Your name is a shelter like no other.

See, I told you I would end up drifting away from this thing didn't I? Well I'm back to avoiding homework like the plague, so hello again blog world.

SIX WEEKS.

Six more weeks of school until finals. And then I graduate. Uh, wow. That's all I know to say. Every weekend from now til graduation is planned and I won't be pressing pause any time before May 7th. I love being busy, really I do. But I almost wish that time would slow down just a tad. I would like to enjoy the last six weeks of my undergraduate career without feeling stressed to the max. Let's see..

This weekend is D-Now.
Next weekend is Carson's birthday weekend.
The next weekend is my last Spring Retreat with Calvary.
The next weekend is A-Day.
The next weekend is Easter.
The next weekend I'm going to Georgia.
And the weekend after that i GRADUATE.

Yea. Guess we'll have to see how that not stressing thing works out.

Thursday should be an interesting day in my spiritual life. I'll be sure to keep you posted about that.

There is healing in Your name. I think that is the most precious part of our salvation. Just a thought.


There they are.
Take them for what they're worth.


KFK

from apologies to grace.

This is going to be short and sweet. Life has been super hectic lately and I think that the busyness of it all has let me drift from the presence of the Lord. Working on fixing that with the help of the Lord as I'm writing this..

I know what I'm giving up for Lent this year. Facebook. Easiest decision I've ever made. It's sad when a social tool consumes too much of my time. It's time to get serious about letting that go out of my life forever.


Disciple Now this weekend. Looking very forward to it.


There they are,
Take them for what they're worth.

sidetracked.

Let it be known that the only reason I'm blogging right now is to avoid studying. Seems to be much more the norm this semester than in semesters past, which is weird because this semester is ten times easier than the past one. Oh well, I guess thats why they call it Senioritis.

Spring Break is technically less than a month away..WHAT THE MESS? I feel like this semester is trying its hardest to escape me, which I am 99% happy about..until I get all nastalgic (sorry if that's spelled wrong or not the right word). How did college go by this fast? I still can't figure it out. Oh well. At least I can hold tight to the fact that I am nowhere near done with school. Good ole graduate school is calling my name--still unofficial as of where I'm going yet though, gotta love the uncertainty.

Today is Valentines Day, if you haven't already noticed. I will admit that I forgot today's date on two occasions already today..woops. I don't see what the big fuss over Valentine's Day is and I never will. Why do people center their lives around this one day of the year to decide if they are loved or not? Who in the mess cares if you get showered with presents and nice dates and junk if you don't focus year-round on how blessed we are to be loved by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ? If stopping to bask in the glory of the fact that you are constantly and continuously loved by the God of the universe doesn't excite you a little more than Valentines Day, we as Christians have failed miserably at understanding what true love is about. It bugs the mess out of me when I get on Facebook and see people's statuses who are Christians complaining or pointing out the fact that they are "alone" on Valentines Day, all because they are discounting the love of Jesus. Come on people, be a little smarter. And no, I'm not saying this because I have a boyfriend. I'm saying it because it's a reality check for some of us. Count the love of your Savior first in your life, every day of your life..not just Valentines.

That was my rant for the day. I apologize.

Ya know what's weird? I'll be 22 this year. Ha, nowhere near being an adult though, I'll be the first one to admit.

My thoughts are kinda all over the place now, I apologize for that too.
I guess I'll get to studying now...Maybe.



There they are.
Take them for what they're worth.

KFK

I'll do me.

I'm sitting here watching Jersey Shore, and I really don't know why. It's all that's on, literally. That's kinda sad, but oh well. It does make me appreciate how much more meaningful my life is when I watch these people. It also makes me hurt for how many people in the world are just like them, and are living for fading pleasures in this life and giving themselves to whatever or whoever comes along. I know everyone says our generation is so plugged into the Jesus movement and furthering the gospel, but are we really doing our part? Satan is alive and well in this world, and even though he has been eternally defeated by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, he is definitely putting up a good fight. I guess seeing the people on Jersey Shore makes me want to get our there and really make a difference in this world for people like them. So many people in our generation are lost just like the kids on JS, and it's time we do something about it. Especially living in a place like Tuscaloosa...bar crawlers are everywhere. I've only got a short time left here, but I want to make a difference for the Lord. As big of a difference as He can make through me, which certainly has endless possibilities.

There they are.
Take them for what they're worth.

starting again.

So, I've tried to start a blog at least five times in college and every time I do it--it fails. So, naturally I'm going to try it again. We'll see how long it lasts this time.

This semester is WONDERFUL. I have four of the easiest--and most interesting classes I've ever taken. I'm busy all the time with work, Upward, FaceDown, youth ministry, and school..but for the first time I'm not stressed. I can deal with tired. Having a stress-free life is amazing though..hands down, the best thing ever.

But it kinda made me think..even when things get hard in life, why do I not trust in God enough to stay this relaxed in life? Technically, I should never be worried..for who can add a single day to their life by worrying? Longing to be on top of things is alright, but stressing over them really isn't if you claim to trust in the one true God who came for us and is the author and perfector of our faith--our true sustainer. Kinda deep there, but it really made me think when I started considering how easily I let things get to me and stress me out.

Like...

GRAD SCHOOL. Oh my gosh, who knew that applying to school all over again was going to be so hard? This has been the longest, most drawn out process of probably my entire life. I hate not knowing things (again, with the trust issue--I'm working on it). But, for crying out loud, I turned in my UAB application on NOVEMBER THIRD. It is now February...why haven't I heard a thing from them yet? I would be okay with a rejection..I just want to know either way. I want to be able to plan my life for next year (Again, I've really gotta stop doing that). But it's just so unsettling to not know where my future is going. I really do trust my Savior when it comes down to it, but trying to figure out where His will for you is leading can try anyone's patience if we are honest about it. Anyways..all I know is that I have a passion for working with children who are born with metabolic disorders and working to create the best life for them that God can provide while they are on this earth. Bottom line. That's what I want to do with my life. Now, if UAB is the means through which I get to do that, great. If not, I would just love to know so that I can figure out what direction I need to be pursuing instead.

I graduate in a little less than 3 months. WHAT THE MESS? Who said it was time to grow up? I can still remember my freshman year Alabama Action (and for those of you who don't know,t hat is a HUGE part of my college memories). It really was just like yesterday that I got to UA and started walking through this chapter of my life. Little did I know what God would have in store for me while I was here. For those of you who don't know, here are a few things my college career was filled with..

-Losing my grandmother two weeks before I moved to Tuscaloosa for Freshman year
-Starting college as a single girl, which was new for me.
-Losing my aunt to cancer my Sophomore year.
-Finding the absolute BEST group of friends I could ask for. SO BLESSED to have them in my life.
-Losing my cousin to a drunk driving accident my Junior year.
-Getting into and completing the Coordinated Program in dietetics..which, if you know anything about life is a HUGE accomplishment.
-Got to go to Passion for the 1st time in 2011 and it was LIFE CHANGING.
-Losing another cousin the summer before my Senior year to a car accident.
-Getting dumped
-Feeling rejected
-Crying..from laughing so hard
-Getting to know my Lord and Savior for a small glimpse of who He really is
-Learning to love who I am.
-Finding strength in the only One who can provide it.
-Meeting the love of my life.
-Growing close to my parents.
-Getting two of the sweetest puppies on the planet.
-Learning to love
-Leraning to trust
-Learning to serve.
-Going through 4 Alabama Actions.
-Getting the opportunity to love on and mentor (hopefully in a good way) the most WONDERFUL group of high school and middle school students on the planet, many of which have become my good friends.
-Maintaining a 4.0 GPA my entire collegiate career.

The last one is really not to brag. It's a goal that I set for myself a long time ago and it is absolutely amazing to think about accomplishing it. I know grades aren't everything, but school is one thing that I've always put only my best foot forward in, and it is cool to see it pay off, even if no one but my future employers will ever know that. Still pretty cool.

God has really taught me so much over the past years about who He made me to be. I don't know if you know this about me, but I don't cry. Or at least I didn't. I'm just like my dad, which means that it takes a lot for me to get emotional about things, but over the years that had become a wall that I was putting up not to show weakness. And over the past four years, God has completely broken down those walls and shown me that He is my only true strength. It truly has been an amazing revelation and transformation. I've recently been slapped in the face with conviction to study more of God's word, so that is what I've been doing lately. And let me tell you, more God-given confidence comes from knowing the promises that He has for us than anything I've ever experienced in my entire life.

I'm going to wrap this up now, it's getting slightly long. But I will say, I am going to try to write in this thing at least once a week. We'll see how it goes.

Btw, I've been dating my best friend for almost a year now. Not to be mushy, but thinking about that makes me smile. It's been a year FULL of ups and downs, but I don't know if I would change a bit of it. Can't wait to see where life takes us.

There they are. My thoughts.
Take them for what they're worth.

KF