Passion Conference

Hi friendsies and blog world,

It's a cloudy Friday in Aggieland, and I cannot wait for Passion Conference this weekend.

10,000 students are registered, and Texas A&M is the most represented university. Whoop!

Today I got to write a handwritten letter to some missionary friends in a closed country, to be hand-delivered by one of my friends. Wow. That little letter will travel around the globe, and without a stamp, find itself in those missionaries' hands.

Recent obsessions: fresh blackberries, BBQ chicken pizza from Newk's, the new line of April goodies at anthro, and this Bible Study on Colossians.

Homework staring at me in the face. Ciao!

Past Due

It is time for a blog post.

As usual, my best writing comes either when I have not a care in the world and a cup of coffee OR when I have twelve thousand things to do, and all I want to do is escape to pen and paper (or keyboard and screen).

Unfortunately, today is the latter. My semester -so far- has been full and overflowing with too many things to do. I've been stretched, encouraged, then discouraged, crazy tired, really joyful, and all emotions in between.

Even though it is hard to see them now, and with time they'll be more clear, I have been learning so many lessons.

Lessons learned by a crazy-too-busy college junior:

1. I need margin in my life. In the future, my plans should never be back to back to back to back to back.

2. When I'm spread thin, I'm not able to be excellent at anything- only mediocre.

3. Jesus sent me a HUGE blessing when He sent my new roommate Aubrey into my life. She's an earlybird (like I've had to be this semester). She has a class with me (to keep me accountable for homework in that class). She loves to cook (and reminds me to take time to sit down for meals and is home to cook with!) She loves to read, so we have many roomie nights in the living room reading our homework for hours on end. And she is a constant encourager. Cannot imagine my semester without her.

4. God is our Provider. Our faithful Provider.

5. From the Abbott Family Leadership Conference, I took away this cool thought: "Don't prioritize your schedule, schedule your priorities." Meaning: As a big planner, I can tend to work my schedule around other people and things, but I must schedule in my planner all of my priorities, so that there is a one-hour forced window for reading a textbook, working out, etc.

6. I am so blessed by the amazing people in my life: sweet family, friends, boyfriend, roommates.

God is good. And I am thankful.

After March 4th, my life will return back to my regular schedule and time committments and actually getting to see friends. This month has been an adventure- more on that later.

picture of my favorite moment of the month to close.......

Junior Year

How can it already be the beginning of my junior year? A month into it, really. Wow.

In the past month, I have seen the Lord's faithfulness and looked to HIM as my steady constant in this moving, changing world. Psalm 62:1-2 continues to be at the front of my mind as I think of Him:

"I am at rest in God alone. My salvation comes from Him. He is my rock and my salvation; my stronghold. I will never be shaken."

When this world shakes us, we can only cling to the Lord. As things around me change (and change is hard on this super sentimental heart), I know He is right in front of me, leading the way, and speaking to me as I go.

In the midst of change and some discontentment, I am reminded that He has me right where He wants me. And that is truly the absolutely best place to be. I must rest in Him. 1 Timothy 6:6 says, "But godliness with contentment is great gain." I'm learning that godliness is that pressing into the Lord, seeking His heart, and desiring to know Him more. Along with that though, He calls us to contentment in relying on Him. So, though my life today be changing, as I press into the Lord and wait on Him with contentment, I am promised great gain.

(Teacher inside of me...):

Godliness + contentment = great gain

I never posted about my summer!! Wow. And this was a summer for the books. : )

Four of my best friends and I traveled to Europe for the adventure of a lifetime. As I look back on it, I still can hardly believe we did it...and that our parents let us for that matter!

Our trip highlights included:

• Our flight being cancelled (of course) and us being rerouted through a different airline


• Only 2 bags arriving in Italy. Yes, five girls sharing 2 pieces of luggage does make for an adventure.


• Trying to track down our bags via phone, internet, (wish we spoke Italian)/our parents racking up huge phone bills calling the Milan airport/sharing sharing sharing everything!


• All wearing cute outfits finally (lots of sharing), taking a tour of the Coliseum, and rain coming from nowhere and SOAKING us


• One suitcase arrives in Rome!! Hooray!


• Most gorgeous trainride of my life: Rome to Florence


• FIRENZE: favorite city of Europe: cappuccionos, art everywhere, street musicians, the Duomo, seeing Texas friends, gelato, gelato, gelato.


• Getting my luggage after 6 days of being without it in a foreign country: priceless.


• Venice: gorgeous hot weather, browsing around the countless alleys and bridges, cute stationary shops, a gondola ride complete with the Aggie War Hymn, meeting friends from Arkansas. Small world.


• Train ride to Austria: slow train, no air conditioning, hot hours, sitting by an old German couple and a famous tennis player from Virginia Tech who grew up in Croatia. Cool.


• Alps. Most gorgeous views of my life!


• Sound of Music Tour wearing sundresses in the sunshine.


• Apple Strudel in the little Austrian village where Maria and Captain Von Trapp got married. eeeeeeh!


• Bavarian Mountain Salt Mine Tour. Hilarious moment when our tour guide told us we were going to GERMANY! Who knew?


• Going to the top of Mt. Pilatus and having a quiet time and listening to our iPods. We were on top of the world. Literally.


• Celebrating my birthday (early) in Paris at the Hard Rock Cafe


• Seeing the Eiffel Tower glow with lights at night


• Coffee and pastries with my best friend. In PARIS.


• Browsing through the Chanel Fine Jewelry store wearing my backpack, skinny jeans, tennis shoes, and sweatshirt (long story, but we couldn't get our luggage where we needed it to go...and had to tow it with us...) When we asked where we could buy Chanel makeup, the stunning French lady told us that we were in the Fine Jewelry store. Oops.


• Versailles, Louvre, Orangerie, seeing Monet and Renoir....wow.


• Getting to go with four amazing girls.....seeing the world....seeing the Lord all over the world. Such a wonderful blessing!

The rest of the summer I was home sweet home. I read a ton: A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken will forever remain at the top of my favorite books list.

God is good. Rest in Him today.

SUMMER

Out of nowhere, a lot of my friends now have blogs! Reading all of their witty and brilliant posts has inspired me to make a fresh post. February was a while ago, I suppose.

The past month was a flurry. A wonderful flurry though! Last classes of sophomore year, lots of studying for finals, taking finals, packing my room, moving into my new house, situating the summer subleasers of my new house, driving home, being a bridesmaid in my best friend's wedding, watching my brother graduate, and just this week am I truly getting the chance to catch my breath. Whew!

I'm pretty "productiveness" driven and I evaluate myself each day on how much I've gotten done. The past week has been so wonderful to truly have nothing pressing to do, but to simply rest and relax and rejuvenate.

Along with productivity comes a huge love for goalsetting... I'll be working on my summer goals.

In seven days, I'll board a plane and fly across the ocean (for the first time!!) to Italy, Austria, Switzerland, and France. My friends and I are covering our trip in prayer and trusting the Lord for the trip of a lifetime.

Currently reading: The Rainmaker by John Grisham and Mere Christianity by CS Lewis.

God is all-
mg

Life today.

Listening to: Safe by Phil Wickham- on replay. this song is incredible

Excited about: Going to Austin the next two weekends!

Reading: James, and Thomas a Kempis, and some Europe travel books

Missing: my friend Yi Chun who just moved back to Taiwan

Learned today: Not to substitute a ton of PAM spray for actual oil in a recipe

Spent way too long today: with five girlfriends finding our celebrity look-a-likes online

More than ever before: I am so thankful for the precious girls I live with!

Our God is Greater

Breakaway continues to blow me away. Well, God through Breakaway blows me away. There is nothing more encouraging and faith-building than singing to the Lord along with thousands and thousands of other believers at your school.

Jeff Johnson plays amazing music. This week he played one of Chris Tomlin's newest, "Our God is Greater". Solid. Here are the lyrics:

Our God is greater
Our God is stronger
God you are higher than any other
Our God is Healer
Awesome in power
Our God
Our God


And if our God is for us
Then who could ever stop us
And if our God is with us
Then what could stand against?

Continually Encouraging

This pastor has been one of the biggest influences on my life since I began listening to him two years ago. Praying for him daily.

http://fm.thevillagechurch.net/blog/pastors/

God is good all the time.