Summer

Here I am one week away from officially declaring my summer break over. For most normal kids this is one of the most disappointing times of the year. For me it's the most exciting.

I have never really enjoyed summer to be honest. Growing up summer just meant the time where I laid around at home, did nothing, and tried to find a way to exercise my mind. I love going to school. I love seeing people everyday. I love having purpose. I love having a reason to get up in the morning. This year I was very thankful for summer. 

As I prepared for summer, three months ago, I had great plans. I wanted to get a job and work hard. I wanted to start taking care of my body by getting into running. I wanted to stay active. But God had other plans. 

I turned in job application after job application, and yet nothing seemed to work out. I grew very frustrated. All I wanted to do was work hard and get some money that would gain me comfort in the months to come. But nothing happened. I thought I needed to work hard, but God knew I needed rest. 

I ran day after day for a week. I got out there and ran until I couldn't anymore. Each day I ran longer. But after one week I ended up in the hospital. Turns out my gallbladder, not that great. The doctor's believe that it over contracts which creates a feeling like that of having a heart attack. So I had to lay back and not run in order to try and keep myself from ending up in the hospital for longer than six hours. However, the doctor's ordered me to do something else. Change my diet, or risk surgery. So I was instructed to aim for foods with low fat. So instead of milk, pizza, McDonald's, and many other things I was used to I had to move to low fat yogurt, broccoli and rice, and anything that had little to no fat. I thought I needed to run hard everyday to get back in shape. God knew my oncoming weakness, and lead me to change my health habits through a change of diet instead. 

Lastly, I thought that I should build the strength of my friendships. So I wanted to hangout everyday. I wanted to get out and work in order to find new friends. I wanted to start helping out at my church and get closer to my friends there. I wanted to get out. But God had other plans. A much better plan that I never expected. I often felt too sick to go out, which is something I hate. So I stayed in a lot. But I decided to not let my summer go to waste. So I decided to start working on the house. I began to mow the lawn like crazy. It came to a point where I was mowing the lawn twice a week. I just take so much enjoyment in mowing the grass. I started giving myself a weekly schedule. Kitchen on Monday. Bathroom on Tuesday. Living room on Wednesday. Laundry on Thursday. Vacuuming on Friday. Mow the lawn on Saturday. I kept to it and the house began to get cleaner. And slowly but surely the moods of the people who live in my house began to get better. On top of that I have gotten a lot closer to my parents through all the time I have spent here. My relationship with my family has gotten so much better. I am the closest to them that I have ever been. That is probably the best thing God has had in store for me this summer. 

So with all this being said, I am so ready for school to start again. I have been praying all summer for my hall, my roommate, my former roommate, my friends, my grades, and just about everything, and I can't wait to see God fulfill those prayers. I am going to miss the people here in Maryland, but if there is one thing that being away at college has taught me is that 10 hours isn't that far away. 

See you in a week Lee University. :)




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The Decision is Yours

Never once in your life have you ever been in a place like here. You have a decision to make. What will this be to you? It can be the worst. It can be the best. The decision is up to you. Never once in your life have you ever been so free to decide. Your past is already decided. Your future has yet to be written. There's no one here to tell you what to make of this. The decision is yours. So, what's it going to be? The best? Or the worst?






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One Year at Lee

Okay, so I feel terrible that a year ago I vowed to write on here everyday. That was a stupid vow. Though not impossible, it wasn't very likely. I have learned a lot here at college. 

First, I learned a lot academically, as everyone expects to. I've learned my studying habits. I've learned my procrastination habits. (That last one is more prominent than the first one) I've learned lots and lots of information that I am not even go to begin to bore you with. I've learned how to take tests and exams, and write papers. I've learned how to survive classes that just don't seem possible. I've learned never to grieve over a current grade. As long as they are still current, and the class is still going, grades can always change. I have also learned to never be overconfident about a grade because as long as they are still current, and the class is still going, grades can always change. I have learned that speaking with your professor is probably one of the best things that you can do. I have learned that conquering procrastination, and making best friends with your planner and organization is one of the best things a student can do. However, as surprising as it may sound I have learned much more that can not be put on an academic scale.

Coming here has been one of the hardest, most enjoyable things I have ever done. I knew that coming here would change me, but I underestimated just how much. The first few nights I was here I was in tears at night as I laid my head on my pillow. I was happy to be here, but all I could think of was my family and friends back home. However, I did eventually grow out of that. So for all of you out there who find yourself in the same situation, please don't let it keep you from succeeding. Though they may be a little further away the people you are missing are still there for you and are always just a letter, phone call, Skype session, Facebook post, tweet, text message, email, and so on away. Don't be afraid to be the person to reach out and make contact.

The title of this blog is "'There is a Tide in the Affairs of Men.'*College*" This is a quote from Shakespeare's, Julius Caesar, you know, minus the *College* part. The quote states, "There is a tide in the affairs of men. Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bought in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea we are now afloat, and we must take the current when it serves, or lose ventures." The character speaking is commenting that there is a time in your life when you are going to need to make a decision. When a captain is trying to decide when to go out into the ocean they watch the tide. There is a right time and a wrong time to go out onto sea, and the captain has to keep a watchful eye in order to spot the right time. Go too late, and you might miss an opportunity. Go too early, and you might find yourself in a wicked storm. Just as captain watches the tides of the ocean, we must watch the tides of our life. We have to keep an eye out for when we should jump in. If we wait too long we could miss an opportunity, but if we get in too early we could run into a wicked storm that we are unprepared for.

This is college. College is all about ceasing the moment at the right time. You have to find out where you fit in. You have to find your comfort zone, and push its limits. You have to find what inspires you, and hold onto it. You have to find out what you want to study. There are opportunities around every corner, and you have to decide if you're going to take it or not.

A few months before I left for college I wrote a blog titled, Going Under: Rising Back Up. I spoke about the feeling that I was being pulled under by a very strong current, but it excited me. I knew that the was something for me on the other side. I knew that I was going to be ripped under, and feel for a little while that I was drowning, but in the end I was going to rise up as stronger person.

I was right. I did get ripped under. I came to a point where I felt overwhelmed, and had many breakdowns. I missed home. I missed my family. I missed my friends. I missed the familiarity. My grades were suffering. I bombed a quiz. I bombed an exam. I got sick. Nothing seemed like it was going right. I felt like I was drowning. But I rose back up. It is obvious that I am different, but in a better way. I am now more willing to step out of my comfort zone thanks to a project I did called The Yes Man Project. I am now more talkative. I am now more outgoing. I am able to be okay in a place where I know no one. I have risen up a stronger version of myself.

There is so much that I am grateful for. I grateful for the people I have met. My roommate. My friend's roommates. The girl's on my hall. Everyone here has had an impact on me, and I am so grateful. I am going to miss some of them next year as some move away, and I move to a different dorm. I have grown academically, socially, spiritually, and physically, and I am grateful for that. I am grateful for what God has done for me. I am so happy that I decided to follow His call for me to come here to Lee.

If you ever feel that God is calling you to do something, don't turn away, run towards it. It might be scary. It might make no sense. It might seem like the polar opposite of what you want to do. But I promise you it will be more than you could ever ask for. I could have never predicted how much moving here to Lee has been such a blessing to me. It has taught me that if I follow God I will land in places I could have never imagined.

Overall, moving to Lee was one of the best things to ever happen to me. I am so excited for the summer, and being able to reunite with my family and friends. But I am also so excited for next year. I have learned so much. I have seen so much. I have done so much. It only gets better from here! :)

College Assignment #5:

Keep a Journal

I know that I did not set a very good example with this for I told you I was going to keep a journal of sorts on here, but throughout this year I have been keeping several journals. I know that it does not sound interesting and it seems pointless, but it is a great way of keeping your thoughts together at a time when you feel like you're losing your mind. It is also a great way of seeing how you have grown. You do not have to go public with it, and post a blog, but at least have a journal. Guys too... That's why I called it a journal, not a diary. :)

Don't make vows, unless you intend on following through, and know that it is possible.

Follow God's call that He has for you




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