some random thoughts for the day! April 22, 2008

While I avoid studying for my final later tonight I thought I would share some randomness…

• I really enjoy studying in the library…I feel so productive and I get to people watch at the same time
• Watching people run around the library frantically at 2am makes studying even more enjoyable
• All of the caffeine I have had in the past few days is making me sick
• I took my last African Economy test today…Praise God! 
• 3 hours of sleep is not sufficient to take 2 finals
• I can’t wait to be back in Ormond for the summer
• God is so good and He has been so faithful!
• I am really going to miss my Gainesville friends this summer
• Matt Wertz is coming to O-town at the end of May!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Its sad but due to my lack of sleep that is all I can think of at the moment…

finals… April 21, 2008

After studying in the library for about 7 hours today I thought I would do a little blogging.  First of all I consumed way too much caffeine today…a grande coffee, 2 diet cokes, and coke…I think I might have overdone it.  But seriously how am I supposed to get through endless reading on the African economy and the presidency without caffeine?  Listening to Hillsong helped tremendously…my new favorite song- Only One.  The good news is that in approximately 80 hours my 2 papers and 3 finals will be done with! 

I can’t believe I am at the end of my junior year of college.  So much has happened this year but the peak of the year for me was last night.  Last night over 400 UF students gathered to praise God in the middle of campus and it was awesome!  Seriously it was the best worship experience of my life!  God’s presence was so strong.  It was such an amazing time of renewal and surrender for me.  I wish I could put it more in to words but I can’t even attempt to describe it. 

Anyways I probably should get back to the insane amount of work there is left…So say a prayer that I survive the next 80 hours and that I actually get a little sleep while doing it

missing Haiti… April 18, 2008

they stole my heart

Its amazing how you can spend 5 days in a place and completely fall in love with it.  Haiti was this for me…I think its in my blood.  It has been 9 months since I left and I am about to go crazy if I don’t get back there soon.   

what a glorious feeling! April 17, 2008

I just finished my last African economics paper for the semester!  Hallelujah!  Granted its a little later than I wanted…1 am…I will be dying tomorrow but its done!  Almost done with the semester and then it is home to Ormond for the summer…praise God!  PS- I can’t believe I am about to be done with my junior year of college…time flies when you’re having fun!  Anyways my bed is calling so goodnight all! 

saturdays are amazing! April 12, 2008

Gator Football, Red Sox baseball (getting to see Beckettt and Papelbon pitch) and dinner with Amanda!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  minus the random sunburn on my arms and legs this day is perfection

a piece of my heart April 2, 2008

For some reason I really feel like I am supposed share this.  I was writing an email to a friend to encourage her and I felt like I should share this part on here.  So here goes being vulnerable…

 As you know I have never had a relationship and I and I didn’t really realize until friday night how I took that as rejection by men and therefore rejection by God.  Wow was I mistaken!  And He set me free of this way of thinking on friday night!  And since then I feel so pursued by God and so loved by Him that I really feel so content just being with Him. I know we hear that all the time but if I could encourage you to do anything it would be to just spend time with Him everyday and just pray for Him to show you how much He loves you!  Also God has the perfect man for you and He will send him to you in His time.  Just take this time to prepare your heart for your relationship.  Another thing I have started doing is praying for my future husband, not just that he would come (and soon because well I am getting impatient ) but that he is growing, maturing, and preparing to be the spiritual leader in our relationship.  I cannot tell you what an incredible experience it has been, and I think that at the same time it is satisfying my desire for a relationship for the time being, which allows me to truly enjoy this time of singleness

beauty from ashes… April 2, 2008

Wow it has been way too long! 

This past weekend my sorority had our spring retreat in St. Pete.  It was amazing and God worked so much! 

Here are a few of the many things I learned:                                                                                                                 

God draws us into the wilderness to prepare us for what is ahead.  The wilderness is a teaching ground.  The wilderness is a place of brokenness.  It is necessary for us to learn and grow.  I think we associate the wilderness as this horrible place, when it is really preparing us for our future ministry.  Jesus had to be led into the wilderness to prepare for His ministry, so why would we think that we would get to skip it?

Hosea 2:14-15 shows us how Christ’s pursues our hearts: “Therefore, behold, I will allure her, will bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfort to her.  I will give her her vineyards from there, and the Valley of Achor as a door of hope;”  Achor means trouble, so “the Valley of trouble as a door of hope”. 

Hosea 2:19-20 “I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and justice, in lovingkindness and mercy; I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness, and you shall know the Lord.”  This fills my heart with such joy everytime I read it.  God’s love and pursuit of our hearts is so beautiful. 

2 Corinthians 4:7-10 “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.  We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed but not in despair; persecuted but not abandoned; struck down but not destroyed.  We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.”

Isaiah 61:1-4 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has annoited me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent me to heal the brokehearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengenance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them a crown of beauty for ashes.”

God turns our wounds for his glory!