The Day Before...

Its Wednesday: probably one of the hardest days of the week for me because there is still one more day left of school and sleep deprivation is piling up.
I started out the day at the coffee shop before school… really early in the morning. Following begins a overview of what went on.
As I march into Spanish class a while later with frozen fingers and a nose that is rather red, I gulp at the thought that exactly 24 hours from this moment I will be taking a midterm. Throughout class I continually glance at the clock. How much more time left? Not how much more time till class is over, but how much more time before the midterm?!?! Will I survive until then? The class laughs… wait what did I miss? Refocus!
Next is biology and here is where problems start. My mind wanders from cellular respiration to the happy days of summer, to sleep in warm blankets, to cozy sofas, fluffy robes and thick socks, and then to where I am going after college. Suddenly my thoughts jerk back as bizarre pictures flash across the screen in class. Yes, yes… I totally get this whole protein thing right now. Ummm… not really! Haha… but I soooo look like I do, as I sit there nodding, writing, and “pondering”. I fight to pay attention. I gave up on the understanding and keeping up part, now I just need to get what is currently being taught.
We get out of class 5 minutes early and I race to check email. Prayer meeting is next and it is so refreshing; I am much better now. Bringing others before the throne of grace is always a blessing. “Lord please help those who are in tests right now” I pray. Our group breaks up as people scatter to their separate classes and myself to the seclusion of a windowsill in the science building. I go take care of random errands then go hang out waiting for my next class.
Before I know it, my “free” time is up. I trudge up the stairs and around the hall into the class room, my pace noticeably slower than 3 hours ago. It was only a 50 minute class, but it felt like an eternity. As I gazed at the screen filled with thunderstorm information I only see a blank screen. My eyelids began to droop. It’s a good thing I was sitting right in front of the teacher. Finally after what seemed like the longest class ever, I was DONE! I groaned inside as I picked up my backpack. Now I understand why they give us coupon books that have tons of stuff for chiropractors.
Run into the library again to print out research information on amines in chemistry for the paper due tomorrow. I feel pretty smart dealing reading about this stuff. But just don’t ask me anything about it; I prefer to be in my own happy world minus the reality that I really don’t get the info. As I run across campus to go work and I ponder the fact that I haven’t written a sentence for that paper. Aaaah well. As I stride into work somebody is having a birthday so there is cake and ice cream. Working has its benefits! :D I work for an hour… tedious stuff but fun.
Then I head home. I turn the music up super loud in the car to try and get all hyped up. The weird part is that it doesn’t work. Into the house I go and begin more research. I email people, back and forth emails fly and all the while I am doing Spanish research. Uh oh, time to leave for the baby shower. Run and change and leave just as my grandparents walk in the door. So sorry to leave.
The shower goes great… drive and get a triple shot of coffee. Hopefully it will get me through the night. When I get home I chill for a few minutes then it is off to homework again. IM after an hour or so and feel pretty energetic as the caffeine takes effect. Around 11:30 I creep downstairs, quiet as a mouse until my foot hits the creaky stair, then I sound like an elephant. LOL!
I open the door to my room and stare at the hurricane. Only 3 feet to my bed and yet it takes great effort to get past the piles. Aaaah, when I have time I will deal with everything. I sit on my bed and do Spanish, then start trying to read some biology research. I doze, then pop my head up and gulp down some coffee. Then… well I don’t remember because…
45 minutes later I wake up feeling much better. Once again I creep around, this time back up to the computer. One of my friends is still on IM doing the same thing I am. Check a few things then haul my computer down stairs bumping into furniture and nearly killing myself. Let’s see if I can wake the WHOLE house up! It’s now 12:45 (uh oh that means it is now Thursday). Spanish, Spanish, Spanish… and before I know it is 2:30. I turn on Chris Rice and prepare for the next phase of Spanish, the writing part.
But wait!
I feel a blog post coming on. Hence this post, written quite clearly at 2:45 in the morning by a girl sitting in a pile of paper and books, surrounded by mounds of clothes and stuff, writing in different tenses… yet it all makes complete sense.
In a few hours I will be sitting in class taking a midterm. Then I will hand in my research paper. THEN I will go about my day with the end being sleep!!! How beautiful!
In between??? Well, that would be: NO sleep, furious writing, cramming, rushing, and complete insanity in order to maintain sanity. All of this is MIDTERMS, at least midterms for a procrastinating, slow, tired, and silly person!
Tis THE life!
You all should try it a time or two, or at least come join me on my next go around of this.

The Sweet Love of our Savior

Stop for a moment. Stop and consider your Savior and His great love for you. Let it wrap around you and awe you. This love is amazing! The greatest and awesomest being in the universe has chosen to love us... mankind, who is the lowliest and most sinful. Wow! Are you getting excited???? I am!

Romans 8:28-29
"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren."
First, God has the most perfect plan in every situation and it is so cool that we can rest in the fact that no matter what happens, it is for our good. Then there is the marvelous thought that He predestined us. He knew before the foundation of the world that we were going to be His.

Romans 8:37-39
"Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing shall be able to seperate us fromt the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
This verse makes my heart sing. Nothing... NOTHING can keep us from God's love. It goes with us wherever we go. Praise the Lord!

Colossians 1:13-14
"He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemtion through His blood, the forgiveness of sins."
We have forgiveness of sins! Through His blood we can be saved and have eternal life.

Ephesians 2:8-10
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."
It is not my works that has saved me but the grace of God. He reached down and plucked me out of that pit of sin and wrong and it was ALL him.

Ephesians 3:20-21
"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen."

Stop again. Consider how blessed you are... consider your God who chose to save even though we were as dead. Praise Him, worship Him, adore Him... this is OUR GOD!

Are We Adults?!?!

We all met at college. The air was cold and crisp and the grass was slightly moist. Everybody was in sweatshirts.... but that only lasted for a few minutes. Ulimate frisby first! Up and down the field we raced: jumping, diving, rolling, falling, slipping, catching, and wiping sweat of our faces. Tis the LIFE let me tell ya. :D For an hour we played and what fun it was. Who won? I don't remember, nobody remembers because it was fun and that was all that mattered.
Next we went to the soccer field and played soccer for an hour. Fun too!!! Kicking, running, sliding, and trying super hard to stop that white and black ball. Pain in my leg... somebody kicked me on accident. Hop around on one leg for a few seconds and then continue running because the ball is coming to me.

Now it is getting dark and the lights come on in the field. We all slowly make our ways back to our cars parked throughout the parking lot. Drive to Costco, go in as a big group under one card and then get dinner. Sitting there eating pizza and laughing I contemplate life. Four years ago we would have never been able to do all this. Nobody had their license, nobody thought they would ever have their license. :D There was no thought of college, jobs, homework, and bills. Now things have changed. But is so awesomely cool!!
So hanging out with friends is like way fun!!!!!

Being adults is really amazing. Its fun and challenging! Having friends who are there for you is such a blessing. The Lord has been good to us ALL! It is still hard to believe though that we are adults in a way. Weird.

Thats all for now... I think... at least until something happens that just needs to be written about!

Those Good 'Ole Times

The wind rips through my hair.

I smile.

Life is good!

I sniff the delicious scent of hot chocolate. The waves crash against the rocks below and the leaves rustle in the trees. Abbey and Emma snuggle closer to me as we giggle and say how cold we are. The wrapper for the cookies tries to escape from my rapidly freezing fingers. My fingers clench around it and I shiver with cold and look down at my two charges. They are eating cookies and sipping their hot chocolate. All three of us are nestled deep down inside our coats as if we are trying to disappear within. The seagulls swoop above hoping for one small morsel to be thrown (not a chance my fine feathered friends). This is life! Observing God's beautiful creation while on an adventure and with some very amazing people!