Two Peas in a Pod

My sweet friend showed me this yesterday. ...Grab some tissues before you watch!


Gene + Jill // Two Pease in a Pod from capture studios on Vimeo.

Royalty

No surprises here: another royal wedding blog post. First exam was this morning at 8 am, but that was no match for the history made today; you better believe I was up this morning to watch Kate down the aisle! ...and seriously- the church? the crowds? her dress? her hair? Prince Harry (sorry, but really- he's so much more attractive than William)?        

Stunning. 

Still more stunning is the royalty we have in Christ.

"All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia; 

   from palaces adorned with ivory 

   the music of the strings makes you glad. 

Daughters of kings are among your honored women; 

   at your right hand is the royal bride in gold of Ophir.

 Listen, daughter, and pay careful attention: 

   Forget your people and your father’s house. 

Let the king be enthralled by your beauty; 

   honor him, for he is your lord. 

The city of Tyre will come with a gift,

   people of wealth will seek your favor. 

All glorious is the princess within her chamber; 

   her gown is interwoven with gold."

Psalm 45:8-16

Looking Back

Today was the big day we've all been waiting for: LDOC (Last Day Of Classes). Celebrations were rocking on strong this afternoon, and for good reason, but I can't help but feel the pangs of sadness. Where on earth did the past year fly off to?

Looking back, I can't help but smile. Remembering the fresh-off-to-college version of myself on move-in day makes me laugh, thinking about the nights I spent in tears those first few weeks wondering if I would ever find friends. And now, here I am with not enough days left to make some last-minute lunch dates with my new girlfriends. I'm struggling to think of how I'm going to spend my time this summer when I realize that these girls don't live just a couple floors above or across the quad, but that they're a two and a half or four hour drive across the state. Funny how things change.


It's crazy how different things have turned out here during these last few months. God has blessed me in so many ways, by bringing me to the Summit Church, plugging me into Cornerstone campus ministry, and surrounding me with uplifting, wholesome women who are chasing after Him in ways I wish I could. His graciousness continues to radiate through every aspect of my life- my schoolwork, my other clubs and activities on campus, my family, and my walk with Him. Looking back on the past year, I can reminisce the fun things I've done, but nothing compares to the awesome grace God has to reveal Himself to me. I have learned so much about the character and heart of God, and am so thankful to know what it means to live in daily dependence upon Him (not that I live that way every day; I'm far from perfect). But really, God's mercy and grace is such an amazing gift; He is the one who gives us the desires to know Him more and seek Him. Being able to look on the past year and know that it went perfectly according to God's perfect plan is so humbling. And it makes me that much more excited to honor Him with my future.

So, as I wrap up my own LDOC celebrations (sitting in the library studying for finals, anyone?), I can't help but feel it's bittersweet sting. I can't believe I'm almost no longer a freshman. I'm so sad to say goodbye to my dear friends for the summer. I'm only imagining how fast the next three years are going to fly by. But, I'm looking forward into summer, into the old friends I'll be able to catch up with again, and into the excitement of another year at Carolina in the fall.

Home

There's a reason it's so sweet. It's a safe haven, a place to breath, a place to rest. I'm ecstatic to be back.

I'm starting to realize how many things I miss about this wonderful place. I've missed my ceiling fan. I've missed the water pressure in the shower. I miss my best friend who should be here. I've missed my mom and the way she always knows things because she's a mom. I've missed my little white dog- one I can always count on to be happy to see me! I've missed being able to drive around by myself in my car; yes, I talk to myself/pray aloud while I drive. I've missed my giant bed. I've missed the relaxation that comes with knowing I'm home because school is taking a break. Truly, this is my time to breathe, catch up (with Jesus, Mom, and myself), and rest.

Out of all the things I've missed from home, I'm thrilled to be back. I love my time at the YMCA in the mornings, my leisurely afternoons full of coffee dates with old friends, and movie nights with my family. Home is so sweet.

Discoveries

Surprise, surprise: I'm procrastinating discovering new things.

1. Pinterist. The website full of fun pictures for browsing, or you can "pin" them to your own board. This might be the best and worst discovery I've made yet. Too much time has been spent already looking at pretty pictures (of food, clothes, decor, accessories, people, quotes... anything)!
2. It's prom season! I might be in college, but I have friends in high school that went already... facebook creeping is slowly becoming a steady job.
3. My best friend is spectacular. She knows when to make me laugh and tell me what I need to hear. Read for yourself her words of wisdom, love, and encouragement! Love her dearly!
4. Thank goodness my parents aren't awful enough to broadcast it on when parents text. On the other hand, thank goodness there are parents out there who can give me a good laugh at any time of day! 

Now, the products of my pinterist procrastination:

Pretty.

Cute. 

Need.

Want.

Seriously.

Truth.

Rationale

Something I wish I was good at or possessed. Somehow, when it comes to things of the heart or obstacles in my walk with Christ, I disregard all sources of logic and rational flows of thought. Satan dives in, does his meddling (which doesn't take much on effort on his part), and I'm a sucker for it, falling prey to his lies without thinking twice.


My best example of this is what I've been thinking about most recently: Pain, hope, and trials. Recap of the bad? I got on this train of thought that if all my hope is in Christ (which I should do), then I won't be disappointed. Disappointment brings pain and suffering. Thus, when we don't put our hope in Christ and are sinful, we bring about pain and suffering on ourselves. (I know you're what your thinking... more or less this all makes sense so far- but just wait.) Here's the real kicker: Because of all this, it must be sinful be feel pain or suffer.


What a croc. I'm still kicking myself for believing this. ...Ironically, believing this (and not realizing I was until recently) has caused me more pain than it would have otherwise. After a long talk with my mom, she shed some serious light on the truth for me.

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

John 16:33

What used to be my favorite verse had nearly lost all meaning, because I completely forgot about the truth behind it. Jesus tells us we will face trials and pain and suffering- it's the nature of the world we live in! Yes, the pain is a product of our sinfulness, but it is not sinful to wrestle trials or to experience suffering and grieve the pain that accompanies it.

It's His amazing grace that allows us to feel these things, and feel the hope and love that He rushes to us with. JD Greear, pastor at The Summit Church, said it best a couple weeks ago when he preached on Jesus' amazing tenderness.  "Jesus can hardly resist someone who is suffering who is in front of Him... He is the one who, when He’s sitting by your bedside, make pain and death feel like a nap." Jesus is compassionate and merciful; He wants us to run to Him with pain, suffering, trials, and temptations. He wants to comfort us. 


Cry. Feel. Grieve. 

...And think rationally about these things. 

Rest.

Such a simple concept, right? Wrong. This is the thing I've been craving for this past week. Yes, we all want rest for our bodies, time to sleep in and be lazy, and that's definitely something I'm looking forward to, but there's more. I'm physically and emotionally exhausted; I'm tired of fighting my sinfulness. That's why this weekend, I'm looking for real rest from Jesus. I want to rest in the knowledge that He is fighting for me, pursuing me, loving me, and being Himself--compassionate, caring, kind, merciful, full of grace--for me.

"Be at   r e s t  once again, O my soul, 

for the Lord has been good to you." 

(Ps 116:7)

This has been my "theme verse" for the week, and I'm praying that what I glean from it will stay with me in the final weeks of school to come, and even into the summer, when the word "rest" has a whole new meaning.

Light of the World

Procrastination

That one thing that every student and person is born to be good at. Procrastination. It should come as no surprise that I'm practicing this skill as we speak (type?).

Studying for a statistics midterm and writing a poetry explication that's due tomorrow can wait. I have other things to do. More important things? Nope. More interesting things? Not necessarily. More beneficial things? Kind of. What are these things? I'll tell you.


1. Making a list. Decorate it and type it up, using cool fonts and colors, and then fill it with the most mundane things ever.

2. Researching a new recipe. If it's dinner time, try out a whole new entree. ...If it's not a meal time, try out a new snack or dessert, like this fancy cake. Long prep time? Not a problem; we've got time to waste.

3. Catching up with an old friend. There are so many different ways to contact someone these days. Skype, facebook, texting, emailing, talking, instant messaging, and the list goes on. Find one you like and get a hold of someone.

4. Exercising. Go for a jog (This has encouraged my new appreciation for running. ...Maybe one day a half marathon? Doubtful, but I can dream.) Lift some weights (or soup cans...?). Squat a few times. My new favorite is  8 Minute Abs on youtube. Try it out!

5. Getting organized. Clean your desk. Re-organize your closet. People say a change in scenery encourages motivation. Prove them right.

6. Coloring. Grab a friend to buy the coloring book, and you can buy the crayons. Let the fairies and ponies invade.

7. Reading. Pull up a favorite blog, curl up with a good book, or even sit down with your Bible. Escape.

8. Napping. You may think you're not a napper, but it's a beautiful thing that everyone's good at. Trust me.



Maybe completing one or all of these tasks will foster some hard-core motivation to get the important, interesting, beneficial things done.

...Or maybe you'll be that much more unmotivated.