Going through the motions

As I flip through the pages on my planner, I am shocked to see how quickly the past 2.5 months have flown by. The pages are filled with events, assignments, tests and to-do lists, and I can hardly believe that I am now nearing winter break. This semester has been one of the most challenging but life-changing semesters of my life. I started the new school year with a new perspective--a perspective that more closely fits what I believe God is revealing my purpose to be. I have worked harder, studied harder and committed myself to more than ever before, but now as I finally take time to reflect, I am disappointed at the fact that I have been going against my motto and rather have been living my life unsure of where I am supposed to be going and what I am supposed to be doing. 


Live in faith. 


These 3 beautiful words reflect the way that I want to live my life, but why is that so difficult sometimes? I need to take time to allow God to fill me up again because once again I have allowed myself to take on too much. When will I learn to simplify? I have been at my breaking point for the past month or so, and I need to take a step back and truly see if I am living in line with God's plan...or if I am just continuing to hold on by a thread. 


This morning I felt this strong sense that I am supposed to be doing more...a different kind of more than I am already doing. I am going to continue to pray that God reveals to me what he wants me to be doing. I don't want to just keep going through the motions. It is time to find out where I am supposed to be--no more coasting through life. 

Don't forget about "ME"

To say that the last month has been busy would be a drastic understatement...I feel like I have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off (as my Dad likes to say) and it's like I have to put breathing on my checklist to remember to do it. Just. Breathe. Camp, recruitment, school, work, Young Life, sorority commitments; what did I get myself into this year?! Something that I need to constantly remind myself to do is to spend time alone. I need me time, but I feel like my priorities are out of whack....sleep and alone time are at the bottom and I am definitely feeling the effects of my poor balancing decisions. Today, I need to learn how to take my own advice. It is absolutely VITAL to take time to do things for yourself. If you are happy, then that happiness will spread to others. While you might enjoy all of the activities that you do, when they start to become a chore or something that you dread, that's when you know that some changes need to be made. I encourage you all to make a list of the things that you enjoy doing...things that give you a release and make you feel at peace...do at least one of those every day. There is ALWAYS time for 20 or 30 minutes dedicated to yourself. Make yourself a priority as a change of pace if you find yourself only trying to make other people happy. I promise that when you are feeling better, you will do a MUCH better job serving others. Life advice: make a list of things that bring you joy...things that will never feel like a chore. Do these things, get some sleep and know that you are doing yourself a favor.


My joy list:
-Running/working out
-Reading for fun
-Quiet time/reading my Bible
-Drinking coffee
-Listening to music
-Spending time with family
-Watching a movie
-Going for a walk
-Driving around town

The Value of Community

This past month I have been absolutely blessed. I had the opportunity to serve at a Young Life camp in Minnesota and had the most incredible experience of my life. The group of people that I was surrounded with was amazing; I have never felt so loved and accepted in my entire life by people that I barely knew. Serving for three weeks was exhausting at times and there were definitely days that I didn't feel like I could wake up and fold one more shirt or set up for one more carnival, but through God's strength and the love and encouragement of those around me, I was able to serve my peers and kids from all across the United States. There are not many places that you can go where you get notes of encouragement, a bag of your favorite candy, kind letters and lessons about how much God loves you on a daily basis. What an amazing blessing it was to volunteer and serve. I was pushed, challenged, tested, encouraged, loved and accepted. Going into this next year, I have been given a fresh perspective on how to love those around me unconditionally..and not just when it is convenient for me. The past month was a slice of what I believe Heaven to look like and all I can say is wow. Two of my friends at summer staff, Chris and Spencer, wrote a song while we were at Castaway and the lyrics are such an inspiration to me. I find myself humming the song all day long, so this is the note I will leave on. Life advice: stop trying to do everything on your own and realize that relying on God is vital. LOVE everyone around you and be sure to show them your love and compassion toward them. Have patience in God's plan and realize that you don't have to carry the burdens of your past, present or future. Just like the song that Chris and Spencer wrote states...
Take this life. Take it all. You are by my side. You stand tall.

Chris and Spencer's song- You Stand Tall

Maximize the time in your day

Today I woke up incredibly motivated and ready for the day ahead of me. I grabbed a glass of orange juice and talked with my dad and grandma before walking about half a mile to our local community center. I stepped onto the treadmill thinking that I might do 2 or 3 miles at most, but the playlist I had going on my iPod and the talk show on the TV above me were enough motivation to keep me going until I hit 6 miles. Where that burst of energy came from, I have no idea. After helping out around the house and enjoying some sunshine by the pool, I got myself ready to meet up with a friend for some coffee. Tonight I am looking forward to dinner with my family and then a show at Starlight theater. How wonderful does this day sound? I have been so inspired lately to soak up every ounce of the day. 24 hours goes by pretty quickly, but if you have a plan of action for the day and a list of goals to accomplish that is reasonable, then you might just find yourself going the extra mile..or 3 (no pun intended). While there are definitely some mornings that are difficult to roll out of bed or the mornings where you seem to snooze your alarm at least 5 times, think about how great it feels to have productive days! Having one full, but enjoyable, day will lead you to want to have another and another...you see where I am going with this. Life advice: try to have a goal for the day and hold yourself accountable to it! Make realistic expectations for yourself, but don't be afraid to push yourself a little bit further. Have some alone time, spend time with your family, call a friend and take your time making a healthy meal. I guarantee that the combination of all of these things will put you in a great mood and motivate you to do the same tomorrow! 

Technologically Challenged

Today I was so excited when I looked outside and saw that the sky was full of clouds and that a rain storm was on its way in. And no, I am not being sarcastic! On days when it is sunny outside, I feel like I am wasting my day unless I am outside the entire time soaking up the sun and the beautiful weather. This means having movie days are out of the question on sunny, summer days. I woke up early this morning and got in my daily workout and after showering, making lunch and getting ready for the day, I grabbed my favorite blanket and snuggled up on the comfy couch in my basement for a day full of movies. However, to my disappointment, I popped in a DVD and became quickly overwhelmed by the wires and cords and colored things behind the TV...what the heck was I supposed to do with all of these strange objects?! After staring at the back of the TV for a solid 15 minutes and then moving cords and plugs around for about 30 minutes, I finally figured it out. Thank. Goodness. Watching the movie Drumline has never been so rewarding and I payed a lot more attention than I usually do when I'm watching a movie! I think that's how it can be in our relationship with Christ. At first, it is really overwhelming and confusing. What do I do? What is it supposed to look like? How can I put all of these things together to make something that works? There is a lot of trial and error in our relationship with Christ, just like there is when you are trying to figure out how to get a Blue Ray DVD player to work. Yes, there is an instruction manual, but sometimes it is better to figure things out for yourself. There is no instruction manual for life, and you will make many "errors" before you find the right path or the right colored plug-in, but the end result is worth it. Have some patience, dive into life and remember to enjoy the benefits of your hard work! 

The Golden Rule

I can't even remember the amount of times my dad told me to use the Golden Rule (Do unto others as you want others to do unto you)...I can still hear him saying it to me now as I think back to fights my sister and I got into and rude words that were exchanged. However, as much as I mimicked and fought the system, he was right. The Golden Rule is one that has been passed down for years and it makes a lot of sense. Treat others the way that you want to be treated--while this can be very difficult at times, it is worth the effort. Tonight I had the opportunity to meet up with a few friends that I have been blessed with the chance of knowing over the past few years. They have always encouraged me in my faith and I absolutely love the meaningful and intentional conversations we have when we are together. As we were discussing ways that we wanted to grow and goals that we had for ourselves, I summed mine up into one broad statement. I want to love others the best way that I can every single day. It is so easy to get caught up in our own lives and not concern ourselves with others, however, what joy does this bring to us? A petty, temporary self-satisfaction that does not go beyond our own selfish motives? I want to change this. I want to look for ways on a daily basis to reach out to those around me and love them. This can be a daunting task considering I have surrounded myself with many people that I care deeply about, but this is meant to be a challenge. I want to support my friends in what is important to them. I want to give to something bigger than myself. I want to offer words of encouragement to a friend that is struggling. I want to listen to a friend that needs it. I want to send a letter to someone I love, putting into words how much I care about them. All of these things will take time, but it is all about how I use the time in the day that God has given me. I want to love others. Period. God calls us to love one another and I want to do just that. I am going to change up the Golden Rule...I think it should say, "Love others the way you want to be loved". Think of how you can make someone's day every single day. Love them for who they are without placing judgement on them. Become selfless and look for ways to support those around you. The love that you spread will come right back around and I guarantee the feeling will be incredible. 

Airplane life lessons

Wow. I can hardly believe that it has been over a month since I have posted anything. I knew that this summer was going to fly by but I think I underestimated the rate at which it would happen. I am just a little over 2 weeks into summer break and just returned home from my second trip of the summer. I spent an amazing week in Colorado to start the summer off; there is nothing quite like the mountains to make you realize the beauty that surrounds us. My second trip was a family vacation with my dad and sister to Puerto Rico. We spent a week at a beautiful resort and soaked up the sun (I soaked up a little too much) and enjoyed some relaxation time together. On this trip to Puerto Rico I got to do one of my favorite things--yes I do love laying out on the beach, but I am actually referring to the flying part of the trip. I LOVE taking airplanes to various destinations. Actually, if I was to pick my ideal situation, I would get the chance to choose my own seat on the plane next to someone I didn't know. Think about it. Sitting next to a complete stranger by choice...this is where an explanation comes into play. I have gone on many trips whether it be with family, friends or by myself and I have had the opportunity to sit next to some very interesting people. It is crazy how much people are willing to open up to complete strangers about their lives-- family, struggles, beliefs and values. In addition, I have been helped out by many kind strangers when I got stuck in both Cincinnati and San Antonio for a night by myself due to plane problems. Complete strangers have bought me a cab, checked me into hotels and taken me out to dinner. So much for not associating with strangers! Luckily, I have chosen good ones to put my trust in! I think that's how it is a lot of the times with God. We sometimes feel like He is a stranger--someone we can't relate to because we haven't allowed ourselves the chance to get to know Him. The fact of the matter is, God wants to reach out to us even if we haven't made an effort to know Him yet. I think that we are intrigued by this idea but sometimes take a step back in fear of what others say, or our own inner thoughts. Take that leap of faith. Step outside of your comfort zone. Learn more about the people that surround you. Pretend your airplane ticket has seat 27A on it. Now picture God coming and sitting next to you with ticket 27B. Strike up a conversation. Learn what you can. Be open and honest about yourself and your life. However, this flight isn't one that will only last a few hours...this flight is one that will last the rest of your life. Don't plug in your iPod or nap through the trip; God has an amazing life to tell you all about!