God Above All Else

God above all else. This is the phrase which haunts me continually and seems to pop up in my mind at random. I guess I would consider this to be my life phrase that I have to repeat in order to stay focused on what really matters for eternity.What is hindering me from fully giving myself to God? What idols consume my time that are unprofitable for my relationship with God? Often I find myself begging God to cleanse my heart so I can fully enjoy the salvation He has given me and completely appreciate His eternal and perfect love.
One verse that comes to mind is Psalm 51: 10-13.

 ¹⁰  Create in me a clean heart, O God,
         And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
 ¹¹ Do not cast me away from Your presence,
         And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 

 ¹² Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
         And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
 ¹³ Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
         And sinners shall be converted to You. 

I love this verse so much. Throughout elementary all up until high school, we would sing a song based on this verse in our classes and chapel services. I don't think the meaning actually penetrated my heart until recently. Today in chapel, the pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, Jim Cymbala, spoke, and he used the analogy of "removing all leaven from Jewish homes during Passover" to describe removing the iniquity of sin in our lives. In order to feel the full blessings of God and receive the full joy of salvation, we must eradicate the little, festering sins in our lives which don't even seem to be a big deal. All sin is a big deal. Unfortunately, not all sin is as obvious as murder. What little sins consume my life? What everyday happenings are actually obsessions which hinder me from having the complete and full relationship I can have with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?

Just something that's been on my heart.. for a very very long time.. and probably will continue to be throughout my life. Hope this encouraged you a bit and I hope that God maybe used it in your life somehow.

God bless. <3

All Things New

A day to remember- it's a love-hate relationship.

Name all the things a rushed college student tends to dread...
Not making it into any of the classes I need for my major? Not understanding the material in two of my classes? Not being able to find a speech topic? Oh wait, and being sick and unable to focus on top of it all?
Yup, you guessed it- that was my day.

But guess what- God's got my back.
And guess what- I have twizzlers.
And guess what- Dayquil tends to work wonders.

When life seems to say, "HA. You can't do it. HA. You're frail and human. Just give up while you're behind," I just like to say, "HA. You're right, I can't do it, but God can. HA. I am frail and human, but God is all-powerful and supernatural. I won't give up, because I'm not running alone."

It's days like this, the dreary, frustrating, head-in-a-fog, sort of days that make the devil get a big head.
But guess what- compared to God, he's got a tiny brain jingling around all emptily in his giant head of hot air.
And guess what- I have God on my side.
And guess what- Tomorrow is a new day.

That's one thing I've recently been learning.. God is a God of newness. New creatures, new life, new days.
2 Corinthians 5:17- "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."

I can tell you that I am so thankful for a God of second chances. I am so thankful for a God who loves us even during our times of bad attitudes, complaining tongues, and cynical perceptions. He makes all things NEW.

God Bless.

A friend is a Gift from God.

I am so incredibly thankful that God has me exactly where He wants me.

As I look at everyone in their various stages of life and completely unique situations, I am thankful that I am where I am. It's crazy to think that I'm at the age where my friends, family, and schoolmates are getting married and having children. Growing up is a weird thing, but God knows where we're supposed to be at and when we should be there. I am so thankful to be in an incredible Christian university, making incredible friendships and growing intensely closer to God. These experiences in my life are experiences I would never have encountered except for being right here, right now. I can confidently say that these friends I am making in college right now will be the friends I carry with me my entire life. God has blessed me so much to have given me two incredible roommates this year, both wonderful and beautiful in their own way.

Carla's quiet, yet wise and passionate spirit has influenced me incredibly. While she juggles school, family, and a boyfriend, she never is one to put her friends on a back-burner. Carla's ability to overlook wrongs which people have committed is definitely to be praised, and I admire her slow temper. Carla's unique mildness displays a confidence which I envy, and her love for God is to be admired. Our similar sense of humor definitely keeps things interesting, and our ability to follow each others A.D.D. conversations is definitely a sign of being "kindred spirits." I'm thankful that Carla is willing to watch my random girly movies with me on late nights, and that we can share our food, even if she does risk my dropping crumbs on her bed. I love this girl with all of my heart.
Kaytee's outgoing, bold persona has definitely pushed me a little bit out of my comfort zone. While I thought I was friendly, Kaytee gave a whole new meaning to the word "friendly." Kaytee goes out of her way to make sure every person feels special and loved, and she refuses to allow anyone to be left out. This intentional attitude has definitely taught me so much and I am thankful to have her as an influence in my life. Kaytee's fun-loving free spirit brings joy to all who spend time with her. A dull moment definitely never exists when Kaytee is around. I am thankful for the random things that bond us, whether girly tv shows or random dance-sprees. I love this girl so much!

God knew EXACTLY what I needed this year and he blessed me with the two most amazing roommates. Freshman year would have failed to be as awesome as it has been without them, and I will forever thank and praise God for His unfailing love.
I'm also so incredibly thankful for the other beautiful ladies God has placed in my life here at school to be life-time-worthy friends <3.

Rosemary remains a loyal, tender-hearted friend who always puts others before herself. Her generosity always exists and her love for God and people shines through every single thing she says and does.
Amber's heart for God and people is one I look up to greatly and always will. Her dedication to ministry and constant sacrifice to its time-consuming tasks proves her be a faithful servant of God.
Sarah's incredible testimony through trials has inspired me immeasurably. Her perseverance to be the godly woman that God wants her to be has stretched my faith and given me a motivation that could have only beento retrieved by knowing her.
Mary Anna's thoughtful, obedient soul keeps her strong in times of pain. Her love for God pushes through any doubt or fears that exist in her life, and her passion to serve, be involved, and grow intellectually is evident through her constant hard work and effort. This girl's work ethic definitely inspires me.

Please don't be hurt or offended if you're not on this list, because there are SO many others whom I love dearly and who have impacted my life incredibly this year. The list could go on and on, but these are just a few people that came to mind right now. I am so thankful for all of you and your influence in my life. I pray that we will remain close throughout the years and keep encouraging each other spiritually. I love you all so much!

God Bless.

Now and Soon

The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and the wind is blowing everything away, including me. CFAW is over and the schedule is now significantly in order. While stress will continue to be prevalent, I'm looking forward to Wednesday, because that means that Tuesday's ultra stress will be defeated! I am currently so hungry that I could eat a few zebras. Who do I see right now? A guy whose hair is way too long and whose use of a headband just makes it look worse. A multitude of couples doing a multitude of awkward things. College students who are particularly chipper due to the incredibly gorgeous weather.

Lately, I've been feeling the homesickness coming on. The loneliness tends to creep in every once in a while, but thankfully I have a God who never leaves me and thankfully He's given me a group of great friends. Classes seem to be extra monotonous today and life continues on as normal. While it's nice to be back in the routine of things, I won't lie- I had a lot of fun with some old friends (and new friends) this weekend.

A recent answer to prayer: I have found a hall to be prayer leader on next year! I am so excited to see what God will do, but also very nervous for a new year with new roommates and new leadership. I am so pumped to be working with this leadership next year. Definitely a godly, humble, and loving group of ladies, and I cannot wait. I always dread the unknown, but I thank God that He is completely in control and knows exactly what will happen. So many new adventures to come. I cannot even imagine what God will do, and while I know it won't always be easy, I know that God will never bring me to something that He won't bring me through.

Good times ahead :].

The Happs

So, it's been a few days since I posted, and while I technically should be writing a speech in this spare moment of my life, I decided I could blog a quick one.

This week has been much better than the last, thank God. A lot of crazy things have been going on lately. Monday was a little bit crazy with classes all afternoon, dinner with the ladies afterward, Caribbean Craze with the same ladies (this is the dance aerobics class I told you about before), and then a volleyball game after. Definitely a tiring day.

Note to self: exercising more than once in a day may cause athletic overload to one who normally is not exposed to much exertion of active energy.

Tuesday was a day of ridiculous tests and leadership fairs. Prayer leader interviews here I come! One down, six to go. Now just to wait and see where God leads me, or if even leads me to be a prayer leader. Ah, the more I think about the more nervous I get. Being fully committed to disciple, fully love on, and be on 24/7 call for a group of girls definitely is a huge responsibility, but I cannot wait to see what type of blessing it will be.

Wednesday involved mostly just homework and a lot of just hanging out.
This weekend, CFAW has begun. The time when everything on campus is more packed than it needs to be and the entire Liberty staff cater solely to those who do not attend our school. Just kidding, it's not that bad. Ok maybe it is, but there are some things about CFAW that are just fun. 1. the food at our dining hall steps up a few notches. 2. all the activities that happen are always a good time and 3. in general I enjoy helping people around and showing them where to go.

Anyway, those are a few of the happs. Yes, I did just say happs.

God Bless!