 19-21 and Proverbs 16:17-33, Sunday I read Leviticus 22-24 and Proverbs 17:1-14, and today I read Leviticus 25-27 and Proverbs 17:15-28. Next I am beginning to read the book of Hebrews and going back to the book of Psalms for a while. I cant wait to see what the new book holds!

I hope this windy and cloudy Monday has been good for everybody and I hope that the rest of your week goes by smoothly. Pray for me tomorrow as I have an advising appointment to set up my classes for next semester. It is always a nerve racking time and this semester I have a new adviser that I do not know very well. I pray that everybody stays safe and that your journey is blessed :)

Star Struck

Ever since I went to the Planetarium last week I have been fascinated with stars and galaxies. I just can't get over how cool they are to look at. With me being in the city there are not many stars out, but you better believe that when I go home in a few weeks, the mountain skies will be filled with them for my viewing pleasure!!!! While I was at the Planetarium I signed up for this program called PROMPT Star Watch. You get to pick a telescope and whenever that telescope finds something cool, it sends you a picture. I chose a telescope in Russia and yesterday I received something pretty amazing. It is called the Southern Pinwheel. It just puts me in awe of all the amazing things God can do. He is truly our creator and this Galaxy just proves his awesomeness.

To catch everybody up on my Bible Journey....

Leviticus and Proverbs are going good. I am so thankful though that Jesus died for our sins because all of the sacrificing rules and regulations are so hard to keep up with!!!! Monday was my day off so no reading, Tuesday I read Leviticus 5-8 and Proverbs 14:19-35, Wed. I read Leviticus 9-11 and Proverbs 15: 1-17, and today I read Leviticus 12-14 and Proverbs 15: 18-33. I am thankful that I am still going strong in my commitment to read the entire Bible this year. Pray that I can keep up this commitment as the year progresses and summer time rolls around.

Finally I wanted to let you guys know that my countdown has reached double digits!!!! There are only 99 more days until I start my summer as the Macon, Ga PASSPORTmissions videographer!!!!! I am filled with so much joy and excitement I just cant wait for these 99 days to pass. But while I am waiting I am going to soak up the time I have left with family and friends. I will miss everybody but I am excited to see what God has in store for me. I am praying that everybody's week goes great and that your journey is blessed!!!!

Another Finished, Cupcakes, Stary Nights, Big Changes,and Tongues

OK so the title is a little scatterbrained, but I have a few different things to tell you about my weekend!!!! First off I am excited to say that I have completed another book of the Bible!!! Yesterday I finished up Acts. It was an incredible book and it really showed me some insight on how the church came to be. I am now back in the Old Testament tackling the book of Leviticus. It is a book of Laws on how we should lead our lives to follow the ways of God. I am looking forward to it and plan on learning a lot!!! I also wanted to catch you up on my reading. On Friday I read Acts 22-25 and Proverbs 13:1-12, Saturday I finished up Acts with chapters 26-28 and Proverbs 13:13-25, today I started Leviticus with chapters 1-4 and Proverbs 14:1-18.

Total change of subjects now....
I told you a couple days ago that I was taking Chase out on a surprise valentines date. Well two things happened that were very awesome so I just had to tell you guys about them. First was when we went out to eat at Ruby Tuesdays we decided to order dessert. We saw on the menu that they have cupcakes as a new choice. We decided to try them and boy were they delicious!!!!! I would recommend them to anybody. Carrot cake and red velvet were the options and we tried both. I think what made them so good was the icing. I literally could talk about these things forever...I wonder if they would give me the recipe to try out on my own? The other cool thing that happened was we went to the Planetarium at Chapel Hill. I had been there before so I had an idea what was going to happen. I never thought that I would feel so connected to God though!!! Just seeing all of the stars and constellations and different galaxies made me realize just how awesome our God really is. He place all the stars in the sky so we could marvel at them and that is just plain cool. I cant wait to get out of the city and go back home so I can just look up at the stars. LOVE THEM.

Yesterday there were some big changes going on. Chase's older brother moved into his own place and we all went over to help him out. He is starting his new job soon and he is excited about it. This is a big step but we all know that he is going to do great. Big prayers are going up from me and Chase and his mom and dad and his girlfriend as he starts this new chapter of his life. Good Luck!!!!

Finally a word about church today. It was so good so I just have to say something about it. We were learning about a passage out of James 3. It talks about taming your tongue and watching what you say. It was like the Lord smacked me upside the head and was like LISTEN!!!! I love when that happiness. I am not a perfect person and yes I admit I sometimes have a comment about certain subjects or people. I know that it is wrong and it is something I am working on. This morning's sermon was a big encouragement and this week I am going to focus extra hard on being quick to listen and slow to speak. It will be a challenge but I believe it will be well worth it.

Sorry this post was so incredible long. I just had so much to get out and this weekend was just filled with the love of God. I am praying that this next week goes smoothly and without much stress. Both the girls and boys bball teams play Carolina so it should be a ton of fun. I pray that weather stays beautiful and that everybody has a wonderful week and that their journey is blessed!!!!

i can hear the birds singing

Over the past few days while walking around campus to my classes a wonderful thing has been happening. The birds have been singing so loudly!!! I thoroughly enjoy this occurrence because that means spring is just around the corner. I am most definitely a warm weather girl and just the thought of spring makes me so happy. The weather this week has been warm and peaceful and I have been taking in every moment of it. I am just waiting for the day I can slip on flip flops. Only then will winter be officially gone.

Today I started counting down the days until I start my time at PASSPORT missions camp. I have 106 days until I have to be in Macon GA for training. I am super stoked and cant wait for this amazing experience to start. God has really answered my prayers and I am excited to see what he has in store for me this summer.

To catch everybody up on reading...
Still in Acts and Proverbs. On Tuesday I read Acts 13-15 and Proverbs 11:16-31, Wed. I read Acts 16-18 and Proverbs 12:1-14, and Today I read Acts 19-21 and Proverbs 12:15-28. Acts is getting intriguing because Paul is preaching to Gentiles now and the Jews don't like it. He is about to be thrown in jail for spreading the gospel of Jesus. I just keep thinking to myself how courageous he is and that I wish I could be courageous like him. Proverbs is still filling me awe and wonder. It is funny how simple phrases of wisdom can open your eyes so much to how we should walk in the Lord and conduct ourselves. It is some mighty powerful stuff.

I am really looking forward to this weekend. Chase and I are celebrating Valentines Day late. We are going out to dinner and then I am taking him somewhere really cool. I will have to update you later on the location because it is a surprise to him!!!! Chase's older brother is also moving down close to us because he got his first teaching job!!! So we might head over there and help his family get him all settled in. This is an exciting but scary time for him so prayers would be greatly appreciated. I pray that everybody has a great rest of the week and that your weekend is filled with fun and relaxation. Hope that your journey is blessed!!!!

Family...

This weekend I was privileged not to have a ton of homework, and so Chase and I loaded up the car and headed for home. Getting to smell the fresh mountain air after being in the city for 5 weeks was such a gift!!! I spent my time eating good food, singing songs and watching movies with my niece and nephew, hanging out with my grandparents, and SLEEPING (which i have not been doing much of for the past week). I also got to go to my home church on Sunday to see everybody and here some good mountain preaching. Yes sir that's my kind of sermon!! I never realized just how much I would miss the comforts of home until I lived in the dorm for two years. Next year in the apartment is going to be much better. A little more like home, and a whole lot more space :)

I also spent some time reading the good old Bible. I am still going strong in Acts, learning more and more about the church each day. On Friday I read Acts 4-6 and Proverbs 10:1-16, on Saturday I read Acts 7-9 and Proverbs 10:17-32, Sunday it was Acts 10-12 and Proverbs 11:1-15. I am also really enjoying Proverbs. So many wise sayings and themes come out at me every day and just remind me of how I should be carrying myself as a woman of God.

Another week lies ahead of me, but I am ready to tackle it head on. I don't think it will be as busy as the last couple of weeks, and the weather is so nice out that my spirit is just plain happy!!! I sure hope everybody else is having a great Monday!!! I pray that everybody enjoys this wonderful day and that your journey is blessed :)

wow what a week!!!

This week has been jammed-packed full of stuff. Most of it has had to do with the 3 tests I have had and preparing for them. But I am now done with tests until later on next week and that makes me happy. Last night our campus had a special guest. Campus Crusade has brought Josh McDowell this week to speak. Normally Campus Crusade only meets on Thursdays, but this week we get a double dose :) Josh McDowell is an amazing man. He was an agnostic who found Christ not through emotions, but through facts. Kind of neat I think. Anyways, he has written over 120 books and spoken over 25,000 times in over 150 different countries all over the world. Last night we were able to hear his life story and testimony, and boy was it a life changer. He is such a gracious and wonderful speaker. Tonight I, along with a bunch of my friends, are going to see him one more time. Tonight he is speaking on the topic of relationships. I hear he goes about this topic differently than anybody else. I am excited to hear what he has to say. I am always willing to learn how to better my relationship with Christ, my parents, and my boyfriend.

On a different note I shall catch you up on my bible reading. Most importantly I must tell you that I finished the book of Exodus. What a marvelous story of the power of God delivering all of his people out from under the Egyptians. I personally loved it. To catch you up: on Monday I had a reflection day, on Tuesday I read Exodus 35-37 and Proverbs 7, on Wed. I read Exodus 38-40 and Proverbs 8. Today I began the book of Acts, which is about how the church came to be formed. I am very interested in learning about this, since going to church is one of my favorite things to do!! Today's reading was Acts 1-3 and Proverbs 9 just in case you were wondering.

Finally I would like to tell everybody to have a great weekend. I am traveling home tomorrow and plan on spending a couple of days with my family. I love seeing them all and spending quality time with them. They are the best and I love them so much. Oh and it is snowing outside my window right now. Not much, and it is not sticking, but I love snow and the joy it brings. So pure and simple, but soooooo incredibly neat. Stay safe and warm everybody and I pray that your journey is blessed!

cant get this out of my head...

So I this week I realized that I was church-sick. For many reasons big and small I have not been able to make it to church the past two weeks. And so this week my heart and soul were just longing for a spiritual fill-up. I was super excited when this morning rolled around and I could grab my bible and head off to my place of worship. I did not realize just how much this Sunday church experience would stick with me. In "Big Church" as I like to call it, we discussed how we as Christians should be a guiding light to those around us and be the voice to the martyrs around the world. It was very touching and it made me realize how lucky I am to be able to come to church every Sunday and worship God. Then in college class we discussed James chapter 2 and how we should not show favoritism. I discovered that is an area I need to work on. We are not perfect, but we can always try to better ourselves. My favorite part of this morning though was hearing a particular song at college worship that just stuck, and I love it. It is called Sweetly Broken, and it has such a powerful message. Here is the chorus of the song:

At the cross You beckon me

You draw me gently to my knees, and I am

Lost for words, so lost in love

I'm sweetly broken, wholly surrendered

I have always loved music so much and I have just recently begun to delve deeply into the meanings of songs. Worship music, especially modern and upbeat artists, are a great way to share the love of the Lord with those around us. You really don't have to do that much talking either, you just have to let the song's message be heard. So I have made it a point that whenever I am driving in my car with friends, I always have the christian radio station on. It is just my little way of telling people that I love them, and so does Jesus!!!

I also wanted to catch everybody up on my bible reading. I am nearing the end of Exodus, and I am enjoying every minute of it. On Friday I read Exodus 25-27 and Proverbs 4, on Saturday I read Exodus 28-31 and Proverbs 5, and today I read Exodus 32-34 and Proverbs 6. The Exodus chapters are telling about how God is leading the people of Israel through the dessert on the way to the promised land, but they are still having difficulties following the rules of God. I have faith that as I read on, their ways will change:) The Proverbs chapters are still conveying the concept of wisdom and telling us how we should conduct ourselves around certain types of people so that we can stay godly and stand firm in our beliefs. This is good stuff right here people!!!

I really hope everybody had a marvelous weekend and I pray that your Monday starts off the week on a good note. Stay safe and warm and I hope that your journey is blessed!

Challenge Completed!!!!

Yesterday was the Krispy Kreme Challenge, and boy was it a fun time!!!! It was 34 degrees and raining the entire time, but for some odd reason I stayed pretty warm and had a fantastic time. There were so many different people there from all parts of the United States and I felt very lucky to have had the chance to do this, plus they raised a ton of money for the NC Children's Hospital. I ran as a casual runner and not a challenger since this was my first time. I ran the first 2 miles, which was a feat since I have never ran more than a mile at a time. I then proceeded to get my box of hot, fresh doughnuts. I did not have to eat them since I was not a challenger, so I put them in a plastic bag to keep them protected from the nasty weather and then set off back to the finish line. Coming back was so much harder because one it was all up hill, and two i was just plain tired!!! But i took turns walking and running and finished in one hour and two minutes. I am very proud of myself and all of the other runners, especially those who ate all of the doughnuts. Your stomachs and legs are definitely stronger than mine. I wanted to thank everybody who prayed for me in preparing for this journey. I am so excited that i actually completed it and I am still alive and kicking. Maybe this is the start of more running and races??? Who knows, we will just have to see what the Lord has in store for me. I thought I would share just a couple of pictures from the race yesterday. They are not the best quality since it was foggy and rainy, but I think you will enjoy them all the same.

before jumping in line and shedding the rain gear

in line getting soaked but having so much fun!!!
after i was done, holding my protected little box of heaven :)

so much to do, but loving every minute

Piles of homework + Krispy Kreme Challenge Saturday + sickness = one busy girl!!! Yes this week has been super stressful and never ending but I would not have traded it for the world. I think God does everything for a reason, and this week is included. All the happenings (both good and bad) have made me open my eyes and SLOW DOWN, even if it is only for just a minute. For example: this morning I was trying to micro manage my day on the way to class so I could get the most stuff done. I do this often, but normally it never goes as planned. Anyway I was caught up in my own little world and when I turned the corner to go up the street to my class I saw a girl sitting on a bench all dressed up. She was waiting on the bus to go to the career fair. It hit me at that moment that there is no reason I should be worrying about all the little stuff. God has a plan for me and just like the girl quietly waiting for her turn in the job cycle, I too will be fine and have my turn to shine. I feel like I am rambling, but I just had to share with you that little piece of info.

I also need to catch you up on my reading!!!! Well Tuesday I read Exodus 15-17 and Proverbs 1, Wed. was Exodus 18-20 and Proverbs 2, and Today I read Exodus 21-24 and Proverbs 3. Exodus is pretty straight forward so far. I am learning about the 10 Commandments and the other laws of God. So that is pretty cool. I am excited though that my reading guide has instructed me to take a break from the book of Psalm and focus my attention on Proverbs. Proverbs focuses more on the concept of wisdom and how to gain and sustain it. So uplifting and I love it!!!! I would recommend them to anybody who is stressed or just feeling astray.

For those who don't mind lifting some things up in prayer:
Please pray for me as I, along with some of my other friends are battling a nasty cold along with all of our school work. We all need strength right now. Also please pray for courage and guidance as I have my first round of tests next week. Also, pray for me and a couple thousand other runners on Saturday during the Krispy Kreme Challenge. Let me shine the Lord's light as I run and interact with people. Finally pray for my family as we enter into a time of preparation for the summer and me being in a different state for two months. It is the longest time I have been away from my parents so far away.

I hope the week has been fantastic and I pray that the weekend goes smoothly and that God smiles down on everybody. Have fun, stay safe, and I pray that every body's journey is blessed!!