If you won't learn from your own mistakes. . .

. . . at least learn from someone else's.

Namely, MINE.

Okay, freshmen, listen up: no, you don't want to cram your first two years full of gen-ed classes because you don't want to be slammed with whatever classes are required for your major. 

You'll go crazy.

But don't slack on your gen-eds . . . Like I did.

Namely, I was really good in taking my foreign languages while they were still fresh from high school.

I waited about four years to take my math.

I waited about five years to take my sciences.

Ten out of ten would not recommend!

So if you're one of those stubborn people who doesn't learn from your own mistakes, at least learn from mine.

(Oh yes, and I also have to take speech; ironically after I've given the bulk of my class presentations.)

Learning to Let Go

Normally, this is the time of year people are flooded with "OMg its like finalzzz peeps so scared lol" posts.

And this is sort of one of them, but not really.

I'm not really worried about finals this semester. I've already done three, and I only have three left, and only two of those are actual tests. 

No, I'm gearing up to learn a really hard lesson that they can't teach you in a classroom.

I'm learning to let go.

I'm not talking about a relationship, though this lesson has infinite applications.

No, for me, it's my GPA.

I'm not bragging here; I'm stating a fact: these past two and a half years, I've earned a 4.0.

And I'm really scared I'm going to lose it.

I know a B and / or a 3.9 is nothing at all to sneeze at.

And I wouldn't be letting anyone down by getting a B.

Except me.

And that's what I'm struggling to let go of.

I don't want that to be my idol.

I don't want that to bug me.

I want to have peace about it.

And I can.

It's just a struggle.

But it's a good struggle to have.

I mean, at the end of my life, God won't be judging me on my grades.

He'll be judging me on how I lived for Him.

And that's worth so much more thought than a GPA that only matters for four years.

Contentment and Letting Go

I actually wrote this in a random notebook almost a year ago and just now found it - thought it might be good to share. 

It's not just "the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want".

It's "the Lord is my ___, I shall not want".

The Lord is my friend, I shall not want.

The Lord is my protector, I shall not want.

The Lord is my comforter, I shall not want.

The Lord is my provider, I shall not want.

The Lord is the lover of my soul, I shall not want.

The Lord is my guider, I shall not want.

The Lord is my study buddy, I shall not want.

So why do I still want?

Because I'm not satisfied in Him.

I'm not filled with Him.

I want to be.

I thirst for Him.

I am weary of my burdens - He alone can give me rest.

Why don't I give them to Him?

Why don't I just surrender everything?

Because I like to be in control.

I never was.

And honestly, I don't want to be in control anymore - I don't know what I'm doing.

Ever.

I want Him to be in control.

It might not make things easier. . .

But it will be better.

Oh my word . . .

Sometimes that's all you can say.

Sometimes that's all you need to say. 

Like when your exhaust pipe falls off twice in one day, once when you're pulling out of the driveway to go to class and once in the Chick-fil-a drive through.

Like when your professor doesn't email the class that your 8 AM slow, painful death Crossfit aerobics class is cancelled and you could have slept in another hour.

Like when you have all these great ideas for stories but can't write them because you've just painted your nails and they aren't dry yet and then you forget them.

Yeah. . . 

Oh my word. . .
Good thing Somebody knows what's going on, right?

Waiting.

I will be the first to admit it: patience is not one of my strengths.

It's not easy being patient.

And something's occurred to me lately that I thought I should share.

Shouldn't it be (theoretically) easier to be patient on God?

That's not to make Him sound slow or anything, just our perception of time.

I mean, we know He's promised to provide for us.

We know He'll bless us.

And we know He has our best at heart and in mind.

So why are we so antsy?

We know the answer, but just in case you don't want to own to it, I will:

we want what we want when we want it.

I do. And I'll bet you do, too.

And nothing's wrong with wanting something (assuming it's a good thing).

But when we let that get in the way of trusting God, we end up making the thing we want - or sometimes even the wanting itself - an idol.

If God wants us to have it, we'll have it.

If He doesn't, we won't.

Waiting's hard.

I know it is.

But if you're waiting in God's time with a good attitude . . . it'll be worth it.

Always.

What are you waiting for?

Be Still and Know

Psalm 46:10

"Be still and know that I am God. . ."

Sunday, one of the songs we sang in church had to do with trusting God and being still in His presence. 

Monday, a dear family at our church buried their three month old daughter. One of the songs at the funeral was about being still and worshiping God. 

The funeral shook me up quite a bit, and afterwards I went for a drive, just to think and pray alone. 

I ended up at a beach, just staring at the waves. 

And that's when I realized (again) what being still with God really is.

You know when you're with that friend and you don't need to say anything to fill in the silence because it's a comfortable one? I think that's what being still is. It's sort of like a lull in the conversation, where you've poured out your heart, and you're just waiting on Him to speak to you.

It's really nice. And very comforting. 

And it isn't something you only do when things are hard.

It's something we should be doing all the time. 

It's hard. I know it is. There are so many distractions, from school, work, friends, obligations, technology (hey, I admit this freely, and I love my gadgets).

But God gave us the time we have . . . shouldn't we "spare" some for Him . . . ?

Acorn Minefield

Note to self: always bring in your shoes from the car.

Why?

Because when you're running to your car to get to your 9:25 class at 8:43, the acorn minefield will get you.

I promise.

Don't try it.

Bring in your shoes.

Though I suppose to an extent it won't matter, because those squirrels will drop acorn torpedoes on your head, trying to murder you.

Always So Much Else

Oi . . .

There's always so much else to do when you have two papers due tomorrow . . .

Things like house work, work, reading for other classes . . .

And here I am blogging, because, hey - that needs to be done, too. 

So here are some appropriate gifs:

And finally . . . 

You know that feeling?

That feeling when you've accomplished this great and awesome feat?

That feeling when you know the worst is behind you?

That feeling that you look forward to during the hard times?

That feeling that's euphoric?

That feeling when you finish a four page paper on the Odyssey?

Yeah, me too. 

And yes, I am perfectly aware that this is a TON of gifs, but it's nearly 1 AM, and if you'd spent an entire day on this paper, you'd be using all these gifs too. 

Collegiate Life . . .

. . . is pretty good.

I mean, really.

You wouldn't think it if you stepped into our hallways or sat in our cafeteria as we complain about everything (except the food; the food is actually awesome at my school), but think about it.

Our average "work week" is a two day week.

Two. Days.

2!

Our Monday comes late (Tuesday) and our Friday comes early (Thursday).

Yeah. 

But on the same token, this is us when we realize we have papers due:

(Okay, I admit it - I just wanted to use this gif.)

Already scared of next semester . . .

I just want to sit down and cry -- I don't know what to do about school. 

I thought I could handle 6 classes in one day and maybe I can . . . But 5 classes in a row? 3 English classes, 2 of which are 400-level? A sociology class, a history class, and a business? 

What the heck was I thinking, signing up for that? Oh . . . I probably wasn't thinking at all.

Come to think of it, I bet I know why this is.

I bet God's teaching me to not procrastinate.

He's teaching me to be diligent.

He's teaching me to take assignments seriously, although I already do. More seriously, I guess.

I just pray I can learn the lessons in time.

Path to the Final

You walk into class on the first day like this:

"Whoa, all these people are in my class?"

As the semester goes on, those people dwindle . . . 

And at the final you're like:

"WHERE DID ALL OF YOU COME FROM?!"

And then you're like . . .

A Long Day . . .

One of the following did not happen today. Can you guess which one it is?

- Today, me and a friend saw two people with peanut butter on their faces filming us from their car.
- I saw two cars racing down a highway, going around other cars in the way.
- I worked at a bouncy house for 3 hours straight.
- I almost hit a trashcan that was laying in the middle of a highway. (Actually, I did hit it.) 
- I saw "Real Steel".
- I had Mexican food for dinner.
- I made a Facebook page for my book.
- Me and a friend were complete dorks and tried on masks at Target.


If you guessed that I had Mexican food for dinner, you're right.


That was my day in a nutshell.


It's a wonder I'm still standing.


Well, actually, I'm not. I'm sitting. (Who types standing up?)


You can see the Facebook page here.

Gasping for air . . .

So, college has been rather stressful lately. Part of it is my fault; I know it is: I tend to procrastinate on things I could do right away. I'm praying God will help me overcome that. Also, I need to learn to let Him calm me. It sounds easy, but it's really not. I never really realized that before I got to college. He says "Come unto Me, all who are weary, and I will give you rest." (And so help me, I cannot think of the reference. If you know it, please comment below; it would be much appreciated!) I guess my problem is this: I'm a control freak. I need to have control of everything. Life doesn't let us control much, if anything. If we just give over our burdens to Jesus, life would be so much easier! I know that sometimes at night, I find myself rehearsing my schedule for tomorrow along with what has to be done by when. One night, I found myself on the verge of tears because I was so overloaded! I would like to say that I 'laid' my burdens down at Jesus' feet but I didn't. I think I dropped them! It was just so amazing the peace I had when I knew He was with me. It's like I told my mom the first week or so of school: Jesus said He'd never leave me, and He most certainly didn't bring me to this point just to let me fall on my derriere and fail alone. Yes, I may fall on my derriere and fail, but He'll be with me every step of the way.

Ah, that was therapeutic!

So, after Final Exams, I've decided to go through my notes and such and post all the wonderfully random and quirky things my awesome professors have said this semester. (God is SO GOOD; I love all my profs!) They shall remain nameless, don't worry. ;]