January thirty-first...

i'm exhausted. so i'm keeping short and sweet. today a couple of good things happened. i'm finally taking the first step in dealing with something in my life, and i'm really excited to be taking that step. i got to catch up with kaitlin today, which was nice. also, i was able to sleep in since i didn't have class. sadly however, i have to get up in six or so hours and that will just not be long enough, especially considering i haven't felt very well today. but it'll work out. have a good night everyone, sweet dreams and say your prayers!

90 day challenge- day three.

day three- a picture of you and your friends. please insert chaley here.

january thirtieth...

so, i've changed the blog layout around a little...i'm still getting everything set up so just bear with me. today's been pretty good for the most part. unfortunately, my phone died last night and i was staying at a friends house so my alarm did not go off for church this morning. which made me slightly upset, but it's okay. i was able to use that time to come back to my room and do some reading. i realized a really big thing today, something that i've struggled with my entire life. it's okay to need help sometimes. to admit that you can't do everything on your own. believe me this is something i've always thought i'd mastered, being independent and taking care of things myself. but the truth is, and i was very much forced to confront this today, i do need people. I don't say that alot, because deep down i don't think i truly allow myself to believe it. i'm realizing that asking for help doesn't make you weak, it's what empowers us to be strong. in fact, the Bible tells us this in 2nd Corinthians 12:9,

"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."

That's pretty interesting to think about and it really hit me hard today. That i shouldn't run from weakness or avoid it, because in that the Lord becomes stronger and He provides. He has placed people in our lives that we can trust, that we can count on and that we can rely on and He wants us to not only help others, but also allow others to help us.

But as far as good things about today;

1. team united Bible study- once every month all the athletes come together and we have a night of worship and a guest speaker and it's just a really fun time of fellowship and growth!

2. the weather...it was absolutely fantastic today. Everything was so beautiful and i'm definitely getting spring fever after these past few days of warmer weather.

3. i got to talk to ashley tonight and she asked me to be her backstage mom for miss.pca, and i can't wait. she's going to do wonderful and i can't wait to be a small part of that. she's amazing and i love her so much!

4. this one's huge and brought so much joy to my heart today, at a time when i really needed to hear it. my brother told me he prayed today for the first time in four years. an actual prayer, just him talking to God. He's growing so much, and i'm so grateful that the Lord is revealing things to him and changing his heart.

5. i also cleaned again today, which is good. i'm getting in the habit of that.

prayer request for me: these are the five words i need most right now: strength, patience, discernment, contentment, and peace.

day two- 90 day challenge

ninety day challenge: meaning behind your blog name. (jan. 30th)

praise 365...just refer to my first post. it's pretty simple or click on the random thoughts tab. there's a post there about it also.

goodnight everyone, sweet dreams!

january twenty-ninth...one day late.

so i'm a day late on this post...please forgive me. Yesterday was pretty average. I had spanish class to make up for one of the days we missed during the snow days, but surprisingly it wasn't completely terrible. after that, i went on a long run with jamie in the botans, which was really nice. i've forgotten how beautiful it is out there, and not to mention the weather yesterday was completely wonderful in every way. after that, i stayed with her and she made dinner and we ate and then went and saw black swan. and i'm just throwing this out there....creepiest movie ever. but incredible for the purpose it intended to serve. natalie portman deserves every award she's nominated for. after that, jamie and i were both so frightened that i stayed with her last night and then came back home this morning. but good times nonetheless.

day one- ninety day challenge.

ninety day challenge- day one: fifteen random facts and a recent picture. (jan. 29th)

1. i love to read. seriously...it's one of my favorite hobbies in the world.

2. i'm not big on huge parties, i'd much rather hang out with a really good group of friends.

3. i think flowers are the biggest waste of money ever.

4. i absolutely love taking naps during thunderstorms, it's the best sleep in the world.

5. painting is quickly becoming a new hobby, despite that i'm not very good at it yet.

6. i have absolutely no idea what i want to do with my life, it's a slight problem.

7. in the past three months i don't think i've watched enough tv to total twenty-four hours all together.

8. if i ever have kids, i don't think i want to tell them about santa clause. i'm not sure i'm for that whole lie.

9. i'm terribly afraid of the purple kangaroo on the aussie commercials thanks to one repetitive nightmare.

10. pretzels are probably my favorite food in the world.

11. last summer was the best summer of my life, and ironically i didn't have to go anywhere to get that.

12. caroline, beth, chaley, chelsea, and ashley encourage me everyday. i do not know what i do without them.

13. i tend to be a very awkward person in a lot of situations, people just don't always understand it.

14. i think the Lord has really given me a heart for teenage girls, i truly saw that at impact last summer.

15. these past few months the people that i've met and gotten close to have encouraged me and pushed me to love the Lord more than i knew people could. i'm so grateful, because it's just another reminder of how good God is and an example of the gifts He gives His children.

january twenty-eighth...

Today has been pretty good. I had lab early this morning, and our professor brought our entire class of six people doughnuts, which even though i do not eat them, was still incredibly kind of him. I then had breakfast with one of my friends Taylor and after that I took the test to get into Grady for next semester, which is still up in the air. But as a precautionary measure, I wanted to take it. Then, I was able to get a short nap in before practice, which was really nice. I ran by myself today, and just did a lot of thinking. I'm not sure if anyone else ever feels the way, but often my thinking is more like praying. It's not simply thoughts that are my own, but thoughts that I have then pray about. Those runs are the best there ever are, when I'm just able to talk to my Father and listen to whatever it is He wants to say. Today He laid a verse on my heart that I often forget, but one that I love. "The King is enthralled with your extravagant beauty, honor Him for He is your Lord." Psalm 45:11. I've been struggling with this a lot lately, and I'm not even sure why. I think it's just something that the devil tries to throw at girls in particular. This image of not being good enough or pretty enough, or anything. Do not misunderstand me, I am not insecure. I am comfortable with who I am most of the time, but sometimes evil comes in and tries to make me forget the creation that I am in the Lord and the beauty and joy he derives from me. I wish all girls knew this, all girls saw this. That there is a Father who loves us more than anyone and finds our beauty not just to be great, but to be extravagant. That is such a compliment! But why shouldn't it be, we serve a beautiful King and He simply cannot make people any other way, because He forms us in His likeness and we cannot be something that He is not. Though we fall short of who He is all the time, we are His creation and a reflection of Him. That is so freeing and so soothing when evil tries to wage war within you.

That's really all I have tonight. So whoever you are, if you're reading this, know this- The One who created the Heavens and the Earth calls you a masterpiece. He describes your beauty as extravagant and sees you as precious and honored. Learn to delight in the way He has crafted you, not despise the flaws that you create. And remember this, to love the creator we must first be able to see the beauty of his creation. And that my friends, starts with ourselves. Love yourself, love others, love God. It really is that simple.

january twenty-seventh...

today's been so busy! classes from 8-2. Practice at 3:30 and then i've spent pretty much the remainder of the day trying to work on research for the lab i'm in...and after three hours i'm about 1/8098070892409 of a way done...and i wish that was an exaggeration. i fully did not expect it to be this complicated. and i literally think i'm about to go insane from reading the records of the 45th congress, yes it is as enjoyable as it sounds. I wish I could tell you that something really cool happened today or something really great,, but i'll have to settle for the small things. Because today was just one of those days, not good, not bad...just done,but still a blessing from the Lord nonetheless. There were a few pleasant things that happened:

1. caroline and i got to catch up earlier, which was nice since we had some rather amusing stories to tell.

2. i discovered there is actually one show i like on mtv...i used to be fat. I watched all of about fifteen minutes of an episode today, but the guy was so sincere and it was just great to see how much people can push themselves and really change.

3. i really cannot think of anything else...i'm far too tired and my mind is too exhausted.

prayer request- my friend chelsea is having surgery next friday and she just found out today. she's such a strong and encouraging friend and i just pray that she would be at peace with this decision and for a quick healing for her!

....this is but one example of the probably fifty or so pages of this stuff i've read today.

good times.

january twenty-sixth...

okay, so i have a lot to tell from today that's been pretty great...but i also have spanish homework that i haven't done. So i'll hit the high points and hopefully add on to this tomorrow.

1. Wesley tonight...Clay spoke on Revelations 3 starting from verse 15 and it was incredible. A passage I always thought I knew so well, was made completely new to me and I absolutely have to share it, but I'll do that tomorrow.

2. I got to catch up with an old friend from freshmen year, Mollie! She's so sweet and I'm so glad to have seen her.

4. The worship band sang You're Beautiful by Phil Wickham....and I absolutely love that song. seriously, it will be in my wedding if I have one. It was just such a joyous time of worship!

3. This is the best by far...after Wesley I spent about an hour and a half just talking with a good friend who I haven't seen much of lately. She's truly a blessing in my life and I love her so much, and it was really incredible to see the obedience she has to the Lord and she's also my prayer request tonight. That she would see herself as the beautiful daughter that He created her to be and that she we would be assured that His plans and timing are perfect.

...I don't really have a picture for today. But i'll fix that later. goodnight everyone, sweet dreams!

january twenty-fifth...

today has been incredibly busy...woke up at seven to get to my class at eight and then i had class until two and then practice at 3:30. Tuesdays and Thursdays are so long, but only have two days of classes a week is pretty nice, if you don't count research on fridays. But anyway, today was pretty good despite everything i had to do. I did find out that I have to make up my spanish class this saturday thanks to the snow, so that should be wonderful. But besides that, everything went pretty well, so i'll sum up the important parts:

1. we got to watch probably fifteen minutes of Wall-E in anthropology today, which i'd never seen before and now kind of want to.

2. french toast bagels were finally back in the dining hall. if you've never had one, you just wouldn't understand.

3. Although my run today was freezing thanks to the rain, it was a good run and my foot didn't hurt quite as much as it's been hurting, such a blessing!

4. Team United/FCA Bible study tonight...Summer taught from Romans 8 just about how we are free from condemnation and that we should set our minds on the spirit and what that really means. Also, she said a verse that I hadn't though about in a long time;

"If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater

than our hearts, and he knows everything." -1st John 3:20

...that's just so freeing to me. That even in the times and situations when we our hard on ourselves or can't let things go, we can rest in the fact that the Lord does not see us the way we see ourselves, and we in fact are not how we think we are. We are blameless, because that's the way He sees us, and He knows everything!! That brings me so much joy.

Prayer request- A friends mom of a girl on my team just found out that she has breast cancer and it's just tough on that family right now. So I just pray that the Lord would heal her if that is His will and bring her comfort and peace to her family.

...Catherine got her round off back tuck today, she's awesome! I'm so proud of her!

january twenty-fourth...

Erica and I cleaned EVERYTHING today! And it feels so wonderful to come back to a clean house...it's definitely helping my mood which hasn't been so terrific lately and i'm not entirely sure why. I think it's just been one of those days today, when nothing really seems to go right, but a few things did brighten my day today. Like hearing abby's surgery went well, no tuberculosis running wild in tattnall county, and catching up with beth who apparently thinks the moon is edible. I actually managed to accomplish all of my spanish homework and about a fourth of the reading I should've done for today. And what's sad is that it's not because I don't like to read, it's because I do and can't quit reading other things to read what I need to!

verse i'm loving today: 2nd Timothy 1:7- "for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power of love and self-control." That is so cool to me, a spirit of power. Power to conquer the things that hold us back, power to be released from the bondage that burdens us, and power to overcome what is impossible to man. I'm continually amazed by His provision everyday, in the smallest and simplest of ways. He really is in the details!!

best song ever (I tend to exaggerate, so by ever I probably mean this week)- Addison Road: Won't Let Me Go...

"I feel your love that surrounds me

My world can shake but it won't drown me

'Cause I'm trusting you

No matter what I'm going through"

...I can't say it any better than that. And I can't hope for anything better than that. There's just so much truth in that. I just love her music. And did I mention she covered Always Love by Nada Surf, which is a song i've loved since I was probably fourteen. So wonderful, seriously go listen.

today i'm asking for prayer for one of my closest friends, she's dealing with a lot of possible change right now and she's unsure of how to handle that. I just ask that you would give her discernment in that area and that she would know your will for that Father.

...my room is clean! and yes, I do have a big teddy bear, i think it's endearing.

Goodnight everyone, sweet dreams. I'm bringing that back...I don't think people say it enough and some of us need it since we have nightmares about purple kangaroos.

January Twenty-third...

Because I'm slightly OCD and like everything to look a certain way, I wanted to make all my posts look the same, but I think I'm giving up on that. Today has been really good and really bad. Really bad in the sense that the productivity I was supposed to have to do a lot of homework really never happened today, so now I have to do that tomorrow. oh joy. But, that's okay. Because today I got to hear a great sermon, but I also got to have an incredible night of worship. This morning, our pastor Carlos at Watkinsville spoke on the importance of a healthy church and what that means. He uses 1st Corinthians 9 to base most of the sermon off of and it was really interesting to just hear him speak on how important it is that we truly be a body. However, I must say that the highlight of my day had to be worship at Watkinsville tonight. The worship band there actually recorded a live version of the CD that they've been recording, so everyone there tonight will actually be a part of their CD. But, that's not why it was awesome or great, it's because it was worship, real and authentic, but also participatory. The way worship was designed. Not for us just to stand and sing, reading the words off of a screen, but to actually be involved, to communicate with our Creator and glorify God. And aside from the worship Vick, the youth pastor there, also said something that I really hadn't thought about. He began talking about how we are to be in love with Christ. Notice we say in love, not just to love. To be in love means that you are focused and completely wrapped up in another person, it's not temporary but a state of being. That is how we are to be with Christ, completely in love and fully committed to Him, longing for no other or nothing besides Him for He is the one we love. That, I just thought was really cool.

There was one other really interesting thing that happened tonight. So, it's the end of the service and the pastor tells us to write our names and addresses down on these labels that he's placed in all the seats, because they are sending everyone there a copy of the cd...but anyway, so I was writing my name and address and decided to use my home address because I didn't know when it would be coming in. Anyway, the woman beside me looked down and saw Glennville and as it turns out her mother is actually from Glennville, and she was just the sweetest lady. She gave me her number and told me to call her if I needed anything...It's just cool to see God work in those ways. Because there is no way that I randomly sat down beside one woman out of probably two-hundred people that would actually know where I was from. That's simply and only the work of the Lord, putting people in each others paths. and that is just so incredibly cool!

I do however have a prayer request tonight, two actually... 1: Abby- she broke her finger playing basketball and her surgery is tomorrow and I just ask that You would give her a sense of peace and that You would just heal and restore her and care for her. 2: my friend, Laura Father. Though I do not know all of what is going on with her Father, I do know that she is asking for prayer Lord and that she needs your strength. I just pray that you would fill her with the Holy Spirit and draw her close to you now as she is in need of the peace that only you can give.

:)

...i'm tired, so no real picture for tonight. That will have to suffice.

January Twenty-second...

Today has been sufficiently unproductive. But that's not always the worst thing, in fact it was pretty nice to an extent...

1. I got to catch up with my friend Bruce today, it's been awhile since we talked so it was nice to just hear about everything going on with him.

2. I got to see my parents, they came in town for the basketball game.

3. Chips and Salsa and a movie with Erica...which was just what we needed.

4. Also spending hours on freerice expanding my vocabulary...thanks chaley!

5. I also got to spend a lot of time just praying today and I'm really just at a place where I need discernment in certain areas of my life and patience in others. The Lord is constantly showing me things and I just need to fully trust in His promises and plans and believe that He provides far better for me than I ever could for myself. That's just something that I'm praying I would realize and understand more everyday.

Prayer request for me: It's hard to explain, but I've been sort of in this state of indifference upon returning to Athens from the break, and I just really need to be in constant prayer that I wouldn't let that get in the way in seeing what purpose He has for me here and obeying what He asks of me.

Prayer request for others: there are so many...but someone that has specifically been laid on my heart tonight is a person that's been struggling with their salvation lately. And it breaks my heart that they do not know if what they confessed so long ago is actually a belief that still hold. I just pray that the Lord would reveal His power to them and just fully restore their faith.

Tomorrow I will do homework and clean...it's absolutely necessary...

...i'm serious, if i don't clean soon my room will look

like this persons before long...

January Twenty-first...

Today started out with me being completely overwhelmed. I attended my first class for the research lab that I'll be working in this semester, and the professor that the team that I'm on is working with explained basically the project and what we have to do. Let's just say that congressional development in the 45th Congress is far more complex and tedious than I originally expected, so yeah that's shaping up to be just wonderful, but I do get to take the class with a good friend, so that's a redeeming quality. I'd just like to take this opportunity/force one, to say how much this blog has already helped me to look for the wonderful things about the days the Lord has given to me and to truly seek Him and see Him in every aspect. So, on that note serious praises and cool things for today:

1. I got to eat breakfast with my friend Taylor who is also doing researching, so that was really great just to be able to catch up and hear how things are going for him.

2. I got to relax completely this afternoon, and spend a lot of time in prayer for tonight...

3. Tonight- was SWAT interviews. And at first, I was so nervous and afraid that I'd say something that didn't make sense or just embarrass myself. But the Lord is so good! Interviews went wonderfully and the Lord just provided me with people that I felt comfortable around and was so at ease with. In addition, I also got to see a lot of people that I've been missing recently as well as meet some really great new people. I'm just continually praying that the outcome of that would be the Lord's will and that I would obey and be grateful for whatever that may be!

4. Though interviews were great, and some wonderful things happened today, this made my night. I talked to one of my best friends Chelsea tonight and we were just able to catch up and just encourage one another. Just hearing her talk about the Lord is such an encouragement to me, she has such a beautiful heart that truly makes me yearn for the heart of the one who crafted it. What a blessing she has been and continues to be in my life, and I know and can't wait to see the wonderful and breathtaking things He has planned for her.

5. I've been reading Forgotten God and tonight, I was reading a passage that just really spoke to something that the Lord has been trying to teach me lately:

"When Jesus was on Earth, He said to His disciples, 'If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" (Luke 11:13). God is a good Father who WANTS to give good gifts to His children. Sometimes I forget this truth and beg as though He needs convincing. It's as ridiculous as if my kids thought they needed to beg me to hug them. It delights my heart to hug them."

-Francis Chan

After interviews tonight this passage just completely spoke to me. I am constantly amazed by the gifts that the Lord gives me, the blessings he provides, it's like I'm surprised by His goodness. But how ridiculous is that? How can I be surprised that my Father wants to give me good gifts and that He in fact does? That seems absurd! I serve a Father who sees me as pure and blameless, so of course He wants to give me good things and I'm really at a season in my life when I'm seeing that. The Lord is unfolding so many things for me, and truly just giving and giving to me. I pray that I would no longer be surprised by my Father for the gifts that He gives me, but that I would long to use them to glorify Him.

6. Also, though it is small, this is something that honestly delights my heart and brings so much joy to me. I've seen how some of my best friends have taken in a guy who didn't have that many people around him and just truly poured into him and loved on him and encouraged him. What a testimony to the love that the Father provides! I cannot explain the gladness I feel when I know that they are being humble servants and reaching out to those around them. I could not be more proud of the three of them and the beautiful young women of the Lord that they are becoming.

Prayer request for me: contentment- I've been praying about some changes and situations that the Lord has laid on my heart and recently I really feel like He's revealed that to me. But, now that I know, I also just need to stop looking forward to what comes next and focus on where I am now and how I can serve Him where I am.

Prayer request for others- so i'm cheating, i have two. A) for this person I just pray that the Lord would just show her what He has for her and just give her complete discernment and clarity over what she is supposed to do and when she is supposed to do it as well as dealing with the other people involved in the situation and just opening up their hearts. B) I have a friend whose been sick for awhile and he'll get test results back late this weekend, so I just pray that the doctors would be able to figure out what's wrong and if it's the Lord's will that He would just be freed from that sickness.

love, love, love, love her!

January Twentieth...

Hi, everyone, no one, or how ever many of you lie in between. Today was actually not terrible, which was my original thought upon waking up to go to the four classes that I had from 8-2 today. But, it actually turns out that I think i'll like the majority of them. Here are a few things that I'm seriously thankful for today:

1. my journalism class...we spent the entire class talking about the nbc/comcast merger and i'm lame like that, so I was completely fascinated for the entire 75 minutes.

2. I got a surprise and got to run today instead of cross-train, which was great. Although I was advised to run slower and for only about thirty minutes, it was still great nonetheless. I'm not sure if I can pinpoint one exact thing that made me fall in love with running a few years ago, but today was one of those runs. The weather was perfect, and I was just thinking and clearing my head and just remembered how simple it really is...the sport free of competition and stress and times and meets...just running, the way God designed it.

3. Though this has to do with my run today, it deserved its own number. One of the reasons I love running is because it allows me to just be still and listen sometimes, and it's often in those moments that I hear something that the Lord been trying to tell me but just kept missing. Anyway, today I heard a simple truth, but one that I constantly forget and overlook...Don't worry..." But seek first my Kingdom and all things will be added to you" (Matt. 6:33). Worrying is something I've done a lot of lately, for various reasons and just different decisions that I'm trying to make and the Lord just completely gave this verse to me today. And how cool is is to know, that He promises that the only thing I need to do is to seek Him and everything else He will provide. Something so simple, yet so easy to miss.

4. After practice, I've been incredibly lazy. I took a nap, and got to spend some wonderful and much needed time just reading His Word and journaling (I'm a writer, so yes, I journal). It's one of those days when I wish I could just do this all day...

5. Found this on a friend's block and was so encouraged by it that I just have to share:

"When I can't sleep, it's either because I'm supposed to be praying over something or someone, or because I have too much on my mind. So on nights like this, when my mind and heart are full to the brim, I write. After I was finished scribing what is on my mind and my heart, I seek what God says about this. I have such a new fascination with Scripture. It was a stirring of the Holy Spirit after reading the well-known, "All Scripture is God-breathed" verse. Just think about that, let it sink in. Let is seep through all the pretensions about the apostles, disciples, and prophets scribing verses down on paper. All Scripture isGod-breathed. Everything we think we will ever need to know is in the Bible. Not the most widely spread and copied book in the world, but the Living Word. God's breath and heart in word form. A special gift for those who love Him and confess Him as Lord."

Prayer request for Me: to live by that matthew 6:33 and just truly trust in that promise that He will provide for us as we seek Him. Something I just need to remember daily and not worry about everything else. Also, my interview for SWAT is tomorrow, and I just pray that that would go according to God's will.

Prayer for someone else: little abby...I just discovered she broke her finger playing basketball, and has to have surgery monday. I just ask for a quick healing for her, and a spirit of praise throughout it all for her.

-In addition, there's also been a person who the Lord has just laid on my heart to be in prayer for lately. And for that person, I just ask that God would break them and allow that brokenness to bring them to a place where only He can restore them.

...I started a new book today, which I'm enjoying so far.

Hopefully I'll have enough free time to finish soon.

January Nineteenth...

Today's been a good day in some respects and not so great in others. I didn't have class today, so I got to sleep in which was wonderful and much needed, but unfortunately means I probably won't really sleep tonight, since i average possibly six hours a night anyway. But, anyway, there were also a couple of not so great things, like the fact that I may possibly have a stress reaction in my foot (the same one I may add that I had two stress fractures in last year) so I'm taking a little time off to cross-train/bike. And I will just throw it out there that all forms of cardio were not made equal, and as a runner I must advocate for my sport above the others. But anyway, the purpose of this blog is to be thankful for the great things that God blessed me with today and that He's showing me, so:

1. The weather...it was around 55 here today, I got to run in short sleeves and it felt wonderful! I've missed that so much with all the snow/ice that's been around lately.

-2. Wesley! It started back tonight and it just brought me so much joy. We talked about Genesis 17 and Bob (our preacher) spoke on how the Lord's promises to us shouldn't just be one-sided. Just as in a marriage, as he referenced, we must reciprocate and give to the Lord as He gives to us. BUT, the thing that the Lord really used to speak to me tonight wasn't from our main talk, it was from a sort of side note. Bob briefly mentioned Luke 2 tonight and that chapter it talks about the birth of Jesus and when He was presented in the temple. But there was one verse that really stood out to me... "...she never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying."(v. 37) I really started to think about that, and I realize that I've always looked over that verse because it seems impossible to constantly be in the temple worshiping the Lord, I mean I have responsibilities. But, what I'd failed to understand is that when Jesus died and he gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit, our bodies our His temple, He dwells within us. I don't physically have to be at the temple to be a woman like Anna. I can live in His presence everyday knowing that He never leaves because my heart beats for His...I can't really even explain how cool that was to me. That this woman, who we would deem radical for never leaving the temple is exactly who He calls us to be and has given us a gift that allows us to do this, and what a shame it is that we don't.

3. On a different note about Wesley, I got to see two of my really great friends that live in Augusta who came up and completely surprised me. I've missed them so much, and it was wonderful to see them again!

prayer request for me: well my foot for sure, interviews for SWAT, and that I would just be a woman like Anna. That I would never leave the temple and my communion with Him wouldn't be broken!

prayer request for someone else: one of my friends is dealing with a situation that isn't exactly ideal. and i just ask that the Lord would just give them a peace about it, and guide their actions in accordance with his will.

wonderful surprise from two of my best friends!

January Eighteenth...

So today was my first day of classes for this semester, and needless to say it was a little hectic, especially given the fact that pretty much all (excluding a research lab) of my classes occur on tuesday/thursday. BUT, despite the long day of classes from 8-2 (some of which I might enjoy), some great things did happen that I'm so thankful for the Lord for...

1. practice started back up today, or official practice that is. which is so wonderful, because i've missed our team and actually having people to run with and talk to for an hour or so instead of focusing on the run itself.

2. fca/team united track Bible study also started back...which was completely wonderful and exactly what I needed. We talked about truly being satisfied and Summer said something that really made me think...she was saying how sometimes even though we are forgiven, we don't feel forgiven and when we allow that feeling to overcome the freedom that His son gave us on the cross, then we are placing our emotions above His promises, and we are no longer allowing Him to be Lord of our life....I just though that was really cool, and something that I should keep in perspective sometimes. Even if I don't feel worthy, Jesus died so that I could be. And that's pretty incredible!

3. Lifegroup! some girls on our team have decided to start a group not just with the distance girls, but all the track girls just to get to know everyone and have a time of fellowship on thursdays which i'm really excited to see how the Lord is going to show up in that.

4. I have NO class tomorrow. One of the redeemable features to my schedule is that I have monday and wednesday completely off...so that's exciting. And Wesley starts back tomorrow, and I cannot wait!

prayer request (me): alot is going on in my life right now...I just feel like the Lord is showing me a lot and bringing some changes my way so that's big on my list of prayer right now, that I would just be open and quiet before Him and fully trust His plans and timing... also, i'm applying for SWAT (students with a testimony) and interviews are friday, and i'm slightly nervous about that. so that too.

prayer request (others): one of my friends has been struggling with an injury for a while now, and she just recently got some possible bad news that is either going to be verified or denied tomorrow. she's has such a spirit of praise throughout the entire process that it is my prayer that if it's the Lord will that she'll just be free from that and healthy and able to do what she loves and bring Him glory in that.

i really just wish i could live in a bookstore sometimes....

what and why.

Praise 365 is an idea that I heard from a friend and wanted to try. I've come to realize that it gets really easy to go through the motions of life and to take the simple, beautiful things that God has given us and overlook them. Praise 365 requires that each day you share something that brought you joy, something great about your day, and anything the Lord may be teaching you as well as other random thoughts or stories. I realize i'm slightly behind, since it is already mid January, but that will have to suffice.