'Tis the Season!

It's Christmas break!!!

If you couldn't tell already, I'm pretty excited!I cannot believe how quickly my third semester at Cedarville went. I have loved every moment I've been there...well, basically. Compared to last year, Sophomore year absolutely blows Freshman year out of the water. I've still gone through some challenging things, but not as painful and difficult. I think that this year, my issues are hard in a different way. This year I've prayed for so much wisdom and discernment concerning different situations. I've cried tears out of frustration and confusion, but none from sheer heartache. I am SO thankful for that! 

I think part of what has made this year so great is my roommate! Hannah is such a great woman of God. I don't think I could have asked for a better girl to live with. Not only is Han my roommate, but she's a best friend. We've prayed together, laughed our butts off with each other, comforted each other, given each other advice, etc. She has such a sensitive heart towards the things of the Lord and the Holy Spirit. I think we balance each other out pretty well, too (Wow, it sounds like I'm talking about a boyfriend! ha ha ha ha). But really, Han has made my year ten times better! 

Another group of people that I'm so thankful for is the volleyball team. I know that volleyball made my life pretty busy and crazy, but I wouldn't have had it any other way! I LOVE those girls. They became some of my best friends. They all love Jesus so much, and it translates into how they love each other. They did so well this season, ending 32-6. Studs, right? Mayra and I also got really close during the season. She is just such a genuine sweetheart. I learned a lot from Coach, too. Despite the fact that he's probably the biggest goober I've ever met, he taught us what being gospel-focused and prayer-focused meant. God blessed all that, too, and we saw Him working in such great way through the girls! 

Yet another group of people that I'm thankful for is my lovely group of friends! Last year, I didn't really have a group of friends that I completely settled into. I hung out with this group all the time, but I think I kept myself pretty guarded, due to everything that happened last year. I have so much fun with these people! The girls are all my best friends and so encouraging, and we have some pretty solid boys thrown in, too. My best nights at Cedarville this year have been spent with these crazies! 

Of course, I could talk about person upon person and post so many pictures of relationships that have developed this year, but that would take oh so long! God has blessed me BEYOND measure with people in my life that are so wonderful. 


But now, it's Christmas break and I'm back home in Elkhart. Man, I love being home! My time has consisted of sleeping, Insanity, hanging out with friends, especially miss Lexi Rhea, going to basketball games, helping Mommy, going to Indy, and making Christmas presents. I can't WAIT for Christmas! It's my favorite holiday for so many reasons. It celebrates the arrival of my Savior into this world, brings my family and friends together, SNOW CAMP is almost here, and I'm a sucker for Christmas lights. Brett, Brinnie, and Nick are getting here tomorrow. EMILY got home last night, AND it's finally supposed to snow a buttload in the next couple days! Can't wait :)

Break is Just so Close...

Wow! It's been a very long time since I've posted....I've just been so busy! My life is pretty much me balancing (well...trying) my relationship with the Lord, school, volleyball, and being social. Yikes! It's so hard! I want to do well in school, obviously. Actually better than well. But I also know that there is so much more to life at college than grades. When I figure out the perfect balance, I'll be sure to blog about it. I can't believe it's October already! And almost halfway through, at that! Fall break starts on Friday, well, Thursday for everyone else, but we have practice on Friday. Yay. I just can't wait to go home! I almost started crying today thinking about it actually, which is weird! I haven't been homesick much this year. I was just thinking about waking up on Saturday mornings to my mom doing her Bible study with her coffe and my dad coming in from outside wearing his hat to cover his bedhead and smelling like yard work. I love waking up in my own room. I love showering in my own shower. I love being at church with the body that I know. I miss driving on the back roads. I miss sitting in my kitchen. I miss laying on our couch. I just miss being in a house period! Soon enough! This week will go quickly. I have tests everyday starting tomorrow and ending on Tuesday. Wednesday is our last day of class since we'll be in Indy on Wednesday and then KY on Thursday! That will be fun.

I would just like to take a moment to say that I am so thankful that my life is so different than how it was last year! The Lord surely saw me through and it's only by His grace. I am SO thankful for all that He took me through even though it was the most painful time ever! I am so much more aware of ugly things in my heart. The Lord is still refining me. Ha, I'm pretty sure there will always be a need for that! I am just...happier than last year. Not as full of worry and anxiety, and I'm content. Praise Him!

Happy Sunday! Today is pretty much a perfect day. The weather is gorgeous, church was SO good, I went to lunch with all my best friends, and now I'm studying with Caroline and Han...well, I'm supposed to be studying ;)But hey, everyone needs a break to blog, right?


    So I'll start off with the weather. I LOVE FALL. It's my favorite season, hands down. I am so happy it's coming closer and closer! Today the temperature is in the 70's and all the clouds are those ones that are white and puffy on top and darker on the bottom. Ahhhh, I just can't get enough of it. I think now I'll post some pictures from Pinterest, just in case it wasn't clear how much I love Fall...or Autumn...or whatever you say :)

   Next, CHURCH. At home, I go to First Baptist, which I absolutely love! I've gone there my whole life and love the ministry. My pastor always lays out the truths of Scripture so plainly and simply. He's so great! While I'm here at Cedarville, though, I go to Apex. Rob Turner is the pastor there, along with other men. I attend the Xenia region, since it's so close to school. Today, I met Tami Stout, the volunteer coordinator there, and talked about the children's ministries there! I'll be working with the 1st-4th graders on Sunday mornings. I am so excited and am so thankful to finally be plugging into my church away from home. And what good practice it will be for becoming a teacher! It's going to be great. 

  Along with the children's ministry today, church was so good! The worship was incredible in my eyes. We sang a hymn called Rock of Ages, with an added refrain in there. It was so good. Hymns are like medicine to my soul. They're kind of like little treasures that I feel have gotten kind of lost in the more modern times. Part of that song said, "His righteousness is my identity." How crazy is that?! I am not a righteous person on my own, but because of JESUS, that's how my heavenly Father sees me.  And in the message, which Bob Thomson gave, he was in John 17 when Jesus is praying for His disciples. One of his points was that Jesus acknowledged their obedience, despite their failures and mistakes. I can't understand how such a holy God can look at His children and still be able to say, "I know you sin and aren't perfect, but I see that you're trying,and it pleases me." WHAT?! God, do you see my heart?! And you look at me and see righteousness?! Wow. 

   Well, I should probably work hard now. I finished Earth Science...but I have so much more to do! 

My life has been so busy! I love it though :).  This past weekend, the volleyball team had a tournament at IUP in Indiana, Pennsylvania. It took around 6 hours to get there, but being in a nice Buckeye bus with my two seats made it much better! The girls won all four of their games, and improved so much in just two days. They prayed with the teams they played against and also handed out New Testament Bibles to girls they had been praying for all week. It was so fun seeing them interacting with girls who need Jesus. Not only did they show Christ in that way, but they made two honor calls. The volleyball team agrees to make these calls, which pretty much just means that if a ref misses something and they know it should be the other team's point, they tell the ref themselves. It's so so cool to see the reactions of the people involved or watching. What a great testimony of Christ and integrity! I was so proud. So after winning all four games (and going to five all but one of those), we got back around 5:00am on Sunday morning. Hannah, Maddie and I did homework in the new pharmacy building all day an then finished off the night with She's the Man. 

Then today we had practice  at 8:30am and then walked in the Labor Day parade.... In the rain. It was still fun though! After that I got to Skype with Emily and then Nathaniel, which was so nice! 


I do love being busy... But when I am, it's so easy to push spending time with my Savior off to the side. Why do I do that!? He's the most important thing! I need to be better at being intentional. Everything's better when I spend time with Him!

Oh my goodness! It has been so incredibly long since I've blogged!

I am SO happy to say that so much has changed in my life since then. I think a theme of sadness and suffering was definitely evident in almost all of my posts. Not anymore!


Everything that I went through last year, the Lord has seen me through. Isn't He great!? He has definitely made a beautiful thing out of dust. After a summer of questioning, doubting, wrestling, worrying, and agonizing, He has shaped me and molded me. He has brought me out of a deep valley after almost a year. He is so good! I can't say it enough, and I really don't.


I've already started my sophomore year at Cedarville University, near Dayton, OH, and it's already so so great! I'm managing the for the volleyball team, bonding with my friends, meeting lots of new people, restoring friendships from last year, being challenged in my walk with the Lord, and loving my education classes! I cannot wait to see what the Lord does this year!

I don't have much time to type now, but I'll probably be blogging more again :) It's just fun.


Greater is He!

Dear Self...

Please remember that He is more than enough for you, even when it doesn't seem like it. 

Faithful.

The first thing that comes to my mind when I think about God is faithful. It's overwhelming, isn't it? How many times do I make mistakes, fail, say stupid things to or about someone, do things I shouldn't do or don't do things I should do? Way too many to count. His grace just blows my mind.

I have experienced His faithfulness in new ways while I've been at Cedarville. Being all by myself for the first time, I have learned a lot of things the hard way...but He's been right there the whole entire time. How has He been so patient with me?! Again....mind blown. I guess that's just one of those things I'll never be able to comprehend! 

On a different note, Easter break is quickly approaching! I go home on Wednesday right after Education Profession and I cannot wait. It's going to be so nice to go home and see everyone and go to First Baptist again :) 

As much as I'm excited to go home, I have finally started really liking school and being at CU. This is just another evidence of God's faithfulness to me. After everything that's happened, it's nice to say that I honestly am happy and am enjoying my time here. He has seen me through and refined me probably more than I realize....and I'm sure I have a LOT more to have refined in me...in fact, I know I do! This hymn just popped into my head. One of my favorites!

1. ’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
   Just to take Him at His Word;
   Just to rest upon His promise,
   And to know, “Thus saith the Lord!”
   • Refrain:
     Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
     How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er;
     Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
     Oh, for grace to trust Him more!
2. Oh, how sweet to trust in Jesus,
   Just to trust His cleansing blood;
   And in simple faith to plunge me
   ’Neath the healing, cleansing flood!
3. Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
   Just from sin and self to cease;
   Just from Jesus simply taking
   Life and rest, and joy and peace.
4. I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
   Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
   And I know that Thou art with me,
   Wilt be with me to the end.

Oh, for grace to trust Him more! <3