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.

Jesus is Lord

My blog has missed me for the past few months.
And I have missed my blog.

In the past four months, I
wrapped up my freshman year
spent 6 weeks at a summer camp as a counselor (having waaaaay more fun than the campers!)
was blessed to have a co-counselor who is now my best friend
spent a good 5 weeks at home soaking up family time
turned 20. ah.
experienced my first Work Week and Rush from the inside of my sorority
started weekly babysitting 2 precious little boys
decided to take 4 literature classes (worst decision of my life)
continue to work 10 hours in the Department of Education
have taken a road trip nearly every other weekend...SO FUN
got to have my best friend and her fiance (!!!!!!) come visit for their fall break
spent last weekend at home after roadtripping the 9 hours with 5 friends- best weekend ever
finished The Shack yesterday
have begun house-shopping
LOVE my future roomies
and I continue to see that Jesus Christ is LORD.

He's guiding, loving, proving Himself over and over.
I am so overwhelmed by His relentless love. Love that I didn't feel for most of August and September. So now I am simply basking in it- grateful for it- and joyful in it.

I have approximately 500 pages of reading I'm behind in...we have a DATE PARTY tonight..wooo.

God is good all the time. All the time God is good.
Love you friends.

My Journey Today

If God were on this earth- like in one place- wouldn't I leave everything and run and go find Him?

But because He's everywhere, I take that for granted and don't leave everything behind. I simply bear my own burdens and chase my own dream- talking to Him a few times a day.

I must realize/am realizing that He is pure treasure- and that nothing on this earth matters at all unless I have Jesus Christ.

I must commit to knowing Him closer every single day. A day lost is a day I won't know Him quite as deeply.

Today, I want God to teach me how to love Him more, with every fiber of my being, overwhelming, joyful, radiant love.

Cereal

Along with tea, one of my favorite things is cereal. All kinds.
Every week, its a joke between my roomate and I as to what new cereal I will decide to purchase next.

Currently in my house? Honey Bunches of Oats and Crispix.

My lifelong favorites are Blueberry Morning and Maple Pecan Crunch....(except for being loaded with carbs) they are absolutely the most delicious way to start a morning. Also, Golden Grahams and Cracklin' Oat Bran on occasion.

I could simply eat breakfast food all day, everyday. Omlettes, waffles, pancakes, fruuuuit, coffee, tea, yogurt, and really everything.

Completely changing subjects, but along the lines of food, we sang a hymn at church with the best words:
Bread of heaven, Bread of heaven, Fill me till I need no more.

The Lord is enough. More than enough.

Be blessed!

Answered Prayers

Exactly a week ago, I sat under a large oak tree and wrote my heart out. Things in life had been hectic, confusing, frustrating, and I simply wrote and wrote and wrote. My journaling usually just turns to prayers, and that's exactly what happened a week ago.

This morning I reread what I had written, and was completely in awe of the Lord answering my prayers. Even small, specific prayers- He completely took care of them this week! I had prayed for some sweet one-on-one time with some friends here, and I got to get coffee with one and dinner with another- no small feat with crazy college schedules and finals coming.

In high school, I had such a heart for my campus and prayed so consistently for God to do something BIG. Now, in college, surrounded by so so many people, I tend to get bogged down in all there is to do and not continually pray for the people He's brought into my life. I want that to change- starting today.

Here I am, seeing God answer prayers, and I'm not even praying about some pivotal points in my life that I should be. May we all get on our knees, keep our gaze on the Lord, and then get up and go out with the joy of the Lord as our strength.

He is listening.

Good book of the day: St. Augustine on the Psalms - written back in the 300-400s, these volumes have been translated and contain priceless insight. I highly encourage you to read them.

Checklist

By August 31, 2009, I want to:

• Lead a high school girls Bible Study
• Read Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
• Memorize 8 new worship songs on guitar
• Spend more time with my brother and sister
• Lose 5 pounds
• Spend more time with the Lord- consistent time in prayer
• Write a short story and send it off to a magazine
• Decide what I want to do: teach, write, publish?
• Have a 4.0 GPA
• Be more graceful and forgiving
• Memorize more Scripture
• Teach 3 people to play guitar
• Learn how to sell items on eBay
• Participate in a great girls' Bible Study
• Do 3 spin classes a week
• Learn how to cook from my mom and practice lots of cooking
• Play piano for hours to my heart's content
• Quality time with my favorite friends
• Discovering fun places to visit in the middle of nowhere

I'm ready for summer!

On a rainy day...

Don't forget your umbrella today.
And maybe a cup of hot tea!

Since this blog's name is Chai Vanilla Tea, I thought I'd pass along a delicious recipe:
From About.com:

Ingredients:
4 cups water
3 allspice, whole
5 cloves, whole
1 cinnamon stick
1 vanilla bean (1-inch)
1/3 cup honey
1 tbs loose black tea leaves

Preparation:In a saucepan, heat water along with all the spices. Bring to a lower simmer, and let steep for about 5 minutes. Add tea leaves, and continue to steep for another 5 minutes. Strain out the tea, and stir in honey. Serve hot.

Enjoy!!

Jillian Edwards

A precious new singer I've recently been listening to. She came and played here a few weeks ago, and I was captured with her angelic voice and acoustic guitar. Listen to the top one called "Songbird".

I've been inspired recently to be practicing more piano and guitar. This week, I've gotten to play the piano for background music at a few things on campus recently. Thursday night I'm leading worship with some friends for a group that started last semester here. The more I play, the more I realize I need to play and practice more! Music is such a wonderful thing, and I find playing piano so relaxing and enjoyable.

Dozens of questions are flying through my head: what track to continue on with my English major, to pursue teaching or publishing or writing, what to do with my summers, etc. Lots to think about it. Through it all, Jesus Christ is the One steady constant. He has a plan. As I pursue Him and trust Him, He will reaveal His plan to me.

"Because of God's merciful compassion,
the Dawn from on high will visit us.
To shine on those who live in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way
of peace."
-Luke 1:78-79

Christ is the Dawn from on High! Praise the Lord!
My goal this week: to run to Jesus. In the good and the bad. He's all we need.

The Resurgence

Awesome website. Mark Driscoll from Mars Hill Church in Seattle oversees this great resource for evangelicals, The Resurgence. Its full of theology, interviews with greats like John Piper, Matt Chandler, etc. And besides the website, they have conferences, discussions on Facebook Fanpage Forums, and more. Check it out- it is very worth your time.

Amazing event coming to Dallas area called Come Worship Festival. A full day from 2 to 10pm. Schedule includes Kirk Cameron, Francis Chan, David Crowder Band, Chris Tomlin, and Sanctus Real.

Remember that phrase/song "Make new friends but keep the old ones, one is silver and the other gold"? I'm finding that to be true all the time. Making new friends is great and exciting and fun, but its those kindred spirits that have known your heart for years and years that have such influence in your life. I have recently been missing some dear friends of mine that don't live near me anymore. Its like a part of my heart is still with them, and I don't feel completely me until I'm with them. Hard to realize life is full of these moments, giving parts of our hearts away and knowing it may never come back.

The Lord is the only One who can completely fill us up, and I am convicted that I haven't been letting Him fill me daily as I ought. Through Him can we be filled and overflow to bless others. This year has been a blessing as far as having people pour into my life, but I cannot wait until next year to pour out into younger girls' lives.

Our God is Mighty to Save. Praise His Name with me today.
Blessings and Blue Skies-
mg

2 Things

1. I love books.

Reading, I could do it all day. Last night I went to a friend's house...and his dad sent me home with FOUR books. All awesome, Christian books. Isn't that a neat ministry? One of them his dad actually wrote. When I grow up, and have a library of my own I want to give away books. Give them away with the intent that the people continue to pass them along. Wouldn't that be great?

2. Tests, although very important, will one day be sent to the shredder.

At my job in the Education Department, I do a number of things. One of my tasks today was shredding old tests from a professor. To the shredding room I took probably over 1,000 tests and spent about fifteen minutes sending them all to their death. As I glanced through them, some from 2005 up to the present, I thought of all the hours of time, sweat, and study that the represented. A thousand students studying for their Education class final. Wow. And here I was destroying them...

Kinda makes me think about this life here on earth. All these possessions we as humans chase, all the fame and fortune we think we have to have, will one day be sent to the Shredder of all Shredders and burned up. Our good works will look like filthy rags.

Let this be a reminder for all of us to keep an eternal perspective.

Happy Easter!!

On Our Knees

"Call unto Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which you do not know." Jeremiah 33:3

"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." James 5:16

A group of 6 girls and I have started a Wednesday morning prayer group. Throughout the week, we have ample time to worship, fellowship and hear great speakers/pastors, but this hour of time is solely committed to prayer. We pray for each other, our campus, our nation. It is absolutely the greatest way to begin a day...on our knees.

May we always remember the POWER of prayer. The Lord is listening, present, real, alive, and has a plan. In a Beth Moore study I did a while back, I remember her giving me a new glimpse into the world of answered prayers. Sometimes, she said, when we pray, God has answered with a YES, but has to wait to reveal that YES to us. When we are waiting, it can seem like He's said NO. But He truly may have heard our prayer, answered us and is now waiting for the proper time to reveal the answer. Isn't that a great truth?

Stand on the firm foundation of the Lord today! Abide in Him.
And let's all stay on our knees.

When I Survey The Wondrous Cross.

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

His dying crimson, like a robe,
Spreads o’er His body on the tree;
Then I am dead to all the globe,
And all the globe is dead to me.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Isaac Watts penned this hymn in 1707. Charles Wesley said he would have given up all of his hymns to have written this one. Watts wrote many of his hymns from age 20-22. Wow.

As Easter comes near, I encourage you to focus on the Cross. Don't ever get over it. The sacrifice, grace, beauty, blood..."did e'er such love and sorrow meet?"

Alas! and did my Savior bleed
And did my Sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For sinners such as I?

Watts also penned this hymn. The answer to those raised questions is YES. Resounding YES.
Our Savior bled, our Sovereign died, He devoted himself for sinners such as I.
What a blessed, amazing Savior we serve!

The Little Hazelnut

I came across an amazing book a year ago called 20 Things You Should Read, compiled by David Edwards, Margaret Feinberg, Janella Griggs, and Matthew Paul Turner. The entire book is 20 excerpts from the greatest of the greats: St. Augustine, Thomas A Kempis, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Brother Lawrence, George Whitfield...and the list continues.

One of my favorites was the section by someone I'd never even heard of... Julain of Norwich. She lived 1342 to 1416 in England when the bubonic plague swept through many times. During severe sickness she wrote, "I saw that He is to us everything that is good and comfortable for us: he is our clothing that for love wrappeth us, claspeth us, and all encloseth us for tender love, that He may never leave us; being to us all-thing that is good, as to mine understanding."

During her sickness also, the Lord gave her an illustration with a little hazelnut. In this little thing she saw three properties: "The first is that God made it, the second is that God loveth it, the third, that God keepeth it. But what is to me verily the Maker, the Keeper, and the Lover--I cannot tell; for till I am Substantially oned to Him, I may never have full rest nor very bliss..."

She goes on to talk of God being so pleased when we are resting in Him...which brings to mind Psalm 62:1-"I am at rest in God alone. He is my Rock and my Salvation: my Stronghold, I will never be shaken." That verse was posted in my car all through high school...and whether it was a wonderful day or a blah day or a terrible day...I was reminded that the Lord was my Rock- and He's in control of every moment.

Julian of Norwich has some amazing other things to say so I encourage you to seek them out....I'll close with a precious prayer she wrote that became my prayer the first time I read this a year ago. (I remember that was one of the worst weeks of my life...and this was such a great perspective to keep me focused on the Lord):

God, of Thy Goodness, give me Thyself:
for Thou art enough to me,
and I may nothing ask that is less that may be full worship to Thee;
and if I ask anything that is less, ever me wanteth,--but only in Thee I have all.

Over 600 years ago, this was her prayer...May we all continue to seek and draw near to the Lord ever closer each day.

Highlight of My Year

Last Thursday I was eating with a friend in Dallas....
We sat down at our table and began to look at our menu. To my left, a man was taking a picture and smiling. I noticed the flash and glanced up. Right at that moment, his little boy got up and the lady who he'd had a picture with turned around. When I saw her face my heart started beating, I was in shock, and I wasn't sure what to do! It was Laura Bush!!

Now at this part in the story a lot of my friends start laughing. I'm not sure if there's another person out there as much a Laura Bush fan as myself. In 7th grade I did a biography on her, then in 9th grade I did a huge project on her: complete with her recipe of Laura Bush's Country Cookies and I dressed in a navy trenchcoat and heels. She remained such a lady of dignity and grace throughout her entire stay in the White House, and I just admire her so very much.

Mrs. Bush's shoulder was probably about 15 inches from my friend's shoulder who was sitting right in front of me. Because of that, I could hardly say her name to tell my friend. My eyes got really big and I told my friend to slowly look behind her. At this point we are just bursting our buttons, sitting by the First Lady in real life!

Throughout the meal we had the same waiter; he would collect their chip bowl for refills, then he would collect our chip bowl for refills. Needless to say, with such an important person taking his time, we didn't really see our waiter very much that night.

Unfortunately, we couldn't talk to her, or leave a little note that I wrote on a little business card I had in my wallet....so we left the restaurant having sat beside her for an hour and a half...but her never knowing who we were.

I only wish she could know how much I admire her!
What an exciting night it was to run into her in real life- just eating with her friends at a restaurant!