And so junior year begins...

I am currently sitting in my apartment eating breakfast on the eve before the first day of classes of my junior year in college. (I'm sorry for the amount of prepositional phrases I just used!) That sentence scares me a little. I remember being a freshman like it was yesterday...even though, at the same time it feels like it was so long ago. It is beautiful to look back and see the work the Lord has done over the past two years.

I apologize for my absence on this blog over the summer! I don't know what happened...but thank you to Sara Beth for making me find my inspiration again :) Summer was long and difficult at times, but really great at others. Looking back on it, God was teaching me a lot...more than I thought He was. He is always working! But it is so good to be back at school. I never really realize until I come back after the summer how much I have missed everyone here. And so far, junior year has been pretty wonderful. I had the opportunity last week to lead a pre-orientation trip for nine freshman girls. I honestly couldn't have asked for a better w

ay to start the year. We were able to work with Triune Mercy Center, learning about their ministry to the homeless and began work on a vegetable garden. We had a blast and we all learned a lot about what God is doing in our city.

our group at Triune

Sara Beth came to visit on Friday and Saturday to help move her god-brother in! It was so great to have her here and in the apartment after not seeing each other all summer! Letting her leave wasn't easy but I know she is going to have a blast in Brussels :) Since then, there have been a lot of us just hanging out on campus, which has been a lot of fun. It's nice to be here without any responsibility. Except, the type A part of me is excited that classes are starting tomorrow. Typical Furman student, I know.

Our delicious first meal in the apt!

I know the Lord has big plans for this year. He always does. I'm excited to see what He has in store for me and especially for the people around me. I am reminded every day that I am here of how much my life has been blessed by the people here and the community that God has provided.

I promise to be a more faithful blogger this semester. But absence makes the heart grow fonder, right? Just kidding. Make someone smile today :)

Awe.

This past Saturday, I took David on a "birthday adventure," if you will. The plans had been in the works for a while and I was more than excited for them to actually happen. A few weeks ago, my dad sent me an article that appeared in our school's alumni magazine about a man named Don Lewis. Mr. Lewis is an incredibly skilled potter who owns a gallery in Cleveland, SC. If you are ever anywhere close to Cleveland, plan a trip to the Wildwood Gallery. It would be worth your time. If you can make the trip at night in April (to be extremely specific), it would be even more worthwhile. The reason being that Mr. Lewis' land is home to some pretty rare critters- blue ghost fireflies. They only show up in certain places and come out during the month of April. So, I planned for David and I to visit Mr. Lewis' land. I put together a picnic dinner with the help of my wonderful grandmother, threw some blankets in my car, and we were off. The entire ride up, I was praying that I had the right address and that we would actually make it there while David tried to deduce where we were going. Thankfully, we made it. Also thankfully, we found a spot to hang out and eat dinner. And we got to meet Mr. Lewis! Which was cool. We also made friends with his dog. David fed him chicken.

Then it started to get dark so we meandered over closer to Don's house and began to follow the trails. We picked a bench and sat in hopeful expectation. Slowly, one by one, the forest began to light up with small and steady blue lights. Blue ghost fireflies don't blink like normal fireflies. Their light is steady and they hover slightly above the ground. We sat and watched the forest come to life. It was one of the most incredible things I have ever seen. Being there was a moment you can't capture (and believe me, I tried). The best description I can give you is: you know in Avatar (the James Cameron movie, not the TV cartoon) when they're in the forest towards the beginning before things get ugly? Basically, that's where we were. It felt like we were surrounded by stars. It was so peaceful. And such a beautiful reminder of the awesome wonder of our God. I was in complete awe. It was a wonderful way to spend an evening in the midst of finals and be reminded of God's power and love.

Precious.

Hymn.

If to distant lands I scatter
If I sail to farthest seas
Would you find and firm and gather 'til I only dwell in Thee?
If I flee from greenest pastures
Would you leave to look for me?
Forfeit glory to come after
'Til I only dwell in Thee

If my heart has one ambition
If my soul one goal to seek
This my solitary vision 'til I only dwell in Thee
That I only dwell in Thee
'Til I only dwell in Thee

-Brooke Fraser

April.

Seven days of class left. Easter Break. Finals. Guatemala.

Woah.

It's getting a little scary. And I'm feeling...overwhelmed...to say the least. Side story: one time, I was at dinner with my sorority "family" and my big asked my little how she was feeling, "Overwhelmed? Underwhelmed?" To which, my little replied, "I'm just whelmed." Easily one of the most unexpected and hilarious things I've heard in a while. Anyways, things are always busy this time of year. So many tests, so many assignments, so little time. But in the midst of all of this, I'm trying to really take advantage of these last couple of weeks and enjoy them. Trying to find the balance between my social life and getting all of my schoolwork done...that is the hard part. There have been moments where I feel like I'm drowning in everything.

But, God is good and uses other people to wake me up when I start having these feelings. On Thursday at RUF (Reformed University Fellowship...an on-campus ministry), the seniors were given the chance to say whatever they desired at the large group gathering. Some shared testimonies, some shared what RUF means to them, and others shared advice. Lots of wisdom was spread throughout that room. A few of the seniors in particular cautioned us against falling into the "norm" here at school; that norm being to be constantly stressed/busy, going to the PAC (which is a wonderful thing...until it becomes a matter of "I have to because..."), and making better grades than everyone around you. One senior put it in "good enough" terms, saying that she didn't feel "good enough" until she had accomplished a certain amount of things. This is a wonderful place and I am so thankful to be here, but it changes your mindset in subtle ways, as does any environment. Thursday night challenged me to examine my heart and see where it lies. I was also challenged to look up. Yes, I have a busy week ahead of me. But I will conquer it. The Lord will lead me through and I will continue to look up at Him. He will be my mindset and my peace.

What a beautiful world...

It's spring! Let's all give a big HOORAY!

Oh how I wish this past weekend could have lasted forever. Yesterday was the first time in a while that I have been in complete denial that today would be Monday. To say that waking up this morning was difficult would be a gigantic understatement.

Will you re-live this weekend with me for a few minutes?

Thank you :)

It started off bright and early on Friday morning at about 7:00 as Katharine and I headed to a bagel restaurant to have breakfast with some of our middle school girls. Despite the earliness and lack of caffeine in my system, Friday morning is quickly becoming one of my favorite parts of the week. Time with those girls is always filled with laughter...usually about absolutely nothing. So much fun.

Moving forward... classes were cancelled on Friday due to this thing the university does where students present research all day long. Students are encouraged to attend the presentations throughout the day. So, naturally, David and I went hiking. It was beautiful and so much fun.

I really couldn't have asked for a better way to spend a day. Then (after a much needed shower), itwas baseball game time! Our sorority has an "informal" the night before formal and this year it was a trip to our city's baseball game. I honestly think that was the first time I have stayed the entire time at a baseball game and enjoyed every second of it. Tons of fun. And then it was movie night time. This week's flick: Wall-E. Quality.

On to Saturday! Chain of events: breakfast with some of my favorite people, haircut, target run, getting ready and then FORMAL! Aka my favorite event of the year. A night full of good food, great people, and swing dancing...I mean, what more could you ask for? Basically all of my favorite things in one place. Because Jesus was there too, which is really cool. So yeah, all of my favorite things were there. We danced the night away (still reaping those consequences...but totally worth it) and it was a blast. Sunday was relaxing and beautiful. It felt like summer.

Basically one of the best weekends to date. I am so blessed. Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure.

This is me swallowing my pride...

I guess really I should title this blog, "Well, this is awkward (part 3)" because I am semi-embarrassingly returning to Blogger with my tail between my legs. Tumblr and I had a great run but it just didn't work out between the two of us.

I hope Blogger will take me back.

(Did you catch the TSwift reference?)

So moving on. Today is the last day of March. I'm sorry...what? Over the past couple of weeks, I have talked with quite a few people about how quickly the time is going. And how incredibly scary that is. My college career is almost halfway over. I turn twenty years old this year. This summer, almost all of my friends are either getting "real" jobs that will someday affect their career or doing incredible things abroad. In the fall, I will be living in my first apartment (granted it's campus housing but still...I feel like I'm not old enough to live in an apartment). I guess I'm just being constantly reminded to take advantage of every single opportunity that I am given and to cherish every moment. That sounds so cheesy. Unfortunately, I mean it with everything in me. Just call me a Hallmark card.

:)

I may or may not have hacked Katie's blogger account. But it is just to say that I love Katie!!!!

-Sara Beth

I did it.

I created a Tumblr account.

Please bookmark me :]

I'm going to keep this account though...so that I can still comment on my sweet friends' (well, really just Sara Beth...cough cough HILARY CHELLY AND LYLE) blogs.

Well, this is awkward...

I just wanted to take this quick moment to let you all know a sad (ish...not really) bit of news:

I might be switching blog worlds...to "tumblr."

Here are my reasons: (Blogger might kick me off after this post...just saying)

1. As of late, there have been multiple times where I have had the extreme desire to "blog on-the-go." More specifically, at times when I do not have a computer present. Blogger does not have a convenient way, i.e. an iPhone app, to blog when one does not have a computer handy. Which means, if I do switch servers, I WILL BLOG MORE. Pro for Tumblr!
2. One of my friends (shout out KBS!) just started using Tumblr and I simply like it better...sorry, Blogger.
3. It is affiliated with Twitter...one of my favorite social networking sites. I love to tweet.
4. There are other reasons that I forget at the moment..

As of right now, I have not created this new account. I hate to leave the Blogger world...but Tumblr appeals to me so much. I also hate to ask my followers to bookmark a different tab for my blog. Please let me know if my "relocation" is okay.

Haha :] love you all!

Lee DeWyze,

If you happen to be reading this...I would like to date you. Leave a comment. And congrats, by the way!

Haha. It has been quite some time since my last blog. Sorry! I've been taking a sort of technological break...actually really just from being around my computer so much. My computer and I spent so much time together during the last few weeks at school that the magic of our relationship wore off a little. It's slowly but surely reviving.

Here's a small update on my life:

I mentioned a few posts ago that I was in charge of redecorating the playroom to make it more "boy-ish" for my precious brother. Well, I finished! After days of being covered in paint, here are the before and after pics:

BEFORE

AFTER

\
I thoroughly enjoyed re-vamping this room. It was cathartic, almost. And I think my brother likes it...haha if you can't tell by the oh-so-overjoyed expression on his face.
Oh by the way, the big white thing in a frame is a whiteboard that you PAINT on the wall. I feel so rebellious writing on it.
And the artwork hanging by the guitar is a Joshua original. Bids starting at $1,000.
Just kidding.

I promise I will take time sometime tomorrow or Friday to post a more indepth blog. But I told SB I would post an update on the room, so there it is :]

Note to self.

It's funny how Mondays in the summer aren't that bad.

I've been thinking over the past few days about the way my life looks. And, for the first time, I've been looking at it from God's point of view. From my own point of view. Usually, I get caught up looking at my life from another person's point of view, whether it be my parents' or my friends' or a boy's...I forget to think about the way God sees my life. The way I see my life.

At Passion in January, Andy Stanley said something that has truly been laid on my heart as I look at my life:

"It's always a mistake to decide what you want to do before deciding who you want to be."

For the majority of these past few years, I think I have been focused on all the wrong things. I've been focused on schoolwork, pleasing those around me, relationships (friendships and dating), what my future will look like, achieving my goals, etcetera, etcetera. Amidst all that, I never took the time to just be still and let God. To just be still and be me. Now, I'm not saying that focusing on those things is wrong. It is definitely not. That's life. What I'm saying is that I lost myself in all of it. And now, here I am, an almost (woah) sophomore in college and I feel like I am barely in touch with myself.

So this is my goal: to not let myself get lost in life. At this point in my life, I feel more independent than I ever have before (which is sort of sad because I'm still ultimately depending on my parents...but I'm ok with that :D ). But really, I feel like I have control over my life. I don't feel like I need anyone to make me feel good about myself. Right now, all that I desire is discovering my identity in Christ. Because I've found that it truly is the only thing that matters. Everything else will fall into place.

Seafood and Wrinkles

I would like to apologize for my absence from the blogging world. It has been a whirlwind of a week.

Sorry, blog :)

In the past week I have: finished my freshman year of college, moved back home for the summer, seen friends, gone to a (hilariously entertaining) play, celebrated my awesome mom (Shout out! I love you, Mom. You are seriously the best. I couldn't ask for anyone greater) with family, eaten some delicious food, and been to the beach and back. Woah. Do you need a breath? I know I sure do.

So far, summer=success.

My best friend of 18 years (Rachel) and I decided on Friday to head to the beach, St. Simons to be specific, on Sunday. Her family owns a condo down there, making it extremely convenient to take a spontaneous trip to the coast. So, after church and lunching at the Cheesecake Factory with my family, we packed up the car and headed south..ish? Anyways, it was a wonderful time. We had leisurely mornings/afternoons at the beach. We both came back a little crispy. After some MUCH needed (Rachel just finished her freshman year at Georgia Tech) R&R, we headed to various restaurants in St. Simons for some marvelous food. Now, it being semi-early in the summer season, St. Simons wasn't very touristy at this time of year. Which was really nice. Except, when there aren't tourists in St. Simons, there is only one thing left: old people. Really, at every restaurant we went to Rachel and I were the only ones under 50...at least! It was kind of hilarious. It got to the point where, on our way home, we passed a cute boy who, we decided, was most likely on his way home for the summer from Georgia Southern. He was, luckily, from the same county as us. So, we followed him on the highway. I was eating cereal in the passenger seat and was going to get his attention by throwing it at him through his open window. Rachel wouldn't let me. But all in all, we had a marvelous couple of days. Us and the old people.

Side-note: if you haven't seen this movie yet......drop what you are doing and go rent it.

Home Sweet Home

Wow. That is all I can think to say. Wow.

Yesterday, I completed my freshman year of college. The year flew by. And it was one of the best years I've had to date. Seriously though, where did the time go? (Did you catch that rhyme?) It seems like just yesterday I was packing up to go to Furman. And now I've packed up to come home for the summer. It feels so good to be home. To be able to be with my family and relax has been so great. It will be simply wonderful to spend time with them this summer and see everyone here in "Phretta."

But, I'll be honest with you. I miss Furman already. Mom and Dad, if you're reading this, that doesn't mean that I don't want to be home. That is the farthest thing from what I am saying. I wish that I could combine the two places. Like, if all my Furman friends lived in my house so that I could run down/across the hall to see them, that would be ideal. Last night, I missed Tori and I's pillow talk. Right now, I actually miss the DH. That's right, I said it. I miss the DH. Clarification: the environment/people-watching, not the food. And a very small part of me feels lonesome without Hilary's honey (aka James B Duke). A VERY small part. Sorry, James.

Sorry for the sad little tangent I just went on. That being said, this summer will be great. I can't wait to reunite with friends and be with the fam. I know that God has awesome plans for these next few months. And before we all know it, we will be heading back to FU. Gotta work on our hall theme!

Oh that reminds me! I get to redecorate a room in our basement to make it more of a "boy" room for my oh-so-manly little brother.
I'm really excited. That's what I'm going to start on right now, actually. Pottery Barn Teen, here I come.

Sunday morning rain is falling

Except it's not the morning...and it's not raining anymore.
BUT IT IS SO HUMID.
And it is Sunday.
You would think, being from Georgah, that I would be used to humidity.
Nope.
It is disgusting today. Sometimes I like a nice, warm, slightly moist day. Notice that I used the phrase "slightly moist." Not days like today. Where you walk outside and feel like the world just licked you.

Anyways. I'm lacking inspiration for this blog post, so I'll just tell you about my weekend:
FRIDAY- Our hall went to this place called "Pump It Up." We had a sorority function there back in March and both outings were a huge success. So fun. And I've made it out both times with only a few minor injuries. This time was a little worse, though. I ended up with a battle wound on my ear of all places. Probably cause I went down the slide on my face. Not a good choice. Moving on. After that, Tori and I decided to go play tennis. Yep, you heard correctly. I played tennis. It was so fun. And I wasn't as bad at it as I expected :) Then we watched PS I Love You. Quality, sappy, precious movie.

SATURDAY- JCREW SALE DAY. Yes. The day we have all been waiting for. We hopped in the car at approximately 8:35 (late due to my sleeping self turning off my alarm. thanks a lot, self) and headed north to J.Crew heaven. Boxes and boxes of J. Crew clothes on sale for measley amounts. I spent 84 dollars and bought eight things. Including two dresses. Success. I then proceeded to spend the rest of the day packing. That made me really sad so we're not going to talk about it anymore. Oh! And then we went to Thaicoon, one of my favorite restaurants. We had a weird waitress (what else is new) and enjoyed some delicious food (and not-so-delicious dessert). Then, Chelly and I went to the last improv show of 2010. Quality entertainment.

SUNDAY- Church. Slightly boring this morning, but it's all good. And guess what? THE LIBRARY! Hooray.

So that was my weekend. I would say that it has been a quality one.

Full of laughs and fantastic people.

I'll leave you with this quote from the improv show: "You think this is frou-frou? I'll hang you by my frou-frou"

"L" is for the way...

Let's talk about relationships.

As Lyle, SB and I spend countless hours in the library, we get to observe the social scene that takes place in the wonderful world of James B. Duke. And, trust me, it is a quality social scene. If you don't believe me, you should probably read Hilary's post about the library. Amongst all the serious studying, one can see quite a few couples getting in some quality study time.

Lyle's and my observance of a certain couple sparked a conversation concerning relationships.
We tried to imagine what type of boy each of our friends will end up with and discussed our friends who seem to have already found their perfect person.
Relationships are a tricky thing. First, it's a matter of finding the right person. Or, atleast a person that you find a mutual interest in. That, folks, is not as easy as it sounds. Especially at Furman. Let's be real, something is off at this university. Simply going on dates with a person appears to be a foreign concept here. People basically just get engaged to each other. So, needless to say, the dating scene here is annoying. Relationships/dating in general is annoying.

But, they are also so incredibly awesome. I mean, God created us to desire companionship with another person. He created man and woman to co-exist and to support each other. The cool part is that He desires that for us, too. He desires for us to have a relationship here on earth that glorifies Him in every way and that resembles His romance with us. Experiencing true, pure love is to experience His love for us. The thing that I struggle with is this: waiting for God to put the right person in my life. I tend to long for a relationship so much that I lose sight of what I really want and settle for someone that I know isn't who God intends for me to be with. At this point in my life, I am ready to wait. I'm ready to be so in love with the Lord that I don't desire another relationship more than I desire Him. I know that He will give me the right person at the right time. And I'll know.

And don't be wishing you were someplace else or with someone else. Where you are right now is God's place for you. Live and obey and love and believe right there. God, not your marital status, defines your life.--1 Corinthians 7:17

Oh hey college.

Here it comes...the beach weekend post.


True life: I felt like I was at real college

It truly reminded me why I came to Furman.
Basically, beach weekend is where each fraternity/certain organizations rent hotels in Myrtle Beach for a majority of the Furman population. It essentially is a weekend-long party. I chose to go with a certain fraternity based on their "record" when it comes to craziness (basically, the least crazy option out of the frats).

So here's the rundown of what took place:
-We arrive at the oh-so-classy Sandcastle Hotel in Mrytle Beach at approximately 5 pm on Friday afternoon
-Head to Margaritaville for dinner (coconut shrimp...delicious)
-Go back to the hotel
SIDE NOTE: At this point, I am expecting to go back, maybe hit the beach/hot tub, hang out with some new friends, maybe dance a little, and go to bed. Not what happened at all.
-Everyone in the hotel procceds to bring out more alcohol than I have ever seen and begin to get "shammied" as one might put it and eventually pass out in bed.
SIDE NOTE #2: Sitting in a hotel, drinking with friends might be fun for those of us who drink. I do not. Needless to say, Friday night was quite boring. I could only hope that Saturday would be better.
-Saturday morning we wake up, hit up Starbucks and head for the beach. It's looking slightly overcast, but that's not stopping us.
-We get to the beach and guess what? Everyone is, once again, getting shammied.
-By this point, I am texting Sarabeth...wishing that I was still on campus.
-It rains.
-Dinner sort of occurs at some point, we get ready and head over to another fraternities' hotel to see their live band.
-The fun part of the weekend begins. Dancing all night, having a blast, not really caring what else is going on.
-Sunday, wake up early and drive back to FU.

So, all in all, the weekend wasn't the best one ever. BUT, it was most definitely worth it for Saturday night.
Drunk people are funny. I'll leave you with this image...I saw multiple people get stuck running around like this on Saturday night:

(Not) the best I eva had, Drake

Update: Drake was...sub-par. Chelly and I were unable to take him seriously. Where's your wheelchair, Jimmy?


In other news, this is in my very near future:



I love the beach. See you Sunday, blog. I'll be sure to come back with good stories.

Last name: ever, first name: greatest

TODAY IS A GOOD DAY. I just dominated (hopefully) my Biology test, Drake (yes, Jimmy from Degrassi...aka one of my most favorite shows) is coming to FU tonight, and my toes will be in the sand in less than 24 hours.

I honestly am not sure where this blog will take me. It'll be a journey.

Lately I've been thinking about God's grace. It truly is amazing. I don't deserve it, but He gives it freely. I am completely covered, saturated in His mercy. It brings healing, peace, cleansing, truth, trust. And all I have to do is ask for it. How awesome is that? He opens His arms and allows me to run into them, no matter where I am running from. And, as soon as I ask for His forgiveness, all that I have seen and done is gone. Life is full of temptations and traps. He knows. He experienced it. That's another awesome thing. Jesus was tempted by Satan, exactly like I am. He rose above it and told Satan to get behind Him. He gets it. Because of Him, my chains are gone. I've been set free. My God, my Savior has ransomed me. And that is SO cool.


A friend of mine retweeted this quote the other day:

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures." - Thornton Wilder

I love my dear, sweet friends. I am not ready to be without them. Y'all are so much more than wonderful :)

"The library isn't his"

I really shouldn't be blogging right now.

BUT something absolutely hilarious and extremely blog-worthy just happened in the wonderful world of James B. Duke (aka the library).

Here's the low down:
Chellie(y), Sarabeth, Lyle and I are currently sitting at a table on the FIRST LEVEL of Hilary's "honey." It is common knowledge that the first level of JBD is strictly the social level. Sure, we all have intentions of studying. But, if you are really serious about getting work done, DON'T SIT ON THE FIRST LEVEL. Common sense people. So, moving on. Picture this: we are sitting at a table and behind us sits a generally disheveled looking boy in a plaid shirt. Looks like he hasn't bathed in quite some time. Let's call him, Marvin . Got your image? Ok. For the most part, we're studying and so is Marvin. But EVERYTIME we speak or make some noise louder than normal, little Marvypoo glares at us. And I mean intentional stares of disapproval until we stopped "disturbing" him. This goes on for some time. Chellie(y), SB, and I are FirstClass chatting, enjoying our time in the library as much as possible and ignoring Marvin's obnoxious staring. Until, at one point, the girl at the table directly behind him starts to talk to someone (see what I mean by social area of the library?). Marvin then decides to turn around and give THEM intentional, disapproving stares. We then, obviously, observe what is going on, chuckle at his reactions and, of course, I start laughing uncontrollably. This goes on for a few minutes until Marvin finally loses it. He SLAMS his books closed, packs his bag with vigorous intensity, and storms off with his panties all in a wad. Marvin is then spotted walking to the downstairs level of the lib.

Maybe he learned his lesson. We miss you, Marvin.