forever.

I haven't posted on here in forever & a day. What in the world? So much has changed since February 3rd. I finished my first "year" of college and have 2 years left. How cool? I embarked upon a journey to Michigan working at a YL camp as a summer staff. It was an incredible experience, to say the least. I've been working my butt off at Dick's Sporting Goods, making money just so it can go away, it seems. And now I will be moving out of my house for the 2nd time in my life to live in JC for school. This time though, it will be for good. I'm living in a house with 3 other amazing ladies - sooo excited! This week has been a blur of packing, organizing, paint-color-picking, and online shopping (for home goods). I'm excited to make a little nest. Even when I am trying to budget carefully though, this moving thing is expensive. I've been provided with most of my furniture though, and today a wonderful lady from my church said she would GIVE me a mattress set (yes, GIVE. not sale. GIVE). If only we didn't live 4 hours away from the closest Ikea, then life would be so much easier. You've got to love cheap swedish furniture. ;)

Bye for now,

T.R.

Step by Step

I will seek You in the morning

I will learn to walk in Your ways

And step by step You'll lead me

And I will follow You all of my days

These lyrics are sung so easily by me - like normal language and thought. I often take the phrase "the will of God" for granted. I assume it will be easy to decipher, easy to understand. I came to college with this mindset that I was magically going to be revealed everything my life was made for and walk right into it (I was wrong). I said I didn't want to go to a Christian school because I wanted to "experience world outside my so-called bubble" yet now I'm craving a God-centered education environment. I thought I would instantly make all of these life-lasting relationships with people, yet I sit in my dorm staring at my computer screen longing for friendship but too afraid to step out and get it. I ache for a word from the Lord, but I sit in front of my Bible daily not even knowing where to begin looking. Something tells me I have it all wrong - maybe that's just a lie, but maybe it's truth. Maybe God is keeping me here in this position of uncertainty until I take that leap He's been whispering in my ear since the beginning. We typically live these lives of settlement, but we feel in the depths of our soul unsettlement because we know we're playing it safe - we know there's so much more out there than sitting in an office, or sitting in a classroom, or even walking through a hospital. We form ideas that take a little of the calling God has truly set into our hearts and a lot of the "play it safe" mentality the world throws into our minds and we wander until we're at the end of our days, then we catch ourselves saying "where did all the days go?". I don't want to ever say "Where did all the days go?" I want to know where my days are going. I want the Lord to take my days and place them in a purpose for world changing, for wall breaking, and for His glory. So, step by step He'll lead me, and I will learn to walk in His ways.

T.R.

Under Pressure

I need to confess something, to somebody, somewhere, now. Ever since beginning this college thing, I've felt immense amounts of pressure to be a certain girl or to do certain things or to think certain ways, and I know for a fact it's so easy to get lost in the muck of the "world" idea of life - "everything is okay, nothing is bad...just live your life and do what makes YOU feel good." Well, my friends, this is not the way to go. I know, I know - most of you know this already, but where I go to school one thing is shoved in my face more than anything - Greek. I went into college with a very objective view on sorority life, and I still have that view for the most part, but I fell into the terrible lie that I NEEDED to try one because it was the ONLY way to make friends. This lie is pushed in the college students brain every way it can be, and I unfortunately, began to believe it after a while. Don't get me wrong - if that works for you and you love it and you make great friends through it, thats wonderful, but one must check her motivation. ANd really, this isn't even about sororities - it's about becoming your own person and not being defined by the groups you associate yourself with, but realizing that has an effect on how others define you. Okay, this entry is one big ramble and a half, but that's all I had to say about it. I didn't try one, I'm not going to, but I need to get over the pressure.

T.R.

Christopher Columbus.

So I've found, the "new world" in my fitness "earth" - it's pretty awesome. It's like a combination of pilates, yoga, and ballet strength training. It's called the Bar Method. The class is made up of upper body, leg work, "back-dancing" (the middle aged women in class had fun with this), core work, and stretching. It's very low impact as far as cardio work goes, so it really needs to be coupled with some elliptical, walking, biking, running, swimming or whatever you choose. I felt "the burn" while doing the moves in class, but I had no idea it was so effective until I woke up this morning and could barely move. This workout is fabulous for women (in my opinion, but I'm no expert). It targets all of those bad areas (toosh, thighs, belly, arms). I took the class at my gym in my hometown, but I'm going back to school this coming week and they don't teach it there (Tear*tear*) so I'm going to get a DVD! I'm really excited for it to come in. If you want to find out more, look "bar method" up on you tube or google. It's great and deserves to be looked into!

TR

Hours.

He drives for hours. 4 1/2, actually. Just to see me on the weekends. Working in Harrisonburg was no easy thing for Trev (aka - the boyfriend). And it was no easy thing for us to handle together. I can't tell you how many nights I would be halfway angry with God over the fact that He had put this stress on Trev (silly me). If I was "on my knees" about anything, it was that God would bring him home. 6 months, I believe it was, that he drove from his hometown to Harrisonburg for work during the week, and he never really complained once about it. He was tired and down and ready for change, but week after week he never stopped. I'm amazed by it. I couldn't have done it, I believe. But here we are now, and he's working 1 hour away from home and we don't even really know what to do about it. It's kind of funny how we will pray and pray for change, and when the change comes it's like we lose all ideas of how to handle it. I really think, though, that all God wants is for us to be thankful for his faithfulness. It's so true.

Okay, this is totally off subject, but I have a sore throat. Anyone know any crazy good remedies? I want something great and natural. I do not deal well with colds. In fact, I would rather have a stomach virus than a sore throat/cold. I think it's because the cold isn't bad enough to keep you from doing normal life, yet it's enough to make you feel terrible. This benedryl is kicking in and I still have some Acts to read. Goodnight, blogger.

T.R.

It's A New Day

Christmas has come and gone. It's so crazy. Every year I'm ready to savor Christmas and I want it to last forever, but it always goes by so quickly. I must say Christmas 2010 was one of my favorite. So many things are happening in my family - it's wonderful. Both of my aunts are now married, and I never thought I would see that day. Not being mean or anything, but I truly didn't. I've prayed for God to bring them happiness and here it is. Christmas was full of family and love and laughter and turkey and pie and all the things it should contain. And now here I am, in 2011, not knowing what to do...not knowing what I should accomplish this year. It's funny - I always set up these resolutions and it seems like each year God does something completely unexpected in my life. 2010 - I wanted to be more responsible, to grow up a little, and here I go to Panama on a mission trip, thinking "Ohhh, I just need to do this. It's my 'Christian Duty''' - I was wrong. I needed to do that becausee I needed something to completely rock my life in every way possible. Panama was how God grew me up, not graduating, not moving out of my house, but a group of people on an island in the Panama. So this year, I'm saying "Bring it on" - I'm not going to put any limits on what God will do in my life and in the lives of those around me. All I am doing is simply surrendering and preparing myself in every way to take on His challenges. I already have a couple of things going for me - I'm in college, which has been a struggle in the past, but I'm ready for it to become a transformation in my life; Im wanting to do something awesome with my summer. Either a mission trip to Alaska or working at a YoungLife camp; and I'm in this courting relationship that I love and I have so much fun (sometimes painful fun) trying to figure out and learn about. It's going to be a good year. And it's definitely a new day.

Christmas

Okay, here I am. I've been putting this off for months - this blogging thing. I didn't expect my time to dwindle down to nothing when I started college, but it did. It's Christmastime now, though, and I'm a free woman. Want to know what I've done since I've been home? Ordered and bought Christmas gifts, went to a Christmas party, decorated the tree, listened to Bing Crosby sing me Christmas songs, faced the "Week of Christmas" shopping crowds, and wrapped presents. It's been wonderful. Once the hustle and bustle of Christmas is over, I want to do a few things. I want to get crafty - maybe a fabric flower here and there, I want to bake some good cakes and pies, and I want to read - I want to soak up all that good literature out there for me. I have this scary feeling I won't quite accomplish those things the way I am seeing now, but as long as I get a start on it (maybe even make a habit out of it) I think I will be okay.

This Christmas season, I've been hit with the realization of what Christmas is about. I know that Jesus came as a little baby and was born in a manger and that is really crazy and awesome, but I never realized what a step down that was for Jesus. I mean, He literally was born to die. I think about the magnitude of Christmas throughout the world, and it's astonishing to me thinking that a little baby's birth created a day that the entire world celebrates, whether they think they are doing it for Jesus or not. It's a one-of-a-kind holiday for sure. And on Saturday, the entire world will be celebrating the birth of our King - knowing it or not - it's what will happen.

Merry Christmas.

T.R.